Aaaaaand We're back!

Ok, so the video is a little long (what can I say, we babble) so here is a brief summary if you're interested:
We went to St. Louis and did lots of fun stuff.
There were birds doing funny things too.
We sent in our applications and are in the process of getting ready (officially!) to go to South Korea.

Soooo I think this is going to be where my blog ends. I believe Geoff and I will start setting up a new blog together that we'll post on to keep you all updated. We plan to start traveling in December at some point, and we'll be in Korea in February. I'll post on here when we have our url so you can all follow it and read up on our exciting adventures in Asia!!

Happy Mardi Gras!!

A day late. happy ash wednesday? I had to explain what Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday were to my Muslim co-worker... it was pretty funny. "Well, there's 40 days of Lent, and you have to be good then, well, like, extra good, more good than you usually are, because you're not trying to be a bad person all the other times. Anyways, you have to do extra stuff like give to the poor and not curse and things like that, and so, that starts tomorrow, so today, everybody does all the bad stuff, like drink and party and eat lots and lots so that tomorrow we can be good."
I don't think I did a good job.
anyways, enjoy a video from me:

Thanks!!

Hello friends and fam,
Wanted to say thank you to all the advice--I got quite a bit from you, and I do sooo appreciate it.
Howevs, Another factor came along and messed up plans (I shouldn't say messed up, cuz it's good news)... Geoff got hired on full time + PTO + Benefits, so it looks like we'll be stickin around til next August. This gives him plenty of time to store up some moolah for travel, and then I can complete my masters here on campus. I'm not gonna pretend like I'm totally happy, but I am rather happy. (As long as I can find a way to travel... I'm working on it with my director...) We're gonna go sign a lease for next year this coming week.... so, friends, fam, love me while you got me. =)

Also, boooooo to winter weather, but here's a couple of pretty pictures from mine and Geoff's walk last night:

A message from thoughtful, impatient Mariah

Here's a Mariah that's not insane and bouncing off the walls--ENJOY! it won't last...

Big News of Today:
I applied at a couple of overseas teaching websites... maybe they'll find us some placements... wooo!! exciting!!!

This week I started school again. Only two classes this semester but they're bound to keep me busy. One is taught by the former dean of the school of ed. Ruh roh... I think he has high expectations of us all and was unimpressed by me because he didn't understand my focus. Whatevs.

We went to butchering last weekend. Geoff had a blast, of course. At the end of the day he couldn't stop talking about it, "We got to do this, and I saw them do this, and they let me do this!" It was pretty funny.

We plan to stay up in Btown for a lot of this semester, mostly because we have been away from Bloomington nearly every weekend since we started dating. Can't tell you how nice it was to go out dancing last night and wake up in MY BED this morning (instead of a relative's in St. Louis or Dale).

On a side note:I know it's fun to play in the snow, but can it stop now plz? kthxbai.

PS: Dear Dom, I posted your package to Ukraine, and the same day, met a Ukrainian woman (Marya) at an evening event. Sign I should come visit you, don't you think? bisous.

Winter Break Has Come and Gone

Christmas from my back porch

Wow, time flies! The break was great, but busy. I'm sorry to warn everyone who got to see a lot of us over break that Geoff and I do not plan to travel so much in the new year... I feel like I never get a night at home!

We spent Christmas evening in Dale, Boxing Day with Tempels and at Emma's birthday party; we had a Christmas exchange on the 29th as well. This week we helped Dana move and broke in our new Quelf game. Playing Quelf, this is the kind of thing you get up to. There were more exciting pictures, but you'll just have to come visit us and play it to see mwahahahahaha.

We went to St. Louis for New Years, where I got to meet Geoff's friends Sarah and Kevin and . We also went to the City Museum which was soooo awesome! It was like a children's museum for adults and I went down a seven story slide and got about five bruises and a black eye but it was AWESOME. Just my style.

Me opening a giant safe at the City Museum

"The monstrosity" outside--giant playground. They even have a ballpit for adults, and we got to roast marshmallows as well as climb up in that giant plane.

Happy 2011 to everyone, I hope you have a great year ahead! Remember to keep in touch please =)

I won't be home for Christmas

Hello friends and family!
I'm done with the semester! And so far it's looking like A's... yay!
Geoff's family's Christmas party was a lot of fun--getting to meet the family was great, but exhausting.
I had a great weekend this past weekend--it was my cousin Alicia's wedding! It was absolutely beautiful and I only cried once =) It was awesome to see family, which includes my cousin Vince who is home for a couple of weeks from CO, and my pop who came to have breakfast with us on Sunday. Plus, I met up with KYM!!! who was home for the weekend. I kinda attacked her when I saw her, but it's alright, she made it through.
It was a very pancake-y weekend, as we had orange-ricotta pancakes Saturday for breakfast (thanks, Lucy!), cinnamon-oatmeal pancakes for breakfast on Sunday (thanks again, Lucy!) and then we went to a meditation/Dutch pancake pile-up on Sunday evening (thanks, Aryan!) which included gouda pancakes (I had like 3, which is a LOT for me). The meditation was awesome as well.
Thursday we had a going away par-tay for Shannon down here in Btown. It was a blast with some of my favorite people =) Monday night we had a very not fun time driving up to have a very fun time at a different, New York-themed going away party for Shan (I was "the Big Apple"). There were lots of peeps and some good foods and awesome decorations. I don't like the idea of not being able to see my Shan whenever I want, but she's off to work for a biiiig company in Connecticut and be awesome at her job, so no one can really complain.

Geoff, me, Stephen, Ben, Shan, and Dana. We have matching shirts for the occasion. =)

My car also rolled over to 100,000 miles this weekend... wooooohoooooo!

I have to tell friends and fam I won't be coming home for Christmas this year... It's gonna be nice having some time to myself, but I'm begging you, please don't worry about me, and please don't try to make me feel like I have to come home. Thanks! So Happy Christmas to all, and I'm sending out all the Love I have to each of you reading this. MWAH!

December is COLD.

SORRY!!! I know it's been a while...

OK, so...
I've been gone for a long while because I've been too busy hating school with all of my might. It takes a lot of energy, you'd be surprised. School is the bane of my existence, and I'm soooooo done with it at the mo. I'll only be taking two classes next semester because I actually want to not die of stress related diseases and because I want to do things that actually matter in life (read: anything but school). Only three more papers to write, one of which has to be done by the end of Thanksgiving break, so.... eeks.

Work has been awesome as always. Babies! I love em. Only problem was (not a problem if it weren't for sucky school) I had to work a full-time week the first week of November, which put me way behind in schoolwork. Just gave up on some of it... is this a good thing or a bad thing for Mariah? No one knows.... serves me right to get a B on a report card, after I've ruined so many curves. I'm prepared..... come get me, Karma! I love my babies, and it's another reason to only take two classes next semester. Bam.

I took a trip to St. Louis the other weekend, met Geoff's parents, went on a tour of the Anheuser Busch factory, etc. We went shopping too, to Teavana and Lush, OMG. I spent waaaaaaaaaay too much money. But now I have sooo much tea and plenty of soap for like the next three years. YES.

Last weekend was Dana's bday. Just throwin that out there because she's my bestie. and she's awesome. and you all should love her because I do.

Now to Turkey Day. I can't wait to see the fam tomorrow, we've got a day at cMoe planned and an evening at the circus. Hopefully I'll have time to post in the midst of writing those last three papers... xxx to all of you readers. MWAH.

Photos:Geoff at the mall with the giant Christmas tree. And the funny lookin' deer.

My way-too-much-money-in-tea-and-soap bags

This was on the Busch factory tour. I'm always a photo opportunity, come on.

Novermberm time

I did not vote, just to put my voice out there. I don't have TV, and therefore had no idea who to vote for because I didn't see any incriminating ads.

I officially have a boyfriend. it's exciting times because we actually are right for each other. and we're planning a trip to Peru for next summer to volunteer. w00t.

Kym, comments on your blog posts are coming soon.

And now, brought to you by a good nights sleep and dark chocolate reeses....