Engagment Photos

Hello everyone. I am really looking forward to seeing all of you soon - in about a month. I am also really excited for everyone in our family to meet everyone in John's. I think it is going to be a good time. John and I are finally getting our invitaitons together and I thought I'd give you all a preview of the wedding announcement photo we are going to use.

Mardi Gras 2007

Just returned from Louisiana...exhausted. I tried to show Julie as much as I could in one weekend, eat as much as we could, dance as much as we could, but I forgot we would need to sleep. Here are some of the pictures from our weekend. We flew into Dallas to see my family and finalize our wedding invites and engagement pictures. Our favorite pic is in front of the neighbor's mini-RV of us sitting in lawn chairs. Saturday we watched a parade in Baton Rouge from my friends house. Sunday we went to church in Opelousas (where Julie was introduced as my future little wife). We saw one of our favorite bands, Old Crow Medicine Show, in New Orleans. Monday we hiked around Lake Martin, ate crawfish and finished our Mardi Gras costumes. Tuesday we chased chickens and danced in fields as we went around to different homes begging for coins and food for a gumbo feast. Wednesday we drove back to Dallas, stopping to visit my grandmother only to be greeted with a freshly cooked midday supper. A whirlwind trip. Now we're back to business--working, planning, grading.

salutations!!!!

hello my lovelies!!!

Julie, i am now informing you that i also read the blogs, i just don't have time to write my own. all the things you and john have been doing sound so very fun and exciting. much more exciting than here i bet. this week we have off and so the cooks came up on Monday and are staying until Thursday or Friday, which will be fun. soccer season is on right now, and again, i made varsity and am the first captain. my life is not quite as interesting as Paul's with his "fan club" and all, but interesting enough, although i wish i was 16 years old so i could date and have a fan club of my own. hahaha. i think we may go bowling tomorrow or sledding, but for now, i will go watch some of Stephen's divine comedy! well, i love you all and wish the best for everyone! see you in April!

HI!

Dear Family,
It sounds like you all are having a lot of fun. I am so sorry taht I haven't had the chance to write sooner, I have been really busy with going to school/ collage part time- homework, it is so cool how the classes I am taking right now go togetehr- for example: in Guidence adn Disapline we talked about the different theriost like: Voyski/ Alder adn Roger, behavior- Skinner, or parernting- 3 different types of parenting, they are really fun classes, get my ECE cert. and A.A. degree so I can continue to work with kids- at Kid's BASE and at a school district with special needs kids, and work at Kid's BASE, Kay, Sammy (they are both doing wonderful right now), playing soccer/ flute, sign language, horseback riding, kids-babysitting, still going to the pre-school at Southwood/ at Westwood- special needs classroom/ Camp Berachah, fam. , teaching Sunbeams at church, etc. I am so glad too taht I get to work with people who are so nice adn understanding, and we are able to communiacte to each other, talk, and it si so much fun. Sorry I need to do homework now, talk to you all later, I am do excted to see everyone in April/ in the summer too. Thank you everyone for all of your help, support adn always being there for me, like if I needed to talk to you, etc. I am so glad that we are family forever!
I love you all so much forever!
Love always and forever,
Mels

Hello

hello to all. I am aware that this is my first time. and am a little sorry for that, but i was very busy maturing and becoming a refined man. anyway, um life besides that has been quite ordinary here. basketball is going good seeing that we are undefeated in our league (18-0), and both jv and varisty are league champions. wohoo. but that has pretty much ruled my life right now.
except the women. i have an official fan club right now. no im kidding, but.. there are a couple girls in our ward that are not making it secret that they have feelings for me. one in particular only talks to me online, and is to nervous to talk at school or church. a little weird. but she definetley lets me know how she feels about me online, so it's all good i guess. some relationships can be soley online relationships... right? haha. anyway i got a big test tomorrow so i'ma head. love you all, and see ya in April. say hi to John.

The White King

John and I went to California this last weekend to hear a zydeco band play at a Jewish Community Center. In order to get there, we had to drive through Nevada, which as you know has quite a few casinos. We stopped in Elko and met the White King. It sort of reminded me on a grander scale, of some Muckleshoot firework stands. I couldn't quite figure out how a huge polar bear would draw in gamblers, but . . .

We stayed with one of John's friends from Teach for America, Val, who lives in Sacramento. We took a walk around Sacremento which incidentally has the largest amount of trees in the United States. Val took the picture of us by the cactus. I think she was also a little alarmed that we didn't seem to be really immersed in wedding planning the way some of her other friends have been.



Then we headed to San Rafael for the concert. As I mentioned above it took place at the Jewish Community Center there and I think Val, John and I were the youngest ones. There weren't as many men there as women, so after one dance, an older woman names Barbara came and asked if she could steal John away for a dance. She kept coming back for more because John happens to be a great cajun dancer.

We met Dave Thomas from Opelousas Louisiana (where John taught)who is a big fan of Geno and his band. It was fun to talk to him; he told us Opelousas is losing it's status as the zydeco capital, that zydeco was kind of dying out there. John asked him why and Dave explained that he thinks it's connected to the "rasino's" (a horse racing and casion complex combinded). So instead of going to the dance halls to dance and listen to music, people are going to the casions. It was an interesting discussion. Dave danced with me a couple of times and he was a very gracious and kind man. Anyway - it was a great trip. It'd be great to hear what everyone else is up to. I love you all.