breaking in spring and planning for summer

The countdown begins...four months, fourteen days until our Ukrainian departure. We've spent Spring Break visiting friends and family in Grangeville, Idaho and finishing the kitchen remodel. We're hoping that we will be able to rent the house out to some "trustworthy" college kids (I have faith that phrase isn't an oxymoron!) So the cabinets are hung and painted, the bamboo floors are secure, and the counter tops should be finished by next weekend! Tomorrow it's back to the grind of school and finishing up all the little projects. We're both enjoying teaching this semester, but look forward to some little trips we have planned. We'll be heading to San Francisco in May with Barry and Hana (for baseball among other things.) Ken's sister graduates with her RN degree in June and she will be accompanying us back East. We'll be in NYC for a few days, catch up with some friends (go to a Mets' game), take the Chinatown bus to Boston and visit where Ken and Em grew up (Ashburnham, MA), from there we'll rent a car and head north to visit Alyssa's relatives in Maine. And don't worry we'll get to Fenway Park at least once or twice--after all, Ken needs a new hat for the Ukraine. In July we're being sent to New Mexico to attend an IB (International Bacclaurette) conference for our Ukrainian school. We'll get some Eagle Caps camping in July with Alyssa's family and head back to Oregon to say our goodbyes. That's it for now.