November's Close

Now we have proof, Aggie loves animals! For those of you who know her, you know that just weeks ago when an animal came around her, she was in tears and in your arms. Living in this house, with all the animals nearby, proved initially to be quite traumatic for her. But as you can see, she not only tolerates the pets, she has come to love them. She is feeding Emmie here, and would just giggle and giggle when she licked her hand.

McGrooter enjoyed feeding Emmie too (actually, he started it). He loves the animals. Every time we go to get into the van he has to run out and pet one of the cats or dog before we leave.

Munchkin is growing every day. Here she's "big stuff" on McGrooter's "motorcycle." She begs to go outside, to eat, to brush her teeth and to go to bed. She's our first child to beg to go to bed.

Tonight the kids ate us out of house and home. I fixed chicken soft tacos and they gobbled them up. I don't think there was even any left over for mom's lunch tomorrow. McGrooter played all day with his cousin. He came home in different clothes after playing in a sandbox full of rainwater. He and Bennett love to play together.

Yesterday I got a chance to take a few pics of Mac in the tree he's learned to climb. These are my two favorite.

Chili Sanch

Today, Aggie's idea for breakfast when I asked was "chili sanch." She had this very determined look on her face, her eyes squinted, as she slowly uttered those words. I'm pretty sure it was simply to oppose her brother who was in favor of pancakes. I guess a chili sandwich was the most creative oppositive she could pose. And the suggestion came again at lunch.

This afternoon was absolutely beautiful for a late November day. It was breezy but nearly 60 degrees and we got to go outside for the first time in weeks (due mainly then to cold weather and sickness). So we got to go and burn some much needed energy with Aggie doing much of the pushing of Munchkin in the stroller and on some of the toys. It's fun to watch them take "care" of their siblings as they get older.

The Munch wouldn't take her nap (not sure what the deal was) so we may get an early bedtime tonight. Aggie hardly slept. But they've all been sleeping in a little later this week, for which I'm thankful. I'd like to get them on more of a normal wakeup time.

We're getting closer to our hopeful move-in date to the house. I hope to get out there later this week and see their progress. With as much rain as we got yesterday, I'm not sure that they'll get any grading done before the end of the week, but I'm hopeful. I think the key right now is getting that driveway poured. The space will be such a relief to our daily routine, not to mention getting our stuff out of storage. The kids really have been troopers though.

Are These Kermits?

The kids slept in this morning. Aggie was the first up, just before 7. McGrooter didn't get up until 7:30. Munchkin was in bed until after 8. When McGrooter got up, Aggie ran over to him as he stood squinting and gave him a big hug saying, "I love you." When they do that on their own it's pretty special.

For breakfast we had oatmeal. Yesterday (with our cereal) we gave the girls some currants with their cereal. We explained that they were small raisins (Zante Currants). This morning when I tried to put raisins on Aggie's oatmeal, she asked me, "Are these kermits?" I said, "No, these are actually raisins." She asked me again, "are these kermits" like, "are you sure dad?" So now we no longer eat currants, we eat kermits!

After breakfast, they both politely asked to be excused. Then McGrooter came into my room and said, "that was the best oatmeal dad." Don't let a good night's sleep be overrated!

We had a crazy trip to Wal-Mart before lunch. It was cold and rainy out and there were NO kiddie carts. I let one of the managers know I wasn't real pleased about it, but I was really quite mad. They were all outside stacked neatly in the rain! I tried drying one off but no amount of paper towel would accomplish the feat. So we all packed in a normal buggy. That's always fun!

"I be gennly." That's what Aggie came in and announced with glee while preparing to go teetee on the potty. Mommy has been teaching her to open the lid/close the lid gently before and after using the potty. Later in the afternoon I walked past her while she was getting ready to wash her hands. McGrotter had left the lid open (that's another issue) and she was shutting the seat, then the lid with such precision (she didn't know I was watching). When she finished she announced again, "I be gennly, I be gennly."

I helped her wash her hands, then she asked for a "handana" so her hair wouldn't fall. She pointed to one on the counter (since I wasn't sure what that was). I put it on, and she corrected me, "you put it on your eyes then up." So I put it over her eyes then rolled it up and told her how pretty she was. I asked her if I could take her picture, so she ran away. But it wasn't long before she came back and asked me to take it! That's a "handana" in the picture.

Even More To Be Thankful For

It's been a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. We've gotten to spend lots of good quality time with family and really just relax. It's actually been the first "family time" where I haven't been constantly distracted by other things I needed to do.

Thanksgiving Day, we headed over to Mom's family's house for the big dinner. The kids played with the cousins and we ate around five. Afterward we gave quick baths and headed home. All three kids fell asleep within minutes of leaving. I carried each of the girls in and put them to bed. Lastly I took McGrooter to potty before going to bed. He was dead to the world and then all the sudden exclaimed, "Daddy, Daddy!" I replied, "What?" He answered, "We had a big day." Then he went to sleep. It was indeed a big day. He and his cousin walked all over the land at Poppie & Nannie's and later at Grandad and Mimi's.

On Friday morning we got some great news. After many weeks of house-hunting and numerous offers and counters, we finally got word that we had our offer accepted and a contract on a house! So now we get to wait until closing, but Lord willing we'll be in our new home by the end of the year.

Here's a picture of the house. You can see more here if you like. It's really going to be a great fit for us in a number of ways. First, it's going to give us the room we need (3 bedrooms and 2 baths), plus it has an unfinished room downstairs that's stubbed for a bath which gives us room to grow. It's also in the perfect location for us to be closeby to Mom's grandparents so we can be some help to them. And we'll be closer to her parents so they can be a help to us! :-) It's going to be a much shorter for Mom to her school and for me to my evening job.

Saturday we got to go pick out flooring and cabinets and then I went in and did some caulking. I was pleasantly surprised to see how well things were being put together. I wouldn't describe it as high-end construction, but for an entry-level home it's being built pretty decently. Our hope is that they stay on track and that the weather cooperates so that we're able to close before Christmas.

Today we went to church with Grandad and Mimi and then to lunch. The kids absolutely love being this close to them. Every time we leave the house and go anywhere, they always ask, "Are we going to see Grandad and Mimi?" After lunch Mom and I ran some errands then I went to Bible study with Grandad. Now it's time to crash and get ready for a new week.

Happy Thanksgiving

Well, it's been a few days since I've blogged, and what a few days it's been! Today is Thanksgiving and I'm home with the girls, hoping they'll nap before we go over to the family's for the big shindig. Mom is with McGrooter over there now. I was hoping to get some work done but getting the girls to nap early has proved a little more work than normal, so I decided I could at least blog in between putting little ones back down. For the moment it is quiet so that may be a good sign.

The past week has been kind of rough at The Daddy Day Care. The core of it has to do with some struggles of my own (anger/bitterness toward some wrongs done to us) and how that seeps out throughout the day. On top of that we've all been sick, but I do think we're on the road to recovery. Combine that with the snowball effect of feeling bad, doing bad, feeling bad for doing bad, doing badder (as M would say), and so forth. It's a downward spiral. Plus we've been in negotiations over a house that hasn't been going as well as we'd wanted. It's been tumultuous. But some good counseling by my wonderful wife, some good convicting by the Holy Spirit, and I'm sure the wonderful prayers of my mother and others have me regaining my focus.

One of the highlights is captured in this picture. Yes, a highlight around a cheese-like food product. Thanks to Mimi, who brought these Cheetos last time she came, the kids are now obssessed with them. These are not any ordinary Cheetos. These are special holiday Cheetos (a sidebar...I remember when this time of the year was not called "holidays" but "Christmas time"). Anyway, these normal-looking orange Cheetos turn your mouth green. Yes, green! And the kids think it's the coolest thing since Noggin. We've finally just about finished off the bag after rationing them out over the past week. After each feeding the kids would insist on a trip to the mirror to have a look themselves. Then they'd just giggle and giggle. Below are some green mouths.

So get all the kiddies some exciting and fun holiday Cheetos to provide hours of quality entertainment. Sorry the Munch got left out.

Another moment of quality time was one night around bedtime. I discovered the new music channels that had been added to the TV. I couldn't resist turning on a little Bluegrass for the kids. And so, without prompting, the older two proceeded to have a little ho-down right in the living room, circling each other. McGrooter even threw in a couple of breakdance moves. I always knew he was going to be an inovator. Who'd have thought? Breakdancing and bluegrass...what a combo!

Finally, it is Thanksgiving and so I should write something about what I'm thankful for. There are really inumerable things, even after a crummy week like it's been. I'm thankful most of all that life is not meaningless and that I'm not left to my own devices to give it some kind of meaning but that meaning has been given to my life outside of myself. Specifically, I'm talking about the fact that my life has been redeemed, that I'm adopted by the King, and that there's now rhyme and reason to every little detail of life. I'm thankful for my wonderful wife who is patient and loving and faithful. I'm especially thankful for her God-given gift of discernment. I'm thankful she's helping me grow out of my "doormat Christianity" and discern the difference between letting people use you and being a real servant. I'm thankful for my kids, and especially for this time that I have right now with them. With all the stress and strain, day in and out, it's so worth it. It's special because I feel like it's redeemed time from all that I lost over the past three and a half years. I'm thankful for their smiles and personalities and creativeness. I'm thankful to God for their potential!

There's so much more, but it's been quiet for a while now so I should capitalize on this time and get some work done before we head over for the festivities. Happy Thanksgiving!

Raining Cats and Dogs

It's rained the hardest today that it has since we've lived here and guess what...no slugs! The last two times it's rained we've found very nice slugs in our house including one that was about 6 inches long (the biggest slug I've ever seen). It rained all day and it was of course one of Mommy's late days. But the kids did good and played well.

I did learn to keep a closer eye on the kids when they come into our bedroom and I'm working on my computer. Aggie came in today and found the power button on my UPS which shut down everything immediately, losing all my work. She knew better than touching but she had no idea what she'd done until I reacted. She had to sit on her bed a bit, but I think my reaction alone made the point.

I think Munchkin will be the one we get to take to the ER the most. She has no fear and loves to climb up anything and everything. Today it was a tub, a chair, a bed, etc... She took a tumble off the tub but it only slowed her down for about 5 minutes.

The weekend was rough with all five of us sick. The antibiotics are kicking in on the girls so we are seeing improvement. But we were all stretched thin and couldn't get to church with their germs. Mom did get a lot of cleaning and organizing done so now I have my work cut out for me (keeping everything straight).

Tomorrow Mom gets to work just half a day and then she's done for the week. So we're looking forward to a nice holiday week with family.

Pharmacy Phriday

Yes, the household is still sick. It has me wondering if Mommy is bringing home germs from her new job or if this house has mold or other alergens. Regardless, last night we were up with Aggie almost the entire night. We both got very little sleep, with Aggie complaining of her ear hurting. So this morning we took all three kids to see the pediatrician. Both girls have ear infections and McGrooter's is just a cold. We got some samples but also had to have a few filled. Without our insurance being effective yet it's been crazy. But I think we're on the road to recovery.

Of course both girls fell out on the way home from the doc so neither would nap after we ate a late lunch. I finally got them up, only to have Aggie fall asleep in my arms an hour later. She slept quite a while but she needed it. Mommy got home about 5:30 and we had dinner, baths and were in bed by 7. Now we are hoping for a good night's rest.

Thursday Nov 17, '05

Another early day with McGrooter and Aggie both up just after 6 this morning. It was cold outside with our first good freeze of the year. The kids were good as I scrambled to get ready for Mimi to come over to watch them (so I could take the van to have new brakes put on). McGrooter was very excited and kept looking out the window saying, "I don't see Mimi." He then decided he wanted to have a party for her when she arrived. I told him it was a great idea but then he said, "I don't know how to start the party. Can you help me get this party started?" We decided since we didn't have any presents and nothing to make a cake with that we would color pictures for Mimi. So everyone was at the table while I cleaned up a bit, coloring some sheets I printed off the computer. McGrooter announced while he was coloring, "Mimi is the best Mimi in the whole world." In good sisterly fashion, Aggie responded, "no she's not." So I asked her, "well then, who is?" She said, "Grandad is the best Mimi in the whole world." I think Grandad got a good kick out of that when I told him later on this evening.

While I was waiting for the brakes to be repaired I got a call from a good friend of mine that I haven't seen in close to 5 years and I haven't talked to in quite a while. It was good to catch up and refreshing to share what's going on in each other's lives. He's got two little ones and has done the daddy day care thing himself. I also got a call from my oldest sister and it was good to catch up with her and hear all the goings-on in PA. Before I knew it the van was ready.

After naps, I took the kids and we met Mimi and Grandad in Gainesville and they took them to their house while Mommy and I had some meetings. Then we all had a yummy dinner over at their house and got in late.

"My Nose Won't Work"

The day started early, waking up about 5:30 and then the kids waking up about 6:15. Aggie was crying and saying, "My nose won't work." We've all got colds so none of our noses are working. I thought that was a cute way to phrase it.

It was a rainy day with a cold front pushing through, so even after it stopped raining it was cold and windy. Cabin Fever set in quickly and I soon found a for and all three children in their closet. There were Rubbermaid tubs stacked up and pillows and blankets used. Any general would have been proud. They had some of McGrooter's army stuff and they were definitely focused on defeating the enemy (whoever that was).

The Munch didn't last very long before making her way into our bedroom where I was working. She began one of her favorite activities (and one of Mommy's least favorite)...trying on shoes! Yes, it started early with this one. She definitely has a shoe fettish. She'll pull all of Mommy's shoes out and clop around the house in them as proud as she can be. Note her "plumber pants." I guess she didn't get the Wallace Butt so she has nothing to hold them up. That, or she's going to be our Hip Hop child. You ought to see her dance when I put on Hip Hop or R & B. She's got some smoove moves!

After looking at one more house yesterday after Mommy got off of work, we went to the pizza place to meet Uncle Curtis and the kids (kids eat free on Wednesdays). So we got to go visit with the cousins and Uncle C and have a good time eating pizza. Bed time was warmly welcomed by everyone (as both the girls' naps were short). Tomorrow Mimi comes to stay with the kids while I get to go have brakes put on the van. Yippee!

Drizzle Day

It rained on and off today. Can you say, "cabin fever?!!" The kids did very well today but they really wanted to get outside. It was just enough rain to keep everything wet where we couldn't get out or everyone would have been covered in mud. So with runny noses, I decided on a trip to McDonald's for Happy Meals. It turned out to be a good idea. It was enough of a distraction for everyone to keep their sanity.

But after naps and a little TV the fever had returned. I found McGrooter "surfing" on their one toy (a plastic kitchen). He has his army men and a couple guns and the girls have their dolls, but everything else is in storage. So since the kitchen is used as a kitchen only by his sisters, I guess he decided that it could be otherwise used. After telling him it wouldn't last very long with him standing on it, he decided that he'd "work" on it after that. But he didn't have any tools...so, he scurried through the house looking for things he could use as tools.

Soon, his youngest sister joined him to "work" on it and before long she was trying to get on top of it. Monkey see, monkey do.




All the while Aggie sat reclining in a suitcase watching TV. I think the cold has taken more of a toll on her. She was kind of whiney all day. So there she sat with Stinky and looked as comfy as she could be.

Mommy got home late after running a few errands. We had chili which was quite appropriate for the weather. Then we had game time, some tickling and wrestling, brushed teeth and then time to read. Now Daddy can go to work (at my other job!).

Monday, Monday

We had a good weekend, although all three kids are showing signs of colds. On Saturday we had a chance to look at some houses again. I don't really remember much, other than that...guess I should blog everyday! We seem to keep coming back to the same house. The kids approved after the visit but I think it had more to do with the big piles of mud (it's still under construction). I tried to tell McGrooter that if we moved there the mud would no longer be there. He replied, "well then I'll just dig and dig and make some mud." Okay then!

And he does like mud. Today was warm and sunny, at least for November. So we got out and washed the van. But as soon as the runoff began to make some mud, he was no longer interested in helping me wash the van. He was into the mud and water. I remember that fascination as a kid, digging out minature creeks and rivers and watching water run down or playing in the rain puddles. Either mom was tolerant of all that or I've forgotten how mad she got!

Sunday I visited Westminster again, by myself this time as the kids couldn't go to the nursery. I got to talk to some more folks and meet some new ones. It was a good visit. That afternoon we went and looked at another house, but still keep going back to the same neighborhood mainly because of location and value. The one house we've been looking at for 6+ weeks still has not sold. Maybe the Lord is saving it for us!

The important lesson of the day: Always check around the van for toys before pulling out of the car port. Munchkin left one of the trikes right next to the van (on the passenger side where I couldn't see it) with enough of it to get under the tires. It got squashed. That was my first (and I hope my last) run in with a ride-on toy. Hopefully I can find a replacement wheel on the Internet.

It's Friday!

Tonight Aggie offered to give Munch her bottle. It was really cute, the two of them in their sleepers (pajamas), the Munch almost as big as Aggie. But they were fine with...at least for a little while.

The big event of the day was a trip to Wal-Mart. I'm learning that a trip to Wal-Mart is always a big event. We have to travel about half an hour to get there, along very windy roads. The kids did great though and we got everything we needed. I wish I had my camera with me in the store. They didn't have any of the 2-kid buggies, so I had Esther up front and Aggie in the back with all the groceries. By the time we got to the check-out you could hardly see her. But it didn't bother her one bit. She thought it was some kind of adventure. Of course the real adventure began when I got her out of the buggie to find her soaking wet. She had put on a pull-up (without my knowing it) before we left. And as any parent knows, pull-ups just don't have the capacity of a diaper. And of course I forgot to repack the diaper bags with a new set of clothes, so the child road home in only a diaper like a little redneck kid.

One of my favorite things of the day is reading time in the evenings. I'm not particularly good at it but Mommy is. The kids love it that she gets to checkout books from the library at her school. Recently they've been reading about Juney B going to the first grade. McGrooter listens intently while the girls show varying interest.

One other thing I should add...thanks to Rachael Ray I cooked a wonderful dinner (or at least I thought so). The kids weren't as excited about the chicken as they were about the smashed potatoes and broccoli, but Mommy liked it. I think the use of fresh rosemary and thyme might have been a little overload on their tastebuds. It was yummy though and Mommy was happy to have dinner taken care of!

Fun with Uncle Rob

Today we had a fun trip down to Duluth where we met Uncle Rob at Bahama Breeze. It was exciting for the kids and yummy. Uncle Rob brought a replacement phone for the one I have to give back to my former employer. It was a good excuse to get together for a visit. Munchkin took a minute to warm up and remember who Uncle Rob was, but before long all three kids were crawling all over him. They love him.

After tearing through a yummy meal the kids all enjoyed playing in one of Uncle Rob's big trucks (an F-350!). I really think I could settle having a nice F-250 four door as my Daddy Day Care vehicle. All the kids could fit and I could haul stuff too. Not that I have anything to haul except for the trash, but I could, and that counts for something.

I thought the girls might nap on the way home. They of course showed no signs of sleeping until we got on our road. So then I played the "let's roll down the windows" game to keep them from sleeping, thinking they'd go down when we got home. Well that proved to be a mistake. I did finally get Munchkin down but Aggie never slept. Now she and McGrooter are running around with the older kids Mamma Mert keeps, playing with the animals and playing hide-and-seek. It's much cooler and windy today. Feels a lot more like Fall than the past few days. I could stand to have warm weather all the time though.

Tonight mom is working late so we may get to make a run to Wal-Mart before the day is over. And I've got to think about dinner too. I can understand now why quick and easy meals are so popular for moms. When in the world is there time to cook anything? Let alone, clean, create or accomplish much that is productive. Of course, I'm sure I could be doing any one of those things instead of typing this, but then I'd have no record of this time and I know I'd forget all the details. So in twenty years I think I'll be happier that I have this record than whether we had a completely clean kitchen. :-)

A final note, Aggie just came running by yelling "I'm a cowgirl, I'm a cowgirl, not an army cowgirl, just a cowgirl." That was her feminist rebellion against her brother's constant masculine pronouncements of "I'm an army man, I'm a cowboy, I'm a deerhunter, etc..."

Animals!

McGrooter has informed me that if we move we must get a dog and some cats. He plans to name the dog "Thunderbolt." He also asked if he could stay inside at night. When I quoted Pop as saying, "People inside, animals outside," he was very perplexed and complained that Thunderbold might run away. Today he said if we move that we'd have to come back and visit the cats and dog at Mamma Mert's. He really loves animals and has so enjoyed living here.

Aggie has even warmed up to the animals. Today she kept showing me that she can pet the dog and the cats and said over and over, "I not afraid anymore." She even went on a trip to the chicken house to see all the chicks. I guess it is inevitable even though Mom and I didn't ever think we'd have any pets. It's fun though, to watch them interact with the pets.

I couldn't resist including this one of Aggie "kissing" the cat. She did the same thing to the dog later on. This is the same little one who spent half an hour crying in my arms the when I'd take the kids outside the first few days we lived here. She's come a LONG way!!

Now there's the Munchkin. She hasn't really shown a lot of interest in the animals. Ocassionally she pets them and the other times she runs from them. But she does like the little toy cars at Mama Mert's. Many times I'll look around for her and find her in the same place she was just moments before...seated in the toy car. She seems completely content to be in any one of them. She also enjoys when the older kids come home from school and push her on the trike or in the cars. She's not starving for attention.

It was a great day. Tomorrow we get to go see Uncle Rob and have lunch with him.

Our Last Warm Day

Today is supposed to be our last warm day of fall, with a record temperature of 81. It's been beautiful so far. After a few quick errands to the tag office, the post office, and the dump, we went to the park in Clermont to play on the playground. The kids loved it. Munchkin a little too much as she wanted to be the little dare devil and climb to the top. McGrooter and Aggie played with "hickory nuts" (I'm not sure who taught them that) rolling them up and down the slides. It was great fun.

Aggie has made real progress in the past day with potty boot camp. Mommy came up with the sticker idea and it seems to be working. She's kept her diaper dry all day and I haven't had to clean up poopy in two days!!

Nap time is almost over and they'll be itching to get outside to play. Here are some pics from the day at the park:

The House

I thought I'd share a bit about the house we're in. It's really in a quaint area of North Georgia. The sunrises are absolutely gorgeous every morning across the front pasture. We love having a porch to sit on. But the house is cozy to say the least.

This is the eat-in-kitchen. We borrowed a card table to get started but now have our kitchen table. It's really amazing what you can get accustomed to after a short time. The kids are the most flexible. It's been like an adventure for them.

Munchkin enjoyed the pizza we made from the kit Aunt Jenny brought by the other night on her way home from work. The kids helped make the pizzas and then devoured them. Munch was a work of art for sure!

Only Three Weeks And...

Yes, I'm just starting week four today of being home with the kids and it's been quite the whirlwind. I've made three trips to the doctor with the kids, cleaned up vomit I'm not sure how many times, and even stepped out of the bathroom after a quick shower to discover my two girls covered in black magic marker...as well as my favorite recliner. Needless to say, that anger problem I swore I'd never have...well, that's my new battle. :-)

Today has been a good day and I must admit that the days do seem to go better the more I do this. I've got changing diapers down to a science now. I'm also discovering that "cleaning the kitchen" is never a complete-able task, but rather one that is simply ongoing (especially without a dishwasher). Oh yes, and being able to stay up working late like I used to...well, that is a thing of the past. I usually pass out before 10 now.

The lesson for the day (so far) is that you really shouldn't haul trash to the dump in the minivan, even if you put down plastic on the floor. At least not a week's worth of trash. I had the great idea of getting a can (actually my swell brother-in-law provided it) to keep the trash in until I made a run to the dump. It is really a good idea...if only I had that new Honda Ridgeline. But putting a week's worth of trash in the back of the van not only provided a wonderful aroma, but also brought several little bugs that fly around. I killed I don't know how many and I still keep finding more (and the dump is like 2 miles away). So now more trash runs in the minivan.

How We Got Here

Many of our friends and family have asked how we got here (why we moved back to Georgia). A book could be written on the matter and all of it would not be edifying, so I'll just sum it up as follows.

We went to Birmingham for me to pursue my Master of Divinity degree at Birmingham Theological Seminary. We were there for 3 1/2 years. In the first 2 years I completed about half of the degree (50+ hours). In the last year and a half, my studies slowed down to nearly a halt. This was due to my need to pursue other employment to meet the needs of our family. I began freelancing (web design) a few months after our arrival, upon discovering that the salary plans for my job at the seminary did not pan out. This freelancing grew into me starting my own business. So I worked two jobs while going to school. Our family also grew from 1 child to 3. Family time diminished as my job at the seminary grew. Study time diminished even further. Something had to give. The whole reason we moved to Birmingham (attending seminary) was not being achieved.

We thought the change would come in the form of me getting a different job, one that would pay enough for us to live on without me having to work a second job. Instead, the Lord directed our steps for Leslie to go back to teaching. She could make considerably more teaching school than I could from both jobs. So we decided to move back to GA for her to teach and for me to stay home with the kids. Her mom agreed to help with the kids a couple days a week so that I could have some designated study time. Hopefully, I will be able to complete the last third of my M.Div. this way (possibly in 18 months).

Our time in Birmingham was our Wilderness Experience. Not that we had a bad time there, but it was very dry spiritually and very challenging personally. Our family life suffered greatly and we constantly asked ourselves, "Why are trying to hard so get equipped for ministry when we are disqualifying ourselves in the process?" I don't think going was a mistake, but there things I would have done differently that I think would have enabled me to finish before leaving and could have prevented us entering into financial debt. But the Lord was not surprised by all of this, including our mistakes, and He has taught us (and is continuing to teach us) immensely more than we could have imagined through the whole ordeal.

Upon completing my M.Div. we hope to be in a situation where I will be able to enter into a pastoral role. It may take longer to get back on our feet financially than it takes me to finish my degree, but we are trusting the Lord. We won't be able to do anything until both pieces of the puzzle come together.

Personally, I have grown more in love with the doctrines of grace and Reformed theology. Our plans are to stay in the PCA denomination but we are of course open to wherever the Lord would take us (even overseas). I also have to wonder why the Lord has given me the opportunity to gain so much technical and business experience from running my own business and how He plans to use that in the future.

We covet your prayers.