Ringing in the New Year

So this year, Zach and I celebrated the New Year in Paris, and we had reason to follow the French tradition of breaking out the champagne and plastic champagne flutes...WE GOT ENGAGED!! I don't think the excitement of that phrase can ever be conveyed through typed words, but there you have it. We are excited!

Now for the story: A couple days before New Year's Eve Zach suggested that we go around on a photo scavenger hunt around Paris. This suggestion was quite out of the ordinary considering that he is not the biggest fan of smiling for pictures all the time (you know I love you, but it's true :). So we had a hilarious time running all over Paris trying to take pictures of ourselves

different monuments in the background. Whether the pictures are of any artistic quality is less certain :) (picture to the left).

The afternoon of New Years Eve we went to a park nearby Zach's apartment to walk around and toast to the New Year quietly by ourselves before we went downtown to celebrate en masse with tons of crazy Parisians (and surprisingly a lot of Italians). The park is called Jardin des Impressionistes (Impressionists Garden), and even in the dreary winter weather it was beautiful. It was perfectly adorned with arches, winding pathways, and a Monet-like bridge crossing a duck pond. We sat down on a bench on a little island in the pond to enjoy our New Year's champagne. First, though, Zach pulled out a box of choclates from a chocolaterie that is specifically special to us. Inside the box was a collage of the pictures we had taken previously, only they were cropped in such a way that different parts of the Parisian architecture behind us spelled out "Will you marry me?" He got down on his knee, pulled out a gorgeous Tanzanite and diamond ring and asked me to marry him! He was, as always, so thoughtful, and it was perfect. We are so blessed to have each other and so excited for the months and years that lie ahead!

A French Noel

Somehow Christmas feels like ages ago, but all the stories and experiences from this Advent and Christmas season still need to be told. This Christmas has been different than any other in both big and small ways.

Advent in Provence

While thoughts of the South of France may invoke feelings of sun-

drenched bathers and olive groves, this winter has still been cold. The cold was all the more biting due to early morning walks to catch the bus to school. Thankfully Christmas decorations began to appear all over the city and provided some (humorous) diversion. Rather than following the French taste for all things elegant, Aix leaned towards the more kitschy side of the season: squares of faux grass hung on the sides of buildings, big purple and white feathers graced the tops of windows, and flashing blue lights were plastered everywhere. The center of town was also taken over by fair rides that one would find in a typical American shopping mall. Despite it all, though, the excitement of my students was contagious. Each class had its own Advent calendar, and the teachers got together to decorate the tree pictured above. I also had the chance to attend an English carol service with Zach at the cathedral in town and then a Christmas party in Marseille with friends. The weeks leading up to Christmas were maybe a bit different, but their novelty and complete lack of commercialization was wonderful!

All I Want for Christmas...

I definitely received the best Christmas present ever this year, and no, it wasn't wrapped under the tree. My whole immediate family came all the way from the States to join me for a French Noel. They arrived to snow in Paris and caught the train to Aix where we even had a surprise (and fleeting) dusting of snow. After a quick weekend, we traveled up to Paris to stay the week in a friend's apartment - one block away from the Louvre and Tuilieries Gardens. Quelle chance!

Our days were filled with wandering the wintry Parisian streets and all they had to offer - Christmas markets, museums, cafes, cathedrals - and our evenings were spent in our cozy apartment over good meals, games, and movies. We even had a little Christmas tree that Zach

and I picked out, subsequently braving the metro ride back with it in tow.

On Christmas Eve we went to an evening service at Notre Dame. The church bells and the organ, along with the Christmas lights all around were an unmistakeable reminder of the joy of the season. The next day we shared a typically Bostrom Christmas dinner with some French additions (a yule log, French wine, and croissants) with my friend Brittany from SPU and her friend Callie. It was great to have a crowd around the table.

There are definitely too many stories to be told and too many pictures to be shown, but suffice it to say that it was a Christmas to remember.