Evolution verses creation

Well, I could give some sort of update about our lives, or I could just jump in with some topic of conversation that is on my mind. I think I will go with the latter.

I am still teaching 4th grade at a Christian School. Being a christian school, we, of course, do not teach evolution, but rather creation. Recently we had a speaker come and talk about support for the creation argument. I agreed with much of what he said (6 days in creation, God created them in a specific order, with specific purpose, etc.) But enough of what I agreed with and on to what I don't agree with in his speech. :) He told the kids that if someone says to them "the earth was created millions and millions of years ago and we have been evolving since, they should have a response like what follows:

Guy: "...millions and millions of years ago"

Kid (warned to do so respectfully): "were you there?"

Guy "u..ummm...well, no.

Kid: "Well, I know someone who was, and I have a book he wrote."

This conversation is supposed to be an opener for the sharing of the gospel. Apparently a child had this conversation with someone and was applauded for it-seen as couragous. Now my first response is any little kid who says to me "were you there?" I am going to say: "please be respectful with your questions..." and I BELIVE in creation. So this is where the questions is: Am I just being silly with thinking that no matter how respectfully you intend to say this comment, it is still going to be disrespectful or not?

I have a blog?

I found myself wandering around the world wide web tonight and I realized i still have a blog... hmm, it was intresting to read what i had done over the last couple of years. For a quick update:

1. Josh and I got married in June, we had a small outdoor wedding with close family and friends, the reception was held at Dordt college, approrietly the Eckardt Lounge.

2. Following the wedding we went to Mexico for a week, it was fantastic to be with each other un-interupted for an entire week.

3. Josh moved into my tiny one-bedroom apt, and we conitue to find nooks and cranies to hide things in, but we are bursting at the seams.

4. I began my second year at Heritage Christian school as a 4th grade teacher. This year I have 13 students (all in 4th grade) and they are delightful. The guinea pigs are doing well and continue to be a source of entertainment for all.

5. Josh took on a superviors job at the place he was working before (Systems Unlimited) and enjoys it very much.

6. To start off the new year, we went to Toronto Ontario to witness Ann and Lydell's wedding, it was beautiful.

7. My mum has finished her treatments completely and seems to be regaining strength daily. ,

8. Marriage is wonderful. Better than I could have ever imagined!

That's all for now (and perhaps all for another year... hopefully not)

4 important things:

1. Josh and I are engaged!!! YAY!!! Wedding planning here we come!

2. School is going fabulously!

3. Mum is recovering slowly from her cancer treatments

4. I am trying to buy more local food in our area and less traditional grocery stores. As summer comes and farmers markets open, this becomes easier i think. Has anyone been buying locally and have any tips?

A long time coming!

So this post is a long time coming. But i have to say that things are amazing! I have not posted for forever! But my students are amazing! they are constantly questioning things and thier curiosity drives my teaching daily. I am actually getting a 7th student soon.

enough about school, Josh and I have been having an excellent time in iowa city and love our church plant, One Ancient Hope.

We have also taken classes on ballroom dance and that has been a wonderful aspect to our weeks. We have learned alot about each other through these dance lessons as we continue to learn to commuincate and enjoy each others company.

My mum has finished her chemo treatments and is doing very well, we have been very thankful that she is cancer free for the moment. ALthough she contiues to battle with lung infections, she is feeling better overall.

The guinea pigs contiue to be an endless source of entertainment and fun for both my students and myself.

Winter contiues to be challenging as it is dark and cold, and we have had a lot of snow days this year.

So merry christmas, happy new year and its been a great time!

Glorious gobbling Guinea pigs!

Despite the insane paint job in my classroom, i have redeamed it with some fabric and some posters. Scince that point in getting the classroom ready, i aquirred three guinea pigs.
Some of you might be asking, 3?! how did you get so many!
Well, that is simple. A lady had three guinea pigs, they all needed a home... i volenteered!

Ok, so days with the guinea pigs included feeding all three of them, watching them romp in the paper shreds lining thier cages, watering them, and then teaching my studnets how to pick up and play with guinea pigs.

important side note: All of my studnets are sick exept for one with head/lung colds.

All was going just fine until last week Wednesday when i realized that one of my flock was lethargic. After trying to get her to eat fruit I realized she was not eating much either. By Friday I was doing a close inspection. After letting my studnets play with her, i set her on my lap and realized that her nose was running like crazy! So I put her back in the cage.
On Saturday morning I went to check on the guinea pigs and realized that this particualr rodent had died. (there is no poetic way to say that when you see a hard cold little friend on the bottom of their cage)

Well on Tuesday I told my students of the death and they were very sad, in fact they did not cry at school, but many suffered through more tears at home.

On Wednesday I realized that the male guinea pig is seeming lethargic, but the good news is he is still eating and drinking and does not have a runny nose. i think i will take them home for the weekend so that they can warm up and perhaps gain a little bit of health before coming back to school.

Oh, and the remaining femail guinea pig is doing just fine and eats like crazy! In fact in the last two weeks she has gained a considerable amount of weight. Even though I did not feed her as much this week she has stayed the same weight, which leaves me with one question. is she pregnant?

My studnets feel that she could be pregntant becuse the they accidedntly let the male guinea pig sniff her. I reassure them that could very well be possible. (I am trying to maintain innocence here).

If any one out there knows about guinea pigs, i would very much apperciate some advice on this situation.

My mum's husband beleives the guinea pigs could have the swine flue!:) maybe....

Finally Settling? NAH!!!

All the desks in my room, which are not staying!:)

THe ugly painted wall!
This week I moved into my new apartment in North Liberty, and for anyone who wants to know, i live in a used car lot! Which is an adventure all its own. 

There have been a few crazy things, for starters i have all of my stuff and all of Josh's stuff in my tiny one bedroom apt and it is taking up a lot of space.  Especially the double bed in the kitchen. :)

Well, with all (or well, most) of the stuff un-packed and put away, I started work in my classroom. That proved to be intresting, i am thinking about posting picutres of this classroom.  The walls are soo ugly, they are a burnt orange color with a little bit of coral mixed in and tehy have been sponge painted that way, on purpose! YIKES! 

I started un-packing, but i am just not sure where i should put everything and now i am realzing that i will be having three tables for my 6 kids instead of 6 desks! This will be intresting, I think it could make for a realy cool teaching enviroment, but i am not totally sure how to pull off my vision!

Ok, So that is the school building.  I reallapperciate my administator and I am  living next door to another teacher (in the car lot) and so that has been fun.  The teachers I work with made me feel so welcome right away! What a blessing, we have already been hanging out and enjoying getting to know each other.  It could be a fun year! 

As far as being settled, well don't count on it.  i have been here a week and I am leaving to go to Vancover tommorow, but first stop my mums house then follow that up with a wedding and festivities and then i will be heading back to Norht Libetryt, after Josh moves there on AUg 3.  So i think i will be starting to be settled for the time being on the 7th of AUg.  It seems as though this summer has just flown by and I can hardly even believe how quickly it went by.  But I have definitially enjoyed most moments of it. 

Just call me the traveling... poet?

So i managed to move home with out too many troubles. We did get stuck ust outside of great falls in light of a broken belt. But made it home two days later, unloaded and brought the U-Haul back. Its been a good visit at home so far. It is wierd to see my mums with breast cancer and the chemo treatments. I thought the wierdest thing would be the hair loss, but it turns out that the wierdest thing for me is how tired she is. We love to take walks together and right now we are unable to do that and I know that she hates it too.
Having a trial in my life is effecting every relationship i have and i really never thought that would be the case, but it is. That is wierd too.
I have been home now for a totaly of four days and I am off again to travel the world. First stop Iowa City to look for apts. Second stop is Chicago for a day to get our bearings (sharon and I) third stop is Ireland! YAY! I can hardly wait! Then the Netherlands. I am so exicted about this trip, but with everything else going on it seems so difficult to wrap my mind around the fact that I am acutally going! we leave at 7am! I would apperciate prayers for my mum and for saftey traveling. For another milestone, Josh and I celebrated on year of dating on Friday and we went horse back riding, he also brought me a dozen roses and we ordered a pizza from a short bald man from the bronx. it was an intresting conversation and the best mushroom pizza i have ever eaten!
Cant wait to see you all when we get back!