Paris, France - 1/25/01

1/25/01

In Paris!  We're leaving the hotel at 7:45 tomorrow morning - have to be at the airport at 9 and our flight is at 10.  I bought a soft purple pjs set, 2 shirts, and Valentine's boxers for Jamie today.  (Just the boxers are for him.)  :)  We saw Love's Labours Lost today - Alicia Silverstone, Kenneth Branaugh... it wasn't very good, but it made me laugh!

So tomorrow morning we fly to Barcelona, Saturday night we fly to Lisbon, and next Sunday morning we fly from Madrid back here to Paris.  I'm really missing Jamie.  Especially seeing things here that I saw with him, etc.  I bought the Boyz II Men cooleyhighharmony CD today - he'll laugh at me when I tell him!  Bedtime... I love you, Jamie!!!!

Miles at age 7

To read about Miles at age 6, click here.


1. What is your favorite color?  "Orange" 

2. What is your favorite toy?  "Hot Wheels cars.  Actually, Legos." 

3. What is your favorite fruit?  "Zucchini.  Wait, no!!  What is it called?  That one with tons of black seeds in it... ?  Kiwi."    

4. What is your favorite tv show?  "Pokemon and Teen Titans Go."

5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch?  "Pizza."   

6. What is your favorite outfit?  "Hmm.. my glow in the dark t-rex shirt.  And my trick or pizza shirt." 

7. What is your favorite game?  "Hmm.. Sorry.  Actually, in French Bingo.  In French Bingo."

8. What is your favorite snack?  "S'mores.  I mean s'mores granola bars." 

9. What is your favorite animal?  "Cheetah."   

10. What is your favorite song?  "Purple People Eater!"   

11. What is your favorite book?  "Hmm... Leonardo the Terrible Monster."

12. Who is your best friend?  "Brycen, Aiden, Dominic, and Austin.  Not the school Austin - my friend Austin."

13. What is your favorite breakfast?  "Yogurt and peanut butter and cinnamon."

14. What is your favorite thing to do outside?  "Play.  With my friends.  Running around the track."

15. What is your favorite drink?  "Diet Dr. Pepper."   

16. What is your favorite holiday?  "Halloween, Christmas, and Thanksgiving."

17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night?  "Nothing."  

18. What is your favorite thing to eat for dessert?  "Chocolate cake with strawberry icing and strawberry juiciness inside that my mom always cooks." 

19. What is your favorite dinner?  "Pizza."   

20. What do you want to be when you grow up?  "I want to be... I wanna work at Pizza Hut!"   

Happy birthday to the most amazing boy ever!  I can't believe you're 7!!!

Gisèle, Age 9

(For Gisèle at age 8, click here.)

1. What is your favorite color?  "My favorite color is green."
 
2. What is your favorite toy?  "Umm... toy?  Uh... This is hard.  Favorite toy... Can we come back to that question?  Umm... Legos."
 
3. What is your favorite fruit?  "Huckleberries."
 
4. What is your favorite tv show?  "Teen Titans Go." 

5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch?  "Ravioli." 

6. What is your favorite outfit?  "Outfit... hmm... the one I'm wearing right now."  {Jean shorts and a green and white striped t-shirt." 

7. What is your favorite game?  "Exploding Kittens." 

8. What is your favorite snack?  "Cheese crackers." 

9. What is your favorite animal?  "Elephant." 

10. What is your favorite song?  "Backseat."  {Backseat Driver by TobyMac and Hollyn} 

11. What is your favorite book?  "Harry Potter." 

12. Who is your best friend?  "Kendall Dishon."

13. What is your favorite breakfast?  "Chocolate croissants." 

14. What is your favorite thing to do outside?  "Play baseball."

15. What is your favorite drink?  "Milk." 

16. What is your favorite holiday?  "Christmas." 

17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night?  "Rainbow Sparkle Bear.  I like Rainbow Sparkle Bear."

18. What is your favorite thing to eat for dessert?  "Mom's homemade chocolate chip cookies." 

19. What is your favorite dinner?  "Salmon." 

20. What do you want to be when you grow up?  "Actor." 


Gisèle, you are incredible.  There's no one else like you in the world, and I am blessed to be your mom.  Happy 9th birthday!! 

Clermont-Ferrand, France - 1/24/01

1/24/01

Have to wake up in 3 hours... just finished packing.  We're flying to Barcelona!  Same price as the train and a lot faster.  Think my compte-rendu went well... talked to Mom for a couple minutes - Aunt Natalie had her baby but don't know yet if it's boy or girl... have to go to bed.  I love you, Jamie!!!

Clermont-Ferrand, France - 1/23/01

1/23/01

If I wasn't so tired, I'd write about the weirdest book in the world that I just finished, and my otherwise pretty wonderful day.  I love you, Jamie!

Clermont-Ferrand, France - 1/22/01

1/22/01

Talked to Matt & Nat tonight.  I'm going to visit Nat for Valentine's Day, so we can have a pity party.  :)  Anniversaries and Valentine's Day and neither of us will have a significant other there.  Hopefully we can find some good sappy movies to watch!  It's almost 11:30 and I still haven't studied for grammar.  I did write two letters, though, and that's an accomplishment.  Too bad I'm not graded on letters instead of finals.  Tomorrow is the grammar final and then Wednesday is the compte-rendu.  (sigh)  I still have to finish re-reading Zazie.  I bought two "Petit Nicolas" books today and already read the first couple chapters of one.  They're easy to read!  And cute and funny.  :)  I dropped off film today to get copies of stuff for Jamie... I wish finals were over!  And I wish I didn't have to move on to level 5 next semester.  I'd rather take something easy and not risk failing since I'm not getting credit anyway!  (sigh)  I love you, Jamie!  G'night!

Clermont-Ferrand, France - 1/21/01

1/21/01

Well, tomorrow is civ and writing and I'm far from ready.  Probably because I don't know what'll be on the civ test, and I have no way to prepare for writing.  :(  (sigh)  Church was tonight... I like going, but I miss the more contemporary service, and singing songs that aren't hymns.  I like the pastor, Joe, though.  Shonda, Morgan, Sarah, and I ate at Pizza Tino's tonight.  I split a pizza w/ Sarah so it was really cheap.  Talked to Mom.   Nothing new at home.  She said Dad will probably take tomorrow off of work, but he's doing fine after his surgery.  I miss Jamie.  Yesterday, he had just made brownies when I talked to him.  I wish I could be chez-lui eating brownies and drinking milk and hugging him... I'm just kind of depressed right now about the whole school thing and Jamie always makes me feel better.  The brownies would help, too.  :)

I hate knowing that I don't need any of the credit I'm getting for being here, yet I still have to take classes (probably level 5) to be able to keep my scholarship.  It would be fine if I could take an easy level, but taking level 5 means I risk failing a class- and I can't afford to do that.  I'm also worrying right now about planning the Spain and Portugal trip (we leave Thursday and have no plans), planning the February trip (still need to call Matt & Nat), planning the April trip, and planning the June trip.  And when I get back, I need to find a job, buy a car, and move into a new apartment (that I also need to find).  And of course, finals, new semester, and enrolling for fall are all here now.  

I guess just take one thing at a time.  God won't give me more than I can handle, right?  G'night Jamie, love of my life.  I hope you're enjoying your brownies.  :)  I love you!

Clermont-Ferrand, France - 1/20/01

1/20/01

Talked to Jamie tonight; I'm really missing him.  Babysat for the Johnstons.  Alec hadn't had his nap today so he went to bed at 8:30 - easy night.  Tomorrow is church and studying for the civ and writing tests.  And I get to talk to Mom & Dad.  :)  G'night Jamie.  I love you.

Clermont-Ferrand, France - 1/19/01

1/19/01

Today is dad's birthday!  :)  The litt test was today, and it didn't go very well.  I know a lot of information for that class, but she didn't ask about anything I knew.  It's done, though.  I found out today that I should have about $2400 leftover from my scholarship this semester.  That pushes me to $900 a month instead of $500!!  I'm still going to be careful, though.  I need money for an apartment next year!  Today, though, to celebrate the end of the horrible litt class and test, I bought a cheap pair of pants and a cheap shirt and saw Castaway.  (In French; good movie!)  And tomorrow I get to talk to Jamie!!!  I was just realizing a second ago that I get to be with him for the rest of my life.  He makes me so incredibly happy!  {This goes on for a while.}

Clermont-Ferrand, France - 1/18/01

1/18/01

We stayed at the Cafe St. Laurent for 9 1/2 hours today, studying.  Litt test is tomorrow morning!  We're arriving 2 hours early to study more.  (sigh)  Decided not to get an apartment here - we need the storage room during the month of June.  Talked to Jamie for a little bit.  :)  He's wonderful.  :)  Bedtime!  I love you, sweetheart!  BTW - the oral test went fine.

Clermont-Ferrand, France - 1/17/01

1/17/01

I had a lot to think about today.  Now, especially after talking to mom, I know what I want to do.  I'm going to keep my major in International Relations and keep my French as a minor instead of a major.  So:  I have 9 classes left to take to graduate.  I don't know if my scholarship will apply to the first year of grad school or not.  In any case, I'm going to enroll in classes (next semester) that I need to graduate.  When it's time to enroll for next spring, Jamie and I can decide if it would be better for me to go ahead and finish or to take another year after that.  I've also decided (w/ mom's help) not to apply for the scholarship.  I would only have a week to do it in, and that week includes 6 finals.  Too much stress.  I'm just happy that Prof. Cox nominated me!  Also, watched the Orange Bowl tonight, decided w/ Morgan & Sarah to look for a cheap studio (for 3) and found out that Mom's cookies are already in the mail for me!  I love you, Jamie!

Clermont-Ferrand, France - 1/16/01

1/16/01

I got to talk to him for a long time tonight.  :)  I had a fairly productive day - I bought stamps, envelopes, writing paper, and a highlighter, and did all my laundry (besides hand-washed stuff).  Morgan and I ordered two big lemon meringue tarts from the patisserie - we're going to eat them (with everyone else) tomorrow night while we watch the Orange Bowl at the SUEE.  Tomorrow during the day we're going to study litt. at a cafe... (sigh)  I can't see how I'm going to pass that test, so I can't motivate myself to study.  Vicious circle.  It's past my bedtime.  :)  G'night my wonderful, wonderful man!  I love you!

Clermont-Ferrand, France - 1/15/01

1/15/01

Mary and Sean are engaged!  And building a house in Texas - and she bought a new car.  I'm very happy for them, but I'm jealous of their financial situation.  Jamie and I are going to be poor - in debt - for a long time.  At least we know that now - we're already preparing.  :)  I had an email saying that Robert Cox (prof at OU) has nominated me for a scholarship!  I need to check out the website tomorrow to print off the application.  Had a run-in w/ Martine today over my missing the next two weeks, but it's over and I'm not going to worry about it anymore.  I wish I could talk to Jamie... only one more day!  I love you, sweetheart!

Clermont-Ferrand, France - 1/14/01

1/14/01

Talked to Dad & Mom tonight.  :)  I love my parents!  Mom said she'll send me some cookies and her gingersnap recipe.  :)  Dad now knows that Jamie and I had my finger sized for a ring and that we're wanting to get married probably the spring after I get back.  Dad, especially, helped me a lot with figuring out the money situation.  I'm going to cut back my February vacation and go see Matt & Nat.  Now it's Amsterdam, possibly Brussels, possibly a castle in Germany, and then Matt & Nat's.  I'll do Mont St Michel on a long weekend some time.   I have to be up in less than 3 hours for teaching; don't know what I'm doing for that.  (sigh)  G'night Jamie.  I love you with all my heart!

Clermont-Ferrand, France - 1/13/01

1/13/01

Our 2 yrs, 11 months anniversary!  I forgot to say that when I talked to him earlier.  :(  I'm really upset about money issues.  I don't know how I'm going to do all the traveling I want to and still pay rent and eat.  (sigh)  I wrote a letter to Jamie tonight, but I still have a lot of others to write!  Hopefully I'll do some of that tomorrow along with thinking of what to teach and making bunches of pbj's and fluffernutters for my classes.  I need to go to bed soon... I finished the last book of the three dad sent - just to find out that there's a fourth!  I'll have to ask him about it when I call tomorrow.  Bedtime.  G'night Jamie.  I love you!

Clermont-Ferrand, France - 1/12/01

1/12/01

Our supplementary lit class was almost an hour and a half long.  Yuck.  And I didn't get any mail today - pretty disappointing.  I really need to start my letter writing again.  I have... (well, I just went through and took the time to address some envelopes, but I forgot to count - so)... some/lots of letters to write.  I finished the second book of that series tonight, and started the third.  My writing/thinking skills go downhill as I get more and more tired.  Sarah and I had our x-ray and doctor appointments today.  X-ray was quick - strip from the waist up and press yourself against a COLD metal thing, take a deep breath, and you're done.  We waited about 45 minutes before getting in to see the doctor.  He asked "height, weight, wear glasses, any problems" and we were done.  I love you, Jamie sweetheart!  G'night.

Clermont-Ferrand, France - 1/11/01

1/11/01

Bedtime - already 4:31 and class tomorrow.  Got my Mrs. Pollifax book and read that &first of the trilogy dad sent.  Bought black boots.  Tired.  Talked to Jamie.  :)  & Matt & Nat.  Nat just got out of the hospital.  I love you, Jamie.