Surprises...

I probably should try writing on this blog once a month from now on, seeing as it is March 1st. Well Joel and I have some news for y'all....

We are "with child", expecting a wee one in the middle of October. (For those of you not catching onto the hints, WE'RE PREGNANT.)


Ahhhh...... Scary! We will soon be parents and responsible for a little person, it's own individual being in this crazy world. Our wee one has come as a surprise last month as we weren't planning on having a baby until 2010/2011. But to our chagrin, we were able to create a being this year! (I am excited to be having a baby in the year that our first black president was sworn into office, that's pretty sweet.)

Also part of the surprise was that we found out we were pregnant and then two hours late Joel was laid off from his job. Yes you read that right (and yes you can laugh) he was laid off. It all came rolling in like a ball of bricks but we believe that it was all meant to happen in the same day. We are excited that Yahweh has seen us fit and worthy to be parents to someone created in His image. It's powerful. We know and trust that the Lord works for the good of those who love and are faithful to him and we know he will provide for our new family.

Generosity has already started flowing towards us and it is amazing. I find it is hard to accept help from others because of my pride and a deluded idea of self-sufficiency. But people we have in our lives are so generous, someone has already given us a brand new crib (never used) plus baby clothes and maternity clothes for me! Also, a vacation home in South Carolina for free so we can have one more vacation just the two of us. (Though technically we'll be three as I am carrying a child.) All in a time when we need to be extra careful with our money. I am floored by the generosity and am very humbled by the kindness of friends and strangers.

Even though this pregnancy was not "planned" it is wanted and loved beyond measure. It's weird to love something you haven't already met and that is the size of a blueberry in my belly but I love it and can't wait to hear it's heartbeat and feel it move.

Please pray for us, that we will first and foremost trust Yahweh and his goodness. That we will be patient and loving towards each other as we process this big change in our lives. Pray that the Lord would provide a good, enjoyable job for Joel before October and if not, that we will trust he has a job for him later in the year.



"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs

New Projects

So over the past year, I have finally picked up the art of knitting. I have found it to be a great release and outlet for some pent up creativity.... And it gets my hands in shape as well! Here are some pictures of my most recent projects....



These are my first pair of baby booties, the yarn is koigu, which a beautiful handpainted merino wool. (No we are not pregnant)



This is a hat I made for Jess for her birthday, the yarn is a blend of wool and silk.

A Long Time...

Well hello all, it’s been a long time. It looks just about one year since I last posted on this blog and I thought I would try and mount a return. A lot has happened in the past year, it is crazy to think of how much has changed and how much has stayed the same.

This year has brought the change and challenge of a wedding in a snow/ice storm and now a marriage...

It has brought a new expense and gift of a house that Joel and I can call our own...

I have finally visited both Peru and India this year and enjoyed every minute of it...

I hope to return to writing periodically, to posting what I think and what is going on in our lives. (Though we don’t have internet at our house so it may be sporadic.)

Some fun and exciting things are happening in the next month or so. I am going to drop down one day at ACHC and hopefully volunteer at Carenet Pregnancy Center in Madison as a nurse. Also, I’m looking into completing the certification to become a doula (Mother’s Helper in pregnancy and labor); this I will hopefully be able to continue after Joel and I start having kids.
I am excited to start something slightly different and new. It will hopefully be a time of growth and change.

Well I think that’s all for now....Until later.....

In God's Country....

When U2 wrote the song "In God's Country" they must have just gotten off of a trip in some sort of wilderness; (okay so I don't know much about the song, but the title works well for this entry) well that's my theory at least! This past weekend Joel and I were able to escape the world of Madison and wedding planning by going on a little vacation with my friend Jen and her boyfriend Daniel. The four of us adventurers headed up to the Boundary Waters last week for four days; and it was a much needed escape. It was wonderful to be up in the Northwoods again, see my Sawbill friends and to relax under the stars. It had been two years (to the date, to be exact) since I had been in the BW and it was so good to be back! And the bonus was to spend time with Jen, she's my friend who's been rockin' the bush in Sudan for the past 18 months. The weather was perfect, the blueberries in season and Joel caught the biggest fish he's ever caught! So following are pictures, they just don't do it justice, but they can give you a glimpse of the beauty in God's country.

"Please Stop..."

Did you every have a day where you actually, literally said....

“Please stop yelling at me, just stop yelling at me; I’m trying to help you.”

I said that statement at least three times today to two different patients. That sums up my day today; not the best one in the world of healthcare. But on a lighter note, one of my co-workers is throwing Joel and I a BBQ to celebrate our engagement and he sent out a very funny invite today; which made me laugh.

The Challenge...

As Joel has stated in his blog; he loves challenges and adventures. Ever so often he likes to bring me along for the ride and needless to say my life has been a little more exciting since being with him. (I supposed marriage is one of the bigger adventures that we go on in our lives!) With that being said, what I will write next probably won’t come as too much of surprise. So the other night (okay, so it was like a month ago) Joel proposed a challenge for the both of us to consider. What does it entail you ask? Well let me tell ya!

The challenge: For the entirety of the summer and fall (possibly winter, but I haven’t agreed fully to that yet) we are not allowed to drive solely to the grocery store. So no “Just a quick run to the grocery store” if I need one item to complete my amazing eight course meal. I either have to use what I have or I have to bike to the grocery store. Also a caveat of the challenge is that the time spent at the grocery store cannot be the main chunk of time in my day (i.e. I can’t go to the grocery store and do all my grocery shopping and then stop quickly at the pharmacy to pick up shampoo). Lastly, we should try and bike AS MUCH AS WE CAN to the store and use the car only for those big stock up shopping trips.
So I bet you’re asking “so what’s allowed?” Well here are some examples, I can stop and do all my grocery shopping on my way home from work because the majority of my day is spent at work and I will just be driving home, no extra car trips necessary! Or we can stop at the store on our way home from church. Of course riding your bike or walking is allowed and also very encouraged!

Now the question becomes, “what’s the purpose or the point?” Well, that’s pretty simple. We should be more intentional in our lives, we need to think more critically about how we spend our time. Preparation is is key, we have to think intentionally and critically about what we need for groceries. For me, that means planning ahead by looking at my fridge/cupboards and writing a grocery list; which reduces those "impulse buys". (Though I've never really had a problem with "impulse buys" due to my mom's steadfast rule of one "fun" item per shopping trip.) Also, it helps save resources as we aren’t using more gas than we need to go to the store. Also it makes us use WHAT we have and not let it sit in our cupboards or fridges, going bad because we got something else. Also, we both live within a mile of multiple grocery stores that will easily fill our bellies. Lastly, the more you bike to the grocery store the less feasible it is to buy ice cream and beer (though I’ll never give those two things up!)

So we’ve been trying this out (being fully committed) for about 3 weeks and I really like it! Last night as we were biking back to my house it was so simple to stop by Trader Joe’s and pick up our ingredients for dinner, and I enjoyed it! If any of you are challenge junkies or even if you’re not (like me!) I would suggest picking up this idea. You’ll be surprised at how easy and fun it can be!

VisualDNA.....

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