Holiday Visits

We're home for the holidays, heading back to cold Illinois tomorrow morning. We're coming, Gizmo!!! We've really taken advantage of our time in Atlanta, visiting with friends and family that we missed seeing over Thanksgiving. Last Sunday morning, we attended church and spent some time with Clay, Stacy, and baby Nora, whom we haven't seen since July! Nora has grown; she's cuter and cuter, and I volunteered to raise her myself in Illinois...

The men, discussing important matters over the baby...

Precious!Monday, we spent time with JD's longtime friends, Steve, Laurie, and little Lucas. We haven't seen them since May! Lucas can now walk, a busy little man ruling the house!

Of course, since Christmas Eve, we've spent all our time with family.

Our first Christmas living in Illinois was a success in traveling home (as long as we can get back to Normal tomorrow!). I can't believe a New Year is upon us...

Ice Storm!

We had an ice storm last night! JD and I awoke this morning to the world crystalized in ice. It's gorgeous!

Oh, Christmas Tree!

I can't believe that Christmas is only a week away. Finals are finished, papers are graded, and JD is recovering from a cold that kept him down this weekend. Our house is a mess of wrapping paper, Christmas present projects, tissues and cold medicine, and papers for an article I'm working on. It's snowing a little most days, and yesterday the high was 11 degrees. It's amazing how quickly you adapt, though, because it really isn't fazing me much. I stopped by the post office yesterday, and the letter box was so full that letters were sticking out of the in-slot! (That's got to be illegal). So Christmas is almost here, and we're getting ready to head back to Atlanta on Saturday. But we've found some time to put up a Christmas tree; Gizmo has only messed with it a few times. I think she's decided that winter up here is for hibernation...

Winter Wonderland

So as I mentioned in the last post, JD and I arrived back in town last weekend to a winter wonderland. Saturday night dumped 3 inches of snow over Bloomington-Normal, and Sunday added another 2 inches. So far, I'm really enjoying the cold and snow. Ask me again in February.



Here's our street. It's been interesting walking home from school this week. I've learned that you have to stay off the sidewalks, which have become long slip 'n slides. Walking in the snow piles on either side of the sidewalk is much safer.


As you can see, the snow's pretty deep!



Some animal decided to use our backyard as his personal bathroom. Note the footprints on the right and the yellow snow...


Coming from the Tennessee hills, Gizmo should like snow, right? Well, when we threw her out the door into a snow pile, she bunny-hopped right back to the door. Oh well.

Last week was our last week of school, and this week we're taking finals and grading. Besides my two final exams and term paper , I have all these (43 to be exact) lovely, well-written portfolios awaiting my grading. Note the sarcasm.

Where's Home Again?

JD and I had a wonderful Thanksgiving with both of our families - it was the first time we'd been home or seen our families since August! It was a surreal moment when I saw my parents looking for me in the crowd at the airport; it felt like I'd been gone both for years and only for a day. Most of the week was spent relaxing: reading, chatting, eating, sleeping.

I did get to visit my two bridesmaids, Ashley and Michele. Ashley's baby (okay, she's already 1 1/2!) Maddie is way too adorable!

JD drove in Tuesday night, and the Thanksgiving meals commenced. After a delicious turkey dinner with, as JD argues, the best home-made apple pie ever at my mom's house, we enjoyed steak and ham with the Ponds on Friday. I got to reconnect with my sister-in-laws and even to see one of our favorite couples, Steve and Laurie, as they spotted us playing aerobe and pulled over to say hi! What a great suprise.

Saturday saw a mean whirly ball match between the Pond family, my dad, and Michael. Some players left the field with whirly ball wounds! We drove the 10 hours home today only to find that our town was buried under 3 inches of snow! I almost didn't recognize it! It is supposed to keep snowing tonight and tomorrow, so stay tuned for some pictures of our first snowfall.

Home for the Holidays

It's kinda strange to blog when most of our readers are here in Atlanta! But I wanted to stay up on my pictures, so here are some of the kitties and the family reunion between me and the family. Now, we're just waiting for JD to show up!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JD!!!

JD turned 28 today! We had a really fun weekend celebrating his birthday a couple of times. Friday, we had our new small group over for a pot luck dinner and board games. It was interesting playing games that asked players to drink water from a bowl like a cat, hold a spoon in your mouth for fifteen minutes, and smell a number of disgusting smells chosen by the other players with people you've met once before. We certainly know each other better now.

Saturday, JD's pilot friend Brian called to let us know that he'd flown into Peoria, a town 40 miles away, for the night. We drove over to see him, and the three of us had a delicious birthday dinner in celebration of JD. It was great to see an old friend, and I got to explore a new town.

Sunday, JD and I cooked a tasty brunch with his favorite, french toast! For dinner, I made another favorite, spaghetti and meatballs with a wedge salad. With a birthday dessert and some presents, the evening was perfect.

Yesterday, Brian mentioned that I'd be celebrating a lot more of JD's birthdays with him, and I got excited! I can't wait to do this for the rest of my life.

Making Friends

JD and I are so excited because we might actually have a small group now! When we attended Connections at Eastview Christian Church a few weeks ago, we met a great couple, Justin and Ashley, who we've had dinner with since. The four of us decided to start our own small group, so Justin and Ashley contacted a couple they'd just met at church a few weeks prior, Steve and Emily. Emily is applying to ISU's Master's program in English next fall! We could be working together soon. Then the church e-mailed us the names of a fourth couple who was looking for a small group, Frank and Laurie. We all met up this morning at church and attended the service together; afterwards, we went out for breakfast and got to know each other better. We have plans to see everyone again next weekend to talk specifics for our new group. It feels so good to meet some Christians our ages finally that we can form friendships with as a couple. Please keep our fledgling group in your prayers as we get to know each other.

Three more weeks of school until final exams!!!

Niagra Falls Trip

Last Wednesday, JD and I packed up and headed to Niagra Falls, Canada so that I could present at the... ready?... Mid-Atlantic Popular and American Culture Association Annual Conference (the customs officials made me say that several times - like they thought I'd actually make that up!). We stopped on the trip there and back at Kim and Andrew's in Michigan; from there, it was only another 7 hours. Strangely enough, I got an e-mail right before we left from a fellow PhD student at ISU who was already there! She had seen my name in the conference program, but neither of us had realized that the other was presenting. JD and I met up with her, Ericka, on Thursday night. Friday at 11:30, I presented a super-condensced version of my thesis on fate and free will in the Harry Potter series. The rest of Friday, JD and I walked around town, enjoying the falls (amazing!!) and spending way too much money. It was so nice to get away; it's been since Labor Day that we've had a break. Oh, don't worry about Gizmo! Emily came by and checked on her, complaining that after she had fed Gizmo, the kitty wanted nothing to do with her! What a snob (Gizmo, not Emily!)! Now we've begun the 3-week countdown until Thanksgiving. I can't wait to visit everyone in Atlanta!!!!!!! Check out our brief Falls video:
A quick fall update: When we got home, fall seemed like it had progressed by leaps and bounds! Here are some pictures of our street:

Autumn Days

We're Missing You!

Thanksgiving is taking way too long to get here. I can't believe I've survived a whole 2 1/2 months without our family and friends. Now don't get me wrong - I am LOVING having JD all to myself! But we still miss you all sooooooo much; it hurts. Tonight, JD and I went to Connections at our church, Eastview, in hopes of meeting some new friends. Connections at Eastview is the same thing as GroupLink at Northpoint; you meet other couples to form small groups. Well, unlike the hundreds of people that show up at a Buckhead GroupLink, maybe thirty people came, and only two of those people were young, married, and without children. The couple, Justin and Ashley, seemed nice. Ashley is working on a doctoral program in psychology at ISU, and Justin is a band director at a local high school. We're going to spend some time hanging out with them while the church checks to see if there's another established group that we could all join. If not, then we're starting our own to which we'll add couples as they pop up. Pray for us! Here's a couple of pictures of the pumpkin we carved this weekend:

Getting Away

This weekend, JD and I packed up to spend the weekend at Batsonland - Kim and Andrew's house - in Michigan. As usual, we had too much fun. We saw Joey and Eric play football on Saturday morning, followed by Jake's afternoon game. The day was gorgeous and unseasonably warm for an October fall day. We ate lots and relaxed in the sunshine. Sunday, after a dip in the hot tub, the family went skeet shooting, which I tried for the first time. Everyone's patience with me still did not result in a single hit, but the boys were great shots. We ended our visit with a trip to the pumpkin patch. Every time we visit, not only are Kim and Andrew amazing, generous hosts, but we live fun-filled days, only to crash into bed each night. It was the perfect escape from all the work at home; plus we loved seeing some family finally.

Around Town

So I thought that you might like to see a few places that we frequent, all places that we spent time this weekend too. Places such as my closet ... I mean office! at school:



Yeah, I share this room with someone else too. And here's the building where I teach all my classes:



I tried to get into the room, but it was locked. JD's waiting for me to finish taking all these pictures:



And here are some cool plants they have in the quad:



This is a shot of our street: Fell Avenue, on Homecoming Day at Illinois Wesleyan, hence all the cars:



Sunday morning, JD and I headed to church:



Yes, it is in a cornfield!



But aesthetic appeal isn't everything! In other news, this is JD's first week of work in the field. The company officially considers him "trained," although that's not the word he would use to describe himself right now. His return to work will change a lot around here; it's been so nice to come home and find that he's already done all my chores. We've discovered that he'd be a great stay-at-home dad.