We are so ready for Thanksgiving. This week has been crazy between Jack's sinusitis, both of us working, and my rehearsals every night so far (including tonight!) for the Christmas Concert.

We are so lucky to have the rest of the week off. Tim and I both have tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday off, then he has to work Saturday. Thank goodness for holidays! We definitely need this one!

Brief Update

News on the homefront:

Lisa - I have celiac disease, so I'm having to completely change my diet. It's not as hard as I thought it would be, especially since my sister was diagnosed a year ago and already knows a lot about living gluten-free. I'm also still working full-time and going to graduate school.

Tim - Just took a part-time job at our church as Associate Junior High Pastor!! He has changed his State Farm job to a part-time position, and will be working both part-time jobs for now. He is THRILLED!!! He is also seriously considering starting back up at seminary in the spring.

Jack - Hilarious kid, growing and talking more and more every day.

Mini-Van Momma

Yes, friends, it is true. We traded in Tim's Mitsubishi Galant for a mini-van - a Chevy Venture to be specific. It has no bells and whistles, I have to actually open all the doors myself and the seats do not fold into the floor. But it is a mini-van with plenty of space.

It was actually Tim's idea, too! He even drove it to work this morning (which, I must say, I was looking forward to driving it today, so I am rather jealous.)

After talking with the folks at the shop, we found ourselves in a place where neither of our cars were highway safe. And since I will be driving to Lincoln many many times in the next few years, we needed something that I would be safe driving down there. So now, we still only have one car payment that is less than $100 more than we were paying on the Galant, we are paying less in insurance, AND we have a highway-safe vehicle. Good deal all around.

My only complaint is that none of the seats in the van have arm rests!! What is up with that ??!!

Buy a house? Check
Pack up and move? Check Check
Start grad school? Check
Take care of a toddler? Check
Work a full time job? Check

All within a week of each other?

Check.


I need a vacation.

New house!

Well, we are (almost) officially homeowners!!!

We bought the townhouse, and are so anxious to move in. We will have a full finished basement with a laundry room!!! We may even get a kitten, to complete the picture :)

Hopefully we will be closing on August 8th, but it could be as late as the 15th. Can't wait!!

Here are some photos that the previous owners posted on the realtor's website:

I'm horrible at keeping up on here.

Life has just been grand lately! We just got back from a little mini-vacation at Tim's parents' house, who are in Washington D.C. right now so we had the whole place to ourselves. We spent a lot of time napping, reading and playing with Jack at the park and it felt wonderful to just be away together. We realized that it was the first time the three of us had gone anywhere over night just with ourselves - we're usually with other people. It was lots of fun.

Other fun thing is that this week Tim VOLUNTARILY quit the computer game that he had been playing religiously for a year and a half now. He decided that there is more to life than sitting in front of the computer, and I definitely agree :) He bought a brand new Taylor guitar and has been spending his free time getting back into learning songs and playing old worship tunes. (And writing a song for Jack called "Juice" - it's funny.) I am so happy for him - he is by far a happier guy these days.

Work is the same ol' same ol' for both of us. I'm getting adjusted into the Children's Department and working full-time, and Tim is still doing the same old thing. I'm trying to enjoy this last month or so before my life blows up with busy-ness with the start of my Seminary classes, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't excited to go back to school. (Around December I'm sure I will take that sentence back, but oh well.)

Regardless of what job I end up with (I'm still not even sure that I want the typical "counseling" job!), I think that this experience at Lincoln Seminary will be good for me in lots of ways. The people, professors, and classes will be a new environment to me and I am really looking forward to it.

We could really use some prayer, though, in deciding on where to live. We are currently renting a pretty cruddy townhouse in a pretty cruddy neighborhood in Bloomington with a pretty cruddy landlord, and I am dying to buy a house. But with Tim currently in limbo with when and where he'll want to get back into ministry, buying a traditional house would be silly. So, the ever-determined person that I am, I discovered these townhouse/condos in my brother's neighborhood that have tended to sell pretty quickly in the past. The price is in our price range, we wouldn't have to take care of the lawn, and it's in the school district that I would want Jack to go to if we live here that long. Not to mention they are fairly new and really super nice on the inside. It would also be nice to have something TO sell when the time comes to move, as opposed to what we're doing now - renting - where we'll get nothing when we move out.

So anyways, this is our current dilemma. To buy or not to buy?

I'll try to keep up more often, I promise!

Just something I read today...

I liked this:



When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not shouting 'I'm clean livin'.''
I'm whispering 'I was lost, Now I'm found and forgiven.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say.. 'I am a Christian' I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not claiming to be perfect.
My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I am worth it.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I still feel the sting of pain..
I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not holier than thou.
I'm just a simple sinner Who received God's good grace somehow!