A New Beginning

I'm reposting this from my photography blog... since I think it fits in both places. =)
 


Well, folks, I'm back... once again. =)

A lot of things have happened in my absence... the biggest one being that I quit my job! Yes, you read that correctly: we're in a recession and I quit my job. It's kind of a terrifying thought in many ways, yet I know it was absolutely the right thing to do. 

While I don't have as much life experience as many others who have more, um, "wisdom" as we call it in our family (yes, years), or people who have kids, or those who have gone through layoffs, or other things like that, I do believe I've gone through enough life to realize that there are a few times in your life when you're faced with major decisions that will literally change the trajectory of your life and story. 

A few of my recent story-changing decisions include accepting a teaching position in inner-city Philadelphia with Teach For America in 2006, and saying yes to my ridiculously tall (and skinny) Asian man on August 10, 2008. Now, I'm adding to that mix quitting my job in 2010. 

So why is this such a big deal? I mean, it's "just" about money, isn't it? Not exactly. In a few words, it's simply that I'm saying yes to myself. I'm saying yes to following my dreams; I'm saying yes to letting myself be happy; I'm saying yes to allowing myself to nurture myself as an artist. I'm simply saying yes to things that up until now I've said no to for the sake of being responsible. 

I realize that's a pretty privileged thing to be able to say. Believe me, I absolutely recognize that it is! But after many long months of conversation with Josh, along with lots of prayer, fretting, tears, soul-searching, reflection, and advice from family and friends.... I came to the conclusion that if I wasn't in an "emergency" situation (i.e. one where using some of our savings was an acceptable thing to do), I didn't know when a situation would ever come along. It wasn't a time where Josh and I had physical needs to take care of (mortgage, bills, etc).... but it was a time of desperate emotional and spiritual need. I don't want to live my life with regrets, and trust me, having my spiritual life, my marriage, and my happiness suffer would be things I don't know if I could forgive myself for.

So... I quit. And this past month has been a time of figuring out what exactly that means... but also just a time of stepping back, stepping out, and giving myself room to breathe and recover. And slowly, I'm starting to step back in. 

I know I've been gone for a very long time, but don't be fooled -- I haven't stopped taking photos. I'm still committed to a photo a day; I've just been horrible at posting them. =) However, it's time to step back into this place, and I'm excited to do so.

I'll also have some exciting news to update you on over the next few weeks/months... such as a very important piece of mail I should be receiving this week or next from the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. =)

One last thing: I'm really glad you're all along with me on the journey.

Photo Time!

Back in March I was in Seattle for a week. My dad was having surgery, so I was doing lots of chauffeuring and meal cooking, and my little sister was up looking at various wedding venues for next year (I still can't believe she's engaged!), but in the midst of the crazy week of busy family love, I got to spend a small bit of time with my dear friends Patye & Minh, and my favorite little "niece", Amelie.

Originally, Patye and I had talked about maybe doing a "maternity" shoot... but in the end, it ended up being a bit of an impromptu, laid-back family shoot (down to Minh in his outdoor-work sweat pants). I hadn't spent much time "preparing" for the shoot given the circumstances around my visit (i.e. my dad being in the hospital)... but it was pretty exciting to get out there for what was my first (unofficial) "official" shoot in a long time (about 4 years).

In some ways it ended up being really different than I'd envisioned, but it was still so much fun! I had such a great time (it's hard not to hanging out with their family), and I learned a lot. While I may not have gotten all the shots I'd hoped for, I think there are a bunch that truly portray their family and what they're all about: fun laughter, deep caring, intense respect, and unending love.

If you have Facebook, you can view the full album of their photos online: facebook.com/HannahSnyderChen

If not, I've posted a few of them below. You can also find some on my 365 Project blog (Photos 45-55 and Photo 102). I'd love to know what you think!

Even though you may not believe it, Patye was only 29 weeks along when these photos were taken. Today, May 21, is Lucy's due date, but she's been quite content to just delay her entrance into the world. I guess it's cozy in there. Maybe posting this will encourage her that it's pretty exciting out here, too. =)  Congratulations, you guys!

Happy 100th!

So, this is my 100th post... and in it I get to apologize for horribly neglecting this blog! It's been over 2 months since I've updated, and I have no excuses... but I do have a reason. Does that count?

Basically, this blog has become the forgotten child. I've been working to keep my photography/365 blog updated, and have sadly given all the "leftover" time to this blog. Which, obviously, has been none.

So, for my 100th post, I get to promise to hope to be more consistent once again. Because, let's be honest, there are quite a few board games to be reviewed, recipes to be posted, and random stories to be shared. =)

Week in Review

So, what's happened this week? Well...

February 4 - A field trip to The Franklin Institute. Lots of gizmos and gadgets to explore.

February 5 - The Wheaton Promise event at the Union League. We ate delicious food right as the snowstorm settled in.

February 6 - Day 1 of the great Blizzard of 2010! (We got about 2 feet of snow that day...)

February 7 - Snow church at our house! That's what you do when everything else gets canceled, right?

February 8 - A day of being snowed in...

February 9 - A story of being locked out...

February 10 - Still to be determined - check it out later. Though, we're getting pummeled with snow again - we've gotten about 8" so far, and it's still snowing... so it may very well be more documentation of Blizzard 2010!

In other words... I'm posting every day at my 365 Project, and if you're interested in daily happenings, you should check it out! =) 

Joy in the City

Last January, our church started a project to build a new adult ministry center across from the church building. Well, let me rephrase that. Last January, our church started a project to totally renovate an old, abandoned, dilapidated factory warehouse into a new ministry center called Joy in the City.

It was a pretty major undertaking, and despite a number of setbacks, we held a pseudo dedication for it last weekend. There are still a number of things to be finished, but the windows are in, the drywall is up, and it's actually being used this weekend!

This center has long been a dream for our church, and it will be a new, expanded, consistent home to a counseling center, legal clinic, adult education classes, offices, and Biblical Seminary's urban M.Div. track, to name a few. Although I was definitely participating in the dedication, I managed to snap a few pictures...

 

 

 

 

 

The Adventures of Jack Sparrow

Just thought I'd share one of my lunchtime emails with you all, concerning one of our cats, Captain "Jack" Sparrow...


From: Josh ChenTo: Hannah
Date: Thu, Jan 28, 2010 at 11:25 AM
Subject: Adventures of Jack Sparrow

So I'm working away, and Jack starts doing his pathetic meowing in the bathroom. I can't figure out why until I realize he has jumped down and trapped himself in the bathtub. Survival expert he is not.

Now, I don't know if you can tell, but the reason Jack is sitting there so helplessly in the bathtub is that our shower actually has glass doors across (though we also put up a shower curtain to try and hide the awesome '70s style), and Jack was trapped. How, you ask, did he get in there in the first place? Well, take a look at the picture below...

It's really horrible quality (both photos are from our phones), but this was the site that greeted me when I got up a couple mornings ago: both of our cats, sitting atop the supporting/dividing wall beside the shower. Mizu is in front, Jack is in back. They were just as cozy as can be, perched a good, oh, 7 feet up. We're still not quite sure how they get up there (the cabinet you see is in between two walls, with no place to jump/climb onto)... I'm guessing they jump on the toilet first (below the cabinet) and then up. Regardless, they looooove being up on their high perch.

You're probably piecing it together now, but Jack must've been sitting up there, then jumped down - into the shower with the closed doors - and commenced his pathetic meowing that just melts my heart. =)

I'm so in love with our cats. It's ridiculous, I know.

And that's my lunchtime email. For some cuter pics of our little troublemakers, check out my 365 Project from a few days ago!

P.S. Just as a disclaimer, the bathroom is one of the rooms we haven't remodeled yet. Though, you know how I love me some great blue tubs, decorated glass doors, and floral wallpaper!

Home and Community

The past few months have contained a lot of realizations for me about where Josh and I are in life, and what I view as “home”. (You can see some previous thoughts here and here.) Now, there is a part of me that will always, always, always consider Washington home. We moved there the summer I was 12, and those next 6 years before heading off to Wheaton were pretty formative. Some of my most cherished friendships were forged, I discovered many different aspects of myself as I learned, grew, and created in various groups and communities, and, most importantly, it’s where my family was and still is. I’m uncertain I’ll ever be able to fully relinquish Washington as a big part of my definition of home.

That said, it’s funny what happens when you get married. In our house, we now talk of three homes. There’s my “home back in WA”, there’s Josh’s “home back in NY”, and then, there’s home… our home. And that’s really all there is to it. I’m home when I’m with Josh. Sappy, sure, but true, nonetheless. Now, that doesn’t change the deep, deep love I have for my family, nor Josh’s love for his (or our growing love for each other’s), but it does mean we’re in a different place now. The “end all” of home is simply where the other is.

Now, to add to that… location wise, we think of Philadelphia as home. Neither of us was expecting it, and I certainly didn’t even want it. But that’s what’s happened. We’ve both been in Philly 3 ½ years (and married for 1 ½ of those) and will be here at least another 3 more since we just bought our new house. And I’m actually ok with that. I still have a pretty big pang in my heart whenever we have to leave Seattle, but I’ve realized that, were I closer to my family, I would actually be really, really happy where we are. (And by closer to my family, I mean close enough that I could affordably get there and back in a weekend… like a 2-hour drive. Of course, I’d totally also love it if they were 15 minutes away.)

So, why do I like living in Philly so much now, given that: a) when I first moved here I hated it, b) my family lives 3000 miles away, and c) I live in the inner-city in a high-crime, low-income neighborhood?

Well, in one word: community.

The community here is absolutely amazing. I really mean that. There are 3 other church families on our block. Within about a 5 block radius of our house, there are… well… at least 30 other families from our church – that we know and talk to/hang out with on a regular basis. Sometimes it blows my mind a little bit to actually stop and think about that: 30 families/friends within walking distance. And that’s a low estimate. Think about it… once you hit your teenage years and stop “playing outside” regularly… how many of your neighbors do you actually know? And we’re not talking about being in college, either. We’re talking your permanent home.

It seems like the norm these days is to know a couple of your neighbors – particularly the ones who are the same age as you or have kids the same age – and to have no clue about the rest aside from what they might look like and maybe their name. That’s what I largely grew up with, and that’s what I experienced for the first couple of years after I graduated from college until Josh and I got married and I moved into Hunting Park. Then it changed.

Now, that’s not to say I know everyone on our block… because that’s definitely not the case. In fact, we’ve only met a few people so far, since we moved in in the middle of winter and it’s so cold that nobody stays outside a second longer than they need to. But we did know a number of people on our old block (2 blocks down), and had a lot more that we regularly waved and said hello to whenever we saw them. When it gets warmer, people will always be outside, talking, visiting, hanging out on the porch and you’ll get to know them – good and bad included. You see, there’s very little privacy in row houses since everything is so close by… if a baby is crying next door, you can hear it. If kids are screaming as they play in the street, you can here it. If neighbors are fighting a few doors down, you can hear it. There’s an interesting transparency here that’s very different from anywhere else I’ve lived, and it can often be pretty uncomfortable and even painful. But it’s pretty good for giving you a good kick in the rear and helping you realize your own criticisms and hypocrisy, and forcing you to confront and work to change those things. (I’m still in the process of that.)

Our neighborhood is far from perfect. It’s not what most people consider safe or desirable. I live literally 3,000 miles away from my family. But I also am part of an incredible community. In the midst of poverty, crime, brokenness, and so many other kinds of pain and painful issues, there’s a real sense of hope. Many people are originally from the neighborhood, many are not. But nobody’s looking for it to gentrify – we’re just looking for it to improve for the people here. And I think it will. My neighbors are people who really care about helping their friends out, bringing justice, and making Hunting Park a better place. They are people who want to see the kids succeed in school, youth be given the exciting opportunities they deserve, and adults fulfill their dreams and goals. And they are people who will work on your new house for hours, help you move in the middle of a massive snowstorm, watch your cats for two weeks without expecting a dime, and come over last minute for lots of board game and movie nights (that’s one of the best parts about living so close by – you don’t even have to look for a parking spot!). They are people who are ready to live life with you day by day, sharing in the good and the bad with you, encouraging you when you’re down, laughing and celebrating with you when things are great. I’d say that’s something pretty incredible, something I haven't really seen anywhere else, and the reason I’m pretty excited to stick around for at least a few more years.

I just have to figure out how to create a little more time and find a few more funds to get out to Seattle more frequently… then it'll all be perfect. =)

The 365 Project

Alrighty, the 365 Project has officially launched! My first photo is up, and here's a little excerpt...

So, I have to admit. Yesterday I started getting really nervous. I was thinking about how I'm starting this new project, and it's all about photography and art and creative expression, and whatever my first photo is, it should be impressive, right? Or super meaningful. Or deeply thought-provoking. Or amazingly beautiful. Or... or... or... The doubts just started piling up, thick and fast.

Check out the full post (and the photo) here.


Plus, I'm SO EXCITED about what I'm going to be posting/photographing tomorrow! Be sure to check back in, because it's going to be good! =)

The "HOW MUCH DID YOU SAY?!" Gas Bill.... or, In Which We Learn What Being a Homeowner is ALL About

I'm sure you've all had bills that you open and go, "Wow, wasn't really expecting it to be that much, but... ok... what can I do now?" and pay it. It's high enough that it sticks with you, and you change your course of action the next time you almost leave the lights on, or want to turn the heat up another degree or two.

Well. Josh and I have a similar, although perhaps a little more crazy story to add to the mix.

As you know, we barely managed to move into our new house before we left for Seattle for Christmas break. We spent 3 nights in the new house (and lived there approximately 54 hours before leaving for Seattle), then left for 12 days. Even though we had our rental through the end of December, we were completely moved out, the heat was all the way down, and no electricity was being used. When we came back in January, we spent 4 days in the house before our gas meter was read. Last Saturday we got the bill.

Ready for this one? Because I wasn't.

Our gas bill was $540!!!

Yes, you read that correctly.... $540. I think I was in shock at first. I couldn't possibly fathom how we could have a $540 bill. First of all, as mentioned before, we were GONE FOR ALMOST TWO WEEKS. Secondly, we keep the house at 60 except for one hour in the morning and a couple hours at night when we put it up to 64... sometimes even 65-66 if we're really cold. And did I mention Josh works at home most days during the week? We use a space heater in our bedroom at night, and during the day if he needs it, he'll use that in whatever room he's in. Granted, we didn't get a chance to put up plastic on our windows or bleed the radiators before we left (since we spent all of 54 hours in our house), but even during those two weeks, the heat was all the way down - which was 40, I believe.

Yeah, we were completely stunned and stumped, too.

Now, once we got back, we got a couple whiffs of natural gas smell. We couldn't pinpoint it, but it was only in the kitchen and the stairs from the kitchen leading down to the basement. The same day we got the bill, we called the emergency number at the gas company. They sent someone out to check for a leak.... and the guy found nothing. Zero. Zip. We even led him around the kitchen and basement - he just told us his instruments were really advanced and powerful, and that we had no leak. Since it was the weekend, we couldn't talk to the billing department, so we simply winterized whatever we could. We bled the radiators (though it turned out they actually didn't need it), and we put up the plastic on all of our windows. But aside from that, we just had to wait.

(Side note: when we moved into our rental house we bought/installed one of the energy-saving thermostats, where you can set it at different temps for different times/days. We then took it with and reinstalled it in our new house. I know most of you probably consider this normal, but if you don't have one or live in an older home like ours, I highly recommend getting one. I love that we don't have to worry about turning the heat up or down - and that we can set it for each day of the week so that on nights we have things scheduled at church and whatnot, we're not wasting heat. Plus, it just helps us save a lot of energy and money in general.)

Well, on Monday we finally got a chance to talk to the gas company about things. They put our bill into dispute, and let us know they'd get back to us within a few days. A few days later, my heart rate started returning a little bit more to normal. Turns out a couple things contributed to the high bill:

1. Because we bought the new house on Nov 20, for their own internal billing processes, the gas company waited 2 months to send the bill. Ok. In the midst of refinishing the house, we hadn't noticed a gas bill hadn't come. But $540 for two months is still a lot, even if it was for two houses (especially since we were still only living in one).
2. For our rental house, they had ESTIMATED what our bill would be. And somehow, when they estimated our usage, they estimated way more than what any of our previous bills/usage had ever been (and yes, that's taking into account that it was for two months). So when they actually READ the usage, they found out that, hmm, we hadn't used $340 worth of gas in 2 months. We'd used $200. Fair enough, considering it has been a good deal colder this winter than last year, and we didn't winterize our rental house since we were moving out.

So, our bill was now down to $410. But, in case you didn't notice, that still leaves a bill of $210 for our NEW house... the one that we lived in for 54 hours before we left and 4 days once we got back. So how the heck did we get a $210 bill?!

After doing some more snooping, and turning on lots of appliances trying to figure things out (which, as you'll see, was actually probably pretty dangerous), we thought we could narrow it down to the gas whiffs coming from the stove. They were very inconsistent, with no pattern whatsoever, but it was the best we could do. We called our home warranty people, and they said they'd send someone out, but that first, we had to call the gas company to come out and have them "tag" the stove (whatever that really means). So, gas company guy comes out again.

EXCEPT, OH WAIT. This time, the guy comes in, comes into the kitchen with the same aforementioned "advanced and powerful" instrument, and finds that there indeed IS a leak in the kitchen.... and not only one, but there are THREE. The pipe connecting the stove to the gas line had THREE HOLES IN IT. Did you hear that? THREE. And the first guy had completely missed it. The second guy actually said he had no idea how the first guy didn't catch it because it was "very obvious". Hmm. So, for the past two months we've had a pipe with three holes leaking gas into the house that cause there to be MORE gas used than it took to heat our rental house for two months. Perhaps that's been contributing to how tired Josh and I have been? Food for thought, at any rate.

But the story gets better.

Turns out, you're supposed to have an emergency shut-off valve within 6 feet of your stove. We have an "emergency" valve.... but, um, it's down in the basement. And, the guy from the homeowner's insurance who can fix the stove's pipe actually can't, because he cannot legally hook it back up until we have a shut-off valve within 6 feet. But he doesn't do that kind of work (a plumber does), and apparently, that kind of plumbing isn't covered by our warranty. Can you see where this is going?

The plumber is coming to look at things today... he couldn't give us any estimate until he looks at how far it is, what kind of piping we have, etc. All he said was that it could be anywhere from $85-$500 to move the shut-off valve. So, in the meantime, we have no stove (sound familiar, Mom, Dad, and Jacob?), we're waiting to hear the final word on the gas bill (maybe it'll come down a little bit more?), and we're waiting to see how much money we'll have to shell out to fix the piping and make our house livable again (why aren't we still renting?). Hence the title of this post: in which we learn what being a homeowner is ALL about! =)

 
P.S. If anyone has any suggestions or experience with this, we'd gladly welcome it!!!

In which I give it another try...

So, it's probably time for an update on the SOAR! Scholarship.

Given the distinct lack of "!!!" at this point in the post, you might've gathered that I wasn't one of the recipients. =) I'm disappointed, yes, but I'm also ok, and really quite glad that I entered. It would have truly been life-changing to be a recipient, but I'm also quite confident that things happen as they do for a reason. And, the process of submitting my application really started me down a kind of life-changing path, as it is. I may not be able to start a photography business tomorrow, but the planning and brainstorming and dreaming have definitely started... and I really have to thank my amazing family and friends for a large part of that.

For those of you who were able to watch my video and leave comments.... your words encouraged me more than you will ever know. And even those who couldn't watch due to technical issues, but sent emails anyway... your support really meant the world to me. I love having the opportunity to be where I am and to share and teach in the inner city, but sometimes it can feel like a very small and isolated world. It was quite scary to share all of this with you, but I have been so humbled by the incredible love you've given back. Your response blew me away. It's an amazing blessing to have you all in my life - and I really mean that.

So, while I didn't "win", I DID start dreaming about it all again, and asking "What if?", and I'd say that's bigger than winning any day. As a way to keep the momentum and creative juices flowing, I decided to do my own version of the 365 Project, where you commit to taking a photo a day for a year. I started a new blog and you can check it out here: hannahrose365.blogspot.com If any of you are interested in joining me in the project, just let me know! The more, the merrier. =)

Once again, thank you SO MUCH for all of your love and support. I'm so very grateful to have you all in my life.

Soaring!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Can you BELIEVE it's 2010?! Some years it seems timely for one year to come to a close and a new year to begin.... but I feel like this one totally caught me off guard! Not to mention the fact that a new decade is a bit baffling to me, too! Where did time go?! Was it really TEN YEARS AGO that everyone was freaking out about Y2K?! The first decade of a new century, now complete... CRAZY!!!

Perhaps sometime in the next week or two I'll put together a post with some thoughts from last year and some thoughts for this year (it really is such a good time to stop and reflect and set new goals), but for right now, I want to share one of my last big leaps of 2009.


If you've read any of the other recent posts here, you know that Josh and I bought a house November 20, completely renovated it ourselves, and moved in December 19. Oh, and went to NY for Thanksgiving, and worked our jobs. So, you know, we had tons of spare time for all that house work. =)

Well, during that time I also found out about a photography scholarship contest called the SOAR! Scholarship. The contest is the brain child of Me Ra Koh, and let me tell you, it's pretty incredible. This scholarship is for the entire year of 2010, and basically equips you with all the gear, software, website, business mentoring, photography instruction, etc. that you would ever need to get a successful photography business up and running. And trust me, while all the camera gear and the software and the website is fantastic... the mentoring? With who it's coming from, it truly is priceless.

When I found out about the scholarship, I got really excited! As you probably all know (since I rarely go anywhere without a camera at my side), I really love taking photos and I really love photography. It's an outlet I've enjoyed and been passionate about for pretty much as long as I can remember. So of course I wanted to enter... I just didn't know WHEN I would find the time to make a video (a big part of the application process), since we were literally using all of our available time (and then some) to get the house finished and moved into, along with everything else that accompanies Christmas-time. But I knew that if I didn't submit my application, I'd regret it.

So, through some pretty providential circumstances, LOTS of love from Josh (largely in the form of doing, oh, pretty much ALL of the work for the last half-day before we left so I could have some time to put it all together), and some really wonderful friends (thank you, Chris and Lauren!), my ideas and thoughts and words (because you know I had a lot of them!) became a real, tangible, actual video (in as much as a video can be tangible, I suppose).

And then, well, then I just HAD to submit my application!


It was a pretty scary thing to do, though.

It's so much easier to say NO to things...

But to say YES.... YES with arms wide open?

YES, I can actually do this, YES, I want to do this, YES, this is the right time for it...

And to put myself out there for consideration?

Well, that's a pretty big leap, a pretty big YES, and there's no room whatsoever to hold back. So, I went for it!

I have to admit, it's more than a bit nerve-wracking to put this out for anyone and everyone to read and see... however, I REALLY mean what I say in my video. Living in Philly and being with these kids is a huge, non-negotiable part of my life. It would be an absolute dream of mine if I could do photography for non-profits and schools, and to teach photography and mentor kids in our neighborhood and other inner-city Philly locations. So, this jump is definitely worth the risk.

The videos are all up on the SOAR! website, and here is the link to my video. If that doesn't work, I'm on page 3 of the video entries, and I am #235 (not to be confused with "235 of 263"... just #235 on page 3). It's frozen on a frame of me and some kids in the snow.

I'd really love to hear your thoughts about it. There's a comment feature, and while the comments were supposed to close on January 1, they're still up, so feel free to post!

These kids, these people, these injustices... these are the reasons Josh and I are where we are. It's not always easy, but it's always better when we have friends along with us. I'm so grateful for the love and support so many of you have shown to us over the past few years - it's such an encouragement and makes such an impact on our lives.

So, that's all for now... the three recipients will be announced on January 8th and I'll be sure to let you know what happens!!!

Goal vs. Plan

In college, one of my theater professors told me that when you're doing an acting scene, you should always have a goal, but not necessarily a plan. See, if you have a plan, it only leaves room for your actions and the actions that you want everyone around you to have. But that isn't how things happen. People don't always do what you want - in fact they rarely do, and if you're relying on them to do certain things that they don't do... well, then what happens to your plan? However, if you have a GOAL, and you go into a scene with that in mind, there are MANY ways to get where you're going. You might have challenges along the way, and people will definitely react in ways you weren't planning on them reacting (they have their own desires and objectives, after all), but if you keep your goal in mind, you can adjust, get creative, and have a lot more opportunities and paths to take to reach your goal.

That saying has become one of the ways I look at life now. Sure, I am a little obsessive about planning and being prepared (that's still important)... but I can't control what anyone else does, and I don't know what's going to come next each day. I don't know what opportunities will arise, or what doors will be closed. But if I have a goal, I can keep working towards it in some way, even if it wasn't a part of "the plan". I can accept the challenges and look at them as things I can learn from - even if I don't like them, even if they take me a direction I didn't want to go, even if the timing is different than I'd like. God knows what I need most - and has my best in mind - even when I don't want to recognize it! I just have to trust Him with that and keep moving forward, constantly learning and growing. There are times when it will feel like everything's going crazy, and my plans will be thwarted... but I just have to keep adjusting and working towards my goals, trusting that it will all work out as it should in the end.

Now that's not too hard to do, is it? =)

WE'RE DONE!!! And a bit of a reflection, too...

I can hardly believe it myself... but we're done with our new house!!!

Well, with as much as we're finishing before we leave for Christmas, at any rate. We'll have plenty to do when we get back in January, such as refinishing the stairs and painting and finishing the floors in our guest bedroom. But for now, we're DONE! I can't tell you what a GOOD feeling it is! Even though we're not really moved in yet (Saturday's the big moving day), there's no more work to do in the house in 2009. Woohoo!!!

I can't believe how big of a project this has all turned out to be. Sure, we had to "see promise" in the house when we bought it... but, man! I didn't know I'd be able to see this much promise! Or, I suppose I just didn't realize how long all of the work would take us. But boy, am I glad we did it. And I am especially thankful for Josh and all of the incredible work he did. While I've been going over to the house after work each day, I couldn't really take any big chunks of time off, especially since I'm currently trying to do the work of two positions and we're coming up on Christmas (the crazy time for development). But Josh was (thankfully) able to have a more flexible schedule, putting some things on hold and rearranging other things, and he's been at the house literally everyday since we bought it (except for the days we were gone for Thanksgiving). I know it's "only" been about 3 weeks... but it's been a looooong time since 3 weeks has felt sooooo looooong! When you're not used to doing this kind of work, and just about everything you're doing is new to you, it's just exhausting every which way.

Anyway, while it's a little bit later than we'd hoped for, Josh is doing the last coat of polyurethane today, and we'll be starting to really move stuff in tomorrow morning - beyond just stuffing boxes into the basement. We'll actually get to start moving furniture. Crazy, huh? It's really all happening... we're homeowners, and we're going to finally live in the house we own!


I think in the midst of having so much work to do on the house, I haven't taken much time to process what it means to actually have bought a house, and specifically to have bought a house in our neighborhood. Even though we've been in our neighborhood for a year and a half now, and even though we're only moving 2 blocks down on the same street, it's a different chapter. I never thought it would be the case, but Philly is really where I am now. I've already lived here 3 1/2 years, and we'll be staying at least another 3 years now... so, even if we moved away in 3 years (the amount of time we "have" to stay to qualify for the homebuyer's tax credit), that's still almost 7 years of my life -- and that's no small chunk of time! I can remember when I thought I'd be in Philly no more than 2-3 years, and then head back to Seattle, or to NY, or Chicago... how life changes, huh?

Yet I love it.

I love that I officially get to be a part of our community - a homeowner, not just a renter. I love that we get to meet new neighbors, new kids, new friends... and that we're not too far from our "old" house, either! Though, once it gets really cold, even 2 blocks will seem far. =) I'm a little nervous about starting over, even if it's just a couple blocks away... it always takes time to build relationships. But I love that I live in a place where people sit out on their porches (when it's warm enough), and actually know and say hello to their neighbors, and are willing to help each other out. I love that kids always want to play, and that people have no problem asking if they can have the carpet or panels sitting out on your front porch (our answer: yes, of course, please! we don't want it anymore!), and that when you ask for help with painting and sanding and working on your house, you have different people coming over almost every day of the week. I love that people know our church and the community center, and actually feel welcome to come on Sundays or to various events. I love that we only need one car, that Josh can walk to work (i.e. church), and that most of our friends live within a 4-block radius.

And while I might not be ready for you to quote me on this, because YOU KNOW how much I fought against God bringing me here at first... I might actually be starting to like Philadelphia. And yes, you heard that correctly. Not just exist in it (since it was a big step when I realized I could tolerate it), but actually like it. Even though I miss my family and friends in Seattle dearly, and often wish I could be closer to the community of friends from college who stayed in Chicago and the group that moved to NY... Philly is really starting to become my place... where I belong... it's where Josh and I have built a life together, where we feel passionate about being, and where there is much, much need for the Gospel, love, and justice.

I think, in short, Philadelphia is becoming my home. And yes, you did in fact read that correctly: my home.

Who'd have ever thought that would happen, right? I guess it's good I'm not God, and even better that God IS God and has the best plan of all in mind. That's not to say I won't still rebel and slip into my "but Seattle and NY and Chicago are so much better as cities!" mindset sometimes, but it does mean that I'm becoming content with being here, trying to humbly love and learn from the people around me, and enjoying the immense blessings we've been given.


Those all sound like pretty good things to come home to to me, don't you think?

Christmas with the (Snyder) Chens

Ok, so it's not exactly Christmas with the (Snyder) Chens... just anytime with the (Snyder) Chens!

Let me explain. Chances are, if you hang out with Josh and me more than, oh, once (and sometimes even just once), we'll suggest playing a game. And by playing a game, I mean playing a board game. Though, we do have Rock Band and love that, too. But give us enough time, and by enough time, I really do mean about once, and we'll rope you into a game somehow. We love board games. A lot. At our wedding, instead of using numbers, we actually had the tables "named" board games. I'm so not kidding. Our families sat at the Killer Bunnies table. How many people can say that? It was pretty awesome.

So, since a lot of you who read this also:

a) like board games,
b) have been finagled into playing board games with us,
c) have asked for board game suggestions, or
d) just realize how fantastic good board games are and want to play more of them,

I decided to do a quick Christmas board game post with last-minute board game ideas, should you need any. I've actually been working on this since before Thanksgiving, but things got crazy with the house, so it's taken me a while to get it out. But, here you go!

Now, I've done a few board game reviews here, and I intend to resume them soon (once our house is moved into and we actually have time to be social again), but I thought I'd share a few of our favorite games, and what tends to get played at our house. I'm including a few quick stats, and linking those that I've reviewed, but you can always go to boardgamegeek.com to look into them further. Just realize that if I'm posting it here, it gets our stamp of approval... which I hope says something. =)


So let's get started! I've broken it down into a few categories... though really, any of them would be fantastic, regardless of whether you think you may/may not like "card-based" games. They're all quite fun and will provide many hours of gaming with your friends. Oh, and just as a side note, we own all of the games listed below except for Race for the Galaxy and Ticket to Ride: Europe. However, some of our good friends who live two streets over and my little brother have Race for the Galaxy and we own the regular Ticket to Ride (and my sister and brother-in-law own Ticket to Ride: Europe), so we've had extensive playing of both of those games. Don't worry.

Silly Card-Based Games

These games are for days when you're looking for something a little more light-hearted, and perhaps a bit more fast-paced (though Killer Bunnies can go for a while). They are all also more on the cheap side in as far as board games are concerned. Here's a quick breakdown:

Infernal Contraption: You're a goblin building a machine... but so is everyone else. So, you've got to try to build your machine, sabotage their machines, and try to survive their own sabotaging attacks. Good fun for just about any age, as long as they are proficient readers.

Munchkin, Super Munchkin, and all the other Munchkin games: Ok, so there are a BUNCH of variations for Munchkin, and they are all great (we have the original and superhero versions). This game totally makes fun of the old dungeons and dragons sort of stuff. You go on quests exploring dungeons, fighting monsters, gaining treasure, and trying to be the first to reach Level 10. Oh, and also totally trying to keep everyone else from reaching Level 10 before you. So, you can send monsters their way or place curses on them. Any age group can play (as long as they can read), but for some of the humor, I'd probably say it's better for teenagers and up.

Killer Bunnies: You want the magic carrot. So does everyone else. In this game, you use your bunnies to collect as many carrots as you can in your quest to get the magic carrot (a random carrot revealed at the end of the game), and attack other bunnies to keep them from doing so. And they're all doing the same thing to you, too. This game is hilarious. There are so many different things that come with each expansion, but let's just say that one of the weapons? Plutonium Raisins. You can't get much better than that! Great for any age, as long as they can read.



Card-Based Strategy Games

Ok, still card-based, but with a little more strategy involved, as opposed to the above games, which are often largely some strategy and a lot more randomness/luck.

Start Player: This game is really simple - it decides who the starting player of a longer game will be! Totally nerdy, totally fun. We use it all the time.

Anima: This probably plays like a video game in some respects. You go on a bunch of different quests in different locations, trying to build your group of characters, gain points and be the one to complete your final mission first. Fun and relatively quick. This is probably better for older teens/adults due to some of the artwork (just inappropriate for younger kids).

Race for the Galaxy: One of the top-ranked games on boardgamegeek.com. A lot of rules, but pretty fast once you get the hang of it. Really good replay value, as you race to settle and develop the galaxy, and get the most points in the process. A lot of strategy involved, but really different each time you play.

Dominion: This is definitely one of my favorite finds of the year, and you can read more of my thoughts here. This is a really quick game (30 minutes, average), and has so much replay value. It's completely different each time, and your strategy has to change every time, too, since you use different cards. Great for ages 10+, and something you can play "best out of __" sets with. Love it.



Cooperative Games

I have come to really enjoy cooperative games - games where you play with the rest of the players. But I've also really come to enjoy cooperative games that have a fun twist to them, such as everyone vs. one other player, or everyone playing together, but with a traitor in the midst. These are definitely all "strategy" games, but SO MUCH FUN!

Fury of Dracula: I got this game for Josh for his birthday, and we and everyone who's played it with us loves it. There are 3-4 players who are the "hunters" searching for the 1 other player playing Dracula. You run all over Europe trying to find Dracula, fighting monsters and travel delays along the way, and also trying to time things to find Dracula during the day, since at night he's much more powerful. Brings a really fun dynamic for a great cooperative/competitive game!

Shadows Over Camelot: You are the Knights of the Round Table, and you must save Camelot, find the Holy Grail, rescue Excalibur, fight off the Picts, and so much more. Working together, you try to complete quests and gain white swords at the Round Table. But, should you lose a quest, a black sword will show up, so you must work together to win. However, there's the possibility of a traitor in the mix, who would really love to see those black swords continue to show up. Can you figure out who it is in time to save Camelot? A great game for a bigger group (up to 7, I think).

Arkham Horror: I was really skeptical about this one at first (this is one Josh had before we got married), but over the past few years it has come to be one of my favorites. You are all various people who live in the town of Arkham, MA. Strange things have been happening lately, and monsters have been appearing. You must find clues, fight the monsters, travel to other worlds, and try to then seal off the entrances to the other worlds before the great evil monster awakens from its slumber. This is also for a bigger group (up to 8), and I really, really enjoy it! It's definitely a game with a lot of strategy and it's a challenge to win. And who doesn't love a good challenge?

Pandemic: I wrote about this one in detail - it's a straight up cooperative game where you're trying to save all humanity from deadly diseases! It's a quick game (45 minutes) with multiple levels of difficulty to play on. There's also a new expansion for it where one player is a bioterrorist, so brings in that everyone vs. one aspect. It's great for any age, as you're all working together, and also gives you a real run for your money as you try to save the world!



Strategy Games

These are some of the more straight-up strategy games that we really enjoy. They can take a while to learn, but once you play through them one time, you're usually good to go. They all also have great replay value (especially Agricola).

Power Grid: In this game, the goal is to provide as many cities as possible with power. To do this, you have to purchase power plants through an action (though, of course, everyone else will want the best plants, too), purchase resources for your plants (different materials cost different amounts... but beware, the cheapest are also the ones that tend to run out the fastest and might not be the most renewable, either), expand to new cities (and try to beat out the competition), and then power your plants and get paid. The game comes with maps for the US and Germany, and there are a bunch of expansions with different strategies, too. Highly recommended - one of Josh's favorites.

Agricola: This game has been the #1 ranked board game on boardgamegeek for at least... 2 years now? It truly is a great game, and it's completely different each time you play. You are a farmer trying to live your life, balancing between feeding your family, expanding your house and farm, purchasing new equipment, and raising animals. Then take into account minor and major improvements you want to do, occupations you may want to try out (or ways to trade and barter with your neighbors), and this game is just too good. Best for ages 10+.

Twilight Imperium: This is for the truly dedicated. I got this for Josh for his birthday 3 years ago, and we've played it probably 6-7 times. It is a great game, and ALL about the strategy, but it takes a LONG time. And by long time, I mean about 6-8 hours. (We plan way in advance, have people over around 2pm, order pizza for dinner, keep playing.) But it's a lot of fun if you love the thought of Star Wars, Star Trek, and any other sort of galaxy dominating idea being put into a board game. Definition in one word? EPIC.



Less-Intense Strategy Games
If the games above were a little intimidating, these should be less so. Also, they aren't necessarily related to each other, just the games that didn't really fit anywhere else. =)

Battle Lore: A classic war game... with some fun twists! This is a 2-player game that lets you reenact historic battles such as the Battle of Agincourt with the traditional French and British armies... or lets you reenact historic battles with armies comprised of humans, dwarfs, elves, goblins... you get the idea. So, historical fiction and fantasy all wrapped up in one.

Carcassonne: This is a pretty well-known game, building the city of Carcassonne. It's a tile-based game, where you build cities and churches and fields and such and try to gain as many points as you can. Strategic, but laid back. A good game again for just 2 people, really easy to learn, and pretty quick. There are also quite a few expansions for it, should you wish to spice it up a little.

Ticket to Ride: This is another game I reviewed in-depth. This is a bit of a classic, with a few different versions available. It's very easy to learn, plays pretty quickly (about an hour), and is great for all ages. You travel through the US or Europe (depending which version you play), trying to get to all the destinations on your ticket cards before anyone else blocks your path. They also just came out with a few expansions for each of the games, which add more challenges and possible points. Definitely a good family game.


And that's it for today! Even if you don't need Christmas presents, hopefully you'll find something that sparks your interest enough to check it out, or send someone else to check it out as a good gift idea to give to you. =) Each of these games would be a fantastic addition to your collection (or a good one to start your collection!), and if you have any questions, just let me know. Happy gaming!

Single Digits!!!

So, for the first time in a few weeks, I'm writing a non-house entry! And, it's for good reason: it's only 9 days until Christmas!!!

Christmas truly is one of my favorite times of the year. Even though some people "grow out of it", I still get almost as excited as I did as a child. I remember how excitement simply permeated our house growing up. As soon as Thanksgiving was over, we officially started making our lists for St. Nick. SO MUCH thought went into these lists, though, trust me, it was not the first we'd been thinking of them. It was simply the first opportunity to actually write it all down. And write we did, because our lists had to be ready by December 5th!

In case you aren't familiar with it, December 6th is also known as St. Nicholas Day, and tradition is that you leave your shoes and your Christmas wish list out on the eve of the 5th for St. Nick. That night, he comes to the house, takes your list, and - if you've been good - leaves you gifts in your shoes such as an apple and orange, some nuts, and maybe some small chocolate pieces. If you've been bad, you'll get a lump of coal. And trust me, NOBODY wants a lump of coal!

So, December 5th was a pretty big day for us. We had to make sure our lists were ready and that our biggest pair of shoes were by the door before we went to bed (not going to deny it - I'd definitely search for my shoes that could hold the most). And then, December 6th! Well! It was almost as exciting as Christmas Day itself! Almost. =)

For the next few weeks, we would hardly sleep. Or at least I hardly slept. Maybe my siblings did, but I certainly didn’t. I would stay up late thinking about the perfect present for each of my family members, making lists, and reading passages in the Bible about Jesus' birth over and over (yes, I was a nerd even as a child).

Now, I don’t want you to think that Christmas was all about getting gifts – because it definitely wasn’t. I used to spend hours in front of our nativity set, reenacting the Christmas story... from Mary and Joseph’s perspective, from the shepherds’ perspective, from the angels’ perspective, from the Wise Men’s perspective, and yes, even from the animals’ perspective. And to be honest, while I was really excited to receive presents (in our family, your birthday and Christmas were really the only times you got new toys, books, clothes... new anything), I was just as excited – if not more – to GIVE presents.

To this day, giving presents to my family at Christmas remains one of my most favorite things to do. I absolutely LOVE spending months, and yes, I DO mean months, brainstorming and looking for things each person will like. And in my family, it’s not at all about “going big”. These presents are pretty much always on a budget, but also always intentionally for that person.

This year, I started brainstorming and shopping early – as always. I get SO EXCITED about Christmas! Really, I do! Just ask anyone in my family... it’s a pretty major thing. I managed to hold off on buying presents until about... October. After that, I hit the ground running! And trust me, I’ve had a number of pretty good finds this year. Unfortunately, my family reads this, so I can’t share any of them! But oh, some of them are goooood.

This year my love of Christmas and my inability to be patient and wait until at least November to buy gifts actually turned out to be a very good thing. Since every waking moment Josh and I have is spent working on the house, neither of us have had any time to do... well... anything else. That includes Christmas shopping. So, even though everything else is CRAZY!, I can at least feel semi-prepared in regards to giving gifts! And for the few gifts I haven't already purchased, I've got them on my list. And does it say I'm way too much of an organizational freak if I have lists of what I need to purchase, what I need to take with me to Seattle, and what I need to wrap when I get to Seattle already ready?

We fly back to Seattle on the 22nd, and I plan on sleeping the entire way back. And maybe the entire rest of the day once we get there. We are so exhausted from all this house work, we could probably just sleep for a week straight. But! When Christmas is only 9 days away, you can't give up a full week! So, come December 23rd, I plan on grabbing Josh and any of my siblings that are available, and getting that last bit of shopping down! Because, quite honestly, I have to admit it, I do love at least one trip to the mall when it's all crazy and there are no parking spots and you can totally buy a chai and maybe even some fudge because you know you'll walk off all the extra calories, and it's so much fun to see what deals stores have, and to maybe pick up just one or two extra things. Of course, I think part of the reason I don't get very stressed in that environment is because of the aforementioned obsessive list-making. Since I already know what I need, I can enjoy just wandering around a bit, finding even more ideas (which yes, I actually put down on a list for the next year's ideas), and doing lots of people-watching. It really is a wonderful time.

Oh! And then there's Christmas Eve. Aside from going to church (I absolutely love the candlelight services), I also really love being one of St. Nick's helpers on Christmas Eve. And by that, I mean I get to spend hours wrapping presents from St. Nick that haven't yet been wrapped. Or helping my mom wrap presents for everyone else. It's been something that's been done for as long as I can remember, and I truly cherish that time.

When I was much younger, the locked door of my parents' bedroom was the sign that someone was wrapping presents. And you could knock, they'd ask who was there, you'd tell them, and see if they'd let you come in. If they didn't, you'd wait 10 minutes, then try to pass off as someone else ("Mom" was usually the best bet, though I rarely got the voice right). But, oh! The suspense! If you weren't allowed in, then your curiosity as to why just went through the roof! Because you knew that right then, they were either wrapping something for you, or had something in the room you couldn't see. And TRUST ME, I am a VERY curious person! So it was purely blissful torture. =)

So, as we enter into the single digits of the days left until Christmas, I hope you take some time to think about what you really enjoy about this time. While many celebrations and traditions might seem fairly disconnected to Christ (and the whole purpose of "Christmas"), I hope that you can still find joy in being able to pass on gifts because of the greatest gift we've been given, to treasure the time you have with family and friends, and to look around for the many blessings you've received this year, this month, this week, and this day. And you better be good, too! You don't want to find a lump of coal in your stocking come Christmas morning!