Been too long!

Hello lovely readers!
I'm sorry to have disappeared for such a long time. There's not really an excuse I can muster, except that Facebook is a terrible, terrible time-sucking invention that has maintained its firm grip on my short bits of free time in Graduate Student Land. Where shall I begin with updates and other hoo-ha that's been my life for the last couple of months?

Engagementdom
So Charlie and I got engaged, which I am terrifically psyched about. Loving is tough from a distance though...You'd think we'd be getting better at this, but any time apart is hard, let alone months going by without seeing each other. Fortunately, this last stretch from June till December has been broken up into smaller, easier-to-handle bits: Charlie visited in September, and then I flew home to be with him at the end of October, during his (successful) surgery. It was so nice to be home...and I got a special present while I was there:

Very excited to have my left hand heavy with a pretty ring. :) Never thought I'd be the girl to get all, well, girly about such things, but once it was on my hand, giddyness swept me up into a huge rush of emotion and of course, wedding planning. We'll keep you posted.

Farm School
Teaching has been going so well. The kids are incredible; I haven't taken as many pictures this session, but will upload what I have soon. Our lessons have ranged from Forest Shelter Building to rosehip harvesting to stream ecology to snowshoeing lessons, and these youngsters have picked up every concept and run with it. They're enthusiastic, exuberant children and I am so proud to teach them. Lots of laughs, a few names-on-the-boards, huge baking soda/vinegar volcanoes, cross country skiing ("Dead bug! Train tracks! Up you get!") and long hikes have all made this Fall Session of Farm School great. Next week marks the end of this session, with our Winter Session fast approaching in February. We have snow and ice exploration, more snow sports, Alaska animal winter habitats and adaptations, and cultural studies on deck for the new session, along with some new faces to my growing student body! I have fast learned that I can plan all I want in terms of how I want my lessons to go, but really, all I need to do is plan by time: opening calendar circle, potty and stretching/wiggling around, first lesson, snack, reading time, play outside, send them home. Not necessarily all in that order (because 5 year olds wiggle throughout the entire day anyway) but as long as the main components are there, and I stay flexible, the days go fast and easy.

Graduate School
..................................................................................................................
Erm.
Well, my classes this semester are going fine! I am taking Advanced Leadership Topics, and Environmental Ethics. Both are challenging, stimulating classes; I drive down to Anchorage every Tuesday and Thursday for them--the rest of my week is spend in the Valley. So my commute has been lovely. I even won a gift certificate to Dairy Queen and a pound of coffee (YES!) from the local radio station Q997 the other day! I correctly guessed the song name and artist in their Twisted Song contest...the DJ scrambles a song, plays it backward, etc. and then you have to try and guess what it is. Upon hearing the first note I knew it was "Where's the Love?" by Black Eyed Peas, and had the station on speed dial. The following conversation ensued (don't judge, it was 7 in the morning):
"Q997, you're on the air with Becky Nickles!"
"OMIGODAMITHEWINNER?!"
"....you have to guess first! Wanna try?"
"Right! (smacks forehead) Where's the Love, by the Black Eyed Peas?"
"Correct! Now you're the winner!"
*sigh*

At any rate, my degree isn't moving along as speedily as I had previously thought. I still have my internship, an elective and six thesis credits to take before I can graduate, and so next semester will hold the elective and internship, and I'll take all my thesis credits while at home. That's right. Home. I'll be moving back to MN at the end of May, beginning of June, and will implement my latest and greatest thesis proposal while working at the Left Bank and hanging with my families. THEN the beautiful reality of student loans comes in as they are released from their deferrment status...awesome. :P Better find a job quick!

Alaska Weather
It's been downright cold lately. Today was the first day both the high and low were above zero degrees. This last week my new car (OH YEAH, I'll get to that!) didn't want to start for anything (I offered her oil changes, bigger subwoofers, a complete detailing, pretty much everything a car could want but Nooooooooooooooooo she wouldn't turn over) with the cold, and doing anything outside with the kids was pretty much out until the sun came up and warmed things to a balmy 0 degrees in the afternoon. You know it's bad when you say, "Hey, it's not too bad out today!" at 1 above. Apparently though, from the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District Handbook, all outside activities are to be cancelled if temperatures reach 45 below, and any outdoor activities taking place at temperatures -10 to -25 are to be reviewed by the superintendant, but are generally permitted. Hooya for living in Alaska! I wonder what the MN handbooks say.

It is beautiful, though. The mountains are snowy; we watched the snow fall and recede, fall and recede, creeping up and down the slopes again and again before it finally decided to snow in early November. Last year our first recorded snowfall was October 5th. We're a month behind! So far we have a little more than a foot on the ground in town, and the mountains have enough of a blanket for my downhill skiing friends to be happy. I myself have been out cross-country skiing a few times on the farm trails, and am elated to find that I still know how! :)

New Car
I have decided to purchase, from a friend, a '95 Toyota 4Runner. Maddy, said friend, is giving me a good deal on it, and it is much more reliable and comfortable than Sassy. I'll go ahead and sell the Bronco after giving her a little TLC. I'll miss bombing around in my truly Alaskan vehicle! Mechanically she's sound, but as for personal comforts and safety (hello airbags!) I'll take the 4Runner. Luckily our bill of sale includes hours of labor as well as a monthly payment to Maddy, so I can either work for her, or pay straight up for my payments. Not a bad deal at all, gotta love bartering! The new car's name is Lucy; it came with her, and I had to promise not to rename it. So Lucy has joined the Miss Kate and Sassy household. Sweet.

So there's my update; more pictures to follow, probably in the form of a photo dump entry. Much love to all, hoping that your Thanksgivings are fun!