Nepal, quiet and noisy

I'm a really inconsistent blogger. Anyone who ever ventures to this webpage knows that. Be assured that an absence of writing does certainly not mean that there is absence of activity with the Freemans. Au, contraire!

looking West at Sunrise

We recently came back from a trip through the foothills of the Annapurna/Himalaya mountain range in Nepal. There were so many refreshing sights, sounds, and smells that gave us a sense of peace and quiet. It was really remarkable. There were also those parts of our 5-day trek when got lost that made us feel really noisy inside! Being in the comfort of my computer desk chair, I can now say that was remarkable, too. In fact, we might even do it again one day.

Enjoy a few pictures while I enjoy a cup of tea.

Laura and Chris in Thamel, Kathmandu

waking up with the sun, Chisopani, Nepal

An...expat's tale?

There and back again seems to be the theme of our lives for this season. A few weeks ago, we returned to Kuwait for our sixth school year after a pleasant and refreshing summer in the USA. Our hearts were nourished by time spent with family and friends in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, as well as a trip to Iceland, but we were excited to come back to all of our friends in Kuwait, too.

The beginning of summer here contains a great diaspora; many expatriate workers travel back to their homes far and wide during the blistering hot months of July and August, and like us, they return to pick up their "Kuwait" lives right where they left them. Sadly, some workers do not have the summer months off and must complete back-breaking work in the long hours of the sun. My heart goes out to these workers who do not get to escape the heat.

I am truly thankful that we are able to enjoy a long vacation in the pleasant and varying climates of New England each year. We did some hiking, boating and whale watching, went to baseball games, celebrated birthdays, and just spent a lot of quality time with quality people.

We went through a lot of temperature changes this summer - from hot and dry 120' to humid and breezy 90' to an "icy cold" 50' in Iceland, to do all of that in reverse again!

 

I didn't get pictures of all of our wonderful family and friends we spent time with this summer, but rest assured, those memories are etched in our minds.

 

What an amazing summer it's been! We are looking forward to all of the fun things that this school year and next summer will hold.

 

 "Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered." 

Proverbs 11:25

Iceland 2013

Here is a link to our Iceland pictures! We had a great time visiting with friends and checking out this amazing country's terrain. We spent most of our time in the capital (Reykjavik) and the area between the southwest and south-central part of the island, but we got a great taste of what the whole of Iceland is like. Take a look!

It's a season.

We have had an intense beginning to the summer holiday season. With lots of traveling back and forth, and a whirlwind road trip with my sister & her kids, today is the first quiet day in central Massachusetts for Chris and I. He arrived Monday night, the Tews and I drove up Tuesday morning, we hit Boston on Wednesday, went to Old Sturbridge Village on Thursday, the Tews left and we visited some friends here Friday, and...well, today is Saturday. So far, I haven't done anything yet but manage to drink some coffee and get dressed. I'd like to keep it that way a few days in a row.

Living through our hectic summertime visits once again, I've been noticing how much everything has changed. Change is not a bad thing; it's a part of life, but it can be shocking because we don't see the changes gradually. We've been living overseas for five years now, with ten-month gaps in between visits to the U.S., so there is a lot that we miss or don't see happening along the way. People change. Places change. Perspectives change. We change. We often don't notice just how much we have changed until we come back to the same places and realize that they have changed, too.

Well, in the midst of all of the changes, there are a few things that are ever-true: Chris will always wear shorts, I will always read books in the sun, and the Lord is always faithful.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:   

a time to be born, and a time to die; 

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 

a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;

a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

a time to tear, and a time to sew; 

a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

a time to love, and a time to hate; 

a time for war, and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (ESV)

countdown begins

Well, I guess it's already started, but I'm counting down as I buzz about our flat packing and organizing.
You know you're a Kuwait expat when you tape your windows in June so the dust doesn't get in over the summer, even though it still does somehow. Yes, somehow. I leave in about 2.5 hours for the States with some friends that live in the same building, so I had better pack a suitcase now.

 1 day 'til Boston
5 days 'til Pittsburgh
15 days 'til Chris

2012-2013 is finished!

We have finished the 2012-2013 school year with lots of fun and festivities, as well as a few sad goodbyes.

On Sunday, I took my darling husband to the airport for his next adventure in Jordan. From what I can tell, he's mostly enjoyed running in fresh, dust-free air and hanging out with our friend Brad, who he's staying with while there. He finalized his Arabic lessons schedule yesterday, and he was supposed to start at 8am this morning. I hope to get another update this afternoon.

In the meantime, I have finished my school year. We threw a surprise baby shower for two of my colleagues that are expected to deliver during the summer. The ladies were totally shocked and appreciative, and the whole elementary staff came to enjoy it. Team "Grade 1" is the best.

 

As with tradition, yesterday was our final staff day and the school-wide breakfast. We get to school around 8am and eat an amazing catered breakfast provided by the school director. Afterward, awards are passed out to honor those with 5 & 10 years of service, as well as those leaving the school. It's always a fun day (mostly because we finish at 10:30...), but it's hard to say those last goodbyes to people leaving. This year, my elementary principal is retiring, a lady who I respect and care for dearly. Next year will be very different without her, but as always, I know that the elementary team will carry on and do what we do best.

 

In other news, I'll be in the States next Tuesday! I'm ready to get out of the dust, but it's hard to leave here every year. Our friends and colleagues have become like family to us, but we miss our friends and family in the States still. Oh, the complexities of living and working overseas!

6 days 'til Boston
10 days 'til Pittsburgh
20 days 'til Chris

another year gone by

Here we are in June. JUNE! - that blessed time of year when teachers and students everywhere rejoice that the academic year has come to an end and two months of separation prepare us for the following year. I have three work days left. Can you tell I'm excited? Somewhere between when I last posted and this post, I dropped scalding hot tea on my leg. After about three weeks, it's healed well enough that I will risk exposing it to the sun, so I'm really ready to hit the pool.

The tail end of May was a whirlwind, as I mentioned getting ready for our International Day Show at school. It turned out to be pretty amazing, and of course, my students had the best performance. Chris was even able to come, so I was glad to have him there, too.

my little Frenchies

all of Grade 1

caught giving "teacher eyes" during the National Anthem

I closed out the hectic week of rehearsals and performances by celebrating my 29th birthday for the first time on May 31st. If ever there was a weekend full of fun and laughter, that was it! I'm so blessed to have so many wonderful friends and "family" over here, as well as around the world. We had a few great meals prepared for us, and I received a number of sweet notes and presents from family, students, colleagues, and friends. Thank you again! I think the most exciting present was the guitar Chris gave me. I'll be sad to leave it this summer...

This past Wednesday, we had our annual end-of-year breakfast for my school's elementary staff, which is always a lot of fun. After we go to work, we usually leave around 9:30 for breakfast, and then we have the rest of the day off. Pictured here are about half of the amazing ladies that I work with in the AAG elementary school.

 

Pictured below is my amazing teaching assistant, Gehan, and our awesome ES secretary, Shaima'a. Without these two ladies, I would probably go gray a lot sooner.

 

Chris is preparing to leave for Jordan and his summer Arabic study tomorrow. As far as I can tell, here is a tentative schedule of what our summer will look like. It's always an adventure!

- June 9: Chris leaves for Jordan
- June 18: Stephanie leaves for Boston
- June 22: Stephanie leaves for Pittsburgh
- June 29: Chris returns to Kuwait
- July 1: Chris leaves for Boston
- July (2?): Stephanie returns to Boston
- July 8-16: Chris & Stephanie travel to Iceland
- July (28?): Chris & Stephanie go to Pittsburgh
- August (18?): Chris & Stephanie return to Boston
- August 20: Chris and Stephanie return to Kuwait

"The heart of a man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps." Proverbs 16:9 (ESV)