Our first snow!

It begins...

Sunday morning we woke up to our first Ellensburg snowfall! Most everyone said the first snow probably wouldn't stick, but after church it was still snowing. After our Sunday naps, it was still snowing. After dinner, it was still snowing and everything was completely white! It was so beautiful and even a bit magical. The kids LOVED it and didn't seem to mind having to wear gloves or big puffy coats.

Graham and the kids went out to try and build a snowman, but Hannah just wanted to knock it down like blocks, and Gideon enjoyed body slamming any form that Graham could create. Needless to say, there never was a snowman, but they sure had fun in the process!

Monday morning going to work, I had to basically excavate the car, but I have to admit it was kinda fun! A lot of the snow melted by the afternoon, but this morning it was 24 degrees when I left for work, so everything left turned to ice. All of the car doors were frozen shut, so I had to come back inside for a cup of water to pour on the door. It seems so silly to sit in the driveway for 20 minutes waiting for the car to defrost, only to have a 3 minute commute. But I guess
that's life of living in a small town with snow!


Don't forget, you can click on any of these pictures to enlarge them for a better view. (All but the last few that are hosted on Photobucket!)


On the way to church...






Inside the car


Church... Small but cozy?


Incoming!


Off to work in a winter wonderland



Time for fun!




New princess boots!

Life as the ISA!

Many of you have asked how my job is going and what it is I do, so today's update is about my job.

First of all, "ISA" stands for International Student Advisor which is long to say (and type), so I'm referred to as the ISA. The term "Advisor" is used in several different ways when referring to what I do. First, I provide academic advising to all of the undergraduate students who have not yet declared their major. This means that I help them to understand the graduation requirements and steer them in the right direction toward their anticipated major. It's also my responsibility to monitor their academic progress. If any students fall below a 2.0 GPA, I'm notified and have to work with the student to help get their grades up.

Second, I am the immigration advisor as it pertains to the F-1 student visa. I have to make sure they enroll in full time units, don't work off campus without permission and are prepared if they leave the U.S. and need to come back. I also help process their paperwork for work permits, reinstatements (if they break the law) and other government forms.

Third, I'm the Advisor for two student clubs, the Japanese Student Association and the International Student Association (also called the ISA). This advisorship includes signing budget requests, monitoring the student leaders and making sure that the club activities are legit. So the constant use of "Advisor" may seem redundant, but it sums up my tasks into one easy term.

As of last week, I advise 165 undergraduate and graduate students at three different campuses (the Ellensburg main campus and two others which are satellite campuses in the Seattle area). I also monitor about 30 students who are participating in post-graduation internships throughout the U.S. It may sound like a lot, but it's actually a pretty decent load.

Most of my students are Asian (Japan, Korea, China, Vietnam) with a few Euros and two or three Africans. So despite the fact that I'm advising almost three times the number of students than at FPU, there are actually less countries represented, which is a little disappointing. It's also difficult to keep track of them. Most of their names give no indication of whether they're male or female, and then to make it more confusing, they use their "American" name, so I still have no idea who they are! With the holidays soon upon us, I've been able to meet more of them coming in for travel endorsements, but I think it's going to take me a while to meet them all.

The office structure is on a much grander scale than at FPU. Our office of 40 employees consists of four different departments. One is the ESL school (they have about 90+ students), another is Study Abroad (U.S. students studying abroad and 14 students from abroad studying at CWU), and the third is "AUAP" which is an exchange program with a specific university in Japan who requires their students to study in Washington for six months. ESL and AUAP have their own classes and teachers, so they get to know their students really well. Our department is the head of all the other departments, but because my position doesn't really fit anywhere else, I report directly to the head of the department as do the directors of the other departments.

As for the office environment, it's also VERY different than FPU. As I mentioned in a previous entry, I hardly see my boss, even though he's right across the hall. Lately I've seen him quite a bit, so that's good. I work primarily with Nicole, our SEVIS Technician whose office is connected to mine (you'll see her in the video below). Other than her, I almost have to seek out my other co-workers. It's kind of strange to have to make an effort to talk to people, but when I do, everyone responds positively. It's not like they're rude or anything, they just sort of keep to themselves (I miss Dave Sadler). Selmah (in Study Abroad, pictured above) is my closest office friend. She and I get along really well and have lunch together almost every day.

I LOVE my student workers, Deema and Sarah. Both of them are American, but Deema is originally from Lebanon and Sarah is an Asian studies major. They technically work for everyone in the department, but I tend to seek their help more than anyone else does. They're no Oxana, Annie or Lidija, but I've taken them under my wing in hopes of hopefully establishing a close relationship.

Besides missing student relationships, my biggest struggle has been working in a non-Christian environment. I'm having conversations I've never had before, and getting frustrated by some of the activities that occur on campus. There's this big "campaign," if you will, to emphasize openness to all people, when in reality, they're not at all open to conservative Christians. Everyone in my office definitely knows I'm a Christian, but even those who I know are Christians too aren't very open about it. It's just going to take me a while to get used to.

Okay, this is getting long, so I'll stop here. The video below is a tour of my office.

Oh, how they grow!

I usually put short updates on the kids to the right, but this week, the list got so long, I decided to dedicate an entire entry to their accomplishments.

First of all, Gideon is using the bathroom all by himself (did I just see a cow fly by?)! And most of the time it's unannounced. He just goes upstairs, does his thing, flushes, washes his hands, and then comes down and tells us. It's awesome!!! (see video below). This morning, he put his socks on by himself, too.

The kids are also learning some sign language. I started taking an ASL class and thought it would be fun to teach the family some signs, too. Gidders thinks it's funny when, "Mommy talks with her hands," but he loves it. As of yesterday, he can sign "I want some milk, please." He also made up a few signs of his own (wrapping your arms around yourself means "cereal," and putting your arms out and shaking your hands means "tracks"). Hannah signs "all done" every time she finishes eating or after we change her diaper. It's so cute!

Hannah's verbal communication has also flourished. She copies everything we say and can now say so many words: kitty cat, jump, thank you, red, hi, dada, cracker, duck and attempts "Gideon." She can also tell you what a kitty cat and a cow say (although sometimes she gets them mixed up). Her best expression is, "I did it!" (see other video below).

Even though she can't say everything, Hannah definitely gets her point across. In the morning we give her a choice of cereal and she lets us know what kind she wants by either shaking her head "no" or reaching out when it's the one she wants. Her level of understanding has really increased, too. The other day she put on some sunglasses and I told her to go show Daddy without pointing or guiding her in his direction. She immediately turned around, walked down the hall and found him in the other room. Graham said she even had a look on her face like, "look how cute I am, Daddy!"

Oh, I can't forget to mention that she occasionally prays before she eats, without prompting. It's so adorable. She doesn't close her eyes, but she folds her little hands and says something to the extent of, "ba loop ba slee tap pay la koso sa leep" (no, I'm not teaching her Japanese prayers).

It's such a joy to watch our children grow and learn. Everyone we talk to says it goes by so fast, enjoy the moment. So that's what we're doing, trying to focus on the fun aspects of being parents and journaling their special moments. Thanks for letting me share them with you.