This is ALWAYS my favorite night of the year :)

I bet you all thought it was gonna be something about Halloween but NOPE. There is something so much more magical, peaceful and exciting about the first snow of the season. They say we may get some more on Saturday night.

It's amazing how content I feel here with my hot cocoa watching the flakes fall, somehow forget the overwhelming stress of my over pack school and work loads. For tonight I think I'll forget all that and maybe watch The Princess Bride or White Christmas.

Oh, and since I mentioned it and I guess I haven't updated I have gotten my first massage job. Start out low but have a steady (to over full) clientele and incredible potential here.





Photobucket

So I just realized I didn't post about the birth of my 9th neicphew!! Justin and Jordan had their first child Soren Abdiel Chetelat 7lb 12 oz 18.5in at 1:26 am on October 26th Japanese time...which means it was still the 25th here. So the rest of the night I got to tell everyone I just found out my nephew was born tomorrow morning, hehe.
  • quiltedmama
    Wish we could bring our fireplace by and share the evening with you!
    by quiltedmama at 10/27/11 8:48PM
  • head_in_a_sunrise
    Wow! That looks amazing! So jealous right now...
    by head_in_a_sunrise at 10/27/11 8:59PM
  • mischief_mayhem_soap
    Ummm I'm pretty jealous of you right now missy! Still keeping you and Soren in prayers. Much love.
    by mischief_mayhem_soap at 10/27/11 9:15PM
  • mountaingirl
    Beautiful!!! (Daddy said disgusting!)
    I tried to answer the questions on Little Castles...
    ~enjoy the peacefull beauty of your snowy nite!
    by mountaingirl at 10/27/11 9:25PM
  • mischief_mayhem_soap
    Tell daddy even he would like it! It's not supposed to be enough to be a problem and it's still mild enough out that I wasn't sure we were even gonna get any.
    by mischief_mayhem_soap at 10/27/11 9:28PM
  • mountaingirl
    (this computer won't let me use a semi-colon or colon - the key is apparently dead... and has been for ages... sigh)
    by mountaingirl at 10/27/11 9:37PM
  • dawnmk23
    Wow! Beautiful snowfall! And we are so happy for J and J!! :0) Thanks for the info. on the weight and everything...
    by dawnmk23 at 10/28/11 12:08AM
  • dragonwriter
    ahhh
    by dragonwriter at 10/28/11 9:03AM
  • mischief_mayhem_soap
    That all melted but we're getting 6-8 more inches tonight :)
    by mischief_mayhem_soap at 10/29/11 7:27PM
  • tu_madre
    i was JUST thinking yesterday that i wanted to watch the princess bride again in the near future... congrats to justin!
    by tu_madre at 11/04/11 10:22AM
  • mischief_mayhem_soap
    There is just something about that movie :) I remember the first time I watched. I was so young I had nightmares about ROUS's for weeks. We talked about it in my film class the other day and how it's one of those movies that is just all around awesome and no sane person could ever dislike it.
    by mischief_mayhem_soap at 11/05/11 3:57AM

Obscure picture from Ecuador - #2

This is me holding a Parrot of some variety - one of many animals that roamed the courtyard of our hotel in Coca.

Photobucket
  • mischief_mayhem_soap
    btw, I'm wicked scared of birds so this was a big deal. My teacher feels the same way and while I was holding the bird she was made some comment like "I know how hard that is for you right now and I'm really impressed" Haha, yay positive re-enforcement!
    by mischief_mayhem_soap at 07/01/11 11:00AM
  • dawnmk23
    You look great!
    by dawnmk23 at 07/01/11 4:21PM
  • mountaingirl
    Cute!
    by mountaingirl at 07/02/11 2:59AM
  • quiltedmama
    That is such a cute picture of you! I want a copy of it for Aeryn's picture book to replace the one of when you were 12!
    by quiltedmama at 07/02/11 11:30PM
  • misssonja
    Very cool!
    by misssonja at 07/03/11 12:57AM
  • chooselove
    before i read your comment i was going to say you look really nervous about this
    by chooselove at 07/10/11 3:18PM

Please pray for little Levi

Levi Moore is about 6 weeks old and in the hospital with viral menigitis. His mother is a very dear friend from my childhood who currently lives in Bowling Green with her husband and family. I know they will appreciate all the prayers they can get on their little one's behalf. Thanks.

Cotopaxi

The blue dot is me, almost to base camp (15,800)

Photobucket
  • dawnmk23
    Cool!
    by dawnmk23 at 06/12/11 8:54AM
  • quiltedmama
    The dark blue dot or the teal blue dot? It doesn't look very welcoming!
    by quiltedmama at 06/12/11 6:03PM
  • head_in_a_sunrise
    WOW. That is breathtaking and scary. Also, kind of looks like it could be a scene from a movie.
    by head_in_a_sunrise at 06/14/11 10:15AM
  • mischief_mayhem_soap
    The teal blue dot. And no it wasn't very welcoming. At least by this point we had a little shelter from the wind. On the pass before the wind was so bad you had to sit down or hold onto someone else with every gust.
    Jordan, it certainly was breathtaking...both the view and the altitude lol.
    by mischief_mayhem_soap at 06/14/11 10:26AM

Home, with no diseases or parasites

(at least none that have revealed themselves yet)

I would have to say of all the amazing places I have traveled on this Earth and of all the beautiful landscape I've seen this trip was far and away the most breath taking and varied.

Words can't explain the things I got to say and do.

I wish I had a picture of me getting off the plane today(one that could include smell) cause I think it was the perfect encapsulation of my trip.

Dressed in Ecuadorian garb purchased in markets around the country and a purse made by "the master weaver." We looked (and smelled) like dirty hippies returning from a long journey.

I even got some color. Not much, but enough that I really look like I've been roughing it in S America for the past couple weeks, when coupled with my wavey unkempt hair held back by a hand woven head band that matched my hand woven over shirt so well.

I will try to add pictures even though none of them can even begin to do justice to the scenery.

I highly suggest that everyone visit Ecuador at some point.

I spent time in the jungle, I hiked to 15,800 ft in a sleet and wind storm on the highest active volcano in the world, and experienced the culture of both the Latin and Kechua(native) peoples. Plus some other awesome stuff and have way tons of indescribable amazing experiences.

So sad to be home but so happy to be able to flush tp and take a hot shower again!
  • teathyme
    Glad you are back!
    by teathyme at 06/03/11 12:27AM
  • chessman
    Wicked cool.
    We're sad you're back too. But only for your sake ;-)
    by chessman at 06/03/11 5:06AM
  • dawnmk23
    Glad to hear about your trip! Sounds amazing!
    by dawnmk23 at 06/03/11 8:28AM
  • head_in_a_sunrise
    That sounds so amazing! I can't wait to see the pictures.
    by head_in_a_sunrise at 06/04/11 2:41AM
  • misssonja
    Nothing like an exotic adventure -- but also nothing like coming home again.
    by misssonja at 06/04/11 8:41PM