It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Although all of our Christmas decorations are stored in Arkansas and we are probably not getting a tree this year, I have been in the Christmas Spirit since returning from Thanksgiving break. Some friends from Life Group, who live only a block away, had a tree decorating party at their apartment and invited us to attend. It was fun to listen to Christmas music and decorate the tree with a group of friends. It definitely helped satisfy the intense urge that surfaces around this time of year to hang shiny objects from trees.


Alex adorning the tree.


Last addition- a parrot, who was NOT thrilled to be there and was quickly removed.

I Love New York!

A sunset taken on my subway ride home. Too bad it doesn't come close to showing its full beauty!


The view from a favorite study spot at school. Sometimes I still can't believe I go to school here!


...But this happens to be my all-time favorite study spot (and this is a fairly typical view from my nest on the couch). I find that it is much easier for me to study when I stay home, which is a new thing for me. The city is way too over-stimulating and the people-watching is way too good for me to stay focused for long otherwise!

Trick-or-Treat on the Street

In NYC, Halloween is a BIG deal. There are parties, parades, and treats galore. I've seen costumes all weekend. However, I was lame this year and did not feel compelled to participate in the dress-up or festivities. There are tons of events, but I preferred to steer clear of the cleavage-flaunting streets of Manhattan for the more child-friendly Park Slope streets. I wandered our neighborhood this afternoon to see cute costumes and observe how the trick-or-treating actually happens in these parts. It was fun to see the steady streams of children and parents going in and out of all the local businesses. Restaurants, stores, and even some laundromats give out candy to all the good ghouls and boys. As if that's not enough to fill all the plastic pumpkins and keep dentists busy for another year, trick-or-treaters can also hit up all the brownstones. Instead of having to go through the effort of ringing a doorbell and waiting for an answer, brownstone dwellers make it easier for those seeking candy by sitting on their steps. I'm sure people ring the bells of those people they know, but it seemed (at least in our immediate neighborhood) that otherwise you just accept treats from people sitting out unless there are signs indicating that a knock is expected. With so many people and places eager to dole out candy, kids here have it made! I wonder how many will stay home from school tomorrow with stomachaches...

This is not the best picture, but will give you an idea of the hustle-and-bustle on 7th Ave (near President street).

Street-View

Hail... Yeah.

Although I had a productive weekend, I can honestly say I have not done much today. Several hours spend attempting to study with friends, but I was definitely not focused. Tonight, however, I received a call from sweet voices that made my night! Kylie (2) sang me the ABCs and Twinkle, Twinkle. Jadyn (5!) is a witty little thing and made cute jokes. She will easily be smarter than me by the time she leaves elementary school... or maybe even kindergarten! I was able to Skype with the family yesterday so could see my niece's beautiful faces. I'm pretty sure they were both too interested in watching their own picture to realize mine was on the screen (I'll take credit for that trait...). Kylie told me all about how my dad (Pappa) has a beard-face, loosely pronounced 'butt-face' by her. Jadyn read to me (yes, she is the only one in her class who has night readers) and was just her usual precious self. I canNOT wait to see those two angels in a few weeks! And to meet another angel, who I can watch grow and develop her own unique personality. Being an aunt is the greatest thing EVER (second place- teaching kinder-sweeties)!

As I was getting off the phone tonight, it began hailing LOUDLY! The rain and hail fell hard for about a minute then ended as quickly as it began. There was a nice white layer on the ground that the heavy rain began washing away. Seeing white litter the entire ground makes me even more nervous for winter.

I took this the morning after the hail-storm:

What's in a name?

My name is not all that common. Occasionally, I'll meet somebody who shares my name, but they spell it 'wrong.' However, in my program there is another Krista, spelled correctly and everything! Our name is the only multiple out of 50 something people. It isn't that strange when you consider some of the other names in the program: Silje, Yokul, Arisa, Saman, Khan, Nicola. There are some names that are more familiar to me like Clare, Elisa, Fred, and Cindy... But I love considering how diverse all the people are in my program!

Another fun 'name' note... As Krista Russell, I was always close to the end of the alphabet. However, Krista Cone is FIRST in a class. Yeah, I said FIRST! I have really moved up in the alphabet...

Drawbacks

I absolutely LOVE living in Brooklyn, but being across the country from family and the bulk of friends is not always fun. Last weekend, I missed Micah & Will's wedding and next weekend will miss Jes & Rob's- both in Little Rock! Any day now, my brother and sis-in-law will be welcoming their first child into the world. I will get to meet Eliza Joy in a few weeks, but there's nothing like celebrating with family when you can actually HUG them! I am happy we are here, but sometimes long for the best of both worlds!

Moral of the story? Thank goodness for skype!