Hurray for Spring!

Today is a beautiful day! Yesterday was great, not too cool, and the sun shining. Today is another one. Praise the Lord for the promise of Spring! It is a day like today that gets me excited about being outdoors and actually makes me want to work out. Funny, I rarely get the urge to work out, but when I do, look out! If you drive through Kunkle this evening and see some poor schmuck attempting to run, pick me up. Even though I'm not a runner, I sometimes fool myself into thinking that I could be.

This is Why Mugsy is Not Allowed in my Bed!

I despise colds. I have had a nasty sinus cold since Sunday. Coughing, sneezing, runny, stuffy nose, it's miserable. I've slept on the couch for the last two nights to try to help me breath better. Last night, Mugsy decided to sleep with me. Ugh. He snuggled down between my side and the couch. Midway through the night, he decided that wasn't comfortable anymore and started digging at the couch to try to push himself out of the crack onto my stomach. It didn't work. It only succeeded in waking me up. Finally, I was ready for him not to be beside me, so I picked him up and laid him on my stomach. He stretched out until his bottom was still on my stomach, the rest stretched down my legs. It was pretty funny. By morning, he was curled up at my feet. He's the cutest thing! Even if it did keep me awake. :)

Success!

I tell you what, I don't know when the last time I was around that much estrogen. The lock-in was quite the success, in my opinion. We had 24 girls show up, plus 7 adults. I really feel like there we at least a few who took our sessions to heart and plan on making some changes in their lives. We didn't have a single girl fight, no crying, and only one girl got lost. Ask me more later. :) We even bonded over TPing our youth pastor's house. God really provided patient hearts in the leaders and willing spirits in the girls. Keep praying for all that attended. And if you would like to see a few pictures, feel free to look at Julie's blog. I really need to get myself a digital camera, or at least remember to take my "old-fashioned" one! :)

Another Lock-in????

Let's see. What's going on with me? Not much. :) I will be helping with the overnight thing for the junior/senior high girls next weekend. We hope that it goes well! Two lock-ins in a little over a month could drive me over the edge. :) I'm excited about it though. I really hope the girls take away something from this besides just good memories of fun times. I hope they walk away with a new perspective on the woman that God wants them to be. Pray for open hearts and open minds of these young women.

Show, Not Tell

I am really into the study our small group is doing right now. It's a study of the Song of Solomon by Tommy Nelson. If you haven't seen this video series, I highly recommend it. Our group met last night, and although we had limited numbers, I thought it was a very great study. I find that I am severely lacking when it comes to showing my husband how much I love him. I take a lot of the things that he does for me for granted, and I need to work very hard to change that. How many times has he done the dishes and swept the floor for me, and I just expect it now? That's not the way it should be. He is my best friend, yet sometimes I think he gets the worst of me. I don't do that to my other friends. This is my challenge to myself: start being a better wife and show instead of assume that he knows that I love him.

Weekend

This is going to be one big weekend. Eric and I are having a lock-in for the Junior high on Friday night. I've been baking my head off for this. We have two other chaperones, however I am the only female adult. That means that I will basically be the only one that can help out if there are any female problems. So no sleep for me. :)
Parents are to pick up their kids on Saturday morning at 8:00. We'll see if that happens. After that, I will be going home to sleep for a couple hours, then going to Toledo to try on bridesmaid dresses. That's right, Julie finally decided on a designer, a color, and all that. After about fifteen different ideas, each seemed like the final one, she has decided on something completely different. I'm looking at these two in Tahitian, which is a very pretty color.
This one
and this one.
Hopefully I won't fall asleep on the way to Toledo. :)
Sunday will finally be my day of REST!!!

Praise the Lord!

Eric got a job! He will be starting work on Monday the 6th for Penrod & George. Yes, that might sound familiar. This is the accounting firm he started out of college with. They have taken him back as an employee, however, he will be working out of the Napoleon office. That will be quite the drive for him, but I think we are both just happy that he has a job. He knows the work and doesn't mind the work. Praise the Lord for answering prayer!
Today, however, he is home sick. All night long he kept waking up sick to his stomach. Pray that he heals quickly and that it is not passed on in the house. :)

Pause

I feel like all I talk about right now is Eric's job situation, so I'm sorry if you're tired of hearing about it. Eric has had a couple of things come up that have given us a lot of hope. However every time we start to feel like God is going to answer our prayers, something else happens that leaves him still unemployed. It feels like our lives are on pause right now and we have to just sit and wait for God to hit the play button so we can continue. That's really hard. Life just seems to go on around us. I think the hardest part is knowing just how miserable Eric is. He is very much a doer. He doesn't like to sit around doing nothing. He works hard, and likes to work. This sitting at home crap is killing him. But what can we do? Nothing. I want to shake someone and point out just what they are missing by not hiring Eric. What does he not have that others do that make them so much more desireable as an employee? Why doesn't anyone else see him for the great person that I do? I know I'm a little biased, but I don't think I'm that far off.

HELP!!

I get to pick out my own style of dress for my sister's wedding. Yay! However, that means I have to decide, which I don't do well. So I'm taking a poll. Help me pick a dress! :)

Choice 1
This one

Choice 2
Or this one

Choice 3
This one in cocktail length (just below the knee)

Choice 4
This one

Or any other from the alfred angelo website. Her color is going to be burnt orange, and she says she doesn't want us to look like we're wearing bridesmaid dresses. The reception is on the beach, so she wants the shorter length. Any advice you have is great! Thanks!

Is There a Doctor in the House??

My sister is a doctor!! :)
I went home with Stefani this weekend for her graduation, and my whole family was home. All except Eric, so that was a bummer. But we had a good time. Family dynamics can be quite an interesting situation in our family. The ceremony was very boring! Megan and I were entertaining ourselves by taking pictures of random graduates stopping for pictures with their own family.
We drove back on Sunday afternoon. I don't know if any of you have listened to books on tape, but Stefani and I spent the whole 8 1/4 hours listening to a book and we didn't quite get through it. I need to know the ending!!!

Our holidays aren't quite what they should be. Eric still hasn't heard about a job, so he's dumpy and I'm dumpy, and it's really hard to get in the Christmas spirit when you aren't looking forward to what comes next. He's really frustrated, and we're trying to be patient and trust the Lord, who knows the plans He has for Eric. Time is running out, however. Keep us in your prayers as we keep trusting and try to make the holidays what they are truly meant to be. A celebration of the birth of God's son. It's not about us at all. Jesus is the only reason for this season, and Eric and I need to remember that.

Small Group

I thank God very often for my small group from church. Last night we got together for a Christmas party, and it was the most fun I've had in a while. Our group just clicks very well together, and I love the wonderful women. Our group truly seems to be a support and cares about the little things going on in all our lives. God has blessed me with some great friends.
And boy, these friends sure can cook!! :)

10 Cookies

Yesterday, Clay Beasley came down to play playstation with Eric. That was fine, they were upstairs and I got a few minutes of peace to read. I was trying to be all Suzy-homemaker and be the perfect hostess, so I offered some cookies to Clay. I think by the time he left, he had eaten at least ten. We had two cookies left in the box! Eric couldn't believe it. I thought it was kind of funny. Guess from now on I'll have to put a limit on it! :)

Update

Please pray hard. Eric found out yesterday that he has a job through the end of the year. After that, he's done. He has not heard from anyone on another job, so things are not looking that great. What a great way to welcome in the holiday season. Merry Christmas to us!

If you can pray for me also. I'm going through something really tough right now that I don't really feel like sharing, but prayers would greatly be appreciated.

Holidays

It just hit me how quickly the holidays are going to fly by. Eric and I are going to Missouri for Thanksgiving in less than two weeks. I have a lot of work to get done before then! Three weeks after that, I will be returning to Missouri for my sister's graduation. After ten years of college, she's finally done!!! A week later, my parents will be coming out for Christmas. Why is it that in the one time of the year we want to slow down and spend a little extra time with family, that's when we make ourselves so busy that we can't even truly enjoy the time we do have? This Christmas emphasizes that so much more because my family is coming out Christmas Eve. We are spending Christmas day together, and the very next day, Megan leaves for London. One day together. That's all we have. It really makes me realize how good those families have it that live near each other. I don't take a minute I have with a sister or parent for granted.

My Weekend

Leaving work early isn't nearly as fun when you're leaving because you can't stop itching. Friday, I left work at 2:30 because my whole upper body was itchy. I went home and took a shower, hoping that it was something easily relieveable. However, as the evening progressed, the itching got worse. My mom and Megan had gone on a college vist to Goshen and came on over for the weekend, and Stefani came over from Perrysburg to enjoy some time with us. We went to bed at 12:30, and the itching was starting to creep down into my legs. At 2:30, I woke up itching so bad all over my body that I couldn't sleep. I thought maybe another shower would help, but when I got in the bathroom, I saw that my whole body - neck to ankles - was covered in hives. I was a bright red mess!
So shortly before 3 in the morning, Eric and I headed to the Montpelier ER. I was given three shots, one in the arm, and one in each butt cheek. Let me tell you, Eric was laughing at me trying to walk out of the hospital! The nurse said that rashes and hives like that are so hard to explain, I might never know what caused it. She gave me some follow up prescriptions, kept me for a half hour and then sent me on my way. My rear was so sore!!!! It hurt to sit at all on the ride home.
We got home at about 4 in the morning and I zonked out til 9. I was feeling better, so all us women headed to Grandma's for the day. It was a great day, but in the evening, I started to get itchy. My nurse aunt looked at my back and I had a poison ivy-like rash running across my back. It went away by the time I got home that evening, and the next morning it was running across my stomach, but went away by the time I was leaving for church. Who knows. I praise the Lord for it not being more severe than it was, but I'll be happy if it never happens again! :)

Ugh

After taking a few minutes to let the chastizing work its full effect, I am finally posting again. I guess I don't post often because I just don't feel that I have anything interesting to say. Sorry! :)
I've spent the last week of evenings and even a full day and a half off from work painting. We are finally painting our bedroom, and it's really beginning to feel like our own home. We're finally putting "us" into our house. However, words of advice. If you have the chance to paint before you officially move in, do it! I have been painting around our bed frame, which is huge, and it's kind of hard to do. We have also been sleeping in our guest room. I tell you, I might be spoiled, but I'm used to a queen size bed. The guest bed is a full. I feel a bit cramped, not only cause the bed is smaller, but also because I have a wall on one side and our queen mattress shoved up on the other side.
I just want my normal, clean house back!!!
If anyone really loves to paint, feel free to join me! :) Just kidding.

Good News

Mom called last night about the boy from home I had asked for prayer for. Wade is doing incredibly well considering the circumstances. He is walking! He really doesn't have much luck with his left side, since most of the right side of his brain is gone. But he never really lost consciousness through this whole ordeal. He remembers laying on the couch at home and trying to get up. He remembers the er. His short term memory is not really good though. He doesn't really have any skull left on his right side, but they did put a piece of the skull in his stomach to keep it growing good marrow, and they will eventually do surgery to take it back out and replace it in his head. I just praise the Lord that he wasn't killed and that he seems to be recovering slowly. Continue to pray please.

San Diego

What an amazing trip! I had such a great time in San Diego. It was the perfect combination of doing things and just relaxing. We went shopping a lot, went to Mexico (which by the way, you think resorts, you get third world country), and even attempted (stress on attempted) surfing. I made a fool of myself. :) But it sure was fun.
Wow, there are too many details to write down, but I will say that I would go back in a heartbeat. Only next time, I'm taking Eric with me.

I'll Fly Away

The countdown began a long time ago! I'm finally going back to San Diego to see my sister and I leave in two days! I'm ready for a vacation. It's a little bittersweet since I'm going by myself, but it will be good to see Julie. She's making all kinds of plans for the weekend, including a trip to Tijuana.
Preparing to leave is not so much fun at work. I've been putting in a bunch of overtime to try to get all the things I need to get done before I leave finished. It's a no win. If I don't put in the overtime, I don't get it done. But what I would really rather be doing is spending that time with my wonderful, thoughtful, adorable husband, and I can't. Yeah, I know, I'll only be gone six days, but I still consider myself a newlywed and I'm going to miss him!!!

Life

Praise the Lord for my mental health! That's a weird way to start, but there have been a couple of things lately that have really gotten me thinking. What makes a person so paranoid that they beat their roommate senseless with a hot iron? What can cause a person to have so little hope in the world that they jump off a second tier stadium seat to their death, thinking that it is the only option they have? I know I'm a little nuts, but neither of these things have ever crossed my mind. How many times a day do I walk past someone who is internally dealing with the same kind of issues as these? Sometimes I think that I'm so absorbed in my own little bubble that I miss the many opportunities God gives me to just take a minute to smile at someone I pass or take a minute to help a stranger in need. Who knows, maybe I could brighten their day just a little. How many times does God just want to whack me over the head and say, hey! pay attention here, I'm trying to show you something? He must get so frustrated with me. Yet He never gives up on me. We have one amazing God!