Adjusting!

We are several weeks into life in Wetaskiwin.  The guaranteed white covering of snow on...well...everything, makes outdoor Christmas decorations optional.   Growing up,  I always hoped for a white Christmas in Indiana because a Christmas without snow just didn't have the same effect.  Some years I got my wish, many years I didn't.

There are no such worries, now.

If you want to get into the Christmas spirit just look out your window or step outside.  Ta-da!

You have entered into the Christmas cheer.  Of course, talking with the locals would lead me to believe I might not always feel this way ;)

We have ventured into Edmonton on several occasions.  My first trip, lunch found me with a large piece of glass in my caesar salad, but I lived on!  And didn't hold that against the great city of shopping.

My next trip into the city, found me marking certain parts of town for exploring on foot in milder temperatures.

And my third trip to Eddy, found me in reserve movie seats to watch the next Hobbit movie.  That's right, you heard me.  You can reserve seats!  In a movie theater!  Just like going to a play!  Crazy!  But awesome.  And on the drive back to the theater, convinced me I was located in the largest outdoor mall I've ever seen in my life.  This will be explored further.

Other interesting tidbits:

I can often clear the snow off my side of the car window and door just by blowing on it.  The snow has been light and oh so fluffy in the time we've been here.

Snow removal is on the biggest and most organized scale I've ever seen.

My first day in town, while waiting for Nate at the cell store, I noticed someone across the room had an exposed heel on her foot!  As I leaned over for a better but still discreet look, I noticed she was not wearing open back shoes but instead flip-flops!  I at the same moment was wearing boots, mitts, and winter coat down to my knees.  Nate assures me this was an extreme case of adaptation to the cold temperatures, and this will not be expected of me at any time.

We have winter tires now, a first in my life.  Other than highways it seems we are always driving on snow and ice.

Humidifiers are our friends.  It is dry air here.  Chapstick is also needed.

I have adjusted to the Canadian way of taking off shoes to enter homes, but there can be an additional step here in some places of worship/stores to remove boots at the door.  Socks must always be in good condition because they might see the light of day at any moment.

It seems more common to travel with slippers for the above reason as well.

Open face buns (essentially 1/2 a sandwich of egg salad, meat slices, or chicken salad) seem to be the norm for large gatherings: church functions, funerals, birthday parties.  It's a new thing for me, but maybe not for others out there.

Anytime you drive on the highway, you see cars scattered in the ditch along your route.  Not always a lot, but typically at least one or two on the way to Edmonton.  We are inspired to put together a winter driving box of blankets etc.

These are just a few of my observations in our time here so far.  I'm sure there will be more.
Below you can see a few pictures of our current home.  We are enjoying it here!

 

We Task, I Win.

A lot has happened in a short amount of time.  So I will start at the end and then explain how it came to be.

We are moving to Wetaskiwin, Alberta next week.  Nathan has accepted the pastor position at the Wetaskiwin Church of God, and for all those out there who wonder how to remember how to spell it, this is my personal mnemonic device: We task, I win.  Wetaskiwin.

Around Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, we received contact from the search committee of the church testing the waters to see if we might be in a place of exploring the position.  In the summertime, they had been in touch but Nathan and I both had agreed we needed to enter into a season of calm.  For so long we had been juggling expectations, difficult and challenging decisions, and uncertainty of what and where to go next.

Last winter we felt the door to Guam closing and several confirming events happened to let us know we needed to step away from that direction we had expected and planned for, to a direction that was unknown.  And for the rest of the winter and spring we chewed on options, talked about how to move forward, and tried to discern where God was calling us.  Much to our frustration, doors remained closed even after our bruised fists continued to knock asking God to show us a way.

In the early summer, discouraged and exhausted we called a time out.  We realized we needed time to calm our minds, to heal our hearts, and to reenergize our spirits.  We found an apartment to call home, and God began to help us rebuild pebble by pebble a sense of expectancy, instead of expectation.

In the first days and weeks after deciding calling our time out for the summer, we seemed to be flooded with job offers and positions to consider.  Anxiously, we wondered if we were doing the wrong thing by not exploring offers.  However, we encouraged one another of the decision we had made and the need for it, and responded with appreciation to those who had been in contact, for thinking of us but explained we were not exploring job offers for at least the next 3 months.  Wetaskiwin had been one of those churches.

In the summer months, Nathan and I both engaged fully for the first time in the community and people around us.  After all, it's a challenge to put some roots down when you constantly expect to move on to other places.  But with the decision to stop looking to the future, we were free to engage in the now.  I began volunteering with the local museum and archives as the volunteer coordinator, Nathan began connecting on deeper levels with co-workers and building friendships over meals and motorcycle rides.
We began connecting with a home church and building new relationships with believers while also continuing deeper relationships with the faith community and friends we had gotten to know well during our time in Dundas.

We benefitted from the renewal of being in relationship with those around us that had been severed by our uncertainty in the earlier months in town.  But by fall, there was a growing sense of discontentment in Nate that he felt he needed to be doing something more with his training, experience, and giftedness.  He had a growing desire to re-enter vocational ministry, but at that time there were no local options presenting themselves, and we had said no to all the offers that had come in the summer.  However, within 24 hours of a pivotal conversation and prayer between the two of us stating  we would again be open to exploring new opportunities for Nathan, and Nathan thinking for the time being it would be asking to train for a higher position at his current job until something else presented itself, the church in Wetaskiwin made contact with us again, asking if we might engage in the conversation to explore the pastoral position there.

Within two weeks we were on a plane, making out first trip out to have a weekend of conversation and interviews with the pastoral search committee.  Two weeks after that we were flying back out for a full candidating weekend with the church.  One week after that, the church congregation was voting and officially giving us the call to come.  4 days after that is today and, I'm writing this entry to let friends and family know how God has worked this out.  And in 7 days we fly out to Wetaskiwin, Alberta to become members of the local community, to join the Wetaskiwin Church of God in their ministry, and begin putting roots down in the town that God has been faithful to call us to.

We thank all of you for your constant thoughts and prayers.  It's been humbling to be constantly reminded of the love and thoughtfulness of friends and family through all of this.  We are truly blessed.

New Traditions

I just celebrated my second ever Canadian Thanksgiving, right here in good old Canada.  It has a way of sneaking up on you when the date and month doesn't ring any bell when I'm thinking "holiday."  When I think October, I still think Halloween.  But I'm still growing accustomed to also thinking of Thanksgiving and October in the same sentence.

In Canada, Thanksgiving has been held on the second Monday of the month of October since 1957.  It was celebrated prior to 1957 as well, but the date varied from year to year.  Like in the USA, Thanksgiving in Canada is a time to celebrate a season of harvest and plentiful food!

This year there was the traditional turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberries, rolls, and pumpkin pie for dessert... along with the traditional belly aches and regret afterwards!

The level of anticipation and planning doesn't match that of the States, but the general idea is the same.  I don't mind the additional breathing room created by the extra month that separates Thanksgiving and Christmas, but it will be easy for me to remember and be thinking of my American friends and family gearing up for their celebrations in another month.

Wishing you all the space and mindset to be thankful, no matter what time of the year.

The Danger of Q-tips

This holiday weekend we came face to face with a holiday nightmare.

It started out as a promising Sunday morning.  I woke up ravenous and ready for breakfast after having some sort of 24 hour flu bug the day before.  Because of this I hadn't eaten the two previous meals with Nate.  Waking up in my hungry state was very promising indeed.  After making sure Nate woke up to hear my plight we quickly decided we would do breakfast out.

With the decision made we put the into motion getting dressed and ready to walk to our morning breakfast spot.

But as we were readying ourselves, Nate rounded the corner from the bathroom and delivered the bone chilling news, "The tip of the Q-tip is stuck in my ear".

As I looked in disbelief from his face to the Q-tip in his hand which was indeed missing the bulbous cotton tip that is so characteristic of that of the Q-tip, I realized the seriousness of the situation.

I walked around to his side and looked at his ear and saw no visible signs of the cotton tip!

We threw around a few initial ideas.  While we discussed Nate began fussing with his ear and I began fussing at him not to fuss with his ear for fear he would make the problem worse.  And while he rested on the couch with his head tilted for gravity to perhaps work it out, I did what any normal person would do.  I typed in "What to do when a Q-tip is stuck in your ear" into my internet search bar and began reading numerous responses which mostly all said to go to an ER/walk-in clinic and have it removed by a doctor with the right tool as to prevent injury to the eardrum.

I reported all this to Nate and in an effort to be unbiased also read the one post that said it was from a doctor who stated if it was them, they would have someone they trust look into their ear with a light and if they could see the cotton tip and their trusted friend had good eyes and a steady hand they would allow them to try to go in with tweezers and pull the cotton ball out.

While I said I thought we should find a walk-in-clinic and have it removed ...afterall his hearing was at stake...much to my horror Nate declared me as his trusted person!  I quickly skimmed the next answer to my internet search and saw the doctor had posted the next one as well as a disclaimer stating that his idea probably wasn't the wisest and you should in all likelihood have it removed by a doctor.   Which I quickly reported as well, but Nate had already grabbed a small light and was headed to the bathroom for the procedure.

Nate gave me his "I believe in you" pep talk and we proceeded.  I could, I discovered, see the cotton tip down his ear canal with the help of the extra light as I pulled and tugged in different angles on his ear to give me the best view.

Next, I began searching for the right pair of tweezers.  The standard issue tweezers were not going to cut it but I knew I had seen somewhere a pair of tweezers that came to such a sharp point I had probably buried them deep as to not injure myself with them.  Digging around a few bags in the bathroom I uncovered these very tweezers.  Sleek, sharp, and dangerous.  Just what I was looking for.

And with a few false starts as I determined the best positioning and angle to get into the ear canal without touching anything, I began my very own real life round of the game "Operation", which for the record I never liked because the anticipation of the heart stopping BUZZZZZ just about did me in whether I hit the metal rim of the game or not.  Although it was a good laugh anytime it was someone else's turn.

But here I was, tweezers in hand and instead of the fear of the startling buzzing sound I was trying to block out the fact that if I lost this game, I might never be able to whisper sweet nothings in Nate's right ear.  Or at least so he can hear them.

My first advance I had to abort as I realized I didn't have the right positioning on the tweezers after all.  I was holding them too far back on the shaft to have the finger strength to squeeze (or tweeze) if I even made it to the cotton tip.  They were one tough pair of tweezers.

My next move I cautiously moved towards my target and made contact, squeezing the tweezers closed and pulling them back, but alas!  While I had scraped the cotton with the tweezers I hadn't caught any or enough cotton strands to gain the advantage.

I went back in for a third and last attempt, deciding that if I couldn't get it on this try I would abandon my role into more capable hands.  I was able to get more cotton between the tips of the tweezers and pulled this small but battle worthy opponent from Nate's ear!  Victory was mine!  Hallelujah!

With a huge sigh of relief I could focus back on the most important thing.  Breakfast.  And while we ordered and ate I was thankful as I looked over at Nate sitting next to me in the booth that he could hear me ask for him to pass the syrup.

Growing pains.

The past few days have seemed a bit...disappointing.  Nothing specific happened.  Actually nothing happened much at all.  The hours, minutes, and seconds of the day are still the same as always but for me, they seem longer.  That gives one a lot of time to think.  I've been a stay at home spouse due to our circumstances for 15 months now.  But technically only had our own home to stay at in the last 3 months.  We have been in a constant state of transition yet have been immobile. We've been working towards specific goals that keep falling over the proverbial cliff.  Can we say, exhausting?

You know what I mean right?

Like life just has this, uh, underwhelming feeling to it.

Underwhelming.  Defined as failing to impress or make a positive impact on (someone); disappoint.

Yep.  That seems to fit perfectly.

As I look back over the last painstakingly long months of prayer, anger, lamentation, meditation, disappointment, relief, understanding, confusion, thankfulness I can't help but look at where we are and think,

"This is it, Lord?"

Now you and I both know that just by getting up to another day means a journey continues on and the story is never really finished.

But these are the emotions that are bubbling up.

We are in the same town we started in a year ago.  That's not unusual for most people but for us there was no plan to stay...we were just passing through to visit before a permanent move overseas.

Nate working the same job he picked up on a temporary basis which has transitioned into a longer term employment than expected (thankfully).  This job provides for us to live and exist here!  So I am grateful for that, but Nate continues to seek what God would have him do with his ministry education and background.  But not just to do something...to work in a specific ministry position He calls us to.  But for now it seems to Nate's ministry calling is to the men he is working with through his labor job.

So we are left with:

All this time of preparations...for this?  Doesn't seem that exciting when we had the plans we did.

None-the-less we have shifted gears to stop thinking of this as a time of transition but of being here for however long God would have us here.  This includes rethinking all the things we were doing because "it's for a short while".  The first of these big decisions was for Nate to decline renewing another term of his interim pastoring of the church he grew up in.  This was at the beginning of the summer.  Nate was working full time for the labor job and part time for the church which meant no time off.  This was unhealthy for our marriage and Nate's health and wellness.

The next big hurdle was and is deciding where we are going to call our church home.  Up until the last few months we went to the church Nate grew up in.  It's where his parents attend and there was no need to find a new church for a transitional phase.  But if we were moving anywhere and were seeking a church to attend, we would explore churches together to find the right fit.  This is no exception.  We should be going to a church that we choose to attend together as a couple.  But it's strange to be doing it in the opposite order!  We love the people of the church, but feel we need to honestly assess our needs and the churches in our community before we make a choice on where we will attend on an ongoing basis.

We would appreciate prayers to finally have immigration processing behind us.  We long to be able to travel freely between the US and Canada to visit friends and family, but being in process makes that a challenging and uncertain venture.  We don't want to complicate any issues or be separated during this process so we have made the decision to stay put until we are able to complete the immigration process.  There are notices now online that the Canadian immigration paperwork processors are taking strike action which will very likely lead to longer processing times.

We have also mailed out 3rd or 4th attempt to withdraw our petition for Nate to get a green card as we are no longer living in the States or looking in that direction.  For whatever reason they say we have not had the correct information included in our previous requests.  So we have sent what we hope to be the final request.  Once that is finalized that will allow Nate to visit the States.

I do feel that with some of these items finding resolution, we will experience a deeper peace with where we are at.

Tree Tops and Seat Bottoms

Has anyone else feel like they've had day after day of perfect weather this summer?  As a type there is a cool morning breeze coming in the open windows, and soft sunlight is warming the leaves of the trees surrounding the building.  It's shaping up to be another beautiful day, sunny but not hot.  Blue skies with puffy white clouds.  Perfect.

I really enjoying being level with the tree tops in our new space.  It's a unique experience from any other place I've lived.  My freshman year of university I lived well above the tree tops while being on the 8th floor of the dorms.  And I've had several apartments on the second floor of buildings  which kind of puts you in the middle range of mature trees.   The duplex I lived in there were basically no trees around.

But in our third floor apartment now, as I sit in our living room I our windows provide a view of being amongst the tree leaves and a good view of the sky just above them.  The few thunderstorms we've had since moving in I could sit on the couch and watch the horizon of the trees and see the dancing lightening patterns across the sky.

Not a bad gig.

We continue to acquire things for our apartment, slower now but still somewhat consistently.  The newest addition last night was a large bookcase, and the relocation of the chair I've been working on at my in-laws was finally in a stage to continue the work here at the apartment now that its been painted and dried.

Now the really interesting part begins for me and the chair as I begin the process of reassembling the seating structure, etc.  This part will determine if it continues to be a fully functioning chair or just a failed project!   Wish me luck!

My First Trip to British Columbia

Here are the photo highlights from our two weeks in BC.

The first week we spent in Kelowna:

Mission Creek

Picking cherries 

View from over Kelowna

 Enjoying watching Koop's water time while in a hike with Josh and Laura.

The second week we spent in Vancouver:

Steam powered clock in Gastown 

Totem poles in Stanley Park

The Olympic cauldron 

Last dinner out with Josh and Laura at CinCin

3-0

Today is the big 3-0.

3.0

30.

Thirty.

Thur-tee.

Well no matter how I look at it, it doesn't seem that intimidating...even though everyone seems to treat it as such.  I'm looking forward to what the next year of life holds for me.   The past one brought more surprises than I would have ever anticipated and I've come out a stronger person for it.  I'm not necessarily hoping for a similar year but I do know that, no matter what lies ahead, I can trust that God has a purpose for me, and I choose to trust Him for all I need.

So in the face of an infinite creator that was before me, with me now, and will continue to be...thirty seems like as great a year as any to celebrate with joy.

Thank you to all of you who have been a part of my life.

Thankfulness

We have now been in our new apartment for over a week and loving it!

We have everything we absolutely need, and yet we continue to be provided for in the "extras" from friends, family, and strangers alike.  We are thankful and spend much of our prayer time now in a posture of thankfulness.

This past weekend we went on a hike up along the escarpment trail and on the way back Nate spotted a   box sitting out on the lawn of a home we were passing by with a "free" sign.  So of course, we took a look and walked away with a small flatscreen Phillips Tv/computer monitor that works beautifully.  Other noteworthy finds from the same box: a duvet cover and an iron.  All things were were needing but didn't yet have.

A week or so ago, we had the fine privilege of meeting up with friends who were visiting and had also brought up an old dish set Mom no longer used and gave to us.  And I mean a complete set.  I was startled to uncover multiple serving bowls, platter, bread plate, tea pot, butter dish, salt and pepper shakers, and sugar and creamer that ALL were part of the set.  Thanks again, Mom.

We have also been able to generously help out Nate's parents with the ongoing de-clutter projects they have going on in their home, much to their delight ( I think).  We pulled a dining room table, cabinet, and dresser out of the basement to be showcased once again as primary furniture pieces.  ...With the existence of the movie "Toy Story" I can't help but think that even though they aren't toys, all the pieces of furniture that we are giving a second chance at life are somehow doing a bit of a happy dance inside their furniture selves!

And these are just a few examples.

We have another list of things that we will need to get over the next few months but many to most of these items have names next to them:

Microwave-Mom is bringing up with her
Bookcases-Skylar said he knows of one we can have
Bed side tables-Kyle offered
etc.
etc.
etc...

And we also have the knowledge that we should soon be able to decorate with our own things, as we have boxes in storage, that we hope to move up in the next months.

This last year has required immense amount of patience, and so a little more here and there seems like nothing.

I'll leave you with a quote that resonated with both Nate and I both that got a laugh at this past week:

"Patience, n. A minor form of despair, disguised as a virtue." -Ambrose Bierce

Progress

Well, I'm nearing a month of my chair renovation!

I thought I would be farther along at this point but alas, life has gotten in the way.  A combination of Nate being on nights and sleeping days for a week, dog sitting a dog that doesn't like to be in a separate room for three weeks, and sorting through ...what else but more big decisions, really slows down progress!

Not to mention days being wasted by using an environmentally friendly wood stain stripping compound.  Totally didn't work.  I picked up the environmentally toxic alternative to use today and almost wept in relief when, almost within seconds, I was able to scrape off layers of old stain.  Sorry world, I'll never go back to environmentally friendly in this department.

Knowing this, it gives me more energy to face the rest of pieces of wood that I still need attention before I can re-stain, re-assemble, and move onto the reupholstering!

This is the last picture I have of the chair before I knocked it completely apart joint-by-joint so I can re-glue it:

I really hope this story has no resemblance to Humpty Dumpty and it all comes back together again!

A Chair for Me

So after thinking about this idea many times over the years, I'm actually doing it.

What started as a reoccurrence of an old idea bouncing around in my head...took root and started to grow.

Let me tell you a little more...

I've been interested in upholstering old furniture to make it usable again, new again.  But the details always got in the way.  I had inherited an old antique rocker of my grandfathers several years ago that was in crazy bad shape when you considered the fabric and cushion, but was in crazy good shape when you looked at the beautiful wooden frame.  I wanted to refurbish this and checked out some books at the library...and reflectively considered the chair.  Read through a few of the books....reflectively considered the chair, again.  And thought about tearing that chair apart and building it up from scratch...and started looking up upholsterers in the phone book.

It was too much responsibility.  I mean this was my grandfather's chair!!  If it was to be ruined, I didn't want to be the one to ruin it!  I wanted it to be a piece of furniture I could sit in and enjoy once more.  So I paid for it to be done and it turned out beautifully.  I don't regret that choice.

I've had other moments when I've wanted to try my hand at this, but that takes space and time...lots of time, if I read the books correctly.

So as this idea surfaced once more, a few things had changed.

Primarily, I have gobs of time.  That reason just got knocked out of the excuse ballpark!  I officially received my visitors status last week since my total stay is extending over the generic 6 month time frame.  So I'm here as a visitor until we hear something back from the permanent resident application.  But being a visitor doesn't really change anything.  It doesn't permit me to obtain employment, or travel back and forth across the border.

And as I considered the future, I realized I wanted to have more of a purpose over the next months.  The winter was fine,  I got in a lot of reading, housecleaning, grocery shopping, and cooking but I wanted to think about the upcoming months in a different way.  And as this idea of refinishing furniture came up, there was something else different:  My own personal cheerleader.

As Nate heard me thinking out loud, his response was: "I think that's a great idea!"  And got behind me all the way.

So after looking at a few Kijiji ads (Canada's version of Craigslist)  in the area, I found this:

and I thought, "Perfect."

This chair has become my learning project.  It's now been stripped down to the frame, and upon finding loose joints, disassembled completely.  My next step is to re-glue and strengthen the structure before embarking on the rest of the journey of putting it back together.

Will this pilot project be a success?

I don't know.

But I believe it will satisfy my need to pursue an untapped interest.
And if it becomes a completed piece I'll show you how it turns out.

Walking more, Grumbling less

I've detected some subtle changes in myself.  It has a bit to do with what I do, but more importantly in what I don't do.  For example, I don't think about how crazy it seems to walk places now.  (Unless it is far.  Then I still very much think about it and groan about it.  What can I say?  I'm lazy at heart.)

I think part of that shift has come from only having one car.  

Our car behind us: Jenna the Jetta was with us for the first 2 years of marriage

Ever since we have been married we had one car.  But in those first two years, it was basically my car.  It was the car I had when I was single and stayed with us once we married.  Nate's car before we were married was older and we decided to consolidate to just mine to save on expenses/insurance etc.  And actually as I remember it, Nate mostly decided and mentioned it to me, and while it surprised me at first, it did make good sense to me and I was on board.  But in all fairness, I don't think I would have ever come up with that idea on my own.   As it was I needed my car for work and had complete priority in usage and we lived on the campus where Nate was doing his schooling.  So he really didn't need the car for 90% of his activities.  He walked to class and to meetings on campus.  If he had meetings off campus, we still had the motorcycle, which was available to Nate a good portion of the year or he could often find a ride.  This arrangement worked quite well for us.

Our backup and favorite past time together: Myrtle the Motorcycle

After we sold the Jetta (and motorcycle for that matter) we were carless for a number of months before we realized we were staying in North America and needed to acquire another set of wheels since we had sold the last set!  In that time without a car we had access to borrowing Nate's parents car when they weren't using it, or walk.

Our newest addition: Alex the Accord

Now that we are back to having a car...the tables have reversed on our original arrangement.  Now Nate is working full time and needs the car to get to the shop, and we live close enough to the center of town that I walk to get to places I need to go.  Dentist appointment, hair appointment, coffee with a friend, shopping for a gift...it's all accessible by foot.  Fifteen minutes to just under and hour on foot to get somewhere doesn't faze me anymore.  

I think there are a two main reasons for that.

Cultural norms...  

Way more people walk to get around.  You see people walking with dogs, kids, and on their own.  People also have to pay to park most anywhere during the Monday through Friday work week in the center of town, whether on the street or in a parking lot.  It's not too expensive, but still, you have to pay.  That was strange to me coming here.  I also thought it puzzling there were no bank drive-thru's in town.  To do any banking you have to park and go into the bank...even for the ATM.  This seems to be the norm most places.  And at least here...there are limited drive thru's for food as well.  But never fear! McDonalds does.  But it's the new norm, and I don't think about it any more.

Time...

I think time has been the other big component in transitioning to walking more.  Since I am unable to freely work for the time being.  I have a lot more time in my day.  I don't have to constantly calculate how much time I think it will take to get somewhere (unless it is a scheduled appointment, but even then I don't have to worry about getting back at a certain time), how much time I might take at each stop, and then how much time it will take to get back.  Because I did home visiting for work for about 6 years, that became so ingrained in my processing.  All I did was schedule appointments and calculate drive times to try to fit everything into my day without loosing valuable time.  

I've enjoyed the perks of being on foot (most of the time).  Being able to really see store front windows and pop into shops to see what it's like.  Last summer you could also stumble upon a veggie vender selling some produce.  These are the things you can't really absorb through a car window.

We will see what the next chapter might bring, but I'll let you in on a little secret:  My hope is we can remain a one car family.

Mini-move

We have moved again.  Or moved back in...again.  Whatever you want to call it or consider it, we are back in my in-laws basement.  They've received us back gracefully and with welcome (thankfully!).

The total of our winter house-sitting stint was almost 5 months.  If you want to be exact: 4 months and 3 weeks.  It really was so great to kind of reach a sense of equilibrium over those months.  While it wasn't ours per say, it did give us a sense of "home" and stability in this very uncertain time.  When we had some friends visiting us recently, they asked,

"Is it strange to be cooking in someone else's kitchen and living in someone else's home?"

We had been living there for about 4 months at the time and I knew the layout of the kitchen and home so well by then, I didn't have to think about where to find things etc.

So I imagine I had a bit of a blank look on my face and it took a few seconds for me to respond,

"Not really, it does just feel like our home.  But when I think about when we first moved in, I guess it did take some adjustment."


We moved back in with the in-laws on Sunday afternoon and on Monday late morning, the in-laws left for a 5 day vacation with another couple.  So it worked out well that I'm around to take care of the dog, mail and plants.  And it gives us a bit of a chance to get our bearings again.  And it doesn't hurt that the vacation crew took the other couples vehicle so we have an extra car at my disposal.  I've taken advantage of that a few times this week.

Sadly for the dog and myself, the weather has been crummy.  Rain, rain, and more rain.  Every day this week.  So we've only gotten in short walks and lots of throwing doggy toys around the house to work off some of the dog's energy!

But for the time being I hear the dog snoring in the dining room and I'm thinking to myself, is there anything better to do on a cold, rainy afternoon?  Perhaps I will cozy up on the couch and have a bit of a nap myself...or better yet, a warm cup of hot chocolate and book.  Or best yet...both!

Just not at the same time.  That could get messy.

Here's hoping the sun is shining wherever you are.

Spring time!

Happy Easter weekend to all!

It's been a great holiday weekend for us so far.  With Nate working nights last week and the upcoming week, it's been a little tricky for him to adjust himself and his sleep schedule with the festivities and will just have to go right back to adjusting for the next week...BUT we have enjoyed the extra time together  and the beautiful weather we have been having the last two days.

Today we spent some time spiffing up the car.  A good cleaning, wax, and detail on the inside.  Nate has been picking up miscellaneous items he feels will give the car some real star power!  So still to come cleaning up the headlight covers and new bulbs, and I think he is chewing on how to clean up the rims, as they have received quite a bit of wear and tear prior to our purchase of the car.

We have been enjoying the Easter season with the local church as well.  This year I participated in my first Maundy Thursday meal which consisted of finger foods, and the intent was to help try to imagine what the passover meal might have been like that Jesus had with his disciples before his crucifixion.  We hosted that with the large amount of space we have in the basement of the house and put paper roll down along the floor in the shape of a cross.  We gathered on the floor, enjoying one another's company, and also read from the scriptures of the account given of Jesus's meal.  We also sang a few songs before officially utilizing the chairs around the room.

Tomorrow, we will have breakfast with the church before service and then we will head over to Nate's Aunt and Uncles for Easter dinner that evening.

As we enter into April our calendar free's up considerably as March has been filled to the brim with activity.  We had Pat and Becky visit us from the Indianapolis area early in March and the following weekend had our friends Adam and Renee and their two kids join us from the same area.  It was so great to see friends from "home" since we have not been able to get back for any visiting while we've been in Ontario.  We have now seen Niagara Falls in every possible season as we've had visitors up in the fall and winter and enjoyed trips ourselves in the spring and summer in years past as well. :)  Although, I have to admit seeing the Falls has not gotten tiresome for me.  It really is different every time we've been there and it's quite the majestic sight.

Kid's Club wrapped up last week with a reptile show that was a big hit with the kids and I especially enjoyed watching their fascination and pleasure in the creatures.  I was a great time being a part of the volunteers this year with Kid's Club and working with the little ones.  I was glad I was able to help out in that way.

We move out of our house sitting role next weekend and back in with Nate's parents for the time being.  We look forward to getting outside more and enjoying some more time with friends as our April calendar begins freeing up more and the temperatures continue to climb.  We have  been exploring job options and are hopeful and prayerful that we are headed in a good direction.  Until we hear more though, mum is the word.  ;)

We hope to have many more updates on work in the next month or two to come.

As far as we know, our belongings have begun their journey back from Guam as on the 27th this month and will be arriving back in Indiana in the next 6 weeks.  I'm confident that whenever we might begin unpacking our lives, we will be thrilled and dismayed at what we find:

"Oh, I love this ______!"

"Why, on earth did we ever pack THAT?!"

But, I'm guessing it will be right at the one year mark or after that we shipped off the last few boxes to Guam that we will be reuniting with things from our former life as we unpack and find places for them wherever God might be sending us next!

Botticelli Curls

I cut my hair off.  And after 24 hours, can't say I've missed it yet!  I've been gearing up for this for several months now.  Thinking about it, being ready for it, thinking about it some more.  But for me, being in a new community and without a hair stylist that knows me and my hair it wasn't the change in length that kept me from cutting it sooner.  It's that most people don't seem knowledgable on curly hair.

I had my hair trimmed and colored in November at a new place and the stylist did fine.  So I was debating whether or not to go back, but I couldn't quite do it.  I wasn't comfortable enough with my curly hair in her hands for a bigger cut.  She didn't seem to know what to do with it at the end of the cut and color...and just put a dab of product and dried it which equalled a big frizzy mess.  But at this point I don't have great expectations when someone new is working with my hair and I just go home and fix it with my own products.

So in the last week I decided it was going to get cut and if I wasn't going to go to the last stylist, it was up to me to figure out an alternative.  So I started doing my research on area salons and stumbled upon Ellenoire.  Here is their website (http://www.ellenoire.com/scripts/salon.asp) that I found explaining their technique and how they were different from other salons.  They were curly hair specialists!   AND they were located right here, in the very small town in which we are living!

I was immediately interested and called for an appointment.  I had to wait several days to get in which allowed me time to doubt the price tag I was about to encounter, and I was near the point of calling and canceling but with the encouragement and support of Nate, I kept it.

So Tuesday I headed in for my first ever, curly hair cut.  The biggest difference between this hair cut and the others: they cut your hair first and while it's DRY.  This way they can see your natural hair curls and how they fall, and can shape it accordingly.   Then they will wash and set it with natural curly hair products (which they explained what to look for in hair products and what to avoid as well as as how their products worked but didn't push their products on  me at all).

And then I was placed under the dryer to set the curls.  After, there was another once over and fine tuning snip here and there and I was out the door.  While under the dryer my stylist showed me the copy of the Curly Girl Handbook (http://www.mydevacurl.com/products/curly_girl_books) that started this new style of cutting and care, which I found that helpful as well.  I was also surprised to see the author encourage and show individuals how to trim your curls at home between cuts to save money and keep the curls healthy!

So the day of the cut this is what we have:

It feels, looks, and smells good!

And after a full nights sleep with no wash or set:

It's fuller due to the curls being knocked around and separated, but still happy with the cut and shape.

Final thoughts and conclusions:

*I would go back again.

*I am in no rush to go out and replace any of my current products, but as I run out of my current gel I will consider going to the Devacurl gel.

*I would recommend a visit to any curly haired friends if they were interested in checking it out and learning about products and tricks to help them with their hair.

Changing Tides

While working to get to Guam for quite some time now, we have felt God leading and nudging us in a different direction.  We have faced many obstacles and delays, encouragement and discouragement, and so many emotions and experiences in the last months. After much prayer, tears and heartache, we have notified the church in Guam that we will not be coming.  This has definitely been the hardest and most difficult time in our lives together, but find comfort knowing whatever is happening, God is in it.

We ask for your continued thoughts and prayers for us as we embark on this unexpected journey.  We also ask your prayers for the church in Guam.  They have an interim pastor that arrived and will be leading them as they sort their way forward as well.  We are thankful that God has already provided leadership in a short amount of time for them.

Someone said to us recently, "You've made some real gutsy decisions and when that happens you know God is up to something."

We are eager to see what he has in store and when we find out, so shall you.