New Blog is LIVE!!

This blog is now officially retired :)

Head over to www.kareymichelleblog.com and update your Google Reader to the new address, and I'll see ya over there!

Wait for it...

There is a BRAND SPANKIN NEW BLOG on the way!! YAY! Just a little bit longer and I will be back in the blogging world again.

Wait for it...

very very soon!

:)

Dinangat Tribe Tour

Ok I suppose I should add a little commentary about this trip right? Where to start...!?!

In November, I had the opportunity to join a team from Hume Lake Christian Camps to Papua New Guinea and put together a camp for the missionary kids who live over there. If you aren't sure of where Papua New Guinea is, think Indonesia! It's just north of Australia, about one degree off of the equator so the rain came like clockwork every night around dinner time. We spent most of our time in the Eastern Highlands in the city of Goroka, which is about 5,000 ft-ish in elevation, and absolutely gorgeous. I've never seen a place so lush and green in my life... and that goes for the whole island. But it's also very 3rd world, and can be a bit of a shock to your senses at first. Things I learned about Papua New Guinea:

~If you get in a car accident, don't pull over! Drive straight to the police station.
~Cultural hierarchy puts: 1. Men, 2. Pigs, 3. Dogs, 4. Women, 5. Children.
~When in the marketplace, watch out for rascals.
~Oh and when a local clotheslines a rascal for stealing your camera and gives it back, consider yourself VERY lucky, and don't be surprised when the whole market crowds around your van. You are now a spectacle. (It wasn't my camera, but still it was a bit scary.)
~Coffee in Papua New Guinea is probably the best in the world. Blue Mountain coffee at your disposal! Can we say heaven?
~Decaf coffee doesn't exist much. It's expensive.
~The nationals *LOVE* to have their picture taken! Just make sure to show them the back of your camera.
~The pilots that fly into the bush are the best in the world in my opinion. We landed on a grass runway on a mountain-side. AMAZING.


Speaking of planes, in order to get there we flew through Tokyo for a 12 hour flight, and then flew into Port Moresby for another 10ish hour flight, and then we finally arrived in Goroka after another hour flight. Sounds horrible? I SLEPT the whole way!! It was great. So anyways we left on a Friday and arrived on Sunday, and at what time that was I can not remember. Monday we just got adjusted and planned some stuff out for camp, but I was soo excited for Tuesday... our trip into the bush! That's what most of these pictures are from. We just spent the day there and it went by wayyyy too quick. These are some of the images I took as we were getting a tour around the tribe...


More of the boys from the last post, they were too much fun!




















That should be enough for one post, the next one will be the meal they prepared for us. They were quite the gracious hosts!

PNG... Dinangat Tribe Kids

I just melted for these kids! There was a complete language barrier so the only communication was laughing and smiling and then watching them get a kick out of seeing themselves on the back of my camera...

Papua New Guinea Sneak Peak...

Just the beginning of a series from a trip that changed my life and perspective forever. It was in November but am still processing... for now enjoy..

I'm getting a brother!

Ok I mean brother-n-law, but that just makes it all the more exciting :) In November, while I was in Papua New Guinea (which I'll have a couple posts to dedicate to the trip later) my sister was proposed to by her amazing boyfriend Jake! They told me as soon as I got home...

Here's the story:

Having just flown from half way across the world from PNG with layovers in Singapore and Tokyo, I was ridiculously tired and a little out of it... so when they told me Jake was driving up from San Diego to have dinner with us at our family club house restaurant I thought nothing of it. Hmmm... it's a Tuesday night, Jake is driving an hour and a half just for dinner, and we're going to eat some super good food with the whole family. Totally should have picked up on that but I could barely keep my eyes open at the time :)

We sat down at our table and before we even get our menus Katey and Jake look like they are going to burst, and so they blurt, "WE"RE ENGAGED!!" Needless to say I woke right up and there were tears and hugs and wedding plans being shared for the rest of the night. So beautiful and I couldn't have been more excited to hear it. Cried like a tired little happy baby. I don't know if those exist, but that's my best shot.

Jake and Katey met while at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and are such the perfect compliments for each other. I have to tell you that I have never seen my sister so happy! It's like she has had the sugar high of her life, and if you know my sis, well you get it. I got to do their engagement pictures recently and we chose Jake's house. I mean his boat. He lives on a sailboat and I think its the coolest thing in the world... definitely something I would love to do someday. Here are some of my favorites of them...




Ok so we aren't on the boat yet but this is in the marina he lives in...



I had thought out loud... hmm I wonder if this is climbable... and Jake says yes it is!


















They are getting married September 12, 2009 in San Luis Obispo and I'm SOOOO excited! I love SLO, it's probably one of the best places on earth. It just fits them so well too since they are some of the most active and outdoorsy people I know and SLO is the place to be for hiking and bouldering and rock-climbing and FUN. I mean these kids got engaged on a camping trip where she saw the ring on the other side of a rock she was climbing over and he was on the other side on one knee. SO great. I'll be the Maid of Honor so I'll have a bit of different responsibilities to hold on the wedding day, should be fun! Jake, I'm so excited to have you in the family and absolutely adore spending time with the two of you. Congratulations Katey and Jake, LOVE YOU!!