We bought a new recliner!

We love our new duplex in Nixa!! It feels like a real house and it's so much more private than the apartments we have had in the early years of our marriage. We have a cute back yard and a garage... and I love the garden tub with jacuzzi jets in our master bathroom!

Although we love our new place and are excited about all the grilling out we will do in the Spring... I admit that our furniture does not fit this place! We have had used furniture from Salvation Army, Goodwill, and from someone who sold some stuff in the newspaper. Anyway... We have waited to finally get some really good, long lasting, solid furniture. Our old recliner had an arm that was only hanging on by the material attached. Our couch has a good pull out bed, but the couch itself is so old! The only durable furniture we have is our bed... it was an anniversary gift and it's a Simmons Beautyrest....the best on the market!

So, after 4+ years of marriage, we finally took some tax return money and went to La-Z-Boy and bought a really great recliner!!! It took awhile for Doug and I to agree on the one we wanted, but we finally found a great compromise. It looks a little masculine, but it's comfortable and with a few added touches, it will blend with our decor. We also found a couch and rug, but we are waiting until Mr. Bush sends the "economy stimulus" money out in May.

We also recently got 2 set of floor length drapes for our living room windows (we have 2 windows and a patio door off the living room). I am beginning to feel like our home is starting to come together. We have signed a 2 year lease, so I am liking feeling really stable here and making a home out of our pretty house.

As soon as I have them available, I will post some pictures. I have some neat Christmas pictures, but will wait til I have a picture of Doug and I to post them.

One more cool thing... we have had 2 friends offer us a free used grill... one is charcoal and the other is gas. Both are in great shape and perfect for us! I wonder which one we should take....

This spring we will also need to get a small push mower... I am actually excited to do yard work! I have a little spot near our tiny walkway for some flowers. I also might plant some herbs in the backyard. I have always wanted to plant mint, tyme, sage, basil, parsley, and maybe some cilantro. I can't imagine cooking and grilling with fresh herbs!

Hello old friends!

It's been awhile since I sat down to write. Actually, it's been over a year. That is so hard to believe! I was just realizing the other day that I have been at my job for 10 months now and that just seems incredible to me. For those of you who have been a part of my life the last several years, you know that I have been on a journey of self discovery. I didn't know what I wanted to do and that's because I didn't really know who I was. I used the world of temp work to satisfy the bank account while I figured it all out. I found out there were things I was better at than others. Last October, I found the career I want to be in for a very long time. And it's not a temp job!!! It's a relief to finally know what I am good at and to have both the education and the skill set to back up that goal. Today I am a job placement counselor for people with disabilities and I am passionate about what I do, and what my colleagues do. I work for the non-profit organization MERS/Goodwill. It's the Missouri Employment Rehabilitation Services organization that merged with the Goodwill Industries here in Missouri. Most states have Goodwill.... but as far as I know, this is the only state that took the Goodwill mission and meshed it with the MERS mission. Check it out sometime. Once I get started talking about my career, I can't shut up. It's taken me so long to get here and I really love how good it feels to still get excited about my job every Sunday night as I go to bed. Sure weekends are good, but I actually like going to work on Monday mornings! I never thought I would say that.

Doug is also doing well. He has now worked for DMP (Digital Monitoring Products) for over 2 years. He is starting to check out IT jobs in the area as he gets closer to finishing his degree. I am so proud of him! We are praying for God's will as he pursues his techie dreams!

Both of us are in school. Doug is finishing his AS degree in Computer Science as of April 2008. I am finishing my BA degree in Business Administration close to the same time. I have been in college for almost 10 years, having changed majors 3 times. I almost changed it again recently to get my degree in Human Services instead of Business Admin, but truthfully, I am just too tired to extend it anymore. My grandfather once joked that I was going to be a professional student. I would just take the teasing and say, No, one day I would be done. Well, I am so very very ready to be done!!! I did transfer back in January in order to strictly take online classes. I chose a college that let me take human services electives, and that is helping me in my career.

I have come Business Finance homework to do, so I had better cut this short. Good to talk to you all again! I hope to keep up better. No guarantees!

I want to dance!!!

Ok, for all those of you who feel that dancing is wrong...you don't want to read this post. I say that out of respect. Why?

Because I want to dance! Not the raunchy hip hop dancing....but ballroom dancing, jazz dance, and contemporary dance (very lyrical in style). I have always danced. Mom and Dad didn't know it. It was in my bedroom on Saturday nights while listening to easy listening. It was the only time as a child that I felt "free". I would twirl and lunge and stretch and feel amazing! Mom would make her way downstairs to do laundry and I would hear her slippers on the concrete. So I would turn down the music and jump onto the book or into a chair with a book.

Silly to admit this now except that I still want to dance. I miss how freeing it is! I have dealt with this "demon" for a long time, knowing how my parents' and their church felt. But I have to say, people danced for joy in the Bible. They danced for their God! David talked about it all the time. I know it was old testement...but when Jesus taught the New Testament, He never said to not dance. The apostles taught modesty and self discipline, but I don't think that showing joy and freedom in dance is wrong if modesty is upheld. Here is where so many feel its wrong...because your leg might show or a curve might be more obvious. To me, that means the one noticing and thinking wrong thoughts needs to be held accountable. If the purpose of the dance is pure and the dancer is doing their best to maintain modesty....then I believe its ok.

Anyway, after Doug and I talked about it.... I am going to look for a ballroom dancing class. We might even take it together. I am so excited! I have always loved the grace, freedom, and beauty of a choreographed dance!!! To dance like Ginger with a man dancing like Fred Astaire! Wouldn't that be marvelous?

Wheeee!!!! I am dancing in my living room tonight!

Just a quick note...

Lots has happened since that last entry. I didn't realize it had been so long since I had written.

Doug and I went to GA to visit my brother and his family and my sister and her family. They both had a new little baby in the last couple months. Being a devoted aunt, it was my duty to go distribute many hugs and kisses and presents.

I cuddled babies Kaylie and Chloe all that I could and spent time playing and spoiling my other neices, Brenna and Olivia.

We all had a grand time together. Lezlie hosted the sunday dinner (did quite well with her cooking! She's come a long way since stovetop mac and cheese!) and Paul's came to join us. Then on Monday, we all went to the Augusta science museum. That was so much fun. The guys became like boys again. The children did their best to have fun and eventually we were scrambling to find things for them to do to keep the boredome away. I have some great pictures of their Uncle Doug playing with them and reading to them. Brenna and Olivia are used to being around big men...their daddy and Graddad is big...so Doug didn't scare them at all. It was a relief because Doug loves children so much.

Coming home was hard. I missed them the moment we left town. However, we had to go home and earn more money so we could go again.

Nan (my dad's mother) had a mastectomy due to a breast cancer diagnosis a couple weeks ago. The good thing is that she is doing well and has kept her spirits up. The doctors are fairly sure they got it all and are going to continue some testing every so often. I had hoped that this disease would escape our family, being that it is genetic...but unfortuneately, that didn't happen. So, Lezlie and I are going to have be more careful about getting exams.

Doug passed his first anniversary with his job. It was a proud moment for him. He got his first raise and after the last couple years of changes, this was a big deal. I am so proud of him! He also finished his GED class with flying colors and is planning to take his GED exam soon. Please keep him in your prayers.

My job is going ok too. It's a bit unstable in that one boss keeps making sudden impulsive decisions. She's not sure about what direction her company is taking, so it could impact me eventually. However, I also work for her husband and do all of his data entry. I don't see that ending anytime soon. He is the easiest to work for in that he is dependable and stable. As long as I do a good job, I will have employment, I am sure. Still, its a chaotic thing to not know how long this job could continue. They keep acting like it is still just a temp job. Please pray about this too.

The 4th of July was a fun day. Doug and I went to Seymour, MO to visit his folks. His older brother had all kind of fireworks and they had a hayday out there making noise and merryment. The younger nieces and nephews were just lapping it up. I guess boys will be boys. I still struggle with the noise of fireworks. I hate the sounds of gunshots and it gives me some anxiety...especially in a surprise round of popping. So I stayed in doors some of the time. The best part of the 4th is all the great food (don't laugh!). We grilled and had watermelon and Helen (mother-in-law) made Strawberry Shortcake, a favorite of her children.

Helen has been doing better. We as a family have prayed for her a lot. Her physical ailments are still there, but she seems more determined to get around anyway. She hadn't left the house in over a year! Not even to the bank or grocery store. We knew it was a matter of mind over matter, and sure enough, one day she just got up and went shopping in a neighboring town. She has since gone shopping, out to eat, and even done some of her own errands around town. Jerry (father-in-law) tells us it blesses him and he has begged the Lord for this healing. Keep praying!

Well that about does it for now! Take care!

Drama in the Family!

This past week has left me wanting a way to get some stuff out. There has been drama in my family. Let's see....let me just jot down the events...

*I got a new job that I love (so far)

*My dad had a stress test and a heart catherization out in VA and I couldn't afford to go out there and it was crazy stress on me.... "What if he has to have open heart surgery?!" "What if something happened to him and I never saw him again until Heaven?" So scary! He turned out to be fine and the doctors still aren't sure why he is having chest pain and fatigue.

* My "baby" sister had her first child... Kaylie Joy Horst was born April 26 and is a beautiful baby! They have since gone home from the hospital and are doing well. She seems healthy and Lezlie is healing. I haven't gotten to see her because she is in GA and I am in MO! Ugh!!! I hate this long distance thing!

* My sister-in-law is on strict bedrest due to her baby trying to come into this world too early. I would love to go to help her out with her other two girls, Brenna and Olivia. Again, the whold distance issue is a pain!

* My mom is about to graduate her CNA studies and is making all A's. I am so proud of her! She has had to continue school even when her daughter was giving birth and her husband was going through his heart drama. Her focus amazes me sometimes. I would love to go out and see her on her graduation day, but again....the distance issue.


Ok...well that was pretty much it.... I guess the actual stress is that I feel very disconnected from my family. It used to be that I was close by, and still emotionally disconnected. And that is still the truth on some levels...but it's getting better. The older I get, the more I want to see them and be a part of their lives. For instance, I didn't get to go to any of my sister's bridal showers last year. I also didn't get to go to any baby showers this year. That is so tough! I only have one sister and it's all over and I can't redo it!

I know that many people feel the words "You should have known..." or "I told you so" rolling on their tongues. I don't regret moving to MO because I met my wonderful husband and I love him so much! Doug is my safe place...my gravity. He is a gift from God to help me navigate this crazy world. Loving him and marrying him was the best thing (outside of accepting Christ's salvation) that I ever did. But being so far away from my family just plain stinks! We keep talking about moving out east one day. Doug actually wants to. But the cost of living out here is less then out there and what we pay in rent now is a drop in the bucket compared to what we would pay out there for the same square footage of house or apartment. Hmmm... In a lot of ways, I have had some distance to think and heal over some very painful wounds. Now that they are healing, I want to go home and enjoy the people who I know now love me very much.

Ok...my whining is done. I instead will focus the energy on inventing a teleport machine!

Praise the Lord!!!

We wanted to take a brief minute to let you all know who were praying that we got the apartment that we were praying for!!!! I have more details, but want time to really think them out and write them when I have the time.

In this process, we learned a lesson in humility and truly looking for God's will over our own!

We think we've found it!!!

Doug and I think we've found an apartment with a great floorplan and affordable rent. We covet all of your thoughts and prayers. We've submitted the credit application and will know by Tuesday if we were approved. It's scary, but we are hoping God's will includes this apartment. If not, please pray for grace for us as we continue looking. I will update with more details if we get this place.