October!

Wow! These past 2 months have gone by so fast for me. I thought that I had updated more recently, until I got a few "hints" that people are desiring more info from me. (I get it Jen, OK?!) It's been crazy here, and I've got a lot to share with you lovely people.

First of all, my older sister Emily got married in October, so I flew back for the event. I'm so happy to have a new sibling in my family! Now two of my older siblings are married, so I guess it'll be my turn soon...;) I loved being home and seeing all of my family that came from far and wide, some of which I haven't seen in years! My grandparents Darkow and my Uncle Bill were staying at my mom's place, so out little house was fairly packed with people and puppies! It was also wonderful to snuggle up with my dogs once again- sometimes I go through puppy-withdrawl here, but I'm working on convincing the hostel association to let me have a dog, wish me luck! From my Dad's side, there was my Auntie Ninou, my grandma Memee, my cousin Chris, and my Titi Jo. We all managed to sit down for dinner the night before the wedding and I got a few great candid pictures. (I can be quite sneaky with a camera when I have to be) While I sitting there at dinner, I realized how much I love all of my family, and how nice it is for us to all get together after so much time and distance. These people are really wonderful! In this picture, there is my older brother Greg, the Marine, his wife Heather, and my auntie Ninou. I still remember going to her house as a kid and I thought that she was the coolest person ever because she had a SuperNintendo and a dog! That was pretty exciting for a 6 year old. Emily, Greg, and I spent a lot of time at her place before we moved to Baltimore. This dinner was a lot of fun because we all just got to sit and giggle for awhile. I really treasure moments like these. The next day was the big event itself...

Emily's wedding was quite lovely- I've never seen my sister happier or looking more beautiful. She had her wedding, and the reception, at the Cloisters, the same place where Will Smith got married. It's a restored cloister that was shipped over from France and rebuilt in Baltimore. It's really quite darling, though I thought that the two statues of armor were a little much, but that doesn't matter. My cousin Hannah was a bridesmaid, I was the maid-of-honor, while Chris's two god-daughters were junior bridesmaids, Shelby and Madison. Those girls are incredibly sweet and well-behaved, and they looked so darling. Emily wore a stunning off-white princess gown, with the rest of us in midnight navy. My mother and grandmother made the veil, which has become a bit of a tradition in our family. Well, I guess that you can see the rest of the details from the pictures. My brother Greg wore his dress uniform to walk my sister down the aisle, and he looked mighty impressive. I've posted all of my wedding photos online for you, but I've put one of my favorites here. This was actually taken by my cousin Chris, and I love it because we all look so happy together, even if we all look a little goofy. The ceremony was small and intimate; I think about 100 guests. The reception was slightly larger, but just as intimate. The caterer, whoever it was, was delicious. I didn't manage to get some wedding cake, but it looked tasty! Emmy and Chris had their first dance to "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaacs , and I cried like a baby when I gave my toast. My cousin David got the garter, while the best man Stan caught the bouquet for one of the junior bridesmaids, who wanted nothing more than to catch it. I thought that was a really sweet gesture on his part. This is pretty much the quickest explanation of wedding ever, but what is important is not the details of it, but how happy my sister and her new husband are. Even though the trip was long, I'm glad I flew the 18 hours for it. One of my favorite nights ever!

The next day, less than 24 hours after the wedding, I had fly back to Hong Kong. Some of us have jobs, you know......That was not a fun trip, I was tired, emotional, and hungry. Not to mention that American flight attendents are quite nasty! The next couple of days were pretty rough, jet-lag wise. I didn't really get over it in my short time home, and I felt like my soul was in Chicago, and my aura was somewhere over the Pacific. It took about a week of waking up at 5am and going to bed at 8pm to get over it. Yet again, it was totally worth it. October was also about getting to really know my students and feeling comfortable with them. They are really a great group of kids, even if some of the girls talk a bit too much in class. I helped them prepare for a inter-class debate, which we one. I was so proud of them and I felt like such a mother-hen. From grading their journals and watching them in class, I can see them grow academically and as people. They don't seem to be as shy around me as before, which makes working with them much easier. October was also the month that I threw an "American" party for my hostel. That mostly consisted of playing charades and making some good homecooking for a huge group of students. They went through the food in about 10 minutes flat! It was a great compliment, and thanks to my mom for supplying the recipies. October went by fairly fast, and it seems like November is going to be the same way!