I Led My First Climb!

Evan has been rock climbing for years, but I'm only intermediate when it comes to climbing. Well, last Friday, Evan bought me my first pair of climbing shoes (refer to above image). Shortly thereafter, we went climbing up by Northbend at Exit 38. Sadly, it was just the two of us, making it a little rough to take pictures when both of us we're either climbing or belaying. Either way, it was a lot of fun! I even led my first climb! We did three different routes and just had fun climbing on our first time climbing together. This is the first of MANY more rock climbing adventures to come! If you're up for a climb, let us know!

(See below for a view from where we were climbing... BEAUTIFUL!)

Sassy Sarah, German Teacher Extraordinaire :)

For as long as I can remember, I've been hearing about Germany. My mother was born and raised there. Because of this, I often was privvy to stories of Germany, German food, and German culture. I love it! When I was in high school, I FINALLY began learning German for real. The summer before my senior year, I went to Germany on an exchange. I loved every second of it! It was amazing! From the food to the people, I loved it. Since then... I have been back to Germany twice for extended periods of time. Additionally, I studied German for four years in college in the hopes of eventually being a German teacher.

Well, yesterday my wish FINALLY came true! I officially was hired to teach German at a high school in the area. This means that next year I will be taking a group of 25 students to Germany 10 years from the time I went on the exchange myself. I'm really excited! I LOVE GERMAN! :)

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

On this Monday past, I said goodbye to Hawaii. While I'll miss the Hawaiian sun and all that that entails, I'm excited to be back in Washington. There is something about being back in the place where you grew up! The comfort of it, the familiarity of the language, culture, and people. It's like that song from "Cheers": "Where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came."

Now, that is NOT to say that this week hasn't been without it's share of trials, because it has. I came home on Monday and immediately stepped into the role of single mother to 3 of my sister's 4 children while she's in Germany for 2 1/2 weeks. WOW! Can I say that I respect mothers? UES! Can I say that I believe that mothers are underappreciated? HELL YES! They seriously do SO MUCH for their children, community, homes, and families. Whether it's helping their kids with homework, running them to a thousand and one practices and church activities, or coaching them on how to properly do the dishes... mothers most DEFINITELY have their work cut out for them! Thinking about what to make for three meals a day on a budget, creating said meals, cleaning up after said meals, cleaning up after the kids after said meals... there isn't much time left in the day! :)

I've spent MUCH time over the past 12 years caring for my sister's kids. However, this particular time has truly reiterated in my mind how important it is for me to simplify and organize as a mother. It also has reminded me of the importance of taking time for oneself, otherwise you'll go crazy!