OK....so I know it's been awhile!! The last few months have just been one big roller coaster ride. Some days are great and some days are unbelievably hard. I have tried to sit down and blog and I sometimes find myself feeling unusually negative. I am all for authenticity but I don't want to put an overly negative spin on a journey that has had so many amazing and blessed things about it. The bottom line is that transition is hard...and it is harder for some of us than others. I am a person who thrives in structured environments but fights it tooth and nail. Right now in our lives, we can only establish a "semi-routine." Between my random temp work and Bryan's school work, it's hard to predict what each week will look like. Not only is this really hard on the kids (who need and crave structure), it's hard on Bryan and I. It's hard to establish our roles and expectations because it's never the same. Nonetheless, we are learning to live in the limbo! As I've said before, the community here is amazing and the friendships that I've already formed are what has gotten me through the tough moments!
Bryan has made it through his first quarter of seminary as of this Friday at noon!! He is then off until January 11th!! WooHoo!! He's worked very hard and done well in his classes. I have been temping pretty regularly the last few weeks and I am working again next week at this cool place called Nexstar Network. The environment is very encouraging and positive. They strive for excellence in all they do and expect nothing less of their employees but they also know when to give grace out too. Anyway, I am loving it there and hope to stay for awhile. I have had one job interview with our church. It is for a Campus Gifts Pastor position. I am waiting to hear back from them....hopefully soon. Spiritual Gifts are a huge passion of mine along with helping people find out how they are wired up by God......but we'll have to see what He has planned for me while up north!?!
Noah and Taylor are doing well. Noah is staying busy with preschool 3 days a week. There are a lot of friends around the seminary housing to play with... and him and Taylor even like to hang out some of the time.....although I am pretty convinced that the term "love-hate relationship" must have been based after how siblings get along! Noah is into Star Wars and playing on the Lego website right now. He is still crazy about his guitar and drums......and will play his drumsticks on pretty much anything he can find. Noah's gift to make me smile even when I am grumpy comes in handy....as does his contagious laugh! Taylor is growing up so fast. She is talking like crazy now and her silly little personality is just too cute!! She is completely obsessed with all things Dora and is huge into dressing up like a princess also. Just last week, she started potty training herself which I find very handy!! Both kids have been through a lot since our arrival in August and I am proud of the fact that we are all learning to be a team and stick together even when things are hard. Man I love those two little kiddos!!
Bryan and I were blessed with 10 days to ourselves just before Thanksgiving! My parents came to visit and took the kids back to MO with them. Although it was hard to be away from them for so long, it was a much needed respite for both of us and besides......the kids had a blast hanging out with all 4 grandparents!! Bryan and I headed home the day before Thanksgiving. It was a bit of a crazy trip but after we made it through 3 huge traffic delays and locking our keys in the car in Des Moines, we finally made it! We had a great visit with friends and family and are looking forward to being back for Christmas!
As I have said a million times....this is the hardest and best thing that I have ever been through. If I had known before we started this journey how hard it was going to be, I don't know if Bryan would have ever gotten me here but since I am.......I can't imagine being anywhere else and I genuinely thank God often for this calling!! Sounds crazy, huh??
Here are some pics that I wanted to share from the last few months...
Taylor and I visited CoMo Zoo & Conservatory
It's about 10 minutes from us and it's free!
I took this fall photo between our 2 fall snows
and this one...
and this one...
and this one...
(I stole this idea from my neighbor Kara..hehe)
Giant Taylor...haha
This is in front of the playground by our building.
It's my one of favorite spots to photograph!
Bed head, pearls and Doritos makes for one crazy
Taylor picture!
Noah with our neighbor Bethany that just lives right down
our hall...she had a little crush on him at first and
called him "Noni"...too cute!!
Fall Fun!
Fall Fest at the Seminary Village
You are supposed to eat the donut without using your hands.
Taylor just went for it !!
Noah gave it shot with a little help from Cassie
Then it was the guys' turn
A shot of almost all the kids that live here
Bryan and Noah found this for $2.50 at one of our local thrift stores!!
He also found the training wheels (that he sanded and painted).
Total cost was like $10!!
I walked in one night to check on Noah in his bath and
this is what I saw!! haha
Halloween
In a hurry to eat sugar and in a hurry to get to the
next stop! This picture makes me smile every time. : )
not even sure what to say...
Luckily....she didn't really get the idea and only got
a little bit out!!
Our post sugar-eating festivities
Fall program for Noah's preschool.....so cute!!
Check out those moves!
Some friends of ours do these things called Silly Suppers to
celebrate with their kids. So we headed out to Wendy's and ate
ice cream with our supper to celebrate all the good choices that
Noah and Taylor had made that day!
They both loved dipping their fries in their ice cream....yuck!
If you visit us, there is a high likelihood that you will be doing some
manual dish labor! (since we have no dishwasher)
Even if you are my mom! : )
awwww
(Taylor and my dad)
precious : )
This one makes me teary eyed because it reminds
me of a picture that I have of me and my Grandpa Fuemmeler
that passed away last year...but I'm so happy to have captured this moment!
Check out the cool design Bryan made on Noah's
wall with all of our old CDs
Conservatory near our house....sunken garden room is
absolutely amazing!
How can something so innocent looking be so bad?
note the statue
he's hiding..
Aunt Barb's Mississippi Mud Pie is always a HUGE hit!
See what I mean?
Cousins hanging out at the kid table
Noah got to open one present early.....boy was he excited!!
This was the first time I convinced Taylor to wear tights...
I'd been battling her for a couple of months!
Some of the Kunkel cousins
Hang On!
Driving the spaceship together
The kids had an absolute blast decorating our
Christmas Tree....it was so fun to watch them!
Noah all hopped up on Candy Canes!
Here's mine!
