Hurry up and be patient....will ya!

We found what we feel would be the prefect spot for us. Large back yard. Nice living and bedroom spaces. Shops/dentists/orthodontics/library/3 city parks within walking distance. BUT, we will have to wait to offer on it. Forty-nine days cannot arrive quickly enough! We hope the fact that it is in need of LOTS of work will keep it open for us. Here's to the right house for us; if it be this one or another. =D

our.bEEutiful.day





 




And the fantastic news? We will be ready to make offers
on houses in this very neighborhood (three city parks
and shops/public library within a 5 min walk) in
TWO months. Yeah. My mind was reeling today. =D

...questions...

Yesterday we learned that Osama bin Laden was reported to have been killed. Honestly, I was shocked at first. I had forgotten his name. I thought that he had already evaporated into the abyss of my forgetfulness. Idiocy. He was apparently killed by special forces this past week-end and buried at sea.

This alone is not the purpose of this post. The above information has cause many questions to ignite in my soul. Such as....if we are all created in the image of God and "knit together in a secret place" then how can we rejoice or "justify" the murder of another? What is this all really about? Is killing ever "okay"....

My mothers heart is breaking for all who have been lost. The enemies and the victims. Some would view this tenderness as a weakness that the "enemy" could use against me. LOVE.CONQUERS.ALL.

The.end.

two days and a month

This is the day when I committed myself to another. Really, to five "others". On May 16th Ben and I will celebrate our 13th wedding anniversary. No kidding. 13 years. It feels a little weird. Am I old enough to be married that long? I guess so!

Ben and I were talking this morning. We've been doing that these days. We wake up early to pray, read our Bibles together and chat. It's been wonderful, and I hope we continue. Anyway, we just commented that our lives seem to be filled with transitions. "When we get here" or "I can't wait 'till this is....." and "Once we complete this goal" seem to be what most of our conversations begin or end with. Don't get me wrong, we enjoy every moment of our precious life. I guess we are driven. And I guess transitions are what life is full of.

During one morning chatting time Ben told me about an idea he was unable, for days, to stop thinking about. I said "Spill it!". He did. It is a genius idea. It holds promise. It is an honest-to-goodness dream fulfilled! We had his brilliant thought checked out by our mortgage friend, and she agreed with us. This idea could get us into home ownership (again....oh how we've missed it!) before school begins in the fall. WHAT?! Yup. Babe is awesome. From this point things could go pretty fast. If things fall into place we will begin seriously looking to buy. We are not excluding houses that are involved in a short sale or REO. As these tend to take several months to close we've got to be ready to pounce!

What has changed? I guess we have. We know what we are made of. We've become wiser (thank God!), and realized that we need to follow God's plan for our lives. His plan looks different for me than it will for you. We have also learned to stick to our financial guns. Just because a bank qualifies you for a certain amount does not mean that you can afford the payments. No matter what the bank says. We have our own brains, I guess now we are using them!

I have no photo's to share. I think my next post will be font-less.....

My brain is oozing from my head

through my ears. I learned about the "full" office procedures today. Ordering, shipping, receiving, invoicing (both sides), cutting checks, making paper trails and matching all the paper trails together. By the time I got home today my vision was blurry. I don't know how Linda (my supervisor) has been doing all the AR/P + purchasing. Uggg. Just after one day I'm exhausted. =D

I must post about the silliness of my kids. It seems that every member of my Quartet is eager to grow up. The other day (during breakfast) Zach asked when his adam's apple would make its appearance. HA! I'll just say the conversation lead to puberty and sperm production. It was only a 5 min. conversation! Since Babe had already explained everything I was thankfull this talk was just a refresher. This is going somewhere I promise! The kids spent time with my folks yesterday and today. My dad quoted Esther talking to her Twins "Well, when you're going through THE puberty your legs will get hairy just like Sam's". WHAT?! Nothing passes by her eagle eyes. I cannot believe how very large in heart and body the kids are. Freakin' crazy.

My G.P.A. suffered a 'B' this term. This is my second since my beginning college in the fall of 2009. I was not pleased when I first learned about it. Then reality sunk in. I began counting my blessings. Both Babe and I went to college for 6 consecutive terms, and we have no debt because of it. This will be a huge help in saving for a house! Oh, and we were able to go.and.learn.for.almost.two.stright.years. Awesomeness is what that is!

Ahhhh.DONE!

I remember when my kids were small, and they couldn't pronounce words correctly yet. When they were done eating at the table they would say "Ah done!". Well....I'm AH-DONE with school for this term! YAY! Babe and I will be taking a year off from school to ferociously save for a down-payment. Ready? Set! GO!

Fall 2006. Es-7, Sam-6 and the Twins-4

one down.three.to.go.

I've completed one of my four classes. To say I'm pleased would be right on. YAY!

This term came with an unexpected surgery and shifts in our goals. I have been exposed to works of writing that have caused me to ponder about society. I have questioned myself, my government, our consumer culture and my place in it. I have learned that I can learn much of myself through what I write. Sometimes I wasn't sure the words on the page were mine, it was so unlike the me I knew. Woah. This has been a good term indeed!

Society by Eddie Vedder

It's a mystery to me, we have agreed with which we have agreed. You think you have to want more than you need. Until you have it all you won't be free.

Society, you're a crazy breed. I hope you're not lonely without me.

When you want more than you have, you think you need. And when you think more than you want your thoughts begin to bleed. I think I need to find a bigger place, 'cause when you have more than you think, you need more space.

Society, you're a crazy breed. I hope you're not lonely without me. Society, crazy and deep. I hope you're not lonely without me.

There's those thinking that more is less, less is more. But if less is more, how you're keeping score? Means for every point you make your level drops. Kind'a like it's starting from the top, you can't do that.

The words alone do not do this song justice. I would suggest a listen on youtube or playlist to get the full effect.

Free-write

Okay. I'm just gonna put myself on a limb here. I'm posting part of my class work. In my current writing class our instructor requires us to complete a free-writing session. This is basically our brains exploding on our paper for about 15 min. Most times he gives us a prompt but sometimes not. The prompt for Thursday 2/24/2011 as "Cheap Thrills". This is what exploded from my brain that day.

Summer. Fresh spring grass. Waterfalls. Laughter. Sunshine and flowers. Hot cereal on cold days. All the "little things" that come together to form a life-span. Tea. Blanket forts at thirty. Dreaming. Changing. Hoping and striving for better. A soft pillow. A strong shoulder. A goofy nine-year-old's jokes. A mature eleven-year-old's compassion. Questions answered. Singing. In reality these are not really cheap - these are priceless. At least to me they are.

I have learned much of myself during this term. I am planning it to continue!

**everything changes**

I love school. I actually believe I'm addicted to learning and the people that come with it. ADDICTED.PEOPLE. Here in lies the issue. I am taking some time off from school. I'm sad. More sad than I though I would be.

In my writing class this term our instructor has us "free-write". This is the time we can just explode our thoughts on the page. He usually give us a prompt. This is interesting for me. One was, "The Table" another, "Cheap Thrills". We are not required to use the prompt and Tuesday I decided not to. I wrote about our future plans and dreams. I wrote how I would miss school and wondering if, even if I was near earning a degree, I'd miss it. Then this mind game threw me for a loop. I wondered if I was addicted to school and its diversity. Then it morphed into maybe that being the reason I love the idea of teaching. Newness. I would get a new class every fall. Just as I would get a new instructor and class mates every term. Hmmmm. I think I just love learning. I hope I just love learning and I won't miss this interaction as much as I'm feeling I will right now. I'm thinking I will cry. These fellow students have helped change me to who I am right now. I love myself and them.

Why don't I just continue? Weeell. Our first financial goal was home ownership in 7 years. This would be the year Esther would be entering COLLEGE. Yes. You read right. If I take a one year pause (and work the hours they want me to)we would have more than the bank requires for a down payment. One.Year. Then I can go back OR I can pause another year and have enough saved for a little perk. That perk? Nip and tuck. =D

Who knows? God. I daily put my hopes, dreams, mistakes and desires at the feel of His Grace. Only he knows what will really transpire. I have had so many different plans that have changed. He is the one constant. He will faithfully direct our future.

So, beyond this this term's end; I.have.no.idea. I'm learning that not knowing is okay. It even can be fun. I'm waiting for the fun part to start....tomorrow maybe? Kidding. =D We will be patient. We will rest. We will accept. We will create. We will grow. We will believe. This is our quest.

When life throws you down, have surgery and get back up!

Oh, where to begin? Weeeell. We were all doing fine, great really. Ben has been going to class every Monday and Wednesday night. The kids are involved with church and, of course, school. I have been attending college full-time this term. We are also looking to purchase a new car and sell our old Honda (I use the term "we" very loosely here as Babe is the one who is accomplishing this for us).

I have class every Tuesday and Thursday and I work Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I woke up Thursday feeling under the weather and that feeling just continued to worsen as the day wore on. I checked on the kids and was on my way back upstairs when it "clicked". I was having a hard time pulling my right leg up to the next stair. Huuuh. It's almost like I had overworked my abs on just the right side. But I only had run 4 miles the previous day so I knew that wasn't it. The only other thing I could think of was.....appendicitis. But I was supposed to vomit with that right? Or at least be nauseous. I wasn't. I laid on the bed and pushed my lower, right abdomen. Wowzers. Yup, that hurt. When Ben got home he didn't even ask, he just helped me down the stairs and took me to the Immediate Care up the street. After 20min there they urgently requested that we go to the ER for an appendectomy.

By 12.30pm that next day (Friday 2/11/11) I was in recovery from surgery and by 6pm HOME! YAY! Modern medicine has it's perks. My entire operation was only 28min. Katie, my recovery nurse, said the speed was due to my "small body" and the enlarged organ. Nice.
Today is Monday and I am dressed and wearing a little make-up. I have been off pain meds since Saturday afternoon and I almost feel myself again! Now, back to life!....and homework!

Hopefully minus anymore surgeries.....