This week, I am celebrating Kayle's hard work in getting a promotion. He finally had his annual review this week. (I get much more nervous than Kayle when his mid-year and annual reviews are coming and bug him about when it will be and by asking if he's nervous; he's not). On Thursday, we went out to a late dinner after work at CoHo Cafe (our favorite restaurant here) and he told me the good news. Apparently, the actual meeting with his boss was quite short (only about 10 minutes) compared to the mid-year review which was an hour. But Kayle got a nice, long letter about his progress so far and it sounds like he is right on track. This promotion does not mean Kayle changes job titles, just that more will be expected of him in his current position. At Microsoft, there are two career tracks: "individual contributor" and management. Kayle is on the first track, so the promotion means he moved up a "level" in his experience/expertise rating. Kayle has been working hard at his job, and I am so proud of him!
Meanwhile, I was unemployed this whole week, having finished my job as a Science Adventures camp instructor last Friday. I spent the days during the week combing for job openings, reading Harry Potter (books 3 and 4), running errands, and cleaning the house. I still haven't heard back from any of the jobs I already applied for, so I'll probably be broadening my search soon. On Thursday, I went to a new home-buyer class and sales presentation to learn more about the process and earn $100. Kayle and I are just starting to look into purchasing a home and think we might be able to act in about a year when we can save up a down payment. We only have about 8 months or so left in our current condo before the owners move back in, so we've been thinking about where we want to live next.
In the evenings, we had our normal pattern. Tuesday was community group at Emily and Bryan's new home. Our leaders, Tim and Cameron, were waiting anxiously for their baby which was almost a week overdue. We found out last night that, after 2 full days of labor, they had a baby girl at 7:30pm. She was 21 inches long and 8 lbs 15 oz. She doesn't have a name yet, partially because Tim and Cameron wanted to make the gender of the baby a surprise at birth. On Wednesday, I went to my small group with the youth, which is going really well lately. Thursday was our date night when we went out for dinner.
Not too much else is going on now, just a lot of waiting to hear back from job openings and trying to enjoy my time off while getting things done around the house. We miss you and love you all!
Angie and Kayle
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Last Week of Summer Camp
I'm trying to get back to posting every week...we'll see how long that lasts! At least I usually post every 2 weeks or so; I have friends that post only once every 6 months. Family members start calling me and asking me why I haven't posted after about a week and half, so I have a built-in reminder system!
Last Sunday, Kayle and I heard that they needed some extra help in Children's Ministry, since some of the scheduled volunteers were sick. So, we went to the early service and served at the 11:15. Surprise! The teacher for Pre-K class didn't realize she was on the schedule and didn't come, so I received the lesson notes and was sent off to sink or swim as the substitute teacher. I haven't even been a helper in that class, so I had no idea of the usual format, and my other helper (besides Kayle, who was also clueless) had her first week in Pre-K the week before. It was a short sermon, and I managed to teach a lesson on being the "image of God" without too much trouble. I guess God wants me to learn something about being willing and flexible!
This past week was my last week as a Science Adventures camp instructor. I was in charge for the Powerful Planet theme again, this time with 21 kids in mostly 1st-4th grade. Powerful Planet is a fun theme to teach with a sea turtle mystery (culminating in a frog slime lesson) and building a cool electric car (complete with wiring a few circuits inside- eek!). My co-teachers were a lot of fun, but a couple kids kept me on my toes and made it a pretty exhausting final week. On Friday, my afternoon instructor had car trouble and had to be 2 hours late plus my boss was there in the middle of the afternoon. Everything worked out fine, but it was more stressful than usual. The best part of the week was hearing some parent comments on the final day. One said she was impressed that her daughter heard a science word from camp on the radio and knew exactly what it meant. Another said that her two girls had been in various summer camps all summer and this one was their favorite. I guess that means we were doing a good job! I was also happy to receive 100% on both of my site evaluations during the summer. I handed in possible availability for science clubs which run after-school during the school year at a few near-by elementary schools, so I might be doing that as a part-time job in addition to whatever else I find. I also need to find some older kids to babysit, because I came home with 3 full boxes of leftover experiments to use as I please. How fun!
Kayle's work has been going really well lately with his annual review coming up soon. His group has been so busy, so they've had to postpone the review process for everyone a bit. Kayle says they're making a lot of progress on the next release and he feels that he's doing a good job contributing to his team.
In other news, our community group is still meeting in the park, so I gave one of the moms a break for a while by playing with her cute toddler in the field. We have another toddler at group too who's about 20 months old- he was so funny, because he literally ran around and grinned for the full two hours we were there. He seemed pretty tireless, so I could see why his mom said he was busy (she said he never stops running!). On Wednesday, I went to youth group and we talked about a chapter in "Crazy Love" about not being a lukewarm Christian. It gave a pretty convicting profile of lukewarm living and it was a good conversation afterward. On Thursday and Friday, I just rested at night, since I was so tired from work. However, Kayle went to a video game night with a bunch of guys on Friday after work. He had a lot of fun playing Halo and got back after midnight.
I'm really excited, because the band Casting Crowns is coming to play a concert with Matt Redman at a nearby church in about a month. Casting Crowns became one of my favorite Christian bands when I realized all my new favorite songs on the radio were sung by them. I really like "Praise You in This Storm," "East to West," "Does Anybody Hear Her?," and "Voice of Truth" among others- you can listen to them on YouTube (that's where I learned the words to all of them in college). Kayle and I just bought tickets to go together and I can hardly wait!
Finally, a job update: I'm applying for several education-related positions right now with a private school, YMCA, and a home-school family. I also might teach for science club 3-8 hours/week and volunteer tutor for a private alternative high school near-by in addition to a part-time job. I've also started looking into getting my teacher certification, possibly through the University of Washington- Bothell campus which hosts a solid year-long program only 15 minutes away. There's an information session for next year coming up in about a two months. The certification decision is still up in the air depending on logistics, but a lot of education-related positions (including and besides teaching itself) look highly on being certified and having had classes in the education field.
We miss everyone and can't believe we still have 4 months to go until Christmas. We're hoping to come home for 1-1.5 weeks but haven't bought the plane tickets yet. I should know the dates pretty soon though.
With love,
Angie and Kayle
Last Sunday, Kayle and I heard that they needed some extra help in Children's Ministry, since some of the scheduled volunteers were sick. So, we went to the early service and served at the 11:15. Surprise! The teacher for Pre-K class didn't realize she was on the schedule and didn't come, so I received the lesson notes and was sent off to sink or swim as the substitute teacher. I haven't even been a helper in that class, so I had no idea of the usual format, and my other helper (besides Kayle, who was also clueless) had her first week in Pre-K the week before. It was a short sermon, and I managed to teach a lesson on being the "image of God" without too much trouble. I guess God wants me to learn something about being willing and flexible!
This past week was my last week as a Science Adventures camp instructor. I was in charge for the Powerful Planet theme again, this time with 21 kids in mostly 1st-4th grade. Powerful Planet is a fun theme to teach with a sea turtle mystery (culminating in a frog slime lesson) and building a cool electric car (complete with wiring a few circuits inside- eek!). My co-teachers were a lot of fun, but a couple kids kept me on my toes and made it a pretty exhausting final week. On Friday, my afternoon instructor had car trouble and had to be 2 hours late plus my boss was there in the middle of the afternoon. Everything worked out fine, but it was more stressful than usual. The best part of the week was hearing some parent comments on the final day. One said she was impressed that her daughter heard a science word from camp on the radio and knew exactly what it meant. Another said that her two girls had been in various summer camps all summer and this one was their favorite. I guess that means we were doing a good job! I was also happy to receive 100% on both of my site evaluations during the summer. I handed in possible availability for science clubs which run after-school during the school year at a few near-by elementary schools, so I might be doing that as a part-time job in addition to whatever else I find. I also need to find some older kids to babysit, because I came home with 3 full boxes of leftover experiments to use as I please. How fun!
Kayle's work has been going really well lately with his annual review coming up soon. His group has been so busy, so they've had to postpone the review process for everyone a bit. Kayle says they're making a lot of progress on the next release and he feels that he's doing a good job contributing to his team.
In other news, our community group is still meeting in the park, so I gave one of the moms a break for a while by playing with her cute toddler in the field. We have another toddler at group too who's about 20 months old- he was so funny, because he literally ran around and grinned for the full two hours we were there. He seemed pretty tireless, so I could see why his mom said he was busy (she said he never stops running!). On Wednesday, I went to youth group and we talked about a chapter in "Crazy Love" about not being a lukewarm Christian. It gave a pretty convicting profile of lukewarm living and it was a good conversation afterward. On Thursday and Friday, I just rested at night, since I was so tired from work. However, Kayle went to a video game night with a bunch of guys on Friday after work. He had a lot of fun playing Halo and got back after midnight.
I'm really excited, because the band Casting Crowns is coming to play a concert with Matt Redman at a nearby church in about a month. Casting Crowns became one of my favorite Christian bands when I realized all my new favorite songs on the radio were sung by them. I really like "Praise You in This Storm," "East to West," "Does Anybody Hear Her?," and "Voice of Truth" among others- you can listen to them on YouTube (that's where I learned the words to all of them in college). Kayle and I just bought tickets to go together and I can hardly wait!
Finally, a job update: I'm applying for several education-related positions right now with a private school, YMCA, and a home-school family. I also might teach for science club 3-8 hours/week and volunteer tutor for a private alternative high school near-by in addition to a part-time job. I've also started looking into getting my teacher certification, possibly through the University of Washington- Bothell campus which hosts a solid year-long program only 15 minutes away. There's an information session for next year coming up in about a two months. The certification decision is still up in the air depending on logistics, but a lot of education-related positions (including and besides teaching itself) look highly on being certified and having had classes in the education field.
We miss everyone and can't believe we still have 4 months to go until Christmas. We're hoping to come home for 1-1.5 weeks but haven't bought the plane tickets yet. I should know the dates pretty soon though.
With love,
Angie and Kayle
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Great Sermon
Hey all. We were listening to the sermon from two weeks ago, which we missed while we were in Michigan. Pastor Mark is concluding his series on 1 and 2 Peter and passionately describing salvation and what being a Christian is all about. We really enjoyed it and thought we'd pass it along to you too!
http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/trial/perseverance-until-god-is-finished-with-you
AMEN!!
Angie and Kayle
http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/trial/perseverance-until-god-is-finished-with-you
AMEN!!
Angie and Kayle
The Big Trip
So, I'll attempt to give a (short) run-down of what we did on our trip. We jumped right back into our work schedule when we got home, so we haven't had a chance to talk to anyone yet!
We left our home in Seattle on Thursday, July 30 and traveled all day by plane with stops in Kansas City and Milwaukee before reaching Grand Rapids. We left during Seattle's hottest week in recorded history, so the entire plane cheered when we landed in Kansas City and the pilot announced a temperature of 75 degrees. I have to admit, without AC and only 1 small fan in 105 degree heat, I was incredibly relieved too! Our house reached 88 degrees inside before we left and some people we know (whose houses are not in the shade like ours) reached the nineties and even over 100 before the week was over. We finally arrived around midnight and were picked up by the Hinkle parents and (surprise!) Kristen. Kristen was supposed to be in Ann Arbor and meet us for lunch in Lansing, but she surprised us by coming home for a day or two to see us longer.
Friday was a Hinkle day. We stayed at Kayle's house the previous night and were delighted that all the siblings were able to come home. Esther and Casey came home from band camp, and Cody hitched a ride home from Chicago with Alden and Mary (cousin and his fiancee who are getting married next weekend- we're sorry we can't be there but happy to see them briefly~). It was also a treat that Grandma and Grandpa Hoksbergen stopped by for an hour or two to visit with us for a while. One of the highlights of the day was when Kayle and his dad played doubles tennis with Esther and Siang. I had a lot of fun watching and playing fetch with Cooper. Esther was on Kayle's team and kept encouraging him, because he was a little rusty. "Good try, Kayle" and "It's okay...you're still warming up" were heard at regular intervals. It was nice to hang out with the girls a little more, since we've seen them only twice now. At night, we stayed up pretty late just talking with mom and dad and Kristen and Cody. We never did get to play a board game with Casey, but we went to pick her up from school after band camp- maybe next time!
On Saturday, we moved our things to my parents' house, since the Hinkles were going up to Uncle Stan's cabin for a family reunion. We couldn't go to that, since we had a wedding that day instead. Busy, busy! Before we left for Holland, MI, we picked up Emily J and went to lunch together at Sam's Joint (Angie's favorite restaurant- BBQ chicken strips!). It was wonderful to catch up with Em, since I miss her so much. Still hoping she'll get an internship out in Seattle!~ :) Afterward, we went straight to Eric and Dana's wedding. Since Eric lived at the Dutch House with Kayle and Dana dated him throughout college, we both knew the couple and many of the wedding guests from the Dutch House. It was a beautiful wedding and reception. We sat at a table of Dutch House couples. There was another table or two of single guys from the Dutch House too- we thought that was funny.
On Sunday, we woke up at my house and went to Peace Church. After the service, we received many hugs and surprised looks since not many people knew we would be stopping home. I was amazed at how big my little brother has gotten now, almost 6'2" and towering over my head! I was happy to see my sister too, even though she had final exams to study for and papers to write for her second summer quarter. At night, my mom made a delicious meal of London Broil (ours in Seattle never tastes nearly so good) and hashbrowns (see note on London Broil). We also hung out and talked and played some Texas Hold'Em for fun. I was surprised to see how much stuff my dad is buying and selling out of the pole barn since being retired, and I also got to pet the baby horse running around in the field (now named Meela). So good to see everyone!
Early, early, early on Monday (around 4am), I groaned and crawled out of bed to leave for New Jersey by car with Kayle, Aaron, and mom. I think I woke up again somewhere in Ohio. I enjoyed traveling to New Jersey just like we always did growing up. We stopped a few times for food and breaks but mostly just read books and chatted for the 12-13 hour drive. (Kayle told me to buy James Herriot books at a garage sale- about a veterinarian in England around the time antibiotics were just being invented; good books for anyone who liked "Little Women".) Upon arrival at grandma and grandpa's house, we ate a great spread for dinner including our NJ favorite, Taylor Ham (Kayle and I ate Taylor Ham sandwiches for breakfast every day as well!). Since Kayle and I slept there, we talked to my grandparents for a few hours after mom and Aaron left for Aunt Judy's house. This was one of my favorite moments, since I haven't gotten to sit down and talk with grandma and grandpa for a long time, especially as an adult. We heard how they met and some about mom as she was growing up and meeting dad.
On Tuesday, we braved the heat and stopped at the Sussex Co. Farm and Horse show where Uncle Richie was photographing the horse events. He had a break while we were there and so we got to walk around with him a bit. Mom was happy to watch some horse jumping and see the little kids compete in the lead line events. I also liked treating myself to some of the fair food, a yummy gyro and a Dutch funnel cake. We also stopped at Aunt Judy's house to sit on the porch and visit for a while with Aunt Judy, Uncle Wayne, and cousin Rebekah (who is also getting much bigger than I remember her- 6th grade already!).
On Wednesday, Grandma took Kayle and I to High Point State Park and to the Holland American bakery. At High Point, Kayle and I walked several hundred stairs up to the top of the monument to see NJ and NY spread beneath us in all four directions. (We were both sore for several days afterward- it hurt quite a bit to climb up and down the stairs at Leanna's house two days later! I guess we're out of shape...) That day, we saw my older cousin Kelly at Aunt Judy's house and laughed a lot about Dad and Dani, who drove up two days later, getting lost in Pennsylvania. They arrived, safe and sound and in time for a half hour late dinner. At grandma's house, Uncle Kenny stopped by with my cousin Emily. So, we saw all the aunts and uncles and all the girl cousins. Kayle still has to meet Andrew and Josh, the boy cousins, but I guess it'll have to be on another trip! I wasn't expecting to see so many different family members, so I was pleasantly surprised to introduce Kayle to everyone.
On Thursday, mom and dad drove us to LaGuardia Airport. We left bright and early (around 6am this time) to beat the traffic into New York. It was a bit of an adventure, but we made it okay (though I heard mom and dad unwound over breakfast at a diner). We caught our flight to Omaha and Leanna met us (and her brother, Tony) at the airport. All of us went straight to a lake for some sailing (our first time!) and volleyball and snacks. A bunch of other friends and family of Leanna and Paul were there as well. At night, Kayle headed out to the bachelor party, which I hear involved shooting guns at clay pigeons, sitting by a campfire, and throwing a frisbee around (perfect for him!). I went back to Leanna's house (where we were staying) to help decorate for the bachelorette party that night. The ladies (including tons of Leanna's aunts and cousins as well as family and high school friends) ate make-your-own chef salads, played some fun games (guess Leanna's answers and toilet paper brides), and drank some homemade cocktails. I learned that a Mud Slide and a Creamsicle mixed drink are both quite delicious. After the younger girls left, we set out for a local karaoke bar with friends and parents. We had a good time and the highlight was Leanna singing Spice Girl's "Wannabe" with a group of girls. I also enjoyed meeting some of Leanna's high school friends and extended family in a relaxed setting.
On Friday, Kayle and I helped prepare for the wedding by tying ribbons on programs, framing some pictures, and making a box for cards. We were glad to be allowed to help out, since Leanna's family were treating us wonderfully like guests the entire visit. In the afternoon, we picked up Tamika from the airport (yay, roommate!) and she joined the growing ND crowd in Leanna's basement. That night, we went to the rehearsal and dinner. I was a little nervous, since I had never been to, let alone been in, a Catholic wedding before. But the priest was very nice and the rehearsal was informative and enjoyable too. Then, we had a lovely steak dinner (Omaha is rightly known for its steak) and got to hear the two dads talk before they opened up a mic for friends. The night was funny and heart-warming, and Leanna and Paul were fortunate to have over 250 years of marriage in their families between all the parents and grandparents. We also celebrated Leanna's birthday (which is also her wedding day) with two huge cakes. All in all, a good day.
On the Big Day (Saturday, August 8), the girls left early for a hair and nail appointment and breakfast at the salon. Finally, all the bridesmaids were together in one room, so I got to talk to all of them plus Claire (my roomie, who arrived at midnight the night before), Katie, and Jessica (both from ND too- roomed with Leanna during her semester in London). After, we rushed to the church and busied ourselves with getting ready. The ceremony was lovely and Leanna's sister, Tina, sang a beautiful "Ave Maria" toward the end. The cantor, a male music teacher, was also an incredible singer. Before the reception, we took some cool pictures at a nearby Omaha museum (we had to move them indoors, since it hit 100 degrees that day). Finally, we ate some wonderful food (chicken picatta, top sirloin, bacon/cheese mashed potatoes, etc) at the reception, had a signature "Pauleanna" drink (teal to match her colors), and danced the night away at the reception. I broke into tears for the first time all day when Leanna's dad got up at the reception and sang to her grandma, mom, and to her. For the last song, her whole family got up to join in on the chorus of "[We] Loved Her First". I'm not sure there was a dry eye in the whole place. What a great and memorable wedding for my close friend!
On Sunday, we left for Seattle by plane, exhausted after a long week and half of seeing family and friends. We were so satisfied with our vacation and both wished we had more time with everyone. We can hardly wait until we come home to Michigan for Christmas. We made it home around 2:30pm. I fell asleep on the couch pretty early that night and woke up naturally around 4:15 the next morning. (Time changes always throw me off for a long time- I was up at 3:15 the next day too and only adjusted after taking a nap before CG on Tuesday.)
Work this week went really well for both of us, though Kayle worked longer hours to help with debugging after being away for so long. With a deadline coming up, the team ordered pizza some nights to help entice them all to stay later (sadly, it worked). I kept busy being the lead instructor at my site with 28 campers for Space and Rocket camp. Everything ran smoothly and we successfully launched all the rockets on Friday at a local park (plus 60 more from the other two camp sites). Only one more week of the summer left, and then I have to find another job. Boo...Angie DOES NOT like applying for jobs...maybe this one will be more permanent! I have a few part-time and volunteer opportunities that I'm interested in already but none of them offer as many hours as I'd like to have. I'll probably find something else and do a combination of after-school science clubs and volunteer tutoring on the side.
Yesterday (Friday), we went to a movie night at Joe's house at 7:30. We watched the movie "Taken" which was mostly pretty good, though some of the "serious" dialogue was so lame we found it funny. Kayle and I had tried to go to dinner, but we found out the restaurant we had a coupon for just closed and we didn't leave enough time to travel somewhere else. We ended up eating McDonald's and deciding we would try again at a nice dinner date tomorrow.
Today, we slept in, relaxed, cleaned our condo, went to a garage sale, and went grocery shopping. A slow, relaxing day: just what we needed! We're headed out for dinner soon, so I should go... We love you and miss you all!
Angie and Kayle
P.S. You knew I would fail to make it a "short" synopsis, right?
P.P.S. See links to pictures from both weddings below...
We left our home in Seattle on Thursday, July 30 and traveled all day by plane with stops in Kansas City and Milwaukee before reaching Grand Rapids. We left during Seattle's hottest week in recorded history, so the entire plane cheered when we landed in Kansas City and the pilot announced a temperature of 75 degrees. I have to admit, without AC and only 1 small fan in 105 degree heat, I was incredibly relieved too! Our house reached 88 degrees inside before we left and some people we know (whose houses are not in the shade like ours) reached the nineties and even over 100 before the week was over. We finally arrived around midnight and were picked up by the Hinkle parents and (surprise!) Kristen. Kristen was supposed to be in Ann Arbor and meet us for lunch in Lansing, but she surprised us by coming home for a day or two to see us longer.
Friday was a Hinkle day. We stayed at Kayle's house the previous night and were delighted that all the siblings were able to come home. Esther and Casey came home from band camp, and Cody hitched a ride home from Chicago with Alden and Mary (cousin and his fiancee who are getting married next weekend- we're sorry we can't be there but happy to see them briefly~). It was also a treat that Grandma and Grandpa Hoksbergen stopped by for an hour or two to visit with us for a while. One of the highlights of the day was when Kayle and his dad played doubles tennis with Esther and Siang. I had a lot of fun watching and playing fetch with Cooper. Esther was on Kayle's team and kept encouraging him, because he was a little rusty. "Good try, Kayle" and "It's okay...you're still warming up" were heard at regular intervals. It was nice to hang out with the girls a little more, since we've seen them only twice now. At night, we stayed up pretty late just talking with mom and dad and Kristen and Cody. We never did get to play a board game with Casey, but we went to pick her up from school after band camp- maybe next time!
On Saturday, we moved our things to my parents' house, since the Hinkles were going up to Uncle Stan's cabin for a family reunion. We couldn't go to that, since we had a wedding that day instead. Busy, busy! Before we left for Holland, MI, we picked up Emily J and went to lunch together at Sam's Joint (Angie's favorite restaurant- BBQ chicken strips!). It was wonderful to catch up with Em, since I miss her so much. Still hoping she'll get an internship out in Seattle!~ :) Afterward, we went straight to Eric and Dana's wedding. Since Eric lived at the Dutch House with Kayle and Dana dated him throughout college, we both knew the couple and many of the wedding guests from the Dutch House. It was a beautiful wedding and reception. We sat at a table of Dutch House couples. There was another table or two of single guys from the Dutch House too- we thought that was funny.
On Sunday, we woke up at my house and went to Peace Church. After the service, we received many hugs and surprised looks since not many people knew we would be stopping home. I was amazed at how big my little brother has gotten now, almost 6'2" and towering over my head! I was happy to see my sister too, even though she had final exams to study for and papers to write for her second summer quarter. At night, my mom made a delicious meal of London Broil (ours in Seattle never tastes nearly so good) and hashbrowns (see note on London Broil). We also hung out and talked and played some Texas Hold'Em for fun. I was surprised to see how much stuff my dad is buying and selling out of the pole barn since being retired, and I also got to pet the baby horse running around in the field (now named Meela). So good to see everyone!
Early, early, early on Monday (around 4am), I groaned and crawled out of bed to leave for New Jersey by car with Kayle, Aaron, and mom. I think I woke up again somewhere in Ohio. I enjoyed traveling to New Jersey just like we always did growing up. We stopped a few times for food and breaks but mostly just read books and chatted for the 12-13 hour drive. (Kayle told me to buy James Herriot books at a garage sale- about a veterinarian in England around the time antibiotics were just being invented; good books for anyone who liked "Little Women".) Upon arrival at grandma and grandpa's house, we ate a great spread for dinner including our NJ favorite, Taylor Ham (Kayle and I ate Taylor Ham sandwiches for breakfast every day as well!). Since Kayle and I slept there, we talked to my grandparents for a few hours after mom and Aaron left for Aunt Judy's house. This was one of my favorite moments, since I haven't gotten to sit down and talk with grandma and grandpa for a long time, especially as an adult. We heard how they met and some about mom as she was growing up and meeting dad.
On Tuesday, we braved the heat and stopped at the Sussex Co. Farm and Horse show where Uncle Richie was photographing the horse events. He had a break while we were there and so we got to walk around with him a bit. Mom was happy to watch some horse jumping and see the little kids compete in the lead line events. I also liked treating myself to some of the fair food, a yummy gyro and a Dutch funnel cake. We also stopped at Aunt Judy's house to sit on the porch and visit for a while with Aunt Judy, Uncle Wayne, and cousin Rebekah (who is also getting much bigger than I remember her- 6th grade already!).
On Wednesday, Grandma took Kayle and I to High Point State Park and to the Holland American bakery. At High Point, Kayle and I walked several hundred stairs up to the top of the monument to see NJ and NY spread beneath us in all four directions. (We were both sore for several days afterward- it hurt quite a bit to climb up and down the stairs at Leanna's house two days later! I guess we're out of shape...) That day, we saw my older cousin Kelly at Aunt Judy's house and laughed a lot about Dad and Dani, who drove up two days later, getting lost in Pennsylvania. They arrived, safe and sound and in time for a half hour late dinner. At grandma's house, Uncle Kenny stopped by with my cousin Emily. So, we saw all the aunts and uncles and all the girl cousins. Kayle still has to meet Andrew and Josh, the boy cousins, but I guess it'll have to be on another trip! I wasn't expecting to see so many different family members, so I was pleasantly surprised to introduce Kayle to everyone.
On Thursday, mom and dad drove us to LaGuardia Airport. We left bright and early (around 6am this time) to beat the traffic into New York. It was a bit of an adventure, but we made it okay (though I heard mom and dad unwound over breakfast at a diner). We caught our flight to Omaha and Leanna met us (and her brother, Tony) at the airport. All of us went straight to a lake for some sailing (our first time!) and volleyball and snacks. A bunch of other friends and family of Leanna and Paul were there as well. At night, Kayle headed out to the bachelor party, which I hear involved shooting guns at clay pigeons, sitting by a campfire, and throwing a frisbee around (perfect for him!). I went back to Leanna's house (where we were staying) to help decorate for the bachelorette party that night. The ladies (including tons of Leanna's aunts and cousins as well as family and high school friends) ate make-your-own chef salads, played some fun games (guess Leanna's answers and toilet paper brides), and drank some homemade cocktails. I learned that a Mud Slide and a Creamsicle mixed drink are both quite delicious. After the younger girls left, we set out for a local karaoke bar with friends and parents. We had a good time and the highlight was Leanna singing Spice Girl's "Wannabe" with a group of girls. I also enjoyed meeting some of Leanna's high school friends and extended family in a relaxed setting.
On Friday, Kayle and I helped prepare for the wedding by tying ribbons on programs, framing some pictures, and making a box for cards. We were glad to be allowed to help out, since Leanna's family were treating us wonderfully like guests the entire visit. In the afternoon, we picked up Tamika from the airport (yay, roommate!) and she joined the growing ND crowd in Leanna's basement. That night, we went to the rehearsal and dinner. I was a little nervous, since I had never been to, let alone been in, a Catholic wedding before. But the priest was very nice and the rehearsal was informative and enjoyable too. Then, we had a lovely steak dinner (Omaha is rightly known for its steak) and got to hear the two dads talk before they opened up a mic for friends. The night was funny and heart-warming, and Leanna and Paul were fortunate to have over 250 years of marriage in their families between all the parents and grandparents. We also celebrated Leanna's birthday (which is also her wedding day) with two huge cakes. All in all, a good day.
On the Big Day (Saturday, August 8), the girls left early for a hair and nail appointment and breakfast at the salon. Finally, all the bridesmaids were together in one room, so I got to talk to all of them plus Claire (my roomie, who arrived at midnight the night before), Katie, and Jessica (both from ND too- roomed with Leanna during her semester in London). After, we rushed to the church and busied ourselves with getting ready. The ceremony was lovely and Leanna's sister, Tina, sang a beautiful "Ave Maria" toward the end. The cantor, a male music teacher, was also an incredible singer. Before the reception, we took some cool pictures at a nearby Omaha museum (we had to move them indoors, since it hit 100 degrees that day). Finally, we ate some wonderful food (chicken picatta, top sirloin, bacon/cheese mashed potatoes, etc) at the reception, had a signature "Pauleanna" drink (teal to match her colors), and danced the night away at the reception. I broke into tears for the first time all day when Leanna's dad got up at the reception and sang to her grandma, mom, and to her. For the last song, her whole family got up to join in on the chorus of "[We] Loved Her First". I'm not sure there was a dry eye in the whole place. What a great and memorable wedding for my close friend!
On Sunday, we left for Seattle by plane, exhausted after a long week and half of seeing family and friends. We were so satisfied with our vacation and both wished we had more time with everyone. We can hardly wait until we come home to Michigan for Christmas. We made it home around 2:30pm. I fell asleep on the couch pretty early that night and woke up naturally around 4:15 the next morning. (Time changes always throw me off for a long time- I was up at 3:15 the next day too and only adjusted after taking a nap before CG on Tuesday.)
Work this week went really well for both of us, though Kayle worked longer hours to help with debugging after being away for so long. With a deadline coming up, the team ordered pizza some nights to help entice them all to stay later (sadly, it worked). I kept busy being the lead instructor at my site with 28 campers for Space and Rocket camp. Everything ran smoothly and we successfully launched all the rockets on Friday at a local park (plus 60 more from the other two camp sites). Only one more week of the summer left, and then I have to find another job. Boo...Angie DOES NOT like applying for jobs...maybe this one will be more permanent! I have a few part-time and volunteer opportunities that I'm interested in already but none of them offer as many hours as I'd like to have. I'll probably find something else and do a combination of after-school science clubs and volunteer tutoring on the side.
Yesterday (Friday), we went to a movie night at Joe's house at 7:30. We watched the movie "Taken" which was mostly pretty good, though some of the "serious" dialogue was so lame we found it funny. Kayle and I had tried to go to dinner, but we found out the restaurant we had a coupon for just closed and we didn't leave enough time to travel somewhere else. We ended up eating McDonald's and deciding we would try again at a nice dinner date tomorrow.
Today, we slept in, relaxed, cleaned our condo, went to a garage sale, and went grocery shopping. A slow, relaxing day: just what we needed! We're headed out for dinner soon, so I should go... We love you and miss you all!
Angie and Kayle
P.S. You knew I would fail to make it a "short" synopsis, right?
P.P.S. See links to pictures from both weddings below...
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Wedding Pictures!!
Here are a few albums of wedding pictures, from Dana and Eric's wedding on August 1st in Holland, MI (one of our groomsmen and Kayle's fraternity brother in college) and from Leanna and Paul's wedding on August 8th in Omaha, NE (one of my bridesmaids and one of my roommates in college).
Here is an isolated shot of the "Dutch House" table. Go to this website (the photographer's site). If you need a password, it's 6408. This is the ONLY picture I could find with Kayle and I in it:
http://devriesphotography.smugmug.com/gallery/9209334_GH4cf#614987143_eR5fy-A-LB
I also made Picasa albums for both weddings (Leanna/Paul and Eric/Dana). You can find them here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Angie.Hinkle
All of these pictures were taken from other people's albums on Facebook. There might be more to come, but I'll let you know. I'll try to update again soon!
Angie and Kayle
Here is an isolated shot of the "Dutch House" table. Go to this website (the photographer's site). If you need a password, it's 6408. This is the ONLY picture I could find with Kayle and I in it:
http://devriesphotography.smugmug.com/gallery/9209334_GH4cf#614987143_eR5fy-A-LB
I also made Picasa albums for both weddings (Leanna/Paul and Eric/Dana). You can find them here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Angie.Hinkle
All of these pictures were taken from other people's albums on Facebook. There might be more to come, but I'll let you know. I'll try to update again soon!
Angie and Kayle
Monday, August 10, 2009
Back Home...
Well, we made it back home yesterday afternoon after a long, satisfying trip. It was awesome to see so many family members and friends. Today, we're both back in action at work. I'll try to post some pictures (mostly of the two weddings) and more detail as soon as I have time!
We love you and miss everyone already!
Angie and Kayle
We love you and miss everyone already!
Angie and Kayle
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