farewell fishers island!

i have had such an awesome july. so thankful for it. just what i needed! now off to do good christian things: i am volunteering at a camp =) on marthas vineyard no less. horrible, i know, but somebody's got to do it. will probably update when i get back to the city(new york) on the 12th. adventures! i hope you girls are well! prepare yourselves for an epic reunion. just saying =)

xoxoxxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxox, tali_tal

song

here is what you missed while you were in oaktown chrissy. you will like :D

and others, you have probably heard it so much on el radio.


THE enrique iglesias ft. pitbull 'i like it' check it on youtube!



-tals

east coast

hiyaaaa! (that was ninja)

so i have confession: i check the blogg to read about you girls but i don't post often as andrea would like /: it's probably because i have so much to say. oh ya, i tried to post something last week and then the internet went alll buggy/crashed my post. good excuse ;)

1. jaimie is my sister now. we go walking together every day and we talk. she never had a sister, just brothers, and i am used to having an older sister, so it works. she is so cute! her and RJ are rediculous. i think you would like them.... when all the family is together it gets fun and loud and....sometimes inappropriate(depending on your definition of inappropriate)______complete with "that's what she said" in almost every conversation! i laugh so much.
2. the boys: OMG, the boys. spencer and jackson. let me tell you they are a handfull, i'm glad that i am the fun/cool/loving aunti and not the total nanny because i would be so tired. first of all, they are REALLY smart boys (spencer told me tonight that lightening is 10x hotter than the sun....altho i should check that____just doesn't sound right!). they go to this very prestigious all boys school in new york city and they have to wear coat and tie every day! what?!? along with the brains comes OVER the top sense of humor/wit and...dare i say, sarcasm :D my kind of boys! spencer asked his dad: "what would the naughtiest chihuaha do to you?" how do you respond________________________
they are so cute!!!!! i am in love love love! i feel at home because they are...family.

3. fishers island is offffff the hook. it's all about appearances(example: a lady would not be caught dead in the same outfit that she had worn already for the summer: which means you would need a shit load of clothes. another example: men wear PINK pants....hmmm i'll try to find a picture.... well i couldn't find a good picture but just envision it ladies.... pink pants blue blazer and loafer shoes with outrageous socks....ok wait here is an example of the fashion here on fishers: these are men pants =)


nannys RAISE the children of the wealthy families... one of the families, i have never seen the parents, just Freddi (the french nanny, who btw, is so funny and she runs their house, she's like their mom; drives them around, snuggles them, takes them swimming, to the doctor etc etc).
people here are very wealthy/rich. i mean they can afford a home on a frikkin island. (jaime and RJ are just renting tho.... they aren't rich! RJ is a minister so they are here for the summer to make connections with families.... basicly they want rich people to come to church..)

fishers island is a cute island, and soooo beautiful. seriously, i'm livin the dream here.

one thing that i tried to post last week is that it makes me so happy to read your posts and snippets of your life! until i can give you a fatty fat fat fat hug i'll be thinking about you.

peace.


-talssssss

Tea and Homemade Peanut Buttah

Why are all my posts about food?

Hello pretty ladiessss!

I miss you. Oh, so dearly. And I must say that if I was a teacher, I would get out my ruler and slap some of you on the hands as punishment for not following the once a week update rule!! Forces me into obsessively checking this darn thing several times a day... hmmph... Alright, I'm not bitter, just a little bored.

But life is good! Here's what life since my last update has consisted of:

-lots and lots of tea
-enjoying the sunshine/enjoying my lack of obligations by walking to places I need to go rather than driving
-icecream sundaes at Sheri's with amanda vandigg
-discovering a mexican market that sells mexican food as well as any kind of pepper/spice i'd ever want if i wanted to cook with it... authentic, because the check girl told me my total in spanish
-making peanut butter from scratch
-jogging jogging jogging
-reading a fabulous book
-my cousin's WEDDING! (and let me tell you... i barely know her and was crying... now i know that i'm going to sob at my own/any of my close friends')
-waitressing
-meeting a man who actually works at a morgue... what do you say when someone tells you that? AWK
-eating homemade veggie lasagne with boyfriend
-HIMYM... i'm hopelessly addicted.
-missing my roommates...
-being excited because Katie is coming to visit this weekend!!!!!!!!!!!

Alors... c'est tout pour le momente. (well... that's all for the moment)

Je vous aimez toujours!! (I love you always!!)

Andrea Yvonne

Final BayUPdate from Kelley #2

Dear Family and Friends,

            I hope this email is finding you well and that you are enjoying your not so sunny (at least in Oakland) summer.  The longer I am here the more deeply I fall in love with the kids at Harbor House and the community in Oakland.  I feel like I have become a part of their family and will be extremely sad when I finish up with the program in one week exactly :(.   It's a very bittersweet feeling b/c I can't wait to go home and see family, but at the same time I absolutely love it here.  Oakland has changed me in so many ways through the beautiful people I have encountered here.  I can't wait to come back home and share with you all that ways in which God is completely shattering my view of how I thought Oakland was- my stereotypes, fears and negative thoughts I previously had about Oakland.  Working with the kids at Harbor House has been one of the best experiences of my life.  I see the joy that the kids have in Jesus and their silliness gives me sooooooo much energy at the end of the day.  I love working for an organization that really fosters a safe place where the kids can just be kids and not have to worry about their safety or the brokeness in their home.  As I said in my previous message, I am the science/nature activity leader.  Last week, I was with 4th and 5th graders teaching them about the food chain by mostly playing games and doing activities.  This week I have a wide range of kids from k-3rd grade.  I am teaching them about water - anything from the 3 states of water to water conservation.  I am having a blast with them.  Tomorrow is when I will have them get nice & wet through some water games!! Yay!! Next week, my final week, I will have a group of k-1st graders where I will focus on the 5 senses through nature.  I will also have a group of 5-7th graders where we will be making easy & fun science experiments.  For every group, one day of the week I focus a discussion about littering(way way tooooo much trash on the streets) and what the kids can do to stop it. I then have them go around the block and pick up w/ gloves all the trash they can find.  After they bring the trash back, I have them make a collage with certain pieces of trash and make no littering signs.  The ones  done so far look great and the kids love the project.  Its such a blessing to wake up everyday and be extremely excited to come to Harbor House.  The kids make it all worth it!! I sometimes stuggle with them not listening or being mean to each other, but this summer has prepared me a lot for being a teacher in the future.  I get excited everyday that I know I am living out my God- given purpose and that I will be working with kids for the rest of my life.  I cannot thank you enough times for the prayers and/or the financial contributions that you have given me for this life changing trip to be a reality.  I miss you all and can't wait to talk to you soon about your summer as well as mine.  <3 Kelley Zaino

Life is a Highway!

Katie here! I haven't posted in a while!! I've been busy, which is a nice change of pace from sitting at home. So far no encounters this summer at the hospital ;) But I have been working hard. I'm still in my Art History class--BORING TO THE FIFTH DEGREE!! It's almost over, i'm literally counting the days, on the bright side we are doing Christian art so I get to look at funny pics of Jesus!
Oh, so last weekend (thursday through sunday) I was in Lake Tahoe with the fam. It was a nice time. I got alot of relaxing in. Read a book (btw a new must read from me is 'Her Mother's Hope" by Francine Rivers. I haven't even finished it, but I already love it!) The fam and i did the Heavenly Ski Lift, during which I had an ENCOUNTER!! Before you get your hopes up, it was with a chipmunk. That's right a chipmuck climbed on my shoe. My sister's friend got a picture of it. I'm trying to get a hold of the photo.
Other exciting news: I'm pretty seriously considering getting a tat! I don't know when I'll do it, but I'm working on finalizing the design. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
Well, I gots to go. I'm off to Joe's to pick out some wine for a gift. Can't wait to see you girls soon!!!! --KT

Hey!!

I just wanted to give you a quick update on life in Oakland so far.  Thanks Katie,Jen and Steph for visitin last Sun!! It was sooooooooooooo amazing seein you ladies.Tali, Katie gave me a lil somethin from you, so thanks! :p.  I know you all would have been there if you could.  I love you girls.  Thanks for all the support!! This week I have had fourth graders come to my environment ed activity center this week.  It has been going well.  Thank you Jesus that I took ENSP 440 and ENSP 442!! They seem to be pretty receptive to all the games and stuff we are doing.  Today we are taking the kids to the pool and tonight we are meetin up w/ the large bayup grp for dinner and an art night of what we have experienced this summer.  On Fri. night we will be meeting up again and studying the book of Amos.  We will meet up again all Sat o finish the study up. There will be lots of coffee and food, so it will be a fun day.  I always love meeting up with the other teams too! On Sunday, we are going to St. Patrick's Catholic Church.  After that we will do laundry and we got invited to go and watch one of the interns at Harbor House basketball game.  Then we are going over to his house for dinner! Next week, I'll be teaching the 2nd and 3rd graders!! YAY!!! I love this.  It's like a dream come true!!! We are also  watchin movies/readin/ discussing some hard topics like racial reconcilation,poverty,immigration and trafficking.  It is heavy and hard, but I see where God is working in the issues.  So, that is comforting me.  I miss you all and hope you are having a relaxng summer!!

 

<3 Kelley

 

 

Life in Rainy RoPo

Only in RoPo, I believe, would it seriously be cloudy for an entire week during summer. Actually, I could be wrong, has it been gloomy where you all are as well?

I've been feeling slightly cooped up/antsy due to a combination of gloomy weather/working/living by myself... so I traveled to my home town on the spur-of-the-moment to see Julia, who was home from studying in Washington and going to leave again a day or two later. That girl is all over the place! All the time! We had a fabulous time although we had no agenda- caught up, made some dessert, played with her mom's baby kittens (three of them!!), and then in the morning made pancakes (we really like food... hehe) and she gave me a tour of her mom's olive oil processing room. They've lived on an olive orchard forever, but they just within the past year started using them for making their own olive oil to sell! I brought some home, it's good stuff. ;)

I'm getting lots of hours at the olive tree, but it's really slow- I had 5 tables last night during a 7 hour shift... bah! I decided I want to learn Spanish, though, because it's all the busboys and most of the chefs speak- it's so debilitating to not be able to speak a word of it if you live in Cali!

I now know how to make empanadas- so BEWARE! They are coming your way, this fall... ;)

Nathan Hatch has become my buddy this summer. We started running together a couple weeks ago, and after we run we have tea time, where we drink tea and have fun conversation! He's living by himself too, so it works out nicely.

I'm so glad to hear that they bayup girls are doing well! I'm really bummed I had to miss out, but I know they had plenty of visitors. :)

Love love love you girls!

andrea yvonne

Summertime Fun

Hello Lovely Ladies!

Its your girl J here. How has life been over here on this side of the pond you ask? Its been pretty great. Life is a beautiful thing. Ten things that have been going on in my life in the past few weeks...

1. Still babysitting lots of different kiddos. All super adorable and all tons of fun,

2. Went up to my Aunt and Uncles cabin for the 4th and spent time with no technology in the outdoors. Swimming, hiking, s'mores and home town jems such as parades and craft fairs.

3. Signed up to be a 2nd grade teacher for Sunday school and went for the first time this week. The kids are soooo cute and I will be assistant teacher to a girl named Candice until she goes back to school in August at which point I will be lead teacher. Its pretty perfect for me because I get to live out the teacher side of myself but only once a week.

4. Really being convicted through church talks as well as a few online sermans that Ms. Katie introduced me to.

5. Saw Eclipse aka the third Twilight movie- so the best one yet.

6. Been doing A LOT of reading.

7. Actually making progress on this whole “job” thing. Meeting more people through networking and social interactions. Hopefully this ultimately ends in a job.

8. My Stephy coming over for the weekend and doing many a fun things including...

9. Visiting Kelley and Chrissy! Who are doing awesome and I am so proud of you guys! It seems like such an amazing experience. =)

10. Enjoying the sun!

Miss you all!

x’s and o’s, Aneet

new york!

update:
i am on an island... a very small island.
my days consist
1. waking up
2. taking S and J to camp
3. swimming at the pool/beach
4. making them food
5. eating food
6. playing with S and J (they are genius boys who are very cute)

so there's not a lot happening on this very small island but it is soooooooooooooo frickin beautiful here. there are people my age.... other nannys and tennis/sailing/golf/swimming instructors....

it is sooo different out here... details some other day about that. i don't really want to blog any more right now, but i have more to tell you about.


until then my pretty pumpkins.

xoxox, tals

Update from whenever I last wrote

So I was a counciler last week for 4,5,6 graders. I had 9 girls in my
cabin (10 including myself). I was an awesome week; I had 4 girls come
to Christ and 1 rededicate.
I'm still looking for work to do at gilead because my boss made it
clear I would only be allowed to council once. Thanks for all of your
prayers!

Carissa

Fireworks, Festivities, Food, Friends

Aftermath of fireworks is hazzzy!

man in cowboy hat... so funny

ice cream sammies

FFFFF! Heehee.

Why, hello ladies! It's been quite a while since this poor little blog has seen any activity! Share the love, girls! You must all have stories from the 4th of July?

On Thursday, Jenny came up to RoPo to see Twilight (I'm sure she'll share how that went) but also spent a little time with meeee! We went to the cotati farmer's market with alex teal before I had to lave for class, and then in the nighttime we watched HIMYM (which I am in love with now girls, btw). A fabulous start to an awesome weekend.

I was pretty bummed that I was going to have a lame weekend because I was supposed to work from 11-6:30 both Saturday and Sunday- so no family seeing for me! No bother, though- Alex Teal and I made impromptu plans to go out to Sebastopol for fireworks that night after work. They charged $8 to get into Analy high school, where they were shooting them off, but the live music, families, and awkwardly dancing moms and dads made every dollar worth it. The fireworks display was absolutely magnificent, and it was only made better by the all-american feeling marching band music blasted through the speakers. We ate ice cream sandwiches and hot dogs (my first one in like a year), but I believe the topper of the night was when awkward dancing middle-aged man walked like an egyptian with us and then told us that our dance moves were "so inspiring!"

On the fourth of July, Chris and I ended up at Alex F's house with Carissa and her two younger sibs. They ever-so graciously shared their tri-tip and mashed potatoes with us... MMM! As we were eating in the backyard, we could hear fireworks whizzing and screaming all around us. Alex had bought about $60 worth of fireworks, and so after dinner we made our way to the street to join the three families each making spectacles of their own. Chris noticed that there were a lot of fireworks going off in the park area across the street, and we ended up walking around for an hour just watching everyone else's fireworks. I have never seen so many fireworks from so many different families at once! There were illegal fireworks, the kind that shoot up really high and explode, going off like they were going out of style!! It was magnificent, magnificent.

So... fourth of july weekend, there you have it. Fireworks, Festivities, Food, and Friends. What more could I have wanted?

Hope you all are well and enjoying life where you are!

BAY UPDATE from Kelley #1

Hello friends and family>

          Greetings from Funktown,CA!!!(that's what the neighborhood in Oakland I live in is called).First, I want to thank you for all the support financially and through prayer that you have given me.  I would not have had the opportunity to be on this amazing trip if it wasn't for you.  I just wanted to let you know what I have been up to these past 2 weeks.  I arrived in Oakland on Father's day and for the first week of my urban mission trip,  On the trip there are 6 students from SSU and about 11 other students fronm Standford, Cal Berkley, Davis, ect. It is great meeting new people in the same program. The first week I was here, I was in training at Patten University staying in the dorms. This prepared my team and I for the next five weeks of actually living in a neighborhood.  Starting last Friday, the SSU team and I moved into our 2 bedroom 4th floor apartment.  It's tiny, but really cute.  It works for us.  We have been eating on a small budget typical of the area we are living in.That is just teaching me how I only need to survive on the basic necessities.  I am actually eating oatmeal which is something I thought would never be a part of my daily diet.  This week, I started training for the ministry site SSU is assigned to, Harbor House.  I qam really excited b/c starting next week, kids from the community will becoming to the summer program.  I am in charge of teaching the science/ nature activirty center(one of six centers).  Each week, there is a rotation of the ages of kids I will get grades k-7.  Other than working at Harbor House, eating, and sleeping, our program puts on dicussion nights for us.  We have bible studies, game nights,ect.  I am having a great time and really growing closer to God as I learn more fully God's heart for the city.  I am also writing to you in hopes tat you would pray for my team as I as we continue encountering new things in the city.  Please pray that we will be able to connect to our nieghbors and deepen relationships with them, that we stay safe in the city, and most of all please pray for the summer program and the kids we will be ministering to.  That's all for now.  I hope you are having a wionderful summer and early Happy Fourth of July!!!!!! I miss you all. 

 

<3 Kelley