Where did September and October go?

I can not believe how fast the past 2 months have gone by. We have had a lot going on lately from organizing sports tournaments/practices, grading, planning, watching sports tournaments, staff fun days to Bandung, and field trips. I can not believe that it is already October the 16th. Tomorrow is the last school day with kids of this week, then Thursday and Friday are PD (professional development) days here at school. Jordan (Erik's brother) gets here on Friday! We are so excited! Then on Sunday, we head to Vietnam and Singapore for a much needed holiday! Then when we get back, Jordan will still be with us until the middle of November. We are so excited to show him around Jakarta. There is something so great about people you love experiencing your life with you. That's pretty much the latest in our life .. Just working hard and planning awesome vacations. Ha! We are heading to Australia in December and can't wait! :)

Today like I mentioned above we went on a field trip. In K2 we have been learning about plants so we took trip to a garden type place. The kids loved it and we got to see lots of different types of trees and flowers and had a fun picnic in the field - something we don't have in Jakarta (a field that is).

Ready to learn about plants!

We collected leaves and other plants - they loved it! 

Ready to head home after a long, hot, fun day!  

Lots going on in the next few weeks/months in the life of the Fry's. I'll be sure to post pictures of our adventures in Vietnam and Singapore! Thanks for your continued love, prayers, and support. We love you all.

Bye for now. 

Welcome to Kemang Village

When we originally got our jobs here we were told that the school was located inside Kemang Village. When we looked it {Kemang Village} up online I remember being shocked and amazed at what was all there. Well, come to find out what we saw online was a computerized image of what is going to be. So, all last year Kemang Village consisted of a bookstore, Starbucks, SPH (our school) apartments, and later on in the year a bar/restaurant called FJ's. Well, as of today the mall is officially open! Today was the big grand opening so after school, Erik and I went over to check it out. Only about 70% of the mall is open now, but we are very excited! There is even a movie theater on the top floor! It's going to be very hard to leave Kemang Village now ...  

View from the bottom floor when you walk in the main entrance

View from the top floor {there are 5 floors total}

One of Indonesia's big department stores. This one is in between a Nordstroms and Macy's. Not quite as expensive as Nordstroms, but very fancy looking.

Another view

Outside. They are calling this the "Avenue of the Stars" It is not complete yet, but when it is it will have lots of places to eat. Tonight we enjoyed some Thai food from one of the only places open. It was very good! There is going to be a TGI Friday's in November! We can't wait!! :) 

This is a video of us walking from the mall back to our apartment so you can get an idea of how close we are ... 

Well, hope you enjoyed this little tour of our area! You're welcome to visit anytime :)

Bye for now .. 

Big Girl Decisions.

Over the past few weeks I have felt the most "grown up" that I have felt since we've been married. Getting married, moving in together, and having my first real full time job in 2010 was definitely a grown up year. And being here last year without my mom or family near was also another step in growing up. Even as grown up as those years/moments made me feel I have especially felt like a real grown up this past week.

On Thursday, Erik and I sat down over coffee and had what seemed like a business meeting to talk about what we were feeling about our future (having kids, moving back to America, staying here, etc.) We had both been praying individually and together about what God wanted and thought it was a good idea to sit down and talk intentionally about what God was showing us. As we talked and as I listened to Erik's wise thoughts and feelings about our marriage and someday family, I was a little overwhelmed  and emotional thinking about all the decisions we were making and talking about. Getting married was the biggest and easiest decision I have ever made thus far, and then getting a job in South Dakota for a year and moving here to Jakarta seemed like more natural, not stressful or overwhelming decisions. But talking about when to have a baby and whether or not we will be renewing our contract in December to stay here for another year hit me in a different way. I thought - "Man! We really are growing up!". I usually have no problem making decisions because I know what I want and if people ask for my opinion, I will usually gladly give it to them. But, when your married things work a little differently :) So, after about 2 hours of chatting, we left the conversation feeling like God was showing us the same things. Right now, God is not showing us a big yes or a big no, but I really can't explain the peace that I felt walking back home after we talked it all out even if we didn't have it all "planned" out. God is working in amazing ways and I can feel it. Some of you may think this blog is a little vague and you may be wondering what our plans for the future are. I can honestly tell you that as of right now, we really do not know. We believe God is leading us a certain way, but there is still a long time until "final" decisions need to be made. Please be praying for Erik and I as we continue to seek God's will. Specifically pray that God would continue to make his will clear to us and that we would seek His wisdom when making these big boy and girl decisions. Please pray that our emotions and feelings (mine especially) don't wrongly get in the way of what God wants for us. Like I mentioned, if we decide to stay for another year after this year, we have to sign the contract in December. Seems far qway, but at the same time very close. Please pray that these decisions would not overtake our thoughts so much that we don't live in the moment now. We are both SO enjoying our second year of teaching here and I hope and pray that thinking about next year won't take away from that in anyway... If you have a desire to know more details or have specific questions about things you can be praying for, please feel free to message me or Erik on Facebook :)

This song by Chris Tomlin has been one that has really encouraged me over the last few weeks. It is a great reminder about how Faithful our God is, no matter what situation you find yourself in. {the last verse is my favorite} ..

Faithful, forever You are faithful

Father to the fatherless

You uphold the one who feels forsaken

You are faithful, God

Faithful, forever You are faithful

Lover of the wounded heart

You defend the poor and the forgotten

You are faithful, God

And I will sing to the maker of Heaven and Earth

God, You reign forever and Your love will endure

Faithful and true is the name of the Lord

You are faithful, God

Faithful, forever You are faithful

Shelter for the fragile soul

You lift us up, You hold us all together

You are faithful, God

You are there in every season of my soul

You are there, You're the anchor that will hold

You are there, in the valley of the shadows

You are faithful, God

Thanks again, as always, for all the thoughts, prayers, and encouragement. We love you all. 

Bye for now :) 

A quick {or not so quick} update

Hello from our home in Kemang Villiage, Jakarta, Indonesia :) Well as most of you know, we are back in Indonesia and already into the school year here. The first day of school was on Tuesday July the 24th (so we're 2 weeks in already). It's kind of hard to know how to start off this blog since I haven't written since we left in June for the summer, but instead of catching you up on the wonderful, restful, memorable summer we had in the States, I will just pick up with what's going in life here.

We moved into our new apartment in Kemang Village right when we got here. Thankfully, the boxes had already been moved from our old place to here and all we had to do was unpack boxes. It has taken about 3 weeks, but I am finally feeling like I have the place looking the way I want. Today Erik and I went out and bought a carpet for the floor in the front room which has made the biggest difference and made the place look more "homey". It is definitely my favorite home purchase I have ever made! And we got a great deal! :) We are also loving the fact that instead of 20 minute, sweaty, walk to work, we now have a 30 second hop over to the school! We feel very blessed to be in the place we are this  year and are very thankful ... Here is a pic of part of our front room with the new carpet {you can check out my Facebook page for more apartment pics}

 

On the school side of things, we are loving it! It definitely an adjustment coming back from 5 weeks off of now work and all fun, to almost 10 hours days, 5 days a week. We LOVE our jobs, but we (especially Erik) work hard! :) I got to say hello to 20 new and old (from my K1 class last year - now K2) beautiful, precious 3 and 4 year old's and Erik is loving being able to devote all his time into the sports and PE program. The exciting thing about working at a new school is that we almost doubled in our staff this year. We have already made great new friends, and we are super excited about the new relationships to be had and also thrilled about coming back to our friends from last year :). That's pretty much all from the school side of things for now. Here are a couple pictures of my classroom and my sweet kiddos ..

 Me and Miss Mia with the K2's on Batik day last week

We got our own class set of kids Bibles this year, and the kids are loving it! We were checking out the story of creation here :)

Welcome to K1 :) I only have 5 little guys right now (will get more as the year goes on most likely) This is what we do after we play on the playground :) Definitely my favorite part of the day ;) 

Well, that's all from me :) Thanks again for your prayers and love. I will update again soon with specific prayer requests as we get deeper into the year. We love you all.

Bye for now. 

Time flies when you're having fun!

As I was trying to think of a creative title for this blog (I still haven't thought of one currently) I don't even know where to begin really. I was thinking about writing a "wrap up" blog but the nice thing about technology is that I really feel as if I have been able to keep everyone up to date on the events going on in our life over here so I don't feel the need to "catch up" everyone on the year. I am very thankful that when our families pick us up at the airport, we will be able to pick up right where we left off. So, I'll send a quick shout out and thanks to the world wide web. Without you, this year would have not been the same.

So, all that jabbing to say, there are still definitely a few reflective thoughts I can share about our first year here ..

As Erik and I begin to pack up our apartment it's crazy to think how fast this year has gone by. It really doesn't seem that long ago that our principal picked us up at the airport and brought us to our apartment. The first weeks here were full of shock, nervousness, and excitement! I really can not believe that we are wrapping up our first year here. It has gone so fast but we have really enjoyed it so much. We have both learned so much about teaching and working in a school - the experience we have gained this year alone is tremendous. We are VERY excited about coming back next year - we have been told that the 2nd year is so different (in a good way)! I am excited to come back and feel like I know what I'm doing. I am also very excited for our new apartment! I am excited about the friendships we have made here this year and am already looking forward to re uniting with many of them in July! Lots of things to look forward to as we pack up this apartment and get ready for the next year and chapter of our lives here .. :)



Our last few weeks here have been just as busy (if not busier) than normal. Grades are due next week, as well as portfolios, and we have to pack up our classrooms in boxes so they can be cleaned this summer. So we definitely have lots to do at school as well as packing up our apartment! Among these things, we had (and have coming up) lots of fun things! Erik played in a softball tournament 2 weekends ago (they won in their division) and I had a field trip to SeaWorld to wrap up my Ocean unit as well as fun classroom parties! Erik also got to have a pool party and dunk contest with his basketball team to end out their year! What a fun coach! :)

Here are some pictures of the softball tournament and my field trip as well as some other pics..

We had an Arts Fest a couple weeks ago at school, and these pictures are from the photo booth there. It was a basically a carnival for the students - lots of fun and a great success!!
{Katie and Mia are in the pictures with me}

SO blessed and thankful for the fun and laughter my husband brings to my life :)  

Chris and Erik after they won the tourney! Woo Hoo!
Katie and I had a fun time watching them play! We got Starbucks! ;)

The whole team (most anyway) after the win! Erik loved playing with these guys and he is beyond thankful for their friendship - all great, Christian guys who he can't wait to play with again next year!

My kiddos looking at the ... ? I can't remember what this was. When I showed the pictures to my kids in class they swear the guide called it a mermaid ... Ha ha. So who know :) Pretty sure it is a manatee!

Posing in front of a HUGE mummified (preserved? not sure what the right word is) sting ray! They were pretty amazed!

The whole group with my wonderful class moms who helped me out with all the kids - as you can see we had our hands full :) What a fun day we had!! 

As we finish up these next 10 days here in Indo until we head to the States for the summer, please be praying for rest. We have a lot of things to finish up and we both have a strong desire to finish the year strong. I am already feeling a bit "checked out" but I hope and pray that I can hang on and finish the year out with patience and glorify God by doing everything to the best of my ability! Please pray for smoothness as we pack up our apartment in boxes (the school will be moving the boxes to our new apartment while we are home) and also as we pack up suitcases to come with us home! Packing has a way of stressing me out sometimes - I need my Mama for stuff like this! :) Pray for my 27 students above and their families. I love them all so dearly and hate to let go of them next year. I am glad I will have some of them again (my K1 students) and that I will see most of them across the hall in K-3!

Thanks, as always, for the prayers and support! We love you all and can't wait to see those that we can this summer! The next time I write will most likely be from America! YAY! :)

Bye for now. 

For all the mothers in my life ...

I have so many mother figures in my life that I look up to and love so much. I am so thankful for each of them and don't know what I would do without them in my life ... This blog goes out to them today :)

For my Grandmothers ... 

Mama Jo aka Jo Jo - You are so dear to my heart. I look up to you and cherish the the time I get to spend with you so much. I love to watch you support Daddy Mike in his ministry and you are an amazing friend and mom to your children. You make the best palates on the floor to sleep on and you're the best piano player I know. I love how similar we are and how we think the same way and I love your hugs! I am so blessed by you, Jo Jo. Thanks for being a great example of godliness to me! Happy Mother's Day to you! I love YOU!
Granny - You make me smile so much! I love how much you support Erik and I. Your are such a supportive grandmother - I never wonder if you are proud of me :) . You fried salmon and biscuits are probably two of my favorite things! Your house will always be one of my favorite places to be. I love you Granny - Happy Mother's Day! :)

For my Mother-in-Love ...
Karleen - Never in a million years did I dream that I would marry into such a wonderful family. You are the sweetest mother-in-law I could have ever asked for and you raised one wonderful son! :) You made me feel so welcome into your family the very first time I met you and you have never stopped making me feel loved and accepted. You are such a good example of faithfulness to me. I have only known you well for about 4 years, but I have seen you and your family go through some ups and downs and you never once questioned God or His plan. I love spending time with you and talking with you. You make the best buns ever! :) I can't thank you enough for welcoming me into your family and loving me like your own daughter. I love you so much! Happy Mother's Day Karleen! :)

And for MY MOM! ...
Mom - I could seriously go on and on forever about how much you mean to me. I tell you all the time how much I appreciate your friendship, but I really can't explain with words how much your friendship means to me. I absolutely love how we can talk about anything and always be honest with each other. You are one of the few people I can be 100% myself around always! You are such a great example and you always have been. One thing I specifically remember about growing up is watching you have your quiet time. I love how much you love to study the Word and God and actually take it to heart. You don't just read to read and that is evident by the way you live your life. You are such an amazing support to Daddy and I think you are a perfect example of what a godly mother and wife looks like. You are hilarious and you are fun! I don't think I have ever not liked something you have cooked and I love hanging out with you! And I like how I can borrow your clothes because you have style! Too bad I can't fit in your shoes though ... ;) You always give good, smart, well thought out advice, and you listen to me! I absolutely adore you mom and you mean the world to me! I miss you so much but L-dub I will see you soon! I can't wait to sit on the kitchen counter and talk to  you while you're cooking! :) I love you mom - Happy Mother's Day!

And last, but certainly not least, shout out to all those other mom's out there in my life that are wonderful mom's ...
Carol, April, and Aunt Barbara - You are all the coolest aunts on the planet and great mothers! I love you all  so much and am thinking of you on this day too!
Mrs. Jana - You are like my second mother! Thanks for caring for and supporting me in everything I do! I love you and your family so much and am SO thankful for you on this day especially! :)
Lindsey - Happy first Mother's Day! I know you were technically a mother last year, but I am sure it means so much more to you this year being able to hold Brayden in your arms! You are a wonderful mother to Brayden and a great wife to Peter. And you will be a great aunt to our kiddos some day! :) I am so glad and thankful to have you in my life! Happy Mother's Day to you! I love you! 

Brittany - I know that you are a wonderful mom to Caden and I can't wait to meet him! I hope that your first Mother's Day is a wonderful one too! I love you and miss you!

And to all my many friends out there who are having babies and being wonderful moms - happy Mother's Day to you, too! I can't wait until I can join the mother club too some day!

I am SO blessed to have so many wonderful mother figures and examples to look up to! I love you all so much and I hope that your Mother's day is wonderful and that you don't have to do a thing! :)
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!


Bye for now ...

Checking In!

Well, it's been awhile since I have last checked in {my bad!} and I thought I would just give a quick update on things that have been going on in our world ...

As many of you know, during our spring break we went on a tour to Turkey and Greece. It is SO hard to explain how amazing the trip was for both of us. We had amazing weather, spent time with great friends, made new friends, and learned so much. It was so cool to be places where Paul and the people of that time actually were. It was a trip of a lifetime that we will never forget! It's hard to pick just one picture to share from the trip but one of the highlights for me was probably standing on Mars Hill. Paul gave his sermon to the philosophers and "deep thinkers" of that city - he preached about their "un-known god" and statues they were worshiping. Our tour leader, Dan, read from Acts 17 and it was crazy to be standing right on the hill looking out at statues of Greek gods galore! Like I said, an experience we will never forget! It's going to be hard to say no next year when Dan leads another tour! :) 

{check out my Facebook for heaps more pictures}

After we got back from our trip we had a day to try to recover from jet lag and get ready for the last few months of school! We are now well into term 4 and are already counting down the days until we get on a plane and head back to the States! We have about 7 weeks left - we head home June 8th and arrive to Seattle June 9th. For those of you who would like to know, we will be in the Northwest (Pacific Beach, WA mostly) with Erik's fam from about June 9th through the last week of June and then we will be in Rapid City, South Dakota with my fam until we head back to Oregon (for a friends wedding - yay!) and again to Seattle on July the 15th! It's a short time, but we are excited to see family and friends and are hoping we can see as many of you as possible :)

It is crazy to think that we are already making plans for this summer and are even thinking about next year! Next year, not much will change for us as I will continue teaching K1/K2 and Erik will continue teaching PE. The only real changes are that Erik will no longer be teaching Bible (something that is a little bittersweet - he is excited to be able to devote all his time and energy into the PE and sports program but he will miss the time he got to spend with the students in the Bible classroom) and I will have another teacher teaching with me! Mia has been my teaching assistant all year but next year she is no longer "assistant" status and her and I will be co-teachers! I am SO excited about this. Mia has done so much for me this year and I am excited that we get to continue to work together next year even closer!
Also, as we think about next year, it is sad to think that we will be losing some of our teacher friends that we have gotten close to this year. But, at the same time we are SO excited to welcome new faces to our school! There are 2 girls coming from Corban (1 that I know really well) and we are so excited about it!

AND one more big change next year is that we will be moving!! We are moving to an apartment building right next to the school. This is something that we are VERY excited about! They are closer to the school (no more walking), the kitchen is bigger, and they are in Kemang Village. We will be able to take an elevator down to a grocery store (a HUGE one - basically the Indo version of Walmart), and we are about a 30 second walk away from the mall that they have been building all year. So, as you can tell, I am just a little excited about it :) Chris and Katie will be moving there as well and the new teachers that are coming that are married (without kids) will live there also! We were very thankful for our apartment this year, but are also thankful to be moving to a new one! God is good!

So, as we wrap up this year in the next few weeks, please be praying that we stay focused and finish the year strong. We both still have a lot to teach, plan, and grade before we can be "finished"! Also, you can be praying that we will be able to move into our new place June 1st (a week before we leave) so we can get everything all unpacked and not have to worry about it once we get back after summer break. Like always, thanks SO much for your prayers and love. We love you all and are looking forward to seeing many of you soon!

Bye for now.