Nica's First Superbowl!!!

On Monday morning I picked up Nica at 6.20 a.m. (she's a good sport!) to go watch the Pittsburgh Steelers in their quest to win an unprecedented sixth superbowl title against Arizona Cardinals lead by Kurt Warner. Nica wore her Steelers gear (a.k.a my t-shirt).

The first part three quarters were not the most exciting ever (except for James Harrison's interception return 100 yards for a touchdown), but we enjoyed breakfast with some friends from church.















Nica said if the Steelers lost she would have to turn her t-shirt inside out before we headed home. For most of the game the Steelers were leading and it didn't seem like that would be necessary. However, with three minutes left in the game the Cardinals took a lead.















With only 35 seconds left in the game Big Ben connected with Santonio Holmes for a touchdown for a 27-23 win over Arizona. The celebration followed!!!!

GO STEELERS!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=here+we+go+steelers+2009&aq=f

Apartments, Malls, and the Banana Leaf

Joe's vacation is coming to a close. The past few days have been spent finding fun things to do while he's still on vacation! Yes, don't worry, he does let me work, too. He is very good at that. In case these pictures deceive you, I have been back to working full time again this week. However, he is also very good at helping me NOT to work! It's so fun to have someone show up at my door when office hours are over just to make sure I don't spend all day inside in front of my computer!

Friday night we met Percival, a friend of Joe's from cell group...and a friend of mine, now, too! He is from Malaysia, and is a blast! We went to the Banana Leaf. Why? I can only assume it was because of the plates. Aren't they cool?






Percival, Joe, and I had a couple of good laughs over the use of English. Here is Joe demonstrating his excellent form while in line at Cold Stone:



And here are the amazing singers from the Banana Leaf singing "Because of You" by Kelly Clarkson at our table to Joe and I when they found out we were engaged!

Fun times. >grin< It's been great getting to know the area a little bit...Joe bought me a map, so now I can follow the taxi when he takes us places! Tonight we bought apples and oranges from a street vendor across from the apartment and he said I can practice speaking with the vendor next time we buy them! Doa Shaw Chien? is my new phrase! (How much?) Joe just has to listen to the response b/c I haven't learned my numbers past 10 yet. (actually, still working on those, too!) Oh...and I bought some socks! Joe and I walked the entire 8 levels of the mall on Friday looking for the right pair. (purpose #2: get me out of the house and get some excercise! What better place than the mall???) Here's the mall across from the apartment...and the cool blue office building right beside it.

And this is my apartment (for now) I'm on floor 17 out of 36.



Joe knows I love cities at night...NanJing Road was a great street to explore right at the close of New Year celebrations. There were TONS of people! We had fun wandering down the street, in and out of shops. It was especially special to me because Joe had brought me there last year at this time. Amazing what happens in a year, isn't it?





I know it looks like a golden idol, but you have to remember it IS the year of the Ox. ;)



Our Saturday date was complete with a stop at an Indian Restaurant...one of our favorite foods.



Today is Sunday. Since church doesn't start till 2 PM, we had time to do something we had been hoping to do a loooong time ago: have an engagement shoot!!! Grayson Stallings was our photographer...and did he ever do a fantastic job! Photos from that will come soon!

Here is a glimpse of some of the streets we went down for our shoot:






I would love to post more pictures, but...well, you know Joey. AND I already told you what today is. Sunday. Yep, the Superbowl. Except for those of us here in China it starts at 7 AM. Which means that Joe will be here at 6:15 AM (YIKES!) to pick me up so we can get good seats at the sports bar where it's showing. Do you really think anyone else will be there at that time to watch football???

Guess we'll see!

Signing off with lots of love...

Nic & Joey

Happy Anniversary, B&D!!!

THREE YEARS ago today, my brother tied the knot. His beautiful bride, my friend and now SIL, is just as radiant today as she was that day. Why she chose my brother over living in Florida, I'll never truly know...but one thing I know for sure is that they are one of the happiest young couples that I know. It has truly been an honor to share that day with them 3 years ago, and I wish them all the BEST in the coming year and exciting stage of LIFE!!!

Happy Anniversary!!! Wish we could be with you to celebrate! (haha)

J&N

4 months ago I said YES!!!

Joe planned a surprise for me today. The most annoying part about it was he WOULDN"T TELL ME!!! And you know how I am with secrets. How am I supposed to sleep at night??? >grin<

The truth is...I love it when he does that. I love it when he keeps me guessing, and I love the anticipation. He drops these hints that completely throws me off. Like when he told me he was coming over to make dinner tonight. I though the surprise WAS dinner! And when he told me he picked up tickets. Tickets for WHAT?

Of course when we had to dress up a little to go out, and he gave me roses, and the evening didn't start till 7:30 PM, I knew it was going to be good.

Jazz. The key to my heart. Of course he knows that. ;)

But I am really finding that every day life is that much better with him in it. Even cooking. We've had fun making and enjoying meals together the last several nights, just going for walks when I'm done work (to get me out of the house!), and imagining what our life will be like together once we're married.

Look at him...wow, am I lucky.

I went grocery shopping by MYSELF yesterday...just so you know. There's a big mall right across from my apartment, like HUGE, so I had fun trying to find the grocery store, wandering around trying to find something familiar to buy to make for dinner, FIGHTING over carrots (crowds are SO packed in there!) and then leaving my hard-earned carrots behind at the checkout when I realized I needed someone to weigh and price them for me in the vegetable department...they don't do it for you at the checkout like they do at home. So many little things to learn! So many adventures along the way! But, Joe liked my cooking so we're on our way to a successful marriage! haha

I took this picture this morning from my window. It's the view from the apartment where I'm living now. I see this every day as I work. All kinds of Chinese New Year music comes from this park every day that I get to learn to appreciate. Just think...somewhere in this city is our first home! I just love it! So much to look forward to in this great big city!

Xin Nian Kuai Le!!!

Happy New Year!!! (Xin Nian Kuai Le!!!)


Welcome to the Year of the Ox...the first year that we get to enjoy TOGETHER! (at least most of it) I, (Nica) have safely arrived in Shanghai where we get to spend 3 wonderful months together! It's so incredible to remember that last year at this time I was visiting Joe for the first time in so many years. Last year I THOUGHT was a once in a lifetime experience. I didn't realize there would be more "lifetime" than "once" in that concept!

Joe and Nica bringing in 2008

Now, a whole year later, we have enjoyed a growing friendship, respect, and love for each other, and can't wait for our wedding...July 11, 2009!


For a long distance relationship over the past year we really have seen a lot of each other. From e-mails every day, to Joe coming home for his brother wedding the end of April (when we decided that the friendship we had was worth bringing to the next level!) to Joe coming home for 5 weeks in the summer (when we got to spend time with each other's friends and families) to Skype calls, texts, and e-mails every day, to Nica's trip to Shanghai in the fall, to Joe's trip home for Christmas...and now Nica arriving back in Shanghai to get used to the thought of this huuuge city as home!

April, 2008 July, 2008 Dec, 2008 Jan, 2009




I'm just glad to get to be here with Joe and experience more of his world before our life begins together! I know that marriage is a big adjustment, but compared to China...I think it'll be a snap! (haha) Joe is so patient with telling me over and over and OVER again how to say things, find places, convert money in my head, etc, etc, etc!!! To my credit, though, this is only day TWO of my 3 months here, so I've still got time to get a feel for the way things work here. I tell myself that it will all come naturally soon.

Right now I am staying in the apartment of Jared and Maria...friends of Joe's. Thanks for sharing your beautiful apartment with me, J&M!!!

The first day here was both exciting (I bought a cell phone! Pink!!!) and terrible (my computer slipped off my lap, hit the floor, and the pixels in the screen all swirrled together to make it absolutely unusable. For those of you who know how MUCH I depend on my computer, this was MAJOR! But, Praise the Lord, the next day Joe brought me to an amazing electronics mall where we were able to have hp experts fix it in only an hour! Good as new! Wow! Since we were at the mall we also bought a digital camera! Thus, these photos. ;)

The electronics mall

Joe and I on a REAL date! (SO much better than Skype!) celebrating my arrival, a new cell phone, a fixed computer, toasting off a lifetime of adventures, and a New Year!

Tonight is New Year's night...the night when the entire city goes up in smoke and it literally sounds like it's under attack. It's hilarious to run around the streets watching people set off fireworks in every street, alleyway, sidewalk, intersection...at times you can't breathe because of the air is thick with smoke, you can't hear each other b/c it's SO loud, and you can't see because of all the ash! Shanghai sure knows how to celebrate!

Celebrating the crazy New Year in Shanghai!

A video clip of the city ringing in the New Year!

(It got waaay louder after this! wow)

Over the next several weeks we look forward to being able to continue planning our wedding together!!, start to look for an apartment that will be our first home after our wedding, I will have my wedding dress made here, and it will also be a transition time for me with my work.

We look forward to the next couple of months when we can start to prepare for our future together!! serving the Lord and finding our place in this big, beautiful city.

Thanks for your part in this process. Stay tuned for future updates...and Happy New Year!

Joe 'n' Nica