FINALLY!!! Another blog post...

Ok so we haven't exactly been good about keeping up with our blog recently. It's been a combination of being too busy yet not busy enough to post anything. We've recently been busy preparing for our final year of service, with school just begining the first week of February. However, we haven't really been doing anything interesting. Planning isn't all that exhilarating to talk about.

We will report that our trip to the states was incredible. From start to finish we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. First thing we did was hit up the first bookstore to buy a copy of TIME Magazine with that now so cliche red, white and blue picture of Obama on the cover. I'm not usually the most sentimental person but on that one occasion well I just couldn't help myself. Next we had a good old burger and fries dinner at none other than TGI Fridays, washed down with a Newcastle for me. Oh the glory.

First impresiones on being in the United States after 16 months: most people in the US are really pasty but then again there are also black people, people walk really fast, no one stares at you, everyone has an Iphone of a blackberry now, even grandmothers play videogames now that there's Wii, conveinience stores have a maddening array of products, cold weather is unbearable, we tend to stuff ourselves.

Too all those we saw over the holidays, it was so very, very good to see you. We may have already overly-expressed how great it was to see you all, but if we didn't already, we express again how very, very good it was to see you. It is quite a difficult thing to be removed from your life-long family and friends for such a long time, but of course all the sweater when you see them again. A special thanks goes out to our friend Jace who planned and executed an incredible party for us where we got to reunite with a huge group of our Hill School friends, it was truly an unforgettable evening. Also, thanks to a wonderful Christmas present, we'll be returning to the states for a trip in July...clear you schedule.

As for our return to Nicaragua, as I've already said it has been fairly uneventful in the way of work and life in Nicaragua. Unfortunately we did receive some very bad news of Kaitlyn's uncle's death fairly soon after we returned, so that has put quite a damper on our spirits. That, combined with a harrowing delay of our luggage by the airlines and various other maladies made our immediate return dificult, but we've survived.

This next year is looking to be a good one. We have varouis projects lined up including reforestation projects, painting world maps, another AIDS Day fair, and all kinds of fun activities in our schools. In March we're going to receive at least 5 visitors from home which will surely be a blast. Again, we will only be here until November of this year, so if you're looking for a cheap, exotic trip with free spanish-speaking guides, now is the time. Don't worry about your job, from what we hear you're going to lose it anyways.