Weekend Events

There is no doubt about it...this weekend, we are busy. Andy and I are both excited for the autumn season to come, both for the weather and all the family events that go along with it. We are excited to be able to see each other when the busy-ness is done, and yet we are excited to be busy right now. Jon and Kristine have this week off, and they left yesterday evening in hopes of driving all the way to Anderson. At the insistance of Kristine, they ended up stopping here in Evansville instead. I'm glad they did. It gave me a chance to see them (and Niah) and it makes me feel better that they weren't driving all night. I know their plans are a little changed now...and maybe not what they want them to be, but I think they are excited to have the time off and I'll just keep praying that God keeps them safe as they travel and try to see as many people as possible.

Andy left early this morning to go be a boy scout. Actually, he says he's not really a boy scout anymore...he's an assistant scout master- something that might not be quite as exciting as being the actual scout. So, he is off frolicking around some caves and rocks, playing with fire and wearing his newly patched uniform. He was up when Jon and Kris came in last night (about 3am) and he left around 7:30 this morning...something he wasn't too excited about at the time. I think he was still hearing the bed call his name. You'll be glad to know that he did make it there safe...now, hopefully we have that same result with the return trip.

Tomorrow will be our last Sunday teaching Sunday school. We have completed a year and 3 weeks of attempting to fill young minds with God's Word, and now we're handing it over. They said they had someone to replace us, and I hope they were for real because I'm ready for a furlough from Sunday morning teaching. I'm excited once again to be a student, although I'll continue being the leader for the oldest group of Awana girls- and I'm really excited about that.

Also, tomorrow afternoon we are having the "Pastor of Student Ministries", James, and his wife Nikki over for lunch. This was supposed to happen several weeks ago, but wires got crossed and we ended up at their house instead. Then, wires got crossed again and the meal was postponed...I think it's happening for real tomorrow.

Then, tomorrow afternoon we will have the pleasure of hosting the incredibly traveled, Gwyn Hamrick. She returned from China about a month ago, and she's been going non-stop since her return. I'm excited just to hug her and have some girl talk. She said she was staying until we kicked her out. I doubt that we'll ever actually "kick her out", but if she feels lonely after I must return to work she'll probably be heading back home near the middle of next week.

Hectic, busy lives we lead. Sometimes I feel like life is too busy to even be lived, but I suppose if you think about it that doesn't really make since. I'm excited for the busyness because it makes me grateful for the quietness. I'm trying to grow up my spiritual life and grow my marriage and grow my relationships with people around me and the family I really love...and I'm incredibly happy to have the ultimate Gardener tending my life.

I love my husband

I know, I know...everyone's thinking, "not another mushy blog to read." I don't know if I can make it sound nice and good and not mushy, but I'll try. Andy is amazing. He is fun and funny. He has been staying really busy recently with a gazillion things which limits our time together, but I love that he loves helping people. And, I love seeing him work. It seems that our lives are so busy...and more so recently than just normally.
I love that Andy loves me and that he wants to do anything that he can think of to make me smile. I love that he knows me...knows me well enough to know what I'm thinking or what I'd say. That's just cool. I love that he's my best friend...the first one that I call when I'm incredibly happy about something and the first one I call when I'm so incredibly disappointed. I love that he wants to be with me and that he thinks I'm amazing. And, I love that he teaches me stuff...geeky, computer stuff, and things about the earth and sky. But what I love the most is that Andy loves God and he cares about and encourages my walk with God. I love that he teaches me stuff about God and lets me in on things he's read or learned in or about the Bible. I love that the most. Yesterday Andy told me about an awesome thought he had while he was reading his Bible. He said he was reading the story about Jesus turning the water into wine, his first miracle (John 2)...only Jesus didn't actually touch or do anything to the water. I thought about it for a secord and realized that he was right. Jesus just told the servants what to do. Then, Andy said how awesome it is that Jesus works through His servants. God gives us a plan and His will for our lives...He gives His commandments, and if we are willing to follow through and do what He says, God can do miracles through us, His servants. What an awesome thought. Through it all, God has infinate power and wants to do amazing things through us. So cool.
My husband is awesome. I love him, and I love that he loves me...and teaches me really cool things about God.

Shooting Stars

That song "Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, never let it fade away." I am 25 years old and I had never, ever seen a falling or shooting star. I'm not sure why, I was just always looking in the wrong place. On Sunday And said that it was supposed to be the peak of Perseid Meteor shower. So, Sunday night we drove out to a place that was dark enough to see the beautiful stars in the sky. The stars were pretty. We looked up into the sky, just staring for a long time. Then, Andy yelled "I saw one!" Of course, I missed it. I kept looking and then...I SAW ONE! It was quick, but it was a beautiful flash across the sky. Not too long after that, there was an amazing one...it was HUGE! I could see pink, blue, white, and green...I think. It crossed the sky much slower than the others and seemed to be closer to the surface...almost like fireworks. It was amazing. We probably saw 20 more before the night was over...we stayed for a total of 11/2 hours. I loved it...and it was beautiful. I told Andy it would have been so much easier to see in Arizona or Africa...the sky looks so much closer and clearer in those places. Maybe next time I'm in Arizona or Africa I'll be lucky enough to see a "shooting star".

To Be, Or Not To Be...

a school nurse. That's the question that I've been asking myself for the last week. I've been trying incredibly hard since May to get a job as a school nurse within the local school system. I was hoping for an elementary job. A couple of weeks ago there was a posting for two high school positions. I wasn't quite sure if that's what I was wanting...high school's not really my forté. I had already applied with the school system, so I went ahead and sent a letter of interest and resumé in and went ahead with my plans to visit Jon, Kris, and Niah in Arkansas (which was wonderful).

While I was gone they called to set up an interview for the following Monday (July 30). I said yes. After talking with them during the interview, I was even more uncertain as to whether or not I should take the job if it was offered. In the mean time, I've been working at the hosptial, and Thursday night I ended up staying three hours late trying to finish up the mess that piled up during my shift. The hosptial is insane, I tell you. Anyway, so today they called and offered me the job....I asked if she needed an answer right away. She said yes, and I said no. I turned it down. I think I feel good about the decision and still amazed that I turned it down. I've been looking on the website to see if they had to re-post it, and there's nothing listed yet which makes me feel some better. I really hope that I've made the right decision.

I got to talk to Gwyn, which was wonderful. I love her, and I'm so glad that things are working out for her and I can't wait until I see her again.

And, this weekend -Monday, actually- is mine and Andy's 2 year wedding anniversary :) I'm so excited for the weekend.

Things that are old

On Saturday my little baby brother turned 20. 20 years old. Can you believe it? It kind of seems crazy if you remember him like this...

Andy and I feel asleep in bed Friday night asking ourselves what we were going to do on Saturday. We never answered the question since we both feel asleep before coming to a conclusion. When we finally got ourselves together on Saturday, we decided to go look in antique shops...I have this nagging desire to decorate our home and this overwhelming realization that I have no idea what to do or where to begin. Andy and I got in the car and he drove us to Newburgh, IN. It's a nice, quiet town not too far from here. There is a lot of history there, and several antique stores. We stopped into a few of them, but I didn't really see anything that inspired me. Around 4:30 most of the shops were closing down and we took a nice stroll near the river around the historic part of town. We decided that we'd seen enough and headed out of town.

One of the things mentioned on Friday night that we could do was to hike a trail in some park somewhere. I thought that we would probably head home and try to find some food, but Andy was driving...and he drove into lots of scenic areas. I thought it was a lovely drive, and I was quite content to just watch the trees go by....then, all of the sudden I spotted a sign (keep in mind I'm directionally deficited, and I had no idea where we were). The sign said Lincoln State Park.

Lincoln State Park?!?! I have a fascination with history and I really love learning about how, when and where people lived. Also, I really like the time era that Abraham Lincoln lived...and, he was shot on my birthday 117 years before I was born. Last year I found out that we lived relatively close to this park, and yet Andy had not taken me there. When I realized where we were going, I was really excited. It was after 5pm, so we weren't able to go inside the museum, but we were able to walk and see the 12 Stone Trail, the historical farm, the spring, and several trees that I believe Abe either climbed or sat beside to read. (I created several senarios since we didn't have the priviledge of a naturalist guide.) It was very exciting.

The final highlight to the day was coming home and finding a package in the mail. I have the awful habit of happily gasping whenever I see something wonderful (like a package in the mailbox). This always scares Andy who believes that something terrible either has or is about to happen. I'm incredibly sorry for having such awful timing with my happy gasps, but I can't seem to change. But, inside the package was a letter...from Mrs. Justison to a Mrs. Justison...and a beautful, wonderful, incredibly happy blue skirt that fit perfectly and flared wonderfully as I twirlled around. That made everything more exciting.

Sunday was fairly uneventful for us, but the Terry family has been experiencing some car trouble. We rescued them from the hot parking lot, and for this week Andy and I are sharing his car while mine is on loan to Lisa. I like sharing a car, although I suppose it can make things a little tricky at times.

I'm hoping the week is wonderful, and I'm excited to see what happens.

Psalm 121: "My help comes from the LORD, which made Heaven and Earth"

An Abridged Version of the Last Few Days

Well, we've been back in Evansville for three weeks now and every once in a while Andy looks at me and says he wishes we were back in Mexico. Sometimes I wish the same thing. I look almost every day to see if a new job is listed in the paper or with the school system. I wonder if I'm ruined forever with "working the floor" as it's said. Andy and I dream of having new jobs, but I know that we're blessed to have the jobs we have. I keep trying to remember that.

When we got back from Mexico I bought a chest of drawers at a yard sale. I've scraped it, primed it, and then finally painted it. I wish now that I would have taken before pictures...it looks a lot different. I replaced a drawer, nailed some pieces back together...and well, it's good that it looks like it does. I like that it has that old look, but I do wish the painting were a little more even. It's in the George room, and I really love that room. It's probably my favorite place in the house.

Mary, Doris and I are planning for our MAD day, which is exciting. We're going in September, which also reminds me of the Rowden Reunion that will soon be approaching. It'll be good to see family again.

Last weekend Andy and I attempted to go geocaching. It was a fun time in the car driving, but we must be really bad at this sort of thing. I can't remember how many sites we visited, but it was at least five...and we didn't find any of them. There was a snake in one of the posts that I'd been sticking my hand in...I'm glad Andy warned me before I got bit.

I'm excited about the fact that it's Friday. I hope that this is a wonderful and refreshing weekend and that next week proves to be one of the best in a while.

Mexico Adventures

Well, Andy and I are home after a CCF Alumni mission trip to Mexico. Andy attended CCF while he was at Vincennes and he was a resident in the campus house his last year. There were 21 people that were going on the trip. He knew a few of them, but several of them had graduated more recently. We were two of the older ones on the trip, which seemed kind of strange. We all met at the campus house on Thursday night (May 31) and Scott (the campus minister) wanted to meet with everyone that night. At about 11pm we found out that we might not have transportation to travel to Mexico. We had a group prayer session. The maintenance guys had gone to just fix something small and they ended up finding more wrong. We thought the entire engine was shot. Several other area churches were contacted, but for various reasons we weren't able to borrow their vans or buses. About 45 minutes after our prayer the maintenance guys called and said that the bus seemed to be working right and they were going to take it out to get it hot and see what happened. Amazingly, the bus did fine. We took it on the trip and we had no major problems. If you remember, Andy and I had planned a Bolivia trip last year that was cancelled as well. When we heard this news about Mexico we just looked at each other. I had this amazing calm feeling, and I wonder if God didn't just allow this to happen just to show me how to trust more.
Well, we spent several hours in the bus...about 25 each way. I made some amazing friends that I really loved hanging out with. It was really great to have that christian community feeling again. I really miss it, and it seemed kind of amazing how I fit right in with all the girls.
We arrived on Saturday morning, and actually had a little more problem crossing into Mexico than we had coming into the US. We went shopping in the market. I almost wish we could have had a little more time there...maybe I'm a shopper at heart and didn't know it. Anyway, we relaxed for the rest of Saturday, and Sunday we woke up early to head out with the church that was at our location. They were going to have a church picnic. It was fun. They all brought breakfast -the potato tacos were quite yummy. Then we were part of the worship service (it reminded me a lot of church camp). The singing was great, and I caught a few phrases in the sermon...but I definitely need to brush up on my Spanish. The lunch was wonderful ~ chicken and rice...I loved it!!! We stayed at the picnic until about 4pm, and then it was about an hour drive in buses back to the compound. Sunday night one of the guys asked his girlfriend to marry him. Not long after that we were having a time of singing when God sent crazy wind and rain. We had to go into the lower level and hide out for a while. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were hard working days. I painted a ceiling rafter on Monday...I don't like the unbalanced feeling on scaffolding. Tuesday and Wednesday took all my arm and back muscles while I dug a trench, mixed, wheel barrowed, and poured concrete. Tuesday it was just girls, but thankfully we were able to keep a few guys to help us on Wednesday. I got incredibly sunburned on Wednesday, but it's not so terrible now. We packed up our stuff Wednesday night and Thursday morning we headed out at 6am to cross back over into America. It ended up being quite easy to get back across. The return trip seemed to take forever, and I was very ready to get off the bus. We finally got back to the CCF house Friday morning...and it was a bitter-sweet return. I was very happy about getting off the bus, but I was sad about leaving the company that we had. I really loved hanging out with the people we travelled with. Andy and I got home around 10am on Friday morning, and I suppose we start back with our mundane work week Monday. It was a great trip, and I met some wonderful people. I am happy to be back at home where I can flush my toilet paper, live with air conditioning, drink water with ice, and get out of the shower without immediately sweating -but, I loved my Mexico experience.


Andy & Me at the Sunday service


Andy playing soccer with some of the kids



the compound where we stayed



Me, Jess, Autumn