Speedy Quick Recap

Holy smokes. The end of semester rush is in full swing, an of course in my last week of student teaching I was suffering from the worst allergies ever.

They turned into this lovely 100 degree fever.

I also went through a whole box of tissues.

This sickness was miserable. I was pathetic. I couldn't even knit, sew, or do homework. Ridiculous.
Then I went back for my official last day of student teaching.

The kids were so sweet!

Then I went back for a few make up days because I had been sick.
The kids were so confused.
In the meantime. Matt has fully caught the knitting bug and is successfully making hexies like a machine.

Tanya, Kim and I jointly taught the "O" girls how to knit. They're knitting like machines too! They can knit, they can purl, and are working away on their projects.

Matt then upped the anti when Tan taught him how to make mini Mrs. Weasley sweaters.

I'm also wrapping up projects I need to finish before I leave. Remember how my friend Alisa learned to make this quilt top for her baby niece?

Here it is getting machine quilted by me.

She gets to learn how to bind!
It will be ready just in time for her nieces birthday.
I'm still feeling residual drag from the sickness. I'm running pretty slow. Its really put a damper on trying to see everyone and do everything before I head back to my Luke. I sure miss that guy. I'll be glad to see him.
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Turned Heads

I got to se my Luke for just over 4 days!! He flew to Fresno. I went to pick him up. He said he was wearing blue pants. He didn't tell me they were baby blue linen pants. I know the guy is fashion conscious and trendy and all that jazz but as someone who got a LOT of grief for my purple corduroy pants, I have room to judge just a wee bit.
Anyway it had been a ROUGH week. The stress had led me to bite my fingernails to nubs.



So Luke and I stopped by JoAnnes for therapy (ok really I needed silver pins for a bulletin board display that would be REALLY cool.) They happened to have GirlScouts waiting to prey on unsuspecting women at JoAnns for therapy and poor Luke. He got suckered into buying me 2 boxes.



See how blue those pants are?
Also we went to California Pizza Kitchen for dinner. My straw wrapper turned into table soccer. I lost.



Friday I changed up the Lego watch in honor of St Patrick's day. See the band I wore with my Batman shirt just to the right?



Saturday we celebrated Luke's birthday at my Dad and Cheri's. We had a DELICIOUS meal. They even had a cake with candles and presents.



I'm a slacker.
Only sort of though because when we got home there was MORE food. At this point we were a wee bit stuffed. But it smelled so good! We ha corned beef, cabbage farmers market potatoes, onion, and whole baby carrots, and soda bread (admittedly not made from scratch but kindly procured by Tanya!)



Sooooo good!



For dessert? Butter babies and green cinnamon chip bread from Great Harvest.



And a neck range of motion contest. Is he really beating me? I like our judges reflections in the window!



Also, for Luke's birthday I get him his favorite. March Madness. He loves it do much he totally zones and even veges a bit. To make sure he can appreciate his gift in full I'm sure to be busy with a knitting project. See my hitchhiker scarf in progress.



I was super sad to see him go, but I'm headed to CO in like a week and a half!!
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Mostly Foggy with a Splash of Orange

The thing that has started to absolutely drive me nuts about Fresno is that we have the grayest days. 

 The days when the sun shines and the skies are real blue (like in CO and ID) are few and far between. I always seem to forget this until the moment I'm on my way back

 It's so gloomy. It makes you want to stay under the covers. It makes you want to hide all day long and do nothing. We've had some recent luck and some of the fog has burned off by the afternoon. If that happens my two favorite activities are sitting outside and reading textbooks between class OR sitting in the window quilting on the quilt on the quilt frame in our living room.

 On a brighter note. Those oranges I was telling you about. The ones that grow on trees at Aunt Maggies house. The ones that are soooooo good I've had about 4 a day....they're ready! Valerie went over to Aunt Maggie's and she and Tanya picked oranges for people to buy. $4 for 4lbs of amazingness. Apparently the people who owned their house before them sold the oranges and after Aunt Maggie and Uncle Mike got the house people still came by wanting to buy oranges. Now they have a whole list of people who wish to be notified when the oranges are ready! My brother-in-law Jay took some oranges back to Colorado last year. He used them to bribe secretaries and campus monitors at his school. Thats how good they are!

They can be found at this address during the work week:

2738 West Bullard Avenue

Fresno, CA 93711-2212 

and next door during the weekend. The key is to look for the wooden sign. 

If you drive by and the sign is covered up that means they're out of picked oranges and they haven't had a chance to pick more. If you're really desperate or made a special trip for oranges, stop by and see if you can still get some. 

Hootin' Hollerin' Good Time

I flew into Fresno Jan 5th. I had to wait in Phoenix for too many hours because there was fog in Fresno. Blah. As the captain announced we were beginning our decent I looked out the window and thought, "It's too beautiful for a fog delay." I looked down and saw the ocean of clouds lapping at the mountains. Oooooh. Ick. My mood sank with the plane as we lowered into the gray that has persisted since I landed.

 On the bright side, I sat next to a man in charge of growing pistachios, tomatoes, and asparagus of all things. I LOVE asparagus. He told me about harvesting it. He also said I have about a month and a half/two months to wait before the local, tender shoots will be in season. Sigh. BUT ya know what IS in season? Or REALLY close....Aunt Maggie's Citrus! YUUUUUM! You can't find citrus like this anywhere else folks. Or at least not in Idaho or Colorado. I like it best at the beginning of the season when its still pretty tart.

 Matt came into town the day after I did. He and Val put together one of their Christmas presents. A gingerbread house. It's sort of their tradition. It's the funnest thing to listen to/watch.

 Another day on his visit, I heard them hootin' and hollerin' about SOMETHING. I stuck my head out my room and this is what I saw:

 They were playing memory. Under the quilt. Because where else would be more fun.
 Note: The hootin' and hollerin' was because Val is a vicious cheater at memory. And all other games for that note. Primarily avoid Memory and Monopoly.

There was another form of hootin' going on in the apartment. I finally finished an owl quilt I had purchased the fabric or a while back.

 I also finished it's fraternal twin. I had purchased enough fabric for a twin size quilt, but decided that a twin size quilt would be too much for a toddler watching TV. SO I split it and made two lap quilts. The recipients are to be determined.

Ps. JUST tried the Tomato Basil Soup from Costco....LOVE it. So good. Delicious. My new food weakness. I wonder if it's healthy. It's organic. That's gotta count for something.

Happy New Year!

Guess what Luke got me for Christmas! Adobe Photoshop Elements! Wooooh! He had heard me talking about my conversations with the talented Christa (her digital scrapbooking skills are for sale here) about programs for digital scrapbooking, and my exclamations to him as I spouted off all the amazing things the Photoshop program would do. He listened to me lament at how much it cost, and exclaim when I realised the difference between Adobe Suite and Elements, mainly the price! As much as I thought he wasn't listening, guess what was wrapped under the tree for me! (He might have been a little annoyed with me for buying it the night before Christmas Eve because I was sure he hadn't been listening and the sale was going to end...a little sheepish, but man does he get bonus points for that one!)

You may have noticed my new header,

and my new avatar.

 They were inspired by our New Years Letter theme:

Letting the pieces fall into place. Our plan vs. God's plan.

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

What a year it has been, and what a year it will be!


We got married May 22, 2010 and were lucky to have the chance to visit with many of you at our receptions! We honeymooned in Yellowstone and continued on to Colorado Springs where Luke had an internship at (Golf Course that cant be named.) Jess worked at a private child care facility/private kindergarten and preschool, and learned how many blessings are to be found teaching upper grade in a public school. As the end of Luke’s seven month internship came closer offered Luke a couple job opportunities following the end of his internship (at said golf course.) We agreed he would turn them down and search for golf jobs in California so that Jess could resume her schooling in California where her full ride scholarship was still active at Fresno State. While Jess was on her way to California for class registration (Golf Course) offered Luke a full time position through the winter which would give him a chance to work through the Women's Open in July. (Translation: Resume building opportunity you can’t refuse.)


What a tough predicament. Ultimately, we both felt a calling to these separate places. We have spent a lot of time talking, discussing, praying, and in conversation with mentors. While it still remains a tough decision, we have been receiving a lot of affirmation in what we have been able to learn and through many other experiences.


While in Fresno, CA, Jess has been able to get an apartment with her sister Valerie, dedicate a lot time to going through her mother’s things, work on wrapping up some of her mother’s unfinished projects with her sister Valerie, and dedicate some time to intentionally grieve and do some family counseling with focus on a new family structure. She has been substitute teaching frequently at Pinedale Elementary and has appreciated the huge compliment teachers and administrators there are showing in her by trusting their classes in her care.


In Colorado Springs Luke has been learning a lot about what goes into forecasting and getting ready for a busy golfing season. (Golf Course) will be hosting the 2010 Women's Open which is going to create an exciting atmosphere. It will also create more work for all the current staff members which will allow Luke to have more responsibility and opportunity to learn. Luke has enjoyed working for (Golf Course) so far and hopes that the next season he can learn as much as this season. Luke has also visited his parents in Grand Junction, and has enjoyed the chance to go hunting with his father.

We had a warm Thanksgiving in Manhattan Beach/Hermosa Beach, CA where Valerie and Jessica cooked dinner for their side of the family. Luke had Turkey carving duties. Christmas was spent in Grand Junction with Luke’s immediate family. We enjoyed all the family traditions and some good relaxing time together! We got particularly addicted to the Wii version of Tetris which explains the theme of this years letter.

As you can tell, we’re trying hard to be flexible and fit into God’s plan for us. Please pray for us as we wait to see what He has in store for us!

Much Love,
Luke and Jessica Nickodemus


Why the ( )  Please note that certain words were taken out of this letter. Luke has been asked by his work to publish the name of the group/company online (I figure this includes his wife too.) Should you have interest/concern/questions please email me and I can A) email you a copy of the letter or B) Fill you in.

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

The last update can be found <here.>

Marriage: Still long distance. Luke is in Colorado, Jess is in California. Not the most fun. Definitely kind of has its lows, buuuuut we've both been receiving affirmation (in various forms) that we're learning, and growing in a good way, and for now this seems to be "The Plan" for us. Until His plan changes, we're lucky we got so good at skype and scheduling phone dates when we were long distance dating. Now I guess we're long distance married.

Job: I have been kept very busy subbing at my home school! I love it! I love the kids, I love how much I'm learning about how to help them learn. It's been a great opportunity to be in so many classrooms learning class management techniques, concepts and gain ideas from such  highly skilled educators who also love the kids they work with. This is not to say there aren't days where you feel like you've been put through the wringer, but the sense of fulfillment I have after a day of work is not one to be ignored.

Family Home Front: I miss Mom. All the time. She would be the one I would call, or stop in to talk to every day after work. She would have been the one who would understand my excitement and enthusiasm. She would have been the one to throw out some other ideas and suggest more ways for me to grow.

There are lots of things going on that I don't post, with the consideration that some of my personal conflicts/struggles aren't all mine to share. So I don't.

Valerie and I have moved into an apartment on a 7 month lease. (That will take us through the end of the spring semester of school. Being here before the semester started has given me the opportunity to join my sister in tackling the daunting task of going though my dad's very full garage. We threw away a lot, gave away a lot, and kept...a lot. It's amazing how many things one can accumulate in a lifetime. Together we've been sorting, remembering, and condensing special family items. While the main task (emptying my dad's garage so he can park a car, and motorcycle in it) is completed our living room resembles a storage/craft room. There are many boxes still needing to be gone through and sorted. There are also many projects needing just a bit of completion. This afternoon "Aunt" Nancy will be coming over to teach us how to put one of my mom's quilt tops on a frame so we can hand quilt it.

Yep, I said so WE can hand quilt it. It's true. My sister, made famous in the quilting circle for her story of calling my mom and saying "I'm making a dress, where's the hot glue gun?" has recently started going to Wednesday morning quilting with me to learn the art of hand quilting. I'm pretty sure my mom's beaming down from heaven to know that some of her projects will have been worked on by all THREE of the Harper Girls.

People:
I have also been trying to be purposeful about seeking out people to hear their stories, get their advice, and converse with them about life in general, and things that apply to my life these days. I have been blessed with so many wonderful mentors, friends, and role models. It's amazing how powerful a cup of coffee (steamed milk in my case), a lunch, knitting etc. and some good conversation can be.

Thanksgiving:
Thanks to a practice session last year (read about it here) Valerie, Luke and I weren't TOO intimidated by the idea of helping Grandpa and Shan host Thanksgiving dinner. Valerie rocked the mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry relish, and keeping her chaotic sister organised (we're talking excel spreadsheet grocery list and butterball turkey iPhone ap people.) Luke tore up the turkey, literally, he was in charge of carving 1 mama bird and two babies (breasts only on the bone/white meat) as well as keeping me calm, and in good spirits (Twilight readers, he's sort of like Jasper in that mood altering sense.) It was a great time of family and visiting.

Church:
Val and I have enjoyed getting involved with a homework help group on Wednesdays as well as both being in town for multiple Sundays! When we're not in town, we're lucky enough to be able to catch sermons on podcast search North Fresno Church.

I have been challenged and supported by one of these podcasts in particular. It's titled, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and was from November 14, 2010. This sermon has stirred up so much. It managed to find things happening in my heart I didn't even realise were happening. It addresses the age old question "why."  It brings up a search for answers, and guidance. I still cant wrap my head all the way around the sermon but man it's got my wheels spinning in many directions and I think that's a good thing. Because, I'm looking and looking and looking, and I still haven't found what I'm looking for.

Christmas:
Luke and I will be in Colorado Springs (me as of the 17th.) Luke has work on Christmas Day which will make for a mellow time. We're both allergic to evergreens and not yet wanting to add a Christmas tree to our growing collection of STUFF we look forward to a mild day with cocoa in front of the fire basking in each others company. (Something we haven't shared in quite a while.) The only thing keeping me from starting a countdown is that I know in my head just how much I need to get done before I leave! Yikes! Better get a move on!

Toasty Chips

Amidst all that business of thanks, I managed to squeeze one more thing to be thankful for in.

My favorite Mexican food restaurant in Fresno, Sal's sends a bag of their warm chips with a to-go order of salsa. Their chips are fantastic warm but get dense and not so wonderfully fried feeling/tasting the next morning.

I realized the low heat coming out of the burners while I made chocolate chip cookies was just right for warming up the bag of chips! (Or do the major grease spots on the bag give it away!) Cheers to leftovers!

Which home team?

Way back in August (okay last month) we went to see the Fresno Grizzlies play the Colorado Springs Skysox. It was a sunny day! Luke and took advantage of free parking down the road. Check out these cheery flowers! This is as close to your flower photos as I get Grandma G!

We watched the game in good fun! I ate two hot dogs and a caramel chocolate covered apple from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.

Then around the 6th or 7th inning it started to rain. Sigh.

Sometimes you can wait it out and the weather will change, but when it started to rain harder the fans started to really jump ship!

We found a spot under cover to watch the rest of the game, and hoped they might still do fireworks. No such luck. It kept raining.

So we walked to our further away parking. In the rain. Luke says it wasn't cold. It was. Very cold.

Just in case you're wondering the Skysox won this game. I guess its okay since they're both my teams. Well more the Grizzlies to be fair.

Ps. Luke's work has offered him a spot for next summer that may or may not include a promotion. This is a HUGE compliment! Especially because they're hosting the women's open! So far the plan is to head back to Fresno where I will finish up my credential (3 semesters Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Spring 2012). (I still have a scholarship there, and I would have to go waaaaay backward if I change to Colorado's program. Plus California doesn't accept Colorado's credential straight off it I want to switch.) Luke will come back to "the Springs" in April, I will join him after my friends wedding in May, and head back to Fresno in August before school. He will join me at the end of the season back in Fresno. Whew. Complicated. Though its a pretty okay situation. I know a lot of other married golf pros have much messier situations.