Just What the Doctor Ordered!

Ahhhh......Well, after posting that enormous blog a couple of hours ago, our little family went and had the family date outing that I was so badly wanting. The weather has not been humid at all today, so right after Kaden woke up from his nap we drove about ten minutes away to Tyler State Park which we love (I don't know how to do all of that fancy shmancy stuff where you create a direct link to their site) and we had a BBQ picnic and played in the water. It was SO lovely and so much fun! We had lots of yummies, Kaden got to see lots of "doggies" and get soaking wet in the lake which he loved, and Kev and I got to be outside in gorgeous creation in beautiful bearable weather! What a wonderful way to spend a Sunday evening! EXACTLY what we needed. Happy girl.........O.k., it is WAAAAY past Kaden's bedtime. Good night!

Rain! - Oh the Blessed Relief!

Well, I really don't have anything overly exciting to report - except that it has rained off and on for the past couple of days. This has cut down our humidity quite significantly, so as a result, we can now actually walk outside without running into an instant wall of muggy heat. Sheer bliss! The weather actually felt a bit "Maine-like" today and was quite the welcome change. When Kaden wakes up from his nap, we may even all go play outside. Imagine that!

So, I've been feeling a little off lately. I think that it's been a combination of many things, and I am just trying to process through them. The heat really got to me for a few days (could you tell?), and then all of the rain kind of bummed me out (I know I know...I should be grateful...and I am...it's just been so dreary), I've been really missing family and friends, and I'm doubling classes so I feel more busy than usual right now. I think that's the biggest thing. For four Saturdays in a row I am taking a five hour class. This is our family date day, so I think I am just craving a day for the three of us to be able to pick up and go somewhere in the morning and have absolutely no time schedule of when we need to be back home. And also, we're trying to decide if Kev should take a shift supervisor position at Starbucks or if he should pick up more hours at the church and help out with needs there. Either option makes us more busy, but at this stage in the game, one of the options is necessary. So, we're just waiting on the Lord and trying to see which option would be the best fit for our little family.

This next semester will be our craziest so far, so between classes and work schedules, we're going to have to be really careful to make time for each other and our family. It is something that we've been committed to since our early days of marriage, and it gets trickier with each new life change, but we both believe that it is so so important for us. Many families here are just going full steam ahead with the motto: Get in, Get out, and Get 'er done! That has been kind of our mentality too - and oh so tempting! We have clear goals as to the ONLY reason why we are here. But, we also need to LIVE, and we've decided that we're not willing to do anything at the expense of our family. So, this means we are always having to revamp schedules and reassess our priorities. It may even mean that a class might have to be dropped and picked up at a later date. Who knows? But, this is where we are at right now. School is priority - this is why we are here. But, family is top priority. So, for next semester, our date nights may consist of studying at Borders after Kaden has gone to bed - having friends upstairs babysit the moniter! Anthing can be made fun as long as coffee is involved....at least that's our motto!

Anways...this whole post has been somewhat of a ramble. But, isn't that what these sort of things are for in the first place?! Overall, life is good, we are good, and God is always good! We are happy and blessed, our family is healthy, and we have a sweet little place to call our home. God is meeting our needs and blessing our family, and we have so much to be grateful for. O.k., I am off to watch some mindless humor with my hubby before our wild child wakes up from his nap and destroys all semblances of restful peace this afternoon! Good times!

We're Melting! We're Melting!

So, the reports say that our weather is going to be "dangerously hot" for the next few days - over 100 degrees. I think that I am already starting to mold, and my hair is staying perpetually wet after I shower. In fact, I'm not really sure if I'm even getting clean as I am sweating DURING my shower! Seriously, I think we're going to either melt or mildew before this heat wave is over. If I am bald when you see me next, you will know why.....my hair rotted. I used my oven yesterday to cook us a meal for supper and drove us all out of the house. We spent part of our evening just driving somewhat aimlessly around in our car waiting for the apartment to cool back down...but we were quite happy and cool in our air conditioning! Maybe this is where we'll spend the rest of our days. So, for the rest of the summer our oven will get a vacation. Good grief....Lord give us grace. They say that August is the hotest month to live in PA - I pray that we are remotely acclimated by then.

On a lighter note - Kaden prayed for the first time the other day. He said, "DEAR JESUS (He yelled this part)...thank you....for today....and supper.....aaaand Mommy, Daddy, Kaden (notice that he thanked Jesus for food BEFORE thanking Jesus for Mommy and Daddy!).....and fans (he now loves them.......we all do).....and JESUS (yelling again)......AAAAMEN!" It was the sweetest thing, and now that he knows what reaction he'll get from Mommy and Daddy, he is quite willing and enthusiastic to pray before every meal, naptime, and bedtime! So, yesterday, his prayer before naptime was this: "Dear Jesus...thank you for today, and Mommy, Daddy, Kaden, and fans, and puppy, and teddy, and juice, and nappy time - no crying - no tears, and fans, and supper, and beep beeps (his new love is smoke alarms) and snackies and........(Finally, oh-so-spiritual Mommy prompts..."and Jesus' name") AMEN!" Oh my - so cute, so sweet, so fun!

Well, this is all for now. I'm off to sit beside my best friend Mr. Air Conditioner and try to get some homework done in this blasted sweltering heat. Seriously though....we'd love for you all to come out and see us! Good times!

Haven't been here in awhile...

Holy blast - it just took me about fifteen minutes to try and remember my username and password. That shows me that I have not posted for quite the long time. So great ready - this might be a long one!
So - life in Philly these days...always crazy busy, but always good. I can't really complain at all. Kev has the summer off from classes, so he has been busy getting wired - I mean, he's been busy WORKING at Starbucks and memorizing how to make the fifty million drinks they sell. He comes home quite happy, and he usually brings me a drink, as well, so this arrangement works out quite nicely. Good times! He was offered the position of shift supervisor, and we are really praying about taking it. It would make his fall semester very very busy, as he would be working way more hours than he originally intended, but it is looking like it might be necessary for us to do at this stage of the game financially. It will be a little crazy, but he's making sure to still have plenty of time with Kaden, and he and I will probably be going on lots of study dates to Borders after Kaden is in bed while a friend upstairs babysits the monitor!
Kaden is growing like crazy and is saying so many new things every day. He truly is our joy out here. He keeps us sane and laughing, so this is good. He is busy busy busy, but oh so much fun! Every Saturday we try and go explore a new beach around here. Kaden loves the waves, playing in the sand, and digging for crabs. He is quite fearless about some things - like the ocean, and quite timid about others.....like fans! Very strange. Anyway, he is getting over his fear of fans - just the other day, he went over and hugged our stand up one and said, "Ohhh, nice cozy cozy fan!" Hmmm, who's child is this anyway? He is very much into doing everything himself now and is quite proud when he can accomplish something. The next stage for us will be potty training. I really think that he is ready right now, I am the one who is just not quite ready yet. I'll be doubling classes for the next month and half. So, when those have been completed, we'll start the potty training.
Life in this apartment complex is a blessing as there are many accessible friends who are on this same crazy journey that we are, but it is also a little strange. This is just a stopover point for all of us - a chapter to complete in our lives so that we can go on to other great adventures. So, it's always a little weird when the journey ends for one family and the rest of us are left here for a little longer. Kev and I think that we will probably be here the longest of all of the couples that are in our complex, so that will be very weird. A family just left last month, another will leave at Christmas, one in February, and probably two next summer. Meanwhile, Kev and Amy will still have at least one more year to go after that. Kinda' yucky - but we're trying to look at the big picture. One year is already down, and it really did fly quite quickly, so hopefully the next two will, as well.
All in all, I really do feel quite content here. We really really miss our family and our friends back home, and we really really want to end up in Maine when this is completed. But, we also want to view this chapter in our lives as an adventure, as well and just really make the most of our time out here. So, once again we say to you all - we would LOVE for you to come and take a road trip out to see us. We have a super uncomfortable sofa bed waiting with your name all over it! And we could probably do a pretty good job of getting us all lost in the big city - but we'd have fun doing it!
I'll try to post more often and not write such an epistle the next time!