Getting Settled In

We've been in Louisville for almost a week now. We haven't been able to get out and see the city much because we are taking our time with the whole moving-in process. We used PODS to move, so we asked them to leave the pod here for a week so that we could bring things up slowly. We did get out to go to church on Sunday. We had a hard time finding the church, but it was kind of nice getting to see the city a little bit. We are going to try another church this Sunday that we are really excited about. Joshua's mother is coming into town this weekend, so I think we are going to take that opportunity to go downtown and walk around with her and the boys.

Our apartment is working out very well. There are two bedrooms and a spiral staircase that leads up to a small loft with a fireplace. The loft will be Joshua's office area.

We have a sweet neighbor downstairs named Shirley who lives with her dog, Max. I try to not get frustrated when I have to stand and have a ten minute conversation with her every time I go outside, because I know she is probably pretty lonely. She loves NASCAR and football, so she jumps on any chance she gets to talk to Joshua about these subjects. She brings us her newspaper every day when she is finished reading it and invited herself in to talk to us for an hour the other day. It's a little nerve-racking not knowing when she is going to pop in. No kidding, even as I was typing that last sentence, she knocked on our door. I went to the back room because I wasn't exactly ready for company, and by the time Joshua got to the door, she was gone, but the newspaper was there. She loves the boys, but always says that "Max loves the boys." It's kind of funny because just about everything she thinks, she instead says that Max thinks them. She talks about the other neighbors a lot, too. Apparently another elderly lady next door is one of her good friends. When Joshua met her, she already knew all about us and our boys and how much "Max loves them." Oh, Shirley. It's going to be tough drawing some boundaries without hurting her feelings or neglecting her when I should be reaching out to care for someone who doesn't get out much or get many visitors. I know she really loves to see Micah and Canaan.

Well, I should go get something done while the boys are napping. They have a nasty cold and are kind of high maintenance when they are awake lately. Please pray that they both feel better soon. They look so pitiful with their runny noses and sad little eyes.

More prayer, please!

So, Joshua and I went over our budget the other day. Basically, I NEED to get a job. The problem is that Joshua's schedule is going to be kind of unpredictable. Also, I kind of hate the idea of him coming home from work to watch the kids while I go work. I need quality time with the hubs or I get a little edgy.

So, I made a profile on www.care.com. For those of you who haven't seen their commercials, it's a place that pairs families with the right caregiver for their children (and even pets). This would be so great for us because a lot of people are willing to drop their children off at your house, and I could spend all day with my boys, as usual, but with one or two more playmates! I applied to 6 jobs in Louisville. So far, I haven't heard back from anyone. There is one family in particular that I would LOVE to work for, and I'm constantly checking to see if she has responded to or even read my application. It has only been two days, but I am so anxious. This could get us to not only where we can pay our bills, but to where we might have a little more than we need. I feel like this is the perfect job for me, but I know that God may have other plans. Please pray for patience, provision, acceptance of God's will, and maybe even a response from at least one of these jobs!

Just a little update...

Update on the babies? Well, they get cuter every day. I don't really know what else to tell you. Canaan is trying desperately to scoot or crawl, but for the most part, he just rolls around until he gets where he wants to go. I'm pretty sure I saw him scoot backward yesterday, though. He's already getting into stuff. I cannot imagine what it is going to be like once he actually starts crawling, and I don't even want to think about when he starts walking. Micah has been rolling for a long time, too, but mostly, he likes to sit in the middle of the floor and watch Canaan roll around. The last couple of days, though, he has become more interested in rolling around and checking out things he shouldn't-- like drawers and electrical cords.

Joshua is still crazy busy with school. He kind of had a break night yesterday-- he had a one hour meeting with some other students that he was planning a lesson with, but other than that, he didn't have a single assignment. That was very much needed, because the last two nights, he had been coming "home" between 1AM and 3AM. He is doing SO WELL with school. He is taking a total of three classes. One class lasts the entire 6 weeks, and the other two are 3-week classes. He got an A in his first 3-week class! His teachers love him and are constantly telling him how amazing he is. One of them even told him that he "teaches like a veteran." Yeah, I'm pretty proud of him.

We found an apartment. It has two bedrooms, one bathroom, and spiral staircase that leads up to a little loft above the dining room. There is a fireplace in the loft. It's nice that it is up there where the boys won't be able to get into it. The kitchen is a very nice size... it may be the biggest kitchen we've had yet. There is plenty of cabinet space and a dishwasher. We can get rid of our microwave now because there is one built into the cabinets. It was clean and the paint was fresh when we did a walk-through. There was a lot of light, and the ceiling in the living room is high because of the loft. We are so excited about it!

Joshua was supposed to get his school assignment the day we went looking for apartments so that we could look in the same neighborhood as the school, but unfortunately, they didn't have that information ready for him. It was the only day we could go up there together, so we had to just pick the best place for us without knowing how long a drive it would be for him to get to work. He found out a few days later that he is working at Pleasure Ridge Park High School, which is about 30 minutes from the apartment. Oh well! It's on the West side of the city, and it can be hard to find a safe neighborhood over there from what we have heard. Also, it is not guaranteed that the school he is working at this year will be the same school he works at next year. It could be that he is hired by the school that is three minutes from our apartment-- Fern Creek High School. BUT, from all the reviews I have read online, it looks like Pleasure Ridge Park, or PRP, is a great school. They seem to have a lot of school pride, and Joshua is really excited about working there.

Well, we've got two weeks left in Bowling Green. It hasn't been so bad living in the hotel. I mean, someone comes to clean my bathroom, vacuum the floors, and change the towels and sheets once a week! How could I complain? I am very, very excited about getting to Louisville for other reasons, though. I can't wait to find a church. I want to explore the parks. I want to make some mom friends. You know... basically get on with our lives. :)

Prayers Needed!

Okay, I was so excited about this day... but now I'm just stressed.

Joshua had to leave with his group at 6:15-- turns out that most of the day, he will be touring Jefferson County schools, and we only have the afternoon to look for a place. I'll be getting on the road around 10AM in order to meet him after his tour of the schools. I don't have a GPS on my phone, so I'm going to have to look up the directions, write them down, and hope that they are accurate... I'm really nervous about driving into a city I don't know with my baby boys in the back of the van, so please pray for me!


We were also given the advice yesterday not to live in West End. Apparently we will be killed in a drive-by or something like that if we do... and of course that is where all of the affordable housing is. I mean, if you are going to live with the violence, they have to give you some slack on the rent, right? Anyway, I had to start my search all over again last night, and we'll be looking at apartments instead of houses. Part of me is sad, and part of me is kind of happy that there is the possibility of living in a community with a pool. As long as my boys are safe, I don't really care where we live... but I was pretty excited about living in a house. :(

Please just pray that I make it there safely and that we find an affordable, safe place to live.

Abiding in Jesus

Oswald Chambers, oh, how you challenge me. I always walk away from My Utmost for His Highest thinking, "That was intense."

For example, two days ago, Chambers references John 15:4 and writes:

"God will not make me think like Jesus, I have to do it myself; I have to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ...I have not to change and arrange my circumstances myself. With Our Lord the inner abiding was unsullied; He was at home with God wherever His body was placed. He never chose His own circumstances, but was meek towards His Father's dispensations for Him. Think of the amazing leisure of Our Lord's life! We keep God at excitement point, there is none of the serenity of the life hid with Christ in God about us...In the initial stages it is a continual effort until it becomes so much the law of life that you abide in Him unconsciously. Determine to abide in Jesus wherever you are placed."

Okay, I am going to be completely honest with you. I haven't been feeling very... spiritual lately. I don't know about other people's life experiences, but I feel like I may have been burned out on spirituality as a teenager. I was always in church, going on youth group retreats, memorizing scripture for Bible quizzing, etc. I felt, for the lack of a better phrase, "on fire for God." The last two years or so, I've been wondering why I never feel that way anymore. Well, not never. A good sermon, some moving music, and I've got the feeling back, but it's usually gone and forgotten by Monday morning. Why don't I abide in Jesus anymore? Why don't I crave scripture daily? One of the conclusions I have come to is that in middle and high school, I was alone. I never dated, and no one really counted on me for anything. I did my thing. I went to school, volleyball or basketball practice, work, church, whatever it was I had to do that night... and I did it by myself. Not only did this give me a lot of free time to think and pray, but I felt that longing for companionship with God. And, let's face it, when you are a teenager, you feel everything passionately.

These days, I have enough companionship to make me feel like I am never alone. Don't get me wrong, this is a tremendous blessing to me. Ever since I was little, all I've ever really wanted out of life was a family of my own, and lucky me got a husband and twin boys by the time I turned twenty-two. Not a lot of people can say they have achieved their dreams by that age.

Even with all of this companionship, though, there's something missing if I'm not constantly abiding in Jesus. Unlike my husband and children, He can see the deepest, darkest parts of my soul-- and He still loves me! He is my Maker, and without constant communion with him, I am quite empty.

So today, I was challenged to abide in Jesus. This doesn't mean I need to make some sort of radical change in my circumstances, like Chambers says. I can abide in Jesus while feeding my baby boys, while making coffee for Joshua, while straightening up the room after the boys go to bed... I can be at home with God wherever I am.

So, I'm starting day one of practicing His presence...

Running

I was finally able to get back down to the treadmill in the gym at the hotel today. I ran longer than I did last week, which was encouraging. I feel like I can even see a slight difference in the mirror, but that could just be all in my head because I feel so much better now that I am eating well. It's amazing how even the process of losing weight can give you a little more confidence. There's some sort of satisfaction in just knowing you are doing something to make your life a little better.

I hate running on a treadmill. The little lights that blink until you've gone one imaginary lap around an imaginary track, how there's really nothing to look at except the mirror (which is really no fun to look in at all) or the treadmill screen (which just makes you want to quit). Today while running, I recalled a cool summer night, about two years ago now (Has it been that long?), when Joshua and I and some friends of ours, Zach and Michelle, were training for a half marathon. We ran four miles straight for the first time that night. I had mapped a beautiful run around the neighborhood online.

Larchmont was such an amazing neighborhood for running. Most of it was completely flat (like most of Tidewater), and the streets were lined with blooming crape myrtles and old, but well-cared for homes. I used to run around those streets and house shop. There were so many to choose from, and every one of them different from the one beside it. The most difficult part of the run was when we would run over the Hampton bridge, all the way to Terminal Boulevard, and then back over the bridge and all the way home. The Hampton bridge was the only hill, but it was long, and when you are used to running on flat ground, it seemed pretty steep. When we finished the run, though, it was such an amazing feeling. It was starting to get dark and there was a nice, cool breeze. We were with great friends and everything around us just seemed... beautiful.

Running on a treadmill just seems like a means to an end. Running outside is like an adventure. It's a conversation with a good friend and a time to dream and pray and praise God for the beautiful creation all around you. I can't wait to experience that again. Louisville will be a great place for it, too. There are so many beautiful parks and neighborhoods. For now, I'll settle for the treadmill.

Stir-crazy

I think I'm going a little stir-crazy. Thankfully, it is almost the weekend. When Joshua gets home tonight, I'm going to try to get out for a little while. Maybe we will both go out and take the boys to walk around somewhere... we'll see.

Last night, Joshua came home and told me he actually had very little to do. The teachers told them that they realized they were giving them too much to do and decided to spread out their assignments a little bit. Also, they are teaching fifth graders today, so they don't have any class time of their own. He had a two hour meeting last night to finish up their lesson plan, but that was it. I guess I could have gotten out of the room then, but what I wanted even more was just to spend some time with my husband. He was exhausted, too, and I just didn't want to leave him alone with the boys the first time he got a little break.

I think he is excited about his lesson plan today. He is teaching fifth graders about the physics of sound- vibrations, volume, and pitch. He is playing his electric guitar for them today, and that is the part he is excited about.

The babies are doing well. They are to the point where they would much rather be playing on the floor than in their exersaucers, which is nice now that they can sit up. They smile and laugh and are all-around very pleasant. They make all of this totally worth it.

Well, that's about all I have. :) I'll try to keep you updated, but there really isn't a WHOLE lot going on.