Steven had a birthday, Amy got a job! Exciting week? I think so!

Do you ever think back to a time in the past when something just "clicked"  in regards to learning from life? I find myself thinking back often to my lightbulb moment of patience. In the good 'ole days of high school, someone once asked me if I was enjoying working with the Awana Sparks club (K-2nd grade). I answered that I was, but that I thought I needed more patience. The response I heard was one of the simplest but most life-changing, "when you ask for patience, God puts you in situations that require it."

Looking for a job is never fun. It's very challenging and forces you to think a lot about yourself, evaluate, and eventually grow in many ways. It's been very frustrating, but definitely a situation that required and inspired a growth in patience. Not only in patience, but a humbleness that emerges through recognizing weaknesses, insecurities, and a deep set need for God in every area of your life. It's crazy to recognize growth when you lower yourself. Not only that, but recognizing where you are truely and watching God do as he has always promised, meeting where you are WITH so much more than you can ever imagine. (I hope my thoughts make sense!)

Anyway, this is all true and I could remain in this deep line of thinking but I have to share the slightly humorous ways that God has been teaching me patience. Steven and I do not have cable tv in our house. We use the good old fashioned rabbit ears with the convenient technology of a converter box that feels sorry for people who still use an antennae. This system worked just fine in Overland Park. Now we live in a 1950s Florida house with concrete walls. We thankfully have 3 of the major networks to watch most of what were our favorite shows. I can't even explain how frustrating it can be to have 3 channels (remember I'm thankful for!) that each have a different antennae position that changes every time you turn on the television. I can say that we do not watch nearly as much as we used to, which is usually a result of giving up finding the "perfect" spot. Sometimes when I choose to remember that it's just growing my patience, I also grow such a strong stubbornness that vows to conquer that television and after a 30-45 min battle, I can usually pull out a win! :) This definitely doesn't happen everyday. I also can't say that I've paired stubbornness and patience to work in my favor before.

On to the important news! I got a job! I have been blessed with a wonderful friend who is nearly married to one of Steven's good friends from Stetson. She had informed me of an open teacher position working with the autistic students in their learning center and offered to schedule me to shadow at the center to see if it were something that I was interested in. I should mention that the job in in Tampa, which is over an hour drive for us. I knew she made the drive and thought she was crazy. My last job was a 5 minute drive from my house! I loved my time observing and loved everyone that worked and attended the center. Two days later I was offered and accepted the job as the new lead teacher. I am going to have a classroom of four fairly high functioning students with different needs and their own lesson plans of daily work. I'm thrilled to have a challenge and to be able to look for creative, effective techniques to benefit each of them individually.

I will be car pooling with my friend, Marla who conveniently is reimbursed for her gas. (She is now also learning Italian in her car as she drives!) and since she stays for a couple of house after the kids go home, I will also work in the office as well as go through training to tutor typical students who come in after school hours. The support system at Huntington Learning Center is great, not to mention I'm already good friends with someone in management! I'm just so thrilled for the opportunity!

Other interesting stories. Let's see. Steven just had his 24th birthday. This year was a little different for him since he spent the day studying in the library. He took convenient breaks so we could enjoy breakfast and lunch together, which was great! He enjoyed his birthday Chipotle burrito that I happened to surprise him with. He rarely gets to eat there since I'm not exactly a fan (oops).  I also need to share this delicious dessert recipe that I received in one of those annoying daily emails that I signed up for at one point. It's a raspberry tiramisu trifle. (Steven is holding it in the second picture) SO good! Make it! You won't regret it!

http://www.recipe.com/raspberry-tiramisu-trifle/?sssdmh=dm17.544268&esrc=nwdr082811&email=3553337198

After our delicious dinner/dessert, we enjoyed the conversation of family, including two separate birthday songs from each of our two nieces. It's so great that they love talking on the phone, even if Aubri (age 5) felt that Steven was getting too old when she heard his age.

I also need to share that Bailey is deathly terrified of that Captain America balloon. I've never seen a dog so close to crying after I gently tossed the clip that holds the balloon in her general direction. I also have never crawled under a bed to apologize to one. She's turning into quite the sensitive pup! I suppose the velociraptor  dog costume (posted below) we were looking at for Halloween might not be entirely appropriate anymore! It'll still be hilarious, though! I love that dog.

We also attended our first Tampa Bay Rays baseball game last weekend. It was so much fun! We were able to enjoy a free hotdog, 12 oz. soda, and a bag of peanuts all for simply showing a bill from our current internet provider! Although I prefer the stadium setup of Kauffman, Tropicana's promotional deals were much tastier! The Rays also have a fun second mascot called DJ Kitty who shows up on the big screen occasionally between innings to rile up the crowd with his mad dj skills and hilarious apathetic expressions. I believe my favorite part was the slow clap beat accompanied by a pulsing image of the cat's eyes on the screen. How many baseball teams use a cat? I'm curious. It was great! However great he was, their main mascot did NOT have a hot dog launcher like the one used imfamously at the Royals stadium.

The Rays were playing the Red Sox for the wild card (sorry if I get the explanation wrong, I don't follow sports :). ) The game was extremely exciting as it went into extra innings and fans grew crazier at each play. I have to admit, I enjoyed seeing Steven get into the game like he did, but I DID have to pull him to his seat at times when he began taunting (harmlessly) the many Red Sox fans around us by shaking his keys in the air, dancing, yelling ect. Ha. It was fun.

Today we had a day off and decided to venture into Tampa to experience first-hand this IKEA we've heard so much about. What a zoo! We knew going on a weekend would be busy, but we weren't expecting them to trick us into never finding our way out of the store! :) lol. We first-timers, didn't realize you had to walk through the ENTIRE two level store (which is a maze, literally) before they led you to the only non-emergency exit. I was humored to find other couples wandering around with a quizzical look on their faces pointing to the exit signs. We didn't make any purchases, but we also weren't expecting to. I can't say they had anything I absolutely needed at this point. (I've become so frugal lately, I'll be surprised if I ever buy anything other than food again, haha). I will say that it was fun to get ideas for a house that allows for more creative decorating. 

I believe it's time to wrap up. There shall be more information coming as I'm sure stories and further life lessons will create themselves in the next coming days/weeks. Thank you all for putting up with my stories, some unnecessary, some vague. I enjoy writing them and maybe I should share them more often as to not lose effectiveness in translation from memory to screen. We'll see! :)

Thanks again to everyone who showed me love and support for my upcoming job. I really appreciate the prayers and celebration. I hope everyone is doing well. We'd love to hear from you! Please drop us a line sometime whether on this blog, our facebook pages or phone. We are so encouraged by the relationships we have. I will now leave you with some super cute pictures of our pup. :) Love you all!

This pillow turned into a new fort/nap spot.

 Her new favorite game of terrorizing the "monster" that is our bedspread until it completely envelopes her, creating the perfect nap spot. (There's a theme with her games.)

Short stories of our recent weeks.

Steven and I were discussing today how we've been living here for a month now! I guess I should no longer refer to us living in a transition. I believe we can officially say that we are set here in Florida. Although, we have done little to complete our needs to finish furnishing our house, but that's so unnecessary at this point! :) We have decided early on that we would be using 2nd hand items to fill this house, which takes more time looking for those great deals, but its so satisfying when you come upon a great discovery! On one of our many garage sale/flee market outings we happen to come upon a young couple trying to get rid of an old cedar china cabinet. When we were told we could have it for $25 we couldn't risk not taking it. What made this purchase even better was that neither of us couples owned a vehicle large enough to transport it the mile to our own house. Thanks to the generosity and creative nature of these other people, we began a slow trek down the streets with the bottom of the cabinet sticking halfway out of our trunk. I sat on the folded down seats holding onto the piece so it wouldn't slide! The other car completely outdid us, they threw a blanket on top of their car and placed the top half of the cabinet on their car. Windows rolled down and arms sticking out the windows, they held on for the entire drive. We were quite a sight! I regretted not having my camera there to document this memory, but my stories will have to carry in their place. Which probably means it'll be stretched and elaborated on throughout the years to where the original story has completely disappeared!


We had no intention of using this as a china cabinet. Instead, the bottom half became our entertainment center and the top half, a much needed bookcase on an empty wall.

We must also not forget that Steven started classes recently, as in... last week. I'm a little behind but I'm at least remembering to discuss the entire reason we moved down here! He actually had orientation two weeks ago and then classes the following week, so he's been in the routine going on his third week. Of course, what kind of wife would I be if I didn't take pictures of him both on his first day of orientation and first day of classes! I caught a glimpse of what he was like when his mother tried taking his picture as I could not get the guy to smile nicely, although I suppose I can't blame him. At least he humored me and let me take them!

The first picture is of his orientation day where they were required to dress up. The second is first day of classes with his free canvas book bag from the school. How nice :). 

Steven has been enjoying his classes. He spends most of his time studying in the library, which is just a short walk away. We initially thought this would be nice, but he now wishes we lived further away as the sight of the school taunts him from every window in our living room and his office. :) 

I can still report that I continue my job search. I am in the process of making contacts and connections into the job world where I can apply my degree. I have a longing in my heart to return to school, but I have committed to helping Steven get through his law education first. At times, I struggle with this as I feel impatience and a desire to identify myself with my talents/education/career aspirations, but I do take peace in knowing that it will happen. I must do my part for the time being to find someone who can offer advice and guidance to a workplace that will not only keep me in the groove of what I know and want to do, but also give me training I can use in the future. God will provide, I'm confident. I remind myself to give credit by allowing that peace to remain and patience to grow... ugh, patience.  Thankfully, we have both started making connections who are beginning to network for me to offer options. There are more to look into when the time permits! That's always encouraging!

I must also say how thankful I am for Steven again, as he is doing my friend making for me! :) Last week we attended the school's first social for the 1L students, intended as a meet and greet event. Unfortunately, they gathered us at an outdoor restaurant/sports bar with live music. It was so incredibly tight in the space we had to weasel ourselves in and out of the crowd to get anywhere. The food we were promised was nearly gone by the time we arrived, although what we did grab WAS good. We have passed on following socials for the time being as it is nearly impossible to talk with anyone when music is muting anything that may come out of your mouth. Not to mention, we were one of few couples that attended and we, like them, tended to stick to ourselves! We did meet a few people, although in a setting like that, it seemed as though they were more interested in meeting other singles, not a boring married couple. Ha! We had a great, awkward time of yelling at people about who we were, but we left early to the quiet serenity of our own home.

 I have to say, it wasn't my ideal place to meet people. I prefer being able to have conversations with a smaller group of people in order to really get to know them. Thankfully, we were able to spend a wonderful Sunday evening visiting with a couple of Steven's friends from school, who happen to be cousins. Both of them are engaged, although only one of them joined us for the evening as the other lives in New York. I liked them immediately! We have discovered many similar interests and Steven discovered many interests he would like to take on as his own. I can only imagine how long it'll be before he's into spear fishing, bow hunting, and many more activities that will inspire future blogs! 

I need to also include a few pictures of what's been keeping me busy. I discovered that yarn isn't the only thing you can crochet! I made myself my first bracelet out of an old window drape that I purchased at a thrift store. I also made my first fabric flower. One of many that will become magnets to stick to the back of our refrigerator that sticks out behind the half wall that splits the living room and kitchen. I've begun several other crafts, but those will be uploaded later. 

Friday, Friday

There are some days, down here, where the temperature doesn't seem to bother me much. I suppose what tips my scale of tolerance would have to be the days of 85% humidity and a little heater box that always insists on sitting on my lap while chewing on toys. All I can say is, "Thank the Lord for air-conditioning!" Although, I can only say that in every room except for the one I am sitting in. Whoever converted this garage space into a "Florida Room" played a mean trick installing an air-vent in the ceiling that leads nowhere. After having maintenance visit our house, we discovered that above the vent is a large brick that is part of the roof of this room, leaving the temperature near a constant 90*. At least it looks nice, right? One of these coming days we look forward to getting a window unit installed in this room so that both Steven and I, as well as Bailey who now shares this room at night, can survive in here!

Speaking of Bailey, we had an interesting event today! Like most days, her favorite daily playtime would be anytime she's outside. That time is limited due to the heat as well as being forced to come in after a) digging a huge hole in the sand/lawn b) barking like she owns the world. Today I began my trip outside for reason b. I noticed, upon walking out the door, that she was barking at something in the palm tree near the fence and, as we have numerous lizards living among us, I figured that must be what it was. It was not a lizard... It was the biggest grasshopper I have ever seen in my life, EVER! It must have been at least 3 inches long! I hope the picture can do justice as to how amazing this bug was. You absolutely must click on the picture to see it larger! I'm sure it's not nearly as exciting to those of you who are reading and didn't experience the shock factor, but I will still share my amazement! 

Other than that excitement. Today was spent feeding my newfound interest in crafting. I'm quite pleased at the number of thrift stores in the area and the treasures I have found in them! I believe I purchased enough minor items to keep my hobby thriving for quite awhile (I hope)! I decided to start with painting one of those door mirrors (purchased from Wal-Mart) with some chalk-board paint to hang behind a portion of our refrigerator that sticks out from the wall. We decided to scootch it over in order to create the space I needed in the kitchen to work, which left this, very minor problem considering the gain! Halfway through the project I picked up the mirror to paint the other side and ultimately discovered that those cheap mirrors are not any stronger with a single layer of paint. I now have a half painted, shattered mirror. Next idea... look into products not susceptible to breaking!

 Following this setback, I decided to take a break from my projects for the remainder of the day and sit down with the pup to restfully wait for the husband to come home. I must say, again, how much I admire his determination to work on aspired goals. His organizational skills are something to be noted and followed. He's fallen into a quite detailed schedule and even though he is already weighted with pre-assignment assignments and lining up remaining details, he still saved the evening for me. When he arrived home, we headed to a nearby beach where we were able to wind down together, although we wind down in very different ways! I sat in my beach chair with a good book while he took to the shore with his newly purchased craigslist skim board. We've been talking about getting one for a couple weeks but needed to find one within the right price. Of course, Steven is known to research down to the bone, so we now own one :)! I must say, of all water sports, this one looks the most intriguing to me. Maybe I'll give it a try one of these days!

We shall end our evening visiting with some loved people. It really is amazing how distance can be fought with technology. Who ever thought you could throw in personal interactions with a computer and a webcam?!  It's been a good Friday. I trust that all of yours were just as blessed.

Blog #1. Basically a summary and start to many more!

My thoughts about starting a blog have finally caught up with me! Maybe now I can inspire my sister to do the same! (hint hint, BROOKE) I have mentioned to several people about my thoughts to attempt one with the thought in mind that I may not actually keep up with it. Here’s to hoping!

I chose the name Triple-Braided Cord for the overall theme of our stories. Initially, it sounds a bit cliché, but we have really seen the truth to the saying deriving from the verses in Ecclesiastes, which reigned the theme of our wedding more than a year ago. I shall share this, “Two people can accomplish more than twice as much as one; they get better return for their labor.  If one person falls, the other can reach out and help, but people who are alone when they fall are in real trouble.  And on a cold night, two under the same blanket can gain warmth from each other. But how can one be warm alone?  A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."

It’s been nearly a month since the fanfare of packing, parties and farewells began in our remaining days as Kansas residents. We thoroughly enjoyed visiting with the friends and family who made our days extremely special. Although the days seemed to disappear quickly, it seems as though months have passed instead of weeks.

A lot has happened since we moved to Gulfport, Florida. For those of you who aren’t aware of our move, our inspiration fell upon Steven’s decision to follow a law school interest and we received a scholarship, as well as many other “this is right” feelings that we couldn’t turn down. So here we are, living in a house rented to us by the school just across the street from the beautiful campus. Stetson University College of Law was once a resort that housed celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe and Babe Ruth (we recently learned that Babe Ruth’s old house is just a few houses down the street from our own!) They have hand painted tile fountains that are rumored to have once been flowing with champagne!

We love living in a house after an apartment! It’s been fun figuring out creative ways to personalize a space built in the 1950s. We didn’t come with much. We sold a lot of our large furniture to lighten our load to travel. Knowing we would eventually relocate, I chose not to make many purchases that would eventually have to be packed up anyway. As hard as it was at the time, feeling like we lived in a college dorm room in our apartment, it was worth the wait. We still had most of our wedding gift cards and the wonderful resource of Craigslist to start furnishing our home! We still have a ways to go finishing our search for furniture and home warming decorative items, but it definitely feels like “home” and we couldn’t ask for anything better.

The school was kind enough to allow us to move in two full weeks before Steven started orientation. I really appreciate this time with him, as it appears his schedule will keep him fairly busy for quite some time. We have enjoyed getting to know our area, meeting a few people here and there, and of course the beaches! The beaches are just beautiful and the water is absolutely perfect. I couldn’t ask for a better place to unwind or de-stress after (or in the middle of) a long day!

Steven started orientation on Monday, which spanned from 8 until 6 in the evening. Needless to say, he was tired both physically and mentally from all the information he received that day! After two days off, while the other sections sat through orientation day 1, he is at day 2 today and will start classes on Monday.

As for myself, I’m still looking for a job. The right one will come along, I remind myself, but that doesn’t always fight away the down-hearted moments. In the mean-time, I fight my unemployment days with baking and experimenting with other recipes (can you tell I’m Mennonite??) reading my thrift-store book purchases, minimal crafting experiments and making sure Bailey stays out of trouble : ). I do have to thank her at times for her inquisitive behavior as it does introduce me to people who may be friends someday?? I was very excited for Bailey’s introduction of our backyard neighbor’s English bulldog who was absolutely adorable! If I can’t have one, at least I can play with one!

I hope to update regularly to keep friends and family who are interested in staying informed about our happenings. I know everyone says that, but I’m hoping to use this as an outlet to keep me busy while Steven himself is. I do really appreciate his nature to focus so hard on goals and do his absolute best and not be happy with anything less. I know this will reward us both in the future and this keeps my heart and my head hopeful for upcoming days.