A Chuppdate #1

Or..
An update.
It has been a strange last few weeks.
Job change.
New DVD player.
Which means we now have 4 different remotes that I don’t know how to use.

And I’m still exercising to 24.
Into Season 2.
We somehow managed to miss the entire 8 seasons when everyone else was watching them.
I find myself wanting to believe that Mrs. Palmer is legit.
And I’m pretty sure that Jack Bauer deserves a good-long-nap.
We got a free month of Netflix with the new DVR.
Which means we’ve been watching stuff we would never pay for– (like Tron).

And my husband had the week off before starting his new job.
Having him home more…
I’m starting to wish he was a farmer.
(Not that farming is easy).
But–I love having him around.
I love having lunch with him.
And I love that because he is switching jobs…
He lost his cell phone and laptop
(for-a-few-days-in-the-between-time).
He’s been so here–
Undistracted. Uninterrupted. Available.
I love it.

Though leaving his old company was really hard.
We’ve been there twelve years…
And he and I–
We are long-haul-relationship-people.
And the walking along the path with others means a lot to us.
And they have walked through a lot with us–
(3 births, a move, 2 adoptions, the death of Selah)
Many people we love there, but we started shaking a few door handles for a variety of reasons–
And God clearly led us to an open-door-adventure.
Though I will say,
There have only been a few other times in our 15 years of marriage,
That I’ve seen something hit my husband so hard.
It was really difficult for him to leave.

But this has also been the first time in the last 12 years, that I’ve seen him truly take a break from work.
Really rest, without the worries of what was piling-up-for-him-to-return-to.
And on Thursday (the day I started writing this)…
He offered to take-on-my-whole-day,
So that I could have a break.
Can I say–
I love this man.
So on Thursday…
He did a full homeschool day and Lego-Mindstorms-Class and piano and LHOTP-night-set-up…

While I
finished some guest posts due for next week
and went

Goodwill-treasure-hunting with close friends
and had Thai food and came back with–

This.

A Rolykit.

Great for candy storage.
I’m sure that’s what it was created for…

And this–

For my sister-in-law.

Because she is much better about honoring our Mennonite-Amish-heritage than I am.

I guess I should acknowledge that I also turned

OLD.

And I’m so thankful for my close-friends-and-family

who make my birthdays

so special each year.

And what else have we been doing?

We’ve been setting up a new room for our oldest daughter.

We moved the school room down to the garage/playroom so she could have her own space.

She’s very organized,

which doesn’t mesh well with a 2-year-old-sister.

Because Lydia doesn’t usually look like this…

But more like this…
(especially when she’s supposed to be sleeping).

As a family…

We’re in a weekly study with some close friends,

going through–

Luke 4.

The questions the kiddos ask are incredible.

And their observations are so insightful–

I’ve never before noticed that verse 8 does sound a bit “like Yoda is talking”–

“…and him only shall you serve.”

(If you didn’t catch that, say it again with a Yoda-accent).

And on Saturday we went and set up my husband’s new office.

Carefully displaying his most important items of decor–

(another reason why I love my guy).

And tonight we watched the parent-edited-version of–

Soul Surfer.

The kiddos were so moved by her willingness to trust God and press on.

The movie starts with the song…

Blessed Be Your Name

Which we played at Selah’s memorial.

So basically from start to finish…

I was fighting tears.

Find it here…

I’m reading…
Note to Self
by Joe Thorn.
Thank you Micah & Laura…
perfect birthday gift.
I love it!

And we’re following along with–
(meaning we heard today’s sermon and want to listen to last week’s)
The Real Marriage Series.
I loved today’s insights from the marriage of Martin Luther who entered marriage…
“to spite the devil”
(nothing like that for romantic motivation)
but who wound up saying…
“There is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship,
communion or company than a good marriage.”