Update time...

So, its been a few weeks. Over a month to be exact. I feel like it is time for an update...but that is always hard when I let so much time go by. It will be very jumbled and not very creative, but here it goes:

I spent two weeks educating myself further as I completed yet another course for my master's degree. This one was real bad (learned not a thing). Not a fun two weeks....but only three left to go!

I went on some fun dates with my best friend. I really do have the best husband and am SO thankful for him! Here are a few pictures from one date where we got outside in the VERY brief afternoon of semi clear skies and no rain (we have had like a month of no sun and lots of rain so it was a rare day)....



took a bike ride and walk and stumbled upon parking place. You never see parking places outside of buildings. but, I could not park in them anyways. I mean slanted, with trees growing up and bars, just asking for some dents. But, if they can fit in places like this....I think they can park just about anywhere. One reason I am not taking the driving test here!



After our walk we headed to get a great burger, philly cheese steak, and chocolate peanut butter shake at The Diner! Yum!



I have done lots of cooking, trying out new recipes, using the bread machine, etc.
So, homemade pizza is now very high on our list!



Not only do I make food, but I am also now a costume designer. Cam and I appeared as the White Witch and Peter for our school book parade!



We went to a party with a mad scientist, coach, Taylor Swift, princess, batman, and the list goes on....



Their cool moms, dads, and fellow missionaries were able to come too! (Team Expansion Missionaries)



We've gotten adventurous with our food....
I talked Cam into getting this beef seaweed roll (I had had it once before and actually like it).



Well...this is what he thought of it:



(he did manage to get it unrolled and just eat the beef, onions, bean sprouts, and rice out of it. you think we can order a seaweed wrap minus the seaweed...hmm??)

I finally got inspired and we have been doing some working out and eating more healthy...I hope I can keep it up for awhile. Here are a few other things we have added to our menu lately:


Peanut butter and banana smoothie, with spinach!


Stuffed Peppers with Barley!


and homemade cherry almond granola....

Let's just say, the stuffed peppers and granola will stay on the list, while I am not too sure about the spinach smoothies! Cam took one sip and gagged it down. He also has gagged while doing the dished (anything that the spinach touched). While I drank the whole thing and it did keep me full until lunch, I am not sure I can do it again.

We have been running and have both made it up to completing a 5k. We have an actual 5k to run in a week from today. We will see how it goes!

So, that is what this past month has been about for us. Teaching, eating, going on dates, hanging out with friends, bible studies, loving each other, tutoring, running, sleeping, and repeating it over and over again! Oh, and we have seen this cute little face on the computer just recently:



If you can't tell, that is our cute little nephew Brogan whom we miss very much! Boy is he growing up fast. Here is a better an even more adorable picture of him that I will leave you with:

CEBU- Fall Break 2010

So, after a teaching for four days, prepping for 6 hours on Thursday night, packing until 1 am, getting up at 5:30 am, riding the bus to Taichung, spending two LONG and FULL days at Professional Learning with the system staff, riding the bus back to Taipei Saturday night in traffic, packing our last minute things, heading to airport at 11:30 pm and flying through the night....we finally arrived and were officially on vacation at 7:30 am Sunday morning (Oct. 3). Cam and I plus two friends (Rebecca and Eve) vacationed together in Cebu, Philippines!

Sand, hammocks, salt water, sun, accents & new words, books, naps, food, laughs, sunsets....those are just a FEW words to describe our Fall Break. It was a lovely time and its a shame its over. However, if you have traveled in Asia...you know how happy you are when it is time to sleep in your own bed again. So, I guess there is one upside :)

I figure its better for you to visualize our trip, rather than for me to babble on and on....so please enjoy! Here is a little preview, for more use the link below! (I don't know why but for some reason I can't figure out to get my flickr to embed right within my post...Will have to ask a friend about that one!)


Click here for more pictures!

Fun at the Science Museum...

So, I want to take my class to the Science Museum this year and thought it would be best to check it out before hand. So my good (and sort of geeky science friend, haha) Sandra and her beautiful family joined us and we spent a fun morning/afternoon at the museum. Turns out it is going to be wonderful for a field trip! Not only will it be great for the kiddos (as it aligns with our benchmarks perfectly) it was also quite fun for Cam and I as we explored as well.

We had one of those weird famous foreigners moments. There was a group of highschool age school kids there and Cam and I were quite interesting to them I guess. They could not stop saying hello and chatting with us in their limited English. We also consented to a picture with some of them which turned into a 10 minute photo session with all of them! Haha...Makes me wonder what do they do with these pictures of the "white" strangers? Or why did I not get a picture of them taking pictures with us??

Anyways, here's a little look at our fun:

Cam trying to figure out how to get a big bubble...

Me inside a huge bubble (this was actually pretty fun)


Fun with the mirrors...if only I had legs like this :)

I about got sick from this! Cam loved spinning in circles though....We know who will get to ride the spinning rides some day at the fair or amusement park!



Round is much better than square...


The museum fun was followed by more fun with the Chow family! I mean when you get to hang out with these two (and their fun parents too)



...you can't go wrong. Plus--Pizza and Costco. A fun trip to a new "warehouse" where I can buy whole wheat flour, canned pumpkin, and kidney beans (YAY!!!). I'd say the day was a success!

A WONDERFUL date night!

My husband surprised me and asked if I would go on a date with him a few weeks back. He did not tell me where it was we were going and I was really shocked to see what it was he had planned!


We went down to a section of the river that had a row of restaurants next to it...what a pretty and romantic spot!

Dinner with a great view!

My yummy fruit tea!!!

We enjoyed one another, a beautiful evening, and a wonderful view!



Too bad we couldn't get a picture together...


Will just have to frame them next to one another or I need to get good at photoshop!

After dinner and the nice walk...I realized that I had lost my really nice umbrella at dinner. Still sad to think about. But, we upon a nice talk and some cuddling during a movie with my honey...I was reminded of what is really important in life!

I am so thankful....and have SO much to be thankful for!

More Birthday Surprises

Moms know how to make their kids happy!



A package from Jackie.

So many goodies! And, a few weeks later....

A package from my momma!


With a new purse that I LOVE and some extra goodies as well!