Spring semester at GES brought more changes for us. I started long-term subbing in Grade 1 for Kristin who was out on maternity leave. Tyndall changed classes to K-1 since he was (mostly) potty-trained and needing a little bit more structure. That meant he also changed to having a "farang" (foreign) teacher instead of just Thai teachers, so it also made it easier for us to communicate and understand how he was doing during the day. He has loved being in the preschool class, and it's been a great change for him.
Because my job changed from part-time to full-time, we needed a helper for Tyndall after school and around the house. God brought P'Nui into our lives, and she has become more than Tyndall's nanny, our house-manager, shopper, dinner-prepper, Thai teacher, but an incredible friend! She is a sweet sister in Christ, and it's so neat to get to know her heart for others and for Thailand! She's one of the worship leaders at her church and helped lead Thai worship at our lower elementary chapel one week. We are excited for her to start seminary soon, even though we won't get to see her as much! George and his family also help us out a ton, mostly on Saturdays when we teach Joy Club. We are so thankful for them as well and continue to learn so much through their friendship. These friendships have been unexpected blessings, but definitely some of the most treasured ones of our first year here!
My Grade 1 class was full of life and adventure. I had (most of the semester) 23 kiddos who kept me on my toes daily. I loved hearing different accounts of their days and having lots and lots of questions and opinions and comments from their little (and big!) personalities. :) Thankful that I was allowed to spend a few months with them and prayerfully show them more of Jesus. I look forward to seeing a lot of those relationships grow over the years. Now that Kristin is back from maternity leave, I'm spending time with the lower elementary ELW (English Language Workshop for Grades 1-3) teacher since that's what I'll teach next year.
Matt has enjoyed teaching Grade 2 again (it's what he taught when we were here in 2008-2009), and he will be teaching Grade 2 next year, which means he will have a lot of the students I had this semester. That should be interesting! I really love seeing Matt as a teacher! He cares so much for the kids but also enjoys teaching them new things. It's just neat to see!
One thing that I've really appreciated too is that we live approximately 143 steps from our classrooms. It's so nice to run home on breaks and (for me) have some alone time. Most of my lunch breaks, I get like 20 minutes to myself which can help recharge me for the rest of the day, and I usually get a mini Thai lesson from P'Nui during lunch as well. It's not always easy having the school right outside our home, but a majority of the time it's a blessing!
In addition to teaching the regular daily school schedule (7:30-4:40), we both did a lot of tutoring and continued to teach the Saturday school, Joy Club. This has had its pros and cons but overall, it's allowed us to get to know more students and build more relationships with parents as well as have more spending money and giving money. I think it also helps us enjoy our family time a lot on the weekends. Matt and I typically have an afternoon date on Saturdays and then Sundays are full days with meeting with our church, eating lunch at Que Pasa with friends, naps, then hanging out in the evenings (lately we've been swimming in the evenings which has been fun!) and prepping for the week.
We had our first visitors in March! Emily and Sheila came to Thailand for their Spring Break, which was way too short. They were troopers powering through jet lag and experiencing Thailand in such a short amount of time. We didn't see them as much as we would have liked (in retrospect, we should have taken some days off), but we were super thankful for the time we did hang out. Loved hearing about their adventures in Kanchanaburi and Cooking with Poo and their day trip to the beach. My favorite was hanging out at their condo pool and getting dinner and foot massages on their last day. Can't wait for our next visitors to come at the end of May!
So thankful for friendships that have grown this semester! This stage of life with 2 working parents and an incredibly active little by would be incredibly draining were it not for life-giving friends. The kind who bring coffee and random snacks to your classroom. The kind you go get massages with. The kind whose kids play with yours. The kind who babysit for date nights. The kind who come over for dinner and don't mind making themselves at home. The kind who do games. The kind who do movies. We are thankful.
Overall, we continue to love our new lives in Thailand. Sure, we have rough days and days where the cultural differences and not knowing the language are hard and challenging and frustrating. More of them lately with trying to do business-sy stuff. But that's part of living cross-culturally. And we understand a lot of those things better this time around. The cockroaches and spiders and snakes and smells and heat... still not our favorite things. But it's easier to take the good with the bad.
All that being said, we are super excited to have time in the States this summer. We miss our family and friends A LOT and can't wait to see everyone and have quality time with everyone soon. I'm also excited for everyone to see Tyndall and see how much he's grown and what an incredible little boy he is. It's going to be GREAT to see him playing with his cousins and our extended family again. Only about a month away, and lots of fun to be had in the meantime!
Pictures are on Facebook. I'll maybe add some in here later for my own sake, but for now, I feel accomplished having gotten this done. ;)
Matt, Tricia, Tyndall and Hudson. Our life in Thailand.
Showing posts with label Jobs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jobs. Show all posts
Monday, May 9, 2016
Saturday, February 16, 2013
First Month Home
Time is flying. I gather from other friends' posts that this is normal, but wow... I do wish it would slow down. We have now been home for a full month--as a family of 3, well 5 including the dogs.
We have settled into a wonderful routine (for now) and are learning how to balance all things involved with this new life. I'll let you know when we have it all figured out. ;)
Matt and I were both able to be home for the entire first week. We had lots of visitors, lots of meals from friends, lots of gifts, and lots of JOY! We weren't even tired... just still euphoric over this tiny little blessing who is such a HUGE blessing!
Matt returned to work one week after we got home, and I returned later that week as well. We alternate work days so that one of us is always home with him. This also means we alternate night-time feedings, so at least one of us gets a good night's sleep. Matt works 4 days a week, and I work 3. It has been WAY harder to leave Tyndall at home than I thought it would be. I miss him during the day and often cry joyous tears when I get home to him. I'm a nerd.
It is so, so, so wonderful that Matt is such a wonderful, hands-on Daddy who feels comfortable and is competent enough to care for our mini miracle. I LOVE seeing Matt with him and especially like catching them in their father-son moments when he thinks I'm not paying attention. Watching Matt love our son has made me fall in love with him on a whole new level.
Typically, on the days when Matt is working, Tyndall and I run errands, go to appointments and visit with friends. Some days, I realize that we do too much, so I'm still trying to figure out how to balance being out and about and getting things done with resting and bonding and getting things done at home. On the days when Matt is home with him, they do a lot of housework, napping, and watching cartoons and movies.
Little Man has lots of nicknames and is developing his personality. Overall, he's a very sweet baby and very easy-going. He has recently started (right around the 6 week mark) looking clearly into our faces. He also loves watching his mobile and the ceiling fan. He likes his swing a lot and has recently noticed the toys hanging above the swing.
As of Tuesday, he weighed 6 pounds, 6 ounces, so he has finally doubled his birth weight. He still wears preemie diapers, but they are getting small. He has outgrown (length-wise) most of his preemie clothes. I can't believe his due date isn't even here yet. I'm so, so thankful that he's here. I'm so, so thankful for this last month!
We have settled into a wonderful routine (for now) and are learning how to balance all things involved with this new life. I'll let you know when we have it all figured out. ;)
Matt and I were both able to be home for the entire first week. We had lots of visitors, lots of meals from friends, lots of gifts, and lots of JOY! We weren't even tired... just still euphoric over this tiny little blessing who is such a HUGE blessing!
It is so, so, so wonderful that Matt is such a wonderful, hands-on Daddy who feels comfortable and is competent enough to care for our mini miracle. I LOVE seeing Matt with him and especially like catching them in their father-son moments when he thinks I'm not paying attention. Watching Matt love our son has made me fall in love with him on a whole new level.
As of Tuesday, he weighed 6 pounds, 6 ounces, so he has finally doubled his birth weight. He still wears preemie diapers, but they are getting small. He has outgrown (length-wise) most of his preemie clothes. I can't believe his due date isn't even here yet. I'm so, so thankful that he's here. I'm so, so thankful for this last month!
Friday, January 11, 2013
Baby Shower at Matt's Work
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| Beautiful (and yummy!) cake by Esther. |
Today at lunch, I snuck into the Petsmart store where he works and managed to sneak into the break room unseen. My accomplishment was small compared to the girls who brought in presents, cakes, pizzas and party decorations--all while sneaking past Matt at the desk. I learned that Matt can be pretty clueless. :)
On the clinic's lunch break, his manager said she needed to go over some performance stats with him in the break room. When he walked in, about 20 of his coworkers greeted him with a "SURPRISE! and CONGRATULATIONS!" He was SHOCKED!!
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| Surprise!!! |
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| SHOCKED!!! |
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| LOTS of goodies!! |
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| Matt with some of the coworkers that were part of the shower. |
They did such a good job putting together this surprise, and they SPOILED us with so many things! Lots of adorable outfits, diapers, wipes, medicines, blankets, towels, washcloths, toys... some of everything! They seriously got us way too much stuff. But we are grateful.
So thankful. It is such a blessing to have so many wonderful people in our lives. I also think it's a huge testament to what an awesome man Matt is that his coworkers did something so special for him.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Sowing Seeds
In my last post, I wrote about why we are pursuing this particular path to adoption. There are SO many options, and many of them less-expensive.
I wanted to write a little about why the cost of a domestic infant adoption was never a huge deterrent for us.
Let me start by saying that we are not millionaires. Wedidn't don't have an extra $25k sitting in a bank waiting to be used for this eternal purpose. We have modest incomes and had a significant amount of debt when we started this whole process. But we weren't worried. We also weren't naive.
Before we were married, I was on staff with a college ministry where we raised our financial support. I learned in that time that people want to invest in what God is doing. Not everyone can live in a closed country and share the Gospel as their full-time job. But, people can invest in that mission and be part of what God is doing in that country. I had supporters of $5 to $200 a month who each got to be part of how God worked when He allowed me and my team to be on the mission field. Without their prayers and financial support, we couldn't have been there as long as we were. My supporters invested in sharing the Gospel with unreached people because they knew it was something God cared about. He commands us to go, but not everyone can go. Those who support the go-ers also get to be part of the go-ing. In the same way, not everyone is called to adopt, but people can still be part of adoption through giving and/or praying.
Trusting God for the finances has been one of the best parts of this journey. Weknew know He
will provide because He loves orphans. We are pursuing something that
is part of His character. He is Father to the fatherless (Psalm 68:5).
Jesus Himself was raised in a family that was not completely
biological. James writes "Religion
that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look
after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from
being polluted by the world" (1:27). He "sets the lonely in families" (Psalm 68:6). Adoption is something God cares about. He will provide.
The remaining $10,000 or so needed for the adoption? (*Our price is expected to increase once we get a new home study done if we haven't gotten a placement soon.) We are still committed to adopting without debt. We will continue to apply for grants, do fundraisers, work side jobs and put money aside. We don't expect God to drop it off miraculously in our mailbox (though He COULD). We will work diligently and faithfully. And we will continue to invite you to sow seeds of investment into this part of God's story. You may not be called to adopt, but you can still share in God's heart for adoption. You can be part of this story. Information on how to become part of this adoption is available here.
I wanted to write a little about why the cost of a domestic infant adoption was never a huge deterrent for us.
Let me start by saying that we are not millionaires. We
Before we were married, I was on staff with a college ministry where we raised our financial support. I learned in that time that people want to invest in what God is doing. Not everyone can live in a closed country and share the Gospel as their full-time job. But, people can invest in that mission and be part of what God is doing in that country. I had supporters of $5 to $200 a month who each got to be part of how God worked when He allowed me and my team to be on the mission field. Without their prayers and financial support, we couldn't have been there as long as we were. My supporters invested in sharing the Gospel with unreached people because they knew it was something God cared about. He commands us to go, but not everyone can go. Those who support the go-ers also get to be part of the go-ing. In the same way, not everyone is called to adopt, but people can still be part of adoption through giving and/or praying.
Trusting God for the finances has been one of the best parts of this journey. We
The remaining $10,000 or so needed for the adoption? (*Our price is expected to increase once we get a new home study done if we haven't gotten a placement soon.) We are still committed to adopting without debt. We will continue to apply for grants, do fundraisers, work side jobs and put money aside. We don't expect God to drop it off miraculously in our mailbox (though He COULD). We will work diligently and faithfully. And we will continue to invite you to sow seeds of investment into this part of God's story. You may not be called to adopt, but you can still share in God's heart for adoption. You can be part of this story. Information on how to become part of this adoption is available here.
Friday, September 28, 2012
10 and Thankful Thursday
We have reached a new milestone in this adoption journey:
Yesterday, we received our 10th email about an available child. Honestly, the wave of excitement that comes when you get an email about a baby is indescribable. Could THIS be our baby? It's also a little heartbreaking. It's a reminder that we live in a broken world. But it's also encouraging. A birth mother choosing adoption is much better than choosing abortion.
These emails are great reminders for the Sovereignty of God in this process and great catalysts for prayer... and also a reminder that if we were picked, God would have to perform a miracle for us to have the remaining funds ready.
Today, while we wait for news about this latest baby, I am Thankful.
Yesterday, we received our 10th email about an available child. Honestly, the wave of excitement that comes when you get an email about a baby is indescribable. Could THIS be our baby? It's also a little heartbreaking. It's a reminder that we live in a broken world. But it's also encouraging. A birth mother choosing adoption is much better than choosing abortion.
Today, while we wait for news about this latest baby, I am Thankful.
- I'm thankful for how God has already provided greatly for this adoption.
- I'm thankful for our house and that it will make a wonderful home for our family for years to come.
- I'm thankful for each person who donated items for us to sell at our yard sales.
- I'm thankful for the people who have purchased jewelry, make-up, home decor, and Tupperware in support of our adoption.
- I'm thankful for those who have participated in our raffles by spreading the word or donating to earn entries.
- I'm thankful for the sweet notes we've received along with donations in the mail.
- I'm thankful for the people who sold class rings and discarded jewelry for our adoption.
- I'm thankful for everyone who came and supported us at Chik-fil-A.
- I'm thankful for the crib, highchair, play pen, bassinet, bouncy seat, and baby clothes that have been given to us with such generous hearts.
- I'm thankful to be on this journey with my best friend who keeps me grounded.
- I'm thankful for a wonderful job with special people who encourage me and ask me about our status.
- I'm thankful for people who purchase items through our Amazon site in support of our adoption.
- I'm thankful that Lifesong for Orphans is allowing donations to be made to them so that people can give tax-deductible donations.
- I'm thankful to have been called to adopt a child...
- I'm thankful for those who walk this journey with us.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Saturdays
I used to take Saturdays for granted. Then I worked at Verizon for 2.5 years and didn't have any Saturdays. I Looooooooooove Saturdays now. They will be even better when Matt is teaching, and we have Saturdays off together. But for now, I'm starting to figure out how to fully enjoy Saturdays and fit it as much as possible.
Last Saturday, I met Celeste for breakfast. Definitely a treat! Going out to breakfast is my favorite thing, but it was extra special to catch up with a long-time friend. (We've been friends since 2004). After breakfast, we still had lots to catch up on, so she came with me back to our apartment. We talked and caught up while doing dishes and laundry. It was pretty perfect. Being productive AND hanging out with a good friend. I need to do this more often!
Today, I got up pretty early (I think I'm too old to really sleep in now) and decided to take the dogs to the dog park before it got too hot. On my way, I decided to see if I could pick up my favorite 2 year old to take her with me. Her mom happily obliged. :) So, Allie and I took Nala and Zoe to the dog park... the very muddy dog park. I totally should have turned around when I saw the puddles, but I knew my girls (the dogs) needed to get some energy out. Well, we had SOOOO much fun. All 4 of us got muddy and messy but burned up a lot of energy and made some fun memories. It was a blast!
Dropped off a muddy 2 year old almost 2 hours later and came home to wash up my two girls. Neither of them like baths, and it's not very easy to man-handle either one of them into the bathtub, but I somehow managed to get them both clean. Felt like a HUGE accomplishment! Matt came home for lunch, and I straightened up a little bit while he ate. I LOVE that he can come home for lunch now and will probably miss that when he teaches. Then again, I'll be working most of the days that he teaches, so I guess it doesn't matter...
This afternoon, my friend Lauren (also the momma of my favorite 2 year old) picked me up, and we got to enjoy an uninterrupted afternoon hanging out (hard to do since she's a busy wife and momma of 2 + a new exchange student from Australia.) :) But we had sooo much fun enjoying chatting at Starbucks then going to the grocery store. (Again, mixing friends and productivity... it works well!)
My heart is full. AND I get to enjoy an evening with my honey and a day of family tomorrow. We are truly blessed. I don't want to wish this time away. I don't know how long this season will last, so I want to treasure it while it's here. Soon enough, Saturdays will be full of new adventures and joys (with home-ownership and parenting on the horizon). New responsibilities. For now, I'm going to enjoy my pups and low-maintenance apartment as much as possible.
(P.S. Sorry no pictures. The beloved camera is MIA and has been for about a month now. Pretty bummed about that.)
Last Saturday, I met Celeste for breakfast. Definitely a treat! Going out to breakfast is my favorite thing, but it was extra special to catch up with a long-time friend. (We've been friends since 2004). After breakfast, we still had lots to catch up on, so she came with me back to our apartment. We talked and caught up while doing dishes and laundry. It was pretty perfect. Being productive AND hanging out with a good friend. I need to do this more often!
Today, I got up pretty early (I think I'm too old to really sleep in now) and decided to take the dogs to the dog park before it got too hot. On my way, I decided to see if I could pick up my favorite 2 year old to take her with me. Her mom happily obliged. :) So, Allie and I took Nala and Zoe to the dog park... the very muddy dog park. I totally should have turned around when I saw the puddles, but I knew my girls (the dogs) needed to get some energy out. Well, we had SOOOO much fun. All 4 of us got muddy and messy but burned up a lot of energy and made some fun memories. It was a blast!
Dropped off a muddy 2 year old almost 2 hours later and came home to wash up my two girls. Neither of them like baths, and it's not very easy to man-handle either one of them into the bathtub, but I somehow managed to get them both clean. Felt like a HUGE accomplishment! Matt came home for lunch, and I straightened up a little bit while he ate. I LOVE that he can come home for lunch now and will probably miss that when he teaches. Then again, I'll be working most of the days that he teaches, so I guess it doesn't matter...
This afternoon, my friend Lauren (also the momma of my favorite 2 year old) picked me up, and we got to enjoy an uninterrupted afternoon hanging out (hard to do since she's a busy wife and momma of 2 + a new exchange student from Australia.) :) But we had sooo much fun enjoying chatting at Starbucks then going to the grocery store. (Again, mixing friends and productivity... it works well!)
My heart is full. AND I get to enjoy an evening with my honey and a day of family tomorrow. We are truly blessed. I don't want to wish this time away. I don't know how long this season will last, so I want to treasure it while it's here. Soon enough, Saturdays will be full of new adventures and joys (with home-ownership and parenting on the horizon). New responsibilities. For now, I'm going to enjoy my pups and low-maintenance apartment as much as possible.
(P.S. Sorry no pictures. The beloved camera is MIA and has been for about a month now. Pretty bummed about that.)
Friday, August 10, 2012
'Tis the Season...
... for more change!
Our season as a Cares Team has come to an end. A little earlier than originally planned but definitely the right time. Thankfully, we had been house-hunting 'just for fun' since April. And we had a really good idea of what we wanted, where we wanted to be and what we could spend.
We have now put in an offer, had it countered, countered again and gotten another counter. We have settled on a price, and as long as the Home Inspection doesn't find any major problems, this will be our first home!
Isn't God good?! We will hopefully be bringing our child home to a real HOME and not an apartment, on the 3rd floor. And we will have more time to focus on bonding and growing as a family without the commitment of Cares.
More later on "our first house" if all goes well.
Our season as a Cares Team has come to an end. A little earlier than originally planned but definitely the right time. Thankfully, we had been house-hunting 'just for fun' since April. And we had a really good idea of what we wanted, where we wanted to be and what we could spend.
We have now put in an offer, had it countered, countered again and gotten another counter. We have settled on a price, and as long as the Home Inspection doesn't find any major problems, this will be our first home!
Isn't God good?! We will hopefully be bringing our child home to a real HOME and not an apartment, on the 3rd floor. And we will have more time to focus on bonding and growing as a family without the commitment of Cares.
More later on "our first house" if all goes well.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Progress
Well, I can't share details, but there has been some activity lately on the baby front. Nothing for sure (trust me, you would know... but definitely some activity). We are learning so much about ourselves and the amazing people who are in our lives.
As of today, our home study has been approved for 3 months which means we've been in "paper pregnancy labor" for 3 months. It's nothing compared to how long other families wait, but it's still 3 months.
But just this week, we've been really encouraged from people in our community. The Deacons at the church where I work met this week and decided to donate $580 to our adoption fund. This was given to me while I was working on the glider for our nursery at a friend's house. Matt was given a donation by one of the vets in his hospital. And today, a family who I met through ARBC (the church where I work) called and said that they are having a yard sale tomorrow and will donate all of their proceeds to us. Wow!!
What a unique season of life this is! It's humbling. Encouraging. Uplifting. Confusing. Thought-consuming.
In my head, there are so many blog posts about this season. I want to remember it all, but I don't want to be annoying. I don't want to come across in the wrong way. So I'll wait for a better time... but I will say that if anyone wants to talk (in real life) about all this, I'm up for it! I like processing things while talking them through. Another reason I have this here blog... to process things while I write. :)
Enough randomness... I will close with this, for now:
If anyone out there is considering adoption but intimidated by the costs, be encouraged! God has a heart for orphans, and He will provide! He has created us to "multiply and fill the earth with the image of God". He desires for Christian families to raise children and bring them up for His glory. He will provide. He IS providing for us!
As of today, our home study has been approved for 3 months which means we've been in "paper pregnancy labor" for 3 months. It's nothing compared to how long other families wait, but it's still 3 months.
But just this week, we've been really encouraged from people in our community. The Deacons at the church where I work met this week and decided to donate $580 to our adoption fund. This was given to me while I was working on the glider for our nursery at a friend's house. Matt was given a donation by one of the vets in his hospital. And today, a family who I met through ARBC (the church where I work) called and said that they are having a yard sale tomorrow and will donate all of their proceeds to us. Wow!!
What a unique season of life this is! It's humbling. Encouraging. Uplifting. Confusing. Thought-consuming.
In my head, there are so many blog posts about this season. I want to remember it all, but I don't want to be annoying. I don't want to come across in the wrong way. So I'll wait for a better time... but I will say that if anyone wants to talk (in real life) about all this, I'm up for it! I like processing things while talking them through. Another reason I have this here blog... to process things while I write. :)
Enough randomness... I will close with this, for now:
If anyone out there is considering adoption but intimidated by the costs, be encouraged! God has a heart for orphans, and He will provide! He has created us to "multiply and fill the earth with the image of God". He desires for Christian families to raise children and bring them up for His glory. He will provide. He IS providing for us!
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Gift Card Giveaway Continues!
Well, we found out yesterday that we did not receive a grant through Show Hope. We are now 0-2 as far as grants. However, we DID get a very generous donation of $580 from the deacon fund of the church where I work. It was VERY encouraging!
We still have a few days left in the Gift Card Giveaway. And we are doing a special way to enter for the next 24 hours...
"Like" our Facebook Page and leave a comment on what you will use the Amazon gift card for if you win. (If you have already liked the page, leaving the comment will enter you as well!) We will also be doing DOUBLE ENTRIES for donations through Noon tomorrow.
Help spread the word!
We still have a few days left in the Gift Card Giveaway. And we are doing a special way to enter for the next 24 hours...
"Like" our Facebook Page and leave a comment on what you will use the Amazon gift card for if you win. (If you have already liked the page, leaving the comment will enter you as well!) We will also be doing DOUBLE ENTRIES for donations through Noon tomorrow.
Help spread the word!
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Everyday Life
Awhile back, I asked if anyone has questions for us in this unique season. My friend Kristen responded that she wanted to know more about our everyday lives. Since one of the main purposes of this blog is to journal and preserve memories... I thought it was a great idea. So, here goes.
Mondays... If Matt opens, he gets up around 6:15 and gets to work by 6:45. If he closes, he sleeps in and goes into work at 11:00. Sometimes, he goes in for another shift in between. He usually takes Nala (and now Zoe) out before he goes to work. I usually get up around 7:30 (or sometimes 8:00 or 8:15) and get to work by 8:30 or 8:45. Matt doesn't eat breakfast. I eat breakfast on the way to work and drink my one cup of coffee (thanks to my Keurig!) throughout the morning. At work, Matt checks animals in and out of the vet, calls owners of pets to schedule appointments or remind them of their appointments, weighs pets, gets them their medicines, and does LOTS of other things to stay busy. He comes home for lunch, which varies depending on when he goes into work. He takes Nala and Zoe out during lunch and chills for a few minutes then goes back to lunch.
I usually eat lunch at work (used to eat what the chef for the childcare center made, but now I take my own since I'm doing Weight Watchers). Mondays I usually work on updating the church's website and processing sermon videos to post online. Depending on what's going on at the church, I often have lots of other projects going on.
Once we both get home from work, we figure out something to do for dinner. If one of us planned ahead, we took out some meat to make. If we didn't think it through ahead of time, we will make something from the freezer. :) Monday evenings, we usually watch tv shows from the night before online. Usually, it's Amazing Race and/or Celebrity Apprentice, but they're both on a break right now. One Monday a month, I do a Book Club with our neighbors through Cares.
Tuesdays... (Normal daytime). After work, we usually have a family dinner at Dad & Gail's. They usually keep out niece, Hailey on Tuesdays, so the whole family converges on their place for dinner. It's one of the many perks of living in the same town as family. After family dinner, we come home and tend to the pups then spend time doing things around the house. And sometimes, we will watch a show together. Bachelorette online currently. (Of course, this depends on whether or not we can pickup free internet or not.)
Wednesdays... (Normal daytime). Since a couple of weeks ago, I stay at work late on Wednesdays and meet Steven at a Weight Watchers meeting. After weight watchers, we have dinner with Matt.
Thursdays... I love Thursdays. For the last couple months, I've been meeting with some ladies and studying Beth Moore's James. I rush home to straighten up my apartment. Ladies start coming over around 6:30. We usually start with snacks and catching up. Then we discuss the homework and watch a video. I haven't been great at keeping up with the homework, but when I do it, it's always on time. And even just the teaching videos that we watch on Thursdays are full of wisdom and encouragement and challenge. Plus, it's great to spend time with these new friends and learn about how God is at work in their lives and pray with one another. A lot of times I crash after Bible Study. While I'm doing this, Matt is usually working on school stuff or Cares stuff.
Fridays... I have a love/hate relationship with Fridays. When I get into work, my coworkers and I have a devotion from Experiencing God. Then we have breakfast together, and my day gets crazy after that. Preparing worship media, sermon PowerPoint, sermon notes, printing the weekly newsletter, updating the website, and LOTS of other stuff. Thankfully, my coworkers help with this a lot. But still, lots of Fridays, I work late. By the time I get home, I'm exhausted and like to do nothing. :)
Saturdays... Saturdays are usually filled with Cares events-, planning, shopping, or actually doing them. And sometimes we do things with friends. Sometimes we go on walks, but we call it "looking for alligators". Which we see often. There are several who live in the big neighborhood we live in. I love alligators... from a distance. Housework. Laundry... more laundry.
Sundays... Church. Lunch at Grandma's with the family. Hang out over there for awhile. Home for housework. We used to have Community Group on Sundays, but we're taking a break from that for awhile. Gives us more time to do a better job at Cares. We look forward to joining back with Community Group eventually. Also on Sunday nights, we have Family Movie Night. This is at Mark & Steph's house with them & Hailey, us, and Steven. We watch Cupcake Wars until Hailey goes to bed, then we pick a movie to watch. It's usually pretty late by the time we're done with that, so then we just head home and get ready to start the week.
Of course, every week is different. We try to find time to spend together. We spend time loving on our dogs. We go on walks. We go to the dog park. We cook and bake. We hang out with friends. We watch movies and play games. We have friends over for dinner & games.
Most weeks depend on Matt's schedule. He works 4 days each week and spends the other days doing housework, working on Cares stuff and working on school.
Each day is also affected by our ongoing wait for our baby. Each day, we pray and hope and wonder. Will this be the day our lives will change forever?
In the meantime, we wait. And go on with everyday. :)
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| Mom keeps us well-stocked with yummy creamers. Great way to start the day. |
Mondays... If Matt opens, he gets up around 6:15 and gets to work by 6:45. If he closes, he sleeps in and goes into work at 11:00. Sometimes, he goes in for another shift in between. He usually takes Nala (and now Zoe) out before he goes to work. I usually get up around 7:30 (or sometimes 8:00 or 8:15) and get to work by 8:30 or 8:45. Matt doesn't eat breakfast. I eat breakfast on the way to work and drink my one cup of coffee (thanks to my Keurig!) throughout the morning. At work, Matt checks animals in and out of the vet, calls owners of pets to schedule appointments or remind them of their appointments, weighs pets, gets them their medicines, and does LOTS of other things to stay busy. He comes home for lunch, which varies depending on when he goes into work. He takes Nala and Zoe out during lunch and chills for a few minutes then goes back to lunch.
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| Matt with the girls. |
I usually eat lunch at work (used to eat what the chef for the childcare center made, but now I take my own since I'm doing Weight Watchers). Mondays I usually work on updating the church's website and processing sermon videos to post online. Depending on what's going on at the church, I often have lots of other projects going on.
Once we both get home from work, we figure out something to do for dinner. If one of us planned ahead, we took out some meat to make. If we didn't think it through ahead of time, we will make something from the freezer. :) Monday evenings, we usually watch tv shows from the night before online. Usually, it's Amazing Race and/or Celebrity Apprentice, but they're both on a break right now. One Monday a month, I do a Book Club with our neighbors through Cares.
Tuesdays... (Normal daytime). After work, we usually have a family dinner at Dad & Gail's. They usually keep out niece, Hailey on Tuesdays, so the whole family converges on their place for dinner. It's one of the many perks of living in the same town as family. After family dinner, we come home and tend to the pups then spend time doing things around the house. And sometimes, we will watch a show together. Bachelorette online currently. (Of course, this depends on whether or not we can pickup free internet or not.)
Wednesdays... (Normal daytime). Since a couple of weeks ago, I stay at work late on Wednesdays and meet Steven at a Weight Watchers meeting. After weight watchers, we have dinner with Matt.
Thursdays... I love Thursdays. For the last couple months, I've been meeting with some ladies and studying Beth Moore's James. I rush home to straighten up my apartment. Ladies start coming over around 6:30. We usually start with snacks and catching up. Then we discuss the homework and watch a video. I haven't been great at keeping up with the homework, but when I do it, it's always on time. And even just the teaching videos that we watch on Thursdays are full of wisdom and encouragement and challenge. Plus, it's great to spend time with these new friends and learn about how God is at work in their lives and pray with one another. A lot of times I crash after Bible Study. While I'm doing this, Matt is usually working on school stuff or Cares stuff.
Fridays... I have a love/hate relationship with Fridays. When I get into work, my coworkers and I have a devotion from Experiencing God. Then we have breakfast together, and my day gets crazy after that. Preparing worship media, sermon PowerPoint, sermon notes, printing the weekly newsletter, updating the website, and LOTS of other stuff. Thankfully, my coworkers help with this a lot. But still, lots of Fridays, I work late. By the time I get home, I'm exhausted and like to do nothing. :)
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| Worship media. |
Saturdays... Saturdays are usually filled with Cares events-, planning, shopping, or actually doing them. And sometimes we do things with friends. Sometimes we go on walks, but we call it "looking for alligators". Which we see often. There are several who live in the big neighborhood we live in. I love alligators... from a distance. Housework. Laundry... more laundry.
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| An alligator Matt saw recently. But not in our neighborhood. |
Sundays... Church. Lunch at Grandma's with the family. Hang out over there for awhile. Home for housework. We used to have Community Group on Sundays, but we're taking a break from that for awhile. Gives us more time to do a better job at Cares. We look forward to joining back with Community Group eventually. Also on Sunday nights, we have Family Movie Night. This is at Mark & Steph's house with them & Hailey, us, and Steven. We watch Cupcake Wars until Hailey goes to bed, then we pick a movie to watch. It's usually pretty late by the time we're done with that, so then we just head home and get ready to start the week.
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| Movie Night. |
Most weeks depend on Matt's schedule. He works 4 days each week and spends the other days doing housework, working on Cares stuff and working on school.
Each day is also affected by our ongoing wait for our baby. Each day, we pray and hope and wonder. Will this be the day our lives will change forever?
In the meantime, we wait. And go on with everyday. :)
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Final Home Study Approval!
This has been the longest week EVER! All things considered, I'm amazed that we stayed sane this week.
Matt just worked 8 days straight. We had a huge Cares event last weekend, and 2 out of the 4 of the people in my office have been out at least 2 days this week.
Aside from that, we've been expecting/hoping for our Final Home Study approval all week. I checked my email like 4 times more than normal (which is already a lot, if I'm being honest!).
March 1st we got news that we were moving forward with our home study. I didn't realize that it was so involved to finish everything off. We had to redo a bunch of paperwork. Then, when everything was done and sent from one office to the state office, it got lost in the mail. A lot of originals that HAVE to be in the file for the state were in that packet, so we had to get that stuff redone.
Our last paper was mailed last Wednesday, but we knew the office was closed for Good Friday. So, we thought it would be Monday.
Didn't hear anything on Monday.
Tuesday--emailed our Social Worker who said she was missing one reference.
Wednesday--our Social Worker emailed us saying she had contacted the missing reference and asked her to resend the reference. Checked with my friend, and she had mailed it on Tuesday (again).
Thursday--I email the social worker to see if she's gotten the last reference. She did! She has to have a final conversation with the state director and says it might be today. If not today, then maybe Friday. If not Friday, we'd have to wait a week because the state director goes on vacation.
Friday--wait ALLLLLLLLLLLL day. Crazy busy at work but still hoping the day would be made perfect by getting our approval. Text back and forth with Matt while he's on the road to Liberty for the weekend. Leave work at 5 bummed that we didn't hear. Talk with neighbors and tell them we were really hoping to hear today but didn't.
Friday at 5:55 PM, check my email, and there it is: "you are approved".
Praise the Lord for our social worker and her knowing that it would have been hard to wait so much longer!!
347 days of home-study is FAR from normal. Even 6 weeks like it's been since March 1st is kinda long. However, it was His plan for us.
Praying it won't be too long of a wait until we meet our chosen child!!! "Average" is 9 months, but we are hoping since our home-study was crazy long, God might give us grace in having our wait be shorter.
Matt just worked 8 days straight. We had a huge Cares event last weekend, and 2 out of the 4 of the people in my office have been out at least 2 days this week.
Aside from that, we've been expecting/hoping for our Final Home Study approval all week. I checked my email like 4 times more than normal (which is already a lot, if I'm being honest!).
March 1st we got news that we were moving forward with our home study. I didn't realize that it was so involved to finish everything off. We had to redo a bunch of paperwork. Then, when everything was done and sent from one office to the state office, it got lost in the mail. A lot of originals that HAVE to be in the file for the state were in that packet, so we had to get that stuff redone.
Our last paper was mailed last Wednesday, but we knew the office was closed for Good Friday. So, we thought it would be Monday.
Didn't hear anything on Monday.
Tuesday--emailed our Social Worker who said she was missing one reference.
Wednesday--our Social Worker emailed us saying she had contacted the missing reference and asked her to resend the reference. Checked with my friend, and she had mailed it on Tuesday (again).
Thursday--I email the social worker to see if she's gotten the last reference. She did! She has to have a final conversation with the state director and says it might be today. If not today, then maybe Friday. If not Friday, we'd have to wait a week because the state director goes on vacation.
Friday--wait ALLLLLLLLLLLL day. Crazy busy at work but still hoping the day would be made perfect by getting our approval. Text back and forth with Matt while he's on the road to Liberty for the weekend. Leave work at 5 bummed that we didn't hear. Talk with neighbors and tell them we were really hoping to hear today but didn't.
Friday at 5:55 PM, check my email, and there it is: "you are approved".
Praise the LORD for His perfect timing.
347 days of home-study is FAR from normal. Even 6 weeks like it's been since March 1st is kinda long. However, it was His plan for us.
Praying it won't be too long of a wait until we meet our chosen child!!! "Average" is 9 months, but we are hoping since our home-study was crazy long, God might give us grace in having our wait be shorter.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Credit Card DEBT FREE!
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| Source |
A combined balance that equaled more than the cost of a car... more than a year at each of our private colleges... more than one of us made in a year. A HEFTY combined balance.
First, we paid off our personal loan (also taken out for us to move to Thailand.)
Second, we paid off our smaller credit card.
And last week, we paid off our largest, LAST credit card!!!
We are officially credit-card-debt-free!
We did it in our own way. Not exactly Dave Ramsey style. But we did learn some things from his class, that we halfway took in 2009. (Remember?)
These are some specific things we did to knock out our credit card debt. (And you can too!)
- Spent less money than we made. Not too easy at first. Took some getting used to. (Shocker!)
- Both got second jobs. (This was hard for awhile, not gonna lie.)
- Got together an emergency fund.
- Cut WAY back on eating out. (We both LOVE eating out and still do occasionally but not near what we used to. We also went through a few slumps in this area but with Matt's leadership, got better.)
- Became a Cares team.
- Cancelled our Cable.
- Cancelled our Internet. (Thankfully, we can get the apartment's free wi-fi!)
- Sold our body for medical research. (Well, Matt did.)
- Put "extra" money (like school loan 'refunds', bonuses, babysitting money, gifts) toward debt.
- Refinanced car loan for much lower interest than our credit card interest. Put the 'extra' toward credit card.
Bottom line is: if we can do it, you can do it! Talk to us if you have any questions. We are both big advocates of not using credit cards anymore. And so are both of my sisters! Go Tyndall girls!
Monday, February 6, 2012
Matt's 27!
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| This is what you looked like as a baby. |
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| This is what you looked like yesterday. |
These are things about you that are true today:
Jobs: Client Service Coordinator at Banfield Pet Hospital & Grad School Student.
Jobs: Client Service Coordinator at Banfield Pet Hospital & Grad School Student. 
Things I love about you: You are a man who has great Faith. I am so thankful that God gave me such a faithful husband. You are also hilarious and incredibly loving. You are an individual-you do things when you want, how you want. You have great compassion. You are an amazing husband to me. 
You're my best friend, and you are my favorite person to hang out with. I love that you kill spiders and bugs for me even though you don't like them either. You love Nala so much, and I can't wait to see how much you'll love our kids. You remind me to turn to Jesus instead of you sometimes. You really love your family. You aren't perfect, and you know it. You're real! You help me to be real. I love your eyes. Your kisses. Your hugs. I love how you get excited about things I think are silly. You do the dishes and laundry. You read out loud to me. You write me love notes.
Activities/Interests: Movies!, Hanging out with me, Nala, Community Group & Church stuff, Reading, TV (stuff we have on DVD or can watch online), Aquariums, Wii-ing, watching scary movies, photography, animals, playing games (Nertz, Spades, Settlers...), playing computer games (Words With Friends!), watching Spongebob, cartoons, traveling.
Activities/Interests: Movies!, Hanging out with me, Nala, Community Group & Church stuff, Reading, TV (stuff we have on DVD or can watch online), Aquariums, Wii-ing, watching scary movies, photography, animals, playing games (Nertz, Spades, Settlers...), playing computer games (Words With Friends!), watching Spongebob, cartoons, traveling.
Favorite foods: Japanese, Italian food, Sushi, Salads. Ginger's frosting. Desserts! Sugar, Brown Sugar, Powdered Sugar. Raw hamburger meat. Stove Top. Rice.Least Favorite foods: Anything Breakfast. Meatloaf. Grandma's Mac & Cheese.
Things you did while you were 26: Moved to a new apartment and started being a Cares team! Became an uncle for the first time! Took lots of grad school classes-even one up in Virginia at Liberty. Had your sister-in-law live with us for a few months. Borrowed your mother-in-law's convertible for a couple months! Went to adoption trainings & did adoption fundraisers. Got a brand-new car for a Christmas present! Paid off another credit card.
Favorite Movies/Shows: too many to name: (You are currently in the process of watching every single movie you own during 2012), The Nightmare Before Christmas, Blue Planet, Planet Earth, Christopher Guest movies, Transformers series, LOTR series, ...
What you want to be when you grow up: Elementary School teacher and stay-at-home Dad
Last year, I wrote that the previous year had been the toughest year of our marriage and prayed for more joy this year. I totally think God answered that prayer as we figured out how to have more time together and time doing ministry together. Though we still face challenges, we are moving forward and trusting God to lead us. I'm so thankful for this past year and what we've learned about living together. Maybe next year, we will be celebrating you becoming a father!
What you want to be when you grow up: Elementary School teacher and stay-at-home Dad
Last year, I wrote that the previous year had been the toughest year of our marriage and prayed for more joy this year. I totally think God answered that prayer as we figured out how to have more time together and time doing ministry together. Though we still face challenges, we are moving forward and trusting God to lead us. I'm so thankful for this past year and what we've learned about living together. Maybe next year, we will be celebrating you becoming a father! |
| This is what you look like today! |
I love you, Matthew! Happy 27th Birthday!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Monday, Monday
Last Monday, I didn't go to work. But I got paid for it! :)
And today, I did go to work. And I got paid for it. :)
These are new developments for which I'm thankful.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. A job makes a huge difference! For me, this job is an answer to many prayers. It's not perfect, but it's exactly where I'm meant to be. And knowing that I'm where I'm supposed to be is priceless.
That's all for today... :)
And today, I did go to work. And I got paid for it. :)
These are new developments for which I'm thankful.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. A job makes a huge difference! For me, this job is an answer to many prayers. It's not perfect, but it's exactly where I'm meant to be. And knowing that I'm where I'm supposed to be is priceless.
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| For a project-oriented gal like myself, this is a site of happiness. :) |
That's all for today... :)
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Night and Day
Lots of people have been asking about my new job, so I thought I would go into some detail here.
You may or may not know that I had been having some major problems with anxiety/depression for the past 9 months. Unfortunately, most of it was directly related to my job. I had great benefits with Verizon, and they were very good about letting me take some time off here and there to try to pull it together. But I ended up having to take a lot of time off, which was wearing on me. I didn't like feeling that I wasn't being a great employee.
I've seen a few doctors over the past couple months, and they all seem in agreement that my job (the hours and the stress) was probably attributing to a lot of my anxiety/depression and everything that comes along with that. I have been in counseling and been on medications. These things help, but I'm wanting to really get better. After several months of thinking through and weighing pros and cons, we decided it was best for me to change jobs. My quality of life is more important than some of the great things that I was trying to hang on at Verizon for.
So... I quit Verizon! Whoo-hoo! We decided we can sacrifice some things financially in order for me to have better well-being overall. The last two doctors' visits I had confirmed it--since they both said (without my asking) that my job was probably a large contributor to my health stuff. That combined with the adoption on hold made me realize that it was time for some changes. I don't want to be working at Verizon next year: I want to be raising our child. :)
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| Box of stuff from my cubicle at Verizon. |
So... I am working now at a church office doing media and publications, which is WAY more me. :) It's 8:30-4:30 4 days a week. It's only been three weeks since being at the new job, but it feels like night and day. I LOVE having 'normal' work hours and being off in the evenings. And I love being at a job that has eternal impact.
So it's still early, but I'm doing MUCH better. It sorta makes me wish I had quit Verizon months ago. :) I do have a huge amount of respect for Verizon Wireless as an organization though. And I'm thankful for the 2 years that I was able to work there. However, I'm VERY excited about this next stage!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
2 years at Verizon
I.can't.believe.I've.been.working.here.for.TWO.years!!!
Out of the 24 people in this picture (+1 who wasn't there that day) out of my original 'class', there are 12 left. Less than half.
Crazy.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Thankful Thursday
I'm thankful for the cooler weather. I've even been cold this week. It can stay these temps until April.
I'm thankful for my job. I don't always love it, but I'm thankful for it. And the good benefits that come with it.
I'm thankful that I can be in grad school for free. I definitely regret my decision to take 2 classes this quarter, but I'm thankful that I have the opportunity to take these classes.
I'm thankful for Matt helping with housework so much.
I'm thankful to have only one dog--and this dog being Nala. Several times a day I am thankful for this.
I'm thankful for the next 10 days having lots of fun stuff that out-of-the-ordinary.
I'm thankful for such a fun Community Group.
I'm super, extremely thankful that my best friend will be returning to the States this month and that I will probably get some quality Ginger time fairly soon. :)
I'm thankful for my job. I don't always love it, but I'm thankful for it. And the good benefits that come with it.
I'm thankful that I can be in grad school for free. I definitely regret my decision to take 2 classes this quarter, but I'm thankful that I have the opportunity to take these classes.
I'm thankful for Matt helping with housework so much.
I'm thankful to have only one dog--and this dog being Nala. Several times a day I am thankful for this.
I'm thankful for the next 10 days having lots of fun stuff that out-of-the-ordinary.I'm thankful for such a fun Community Group.
I'm super, extremely thankful that my best friend will be returning to the States this month and that I will probably get some quality Ginger time fairly soon. :)
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Matt Update
Here's what Matt's up to these days:- Working lots at Banfield. They just extended their hours for an extra 2 hours a day, and they're open on Sundays now.
- Working on his MAT through Liberty Online. He just finished his 3rd class. He's gotten all A's so far, and I'm super proud of him. This time around, he's taking 2 classes at a time, so we'll see how that goes. Pretty soon, he'll be going up there for a couple weeks at a time to complete his courses on campus.
- Still occasionally works at the Doubletree downtown. Probably 2-3 times a month.
- Helping out a lot with the housework because I'm terrible at it.
- Meeting with guys from our Community Group once a week and building relationships with them.
- Growing in his relationship with the Lord
- Continuing to be a great husband. I honestly don't know what I would do without this man.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Life Since California
Two things will be wrong with this post.
1) There will be no pictures. I dislike posting blogs with no pictures, but it's not an option at this point.
2) It's not in chronological order with other posts I'm working on. SOOO much to update on (including 12 days of vacation).
Now, on to the post!
We got back from California at 3:30 am on June 29th. I had the day off, but Matt had to work. I did laundry and ran errands. Had lunch with Grandma, Steven and Steph. Picked up Nala. That night, we had jetlag and didn't go to sleep til like 5am.
The next day, lots happened:
1. We had our CARES interview (remember this post?).
2. I found out I got a promotion that I had applied for at Verizon.
3. Also found out that said promotion comes with a nice raise. (Praise God it was more than I expected!)
Somewhere in those couple of days, Nala had a checkup for her leg. The vet discovered that now it's both of her back knees that are ruptured. He recommended the specialist do the surgery, which took the price of the surgery from $100 to $4500. Yikes. I cried. At the vet (Matt's work). I was embarrassed. The vet also told us that after 3 years, there was little to no difference in healing for dogs who have the surgery and ones who do 'conservative therapy' which means REST. We opted for the rest.
We found out we got accepted to CARES. Now we are just waiting for the right apartment community to open up for us. Please be praying with us for this. :)
We got a refund that we didn't expect from Matt's first semester at school. We made grown-up decisions with it. Paid off a couple credit cards completely. Put more money towards another card. Put away some money for emergencies. Put away some money for moving. And bought new computers (thus the no pictures on this post). We can justify all of these things for you if you need it. :)
We also got another dog. (What a teaser!!!) You'll have to wait for another post to meet her, in case you're on Facebook because there are pictures there already. :)
That's all for now... :)
1) There will be no pictures. I dislike posting blogs with no pictures, but it's not an option at this point.
2) It's not in chronological order with other posts I'm working on. SOOO much to update on (including 12 days of vacation).
Now, on to the post!
We got back from California at 3:30 am on June 29th. I had the day off, but Matt had to work. I did laundry and ran errands. Had lunch with Grandma, Steven and Steph. Picked up Nala. That night, we had jetlag and didn't go to sleep til like 5am.
The next day, lots happened:
1. We had our CARES interview (remember this post?).
2. I found out I got a promotion that I had applied for at Verizon.
3. Also found out that said promotion comes with a nice raise. (Praise God it was more than I expected!)
Somewhere in those couple of days, Nala had a checkup for her leg. The vet discovered that now it's both of her back knees that are ruptured. He recommended the specialist do the surgery, which took the price of the surgery from $100 to $4500. Yikes. I cried. At the vet (Matt's work). I was embarrassed. The vet also told us that after 3 years, there was little to no difference in healing for dogs who have the surgery and ones who do 'conservative therapy' which means REST. We opted for the rest.
We found out we got accepted to CARES. Now we are just waiting for the right apartment community to open up for us. Please be praying with us for this. :)
We got a refund that we didn't expect from Matt's first semester at school. We made grown-up decisions with it. Paid off a couple credit cards completely. Put more money towards another card. Put away some money for emergencies. Put away some money for moving. And bought new computers (thus the no pictures on this post). We can justify all of these things for you if you need it. :)
We also got another dog. (What a teaser!!!) You'll have to wait for another post to meet her, in case you're on Facebook because there are pictures there already. :)
That's all for now... :)
Friday, June 4, 2010
Outward Bound
Okay, so after a pretty dark season in our lives, I'm happy to report that we're both experiencing kind of an 'awakening' of sorts. Just not so down, not so stressed, not so overwhelmed and more content. This is a HUGE blessing.
There were many steps involved, but I would say one of the main contributing factors has been finding a great church that we're excited to be part of. River Church is a new church in Charleston that really matches up with the God of the Bible. It's Christ-focused, as well as outward-focused. Our second week there, we heard this sermon about reaching our spheres of influences. Matt and I both walked away from church that morning very convicted about our current situation. We loved God but had fallen into selfish and self-centered laziness. Just became too focused on our own comfort and well-being. We both knew things needed to change.
Since then, we have been growing again in our relationship with Christ. He's good, y'all. Even though we both 'knew better' than to end up where we were, God hasn't held that over our heads. He welcomed us back. He's showered His love on us. And He has again challenged us to share His love with others.
Matt said that Sunday morning that being involved with such a great church made him want to do CARES again. I agreed. I had the same feeling actually, the same morning. We've taken a few weeks to mull it over and become brave enough to try it again. We've prayed to make sure this is something from God and not just ourselves. We feel led to pursue it, though we don't have a guarantee it will work out.
CARES is a ministry with Apartment Life. We actually were part of it in Texas. We became a CARES team in May of 2008 and moved to a different part of DFW to implant ourselves into an apartment community. The purpose of a CARES team is to plan events and do visits with and for the neighbors in that community. It helps them to get to know each other and form friendships to not feel so isolated in that type of living situation. Through the events and visits, we can build relationships with lots of people and love on them and share our lives-- and our relationships with Christ!
After 3 months in Bedford, TX, we had just started getting to know people and forming good friendships when we heard about the Thailand opportunity and decided to move there. So, it was cut short. Now we'd like to continue with the CARES ministry here and be able to start something new here together.
We applied last year when we first moved back but backed out right before the personal interview process because we didn't really know our work situations or church situation at the time. Now that we are pretty settled into jobs and getting plugged into a great church, it is a much better time. So we've applied and will probably have a face-to-face interview next week. We are ready to start being more outward-focused. I'm excited.
There were many steps involved, but I would say one of the main contributing factors has been finding a great church that we're excited to be part of. River Church is a new church in Charleston that really matches up with the God of the Bible. It's Christ-focused, as well as outward-focused. Our second week there, we heard this sermon about reaching our spheres of influences. Matt and I both walked away from church that morning very convicted about our current situation. We loved God but had fallen into selfish and self-centered laziness. Just became too focused on our own comfort and well-being. We both knew things needed to change.
Since then, we have been growing again in our relationship with Christ. He's good, y'all. Even though we both 'knew better' than to end up where we were, God hasn't held that over our heads. He welcomed us back. He's showered His love on us. And He has again challenged us to share His love with others.
Matt said that Sunday morning that being involved with such a great church made him want to do CARES again. I agreed. I had the same feeling actually, the same morning. We've taken a few weeks to mull it over and become brave enough to try it again. We've prayed to make sure this is something from God and not just ourselves. We feel led to pursue it, though we don't have a guarantee it will work out.
CARES is a ministry with Apartment Life. We actually were part of it in Texas. We became a CARES team in May of 2008 and moved to a different part of DFW to implant ourselves into an apartment community. The purpose of a CARES team is to plan events and do visits with and for the neighbors in that community. It helps them to get to know each other and form friendships to not feel so isolated in that type of living situation. Through the events and visits, we can build relationships with lots of people and love on them and share our lives-- and our relationships with Christ!After 3 months in Bedford, TX, we had just started getting to know people and forming good friendships when we heard about the Thailand opportunity and decided to move there. So, it was cut short. Now we'd like to continue with the CARES ministry here and be able to start something new here together.
We applied last year when we first moved back but backed out right before the personal interview process because we didn't really know our work situations or church situation at the time. Now that we are pretty settled into jobs and getting plugged into a great church, it is a much better time. So we've applied and will probably have a face-to-face interview next week. We are ready to start being more outward-focused. I'm excited.
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