Wavy Wednesday

My mom and I like to email each other during the day. It's the way we communicate and it's fun. A while ago we started titling the subjects of our emails based on how the person who sends the first email is feeling that day. It can vary quite dramatically but I thought the subject of today's email, Wavy Wednesday, was/is quite fitting for the day.

Actually, wavy seems to also describe several other things in my life right now, including my emotions. Today my emotions were really wavy!

We signed the papers for our house yesterday morning and celebrated with lunch at Red Robin. It would be fun if we could make a bigger deal about everything with the house but I'm just not sure how to celebrate it appropriately. We both said how we didn't think we would have a house in the first year of being married so are very excited to be taking this step sooner than we thought. And we'll be moving in on our 11 month anniversary ;) Although we don't really celebrate months, but it's a fun thing to note.

Tomorrow we do our final walk-thru at 2pm and hopefully have the keys in hand by the end of the day. I'm looking forward to walking into the place for the first time knowing it's OURS!!

Given the circumstances, I will be glad when the next few weeks are over. Not only are they full with a lot going on at work and personally, but it just difficult to be in transition for such a long time. Although I don't have anything lined up for after August 31st, yet. I'll be glad when I do and know how things will settle. I hope wavy won't describe the next 4 weeks but that it will settle a little. I don't know how much more of this I can take! I've cried like 4 times since Sunday evening and I have no alternate reason for such emotions!

My link to the economy

Well, our current economical status has impacted me more than just the price of gas rising faster than I can fill my tiny tank. Today is the "public" announcement of the preventative budget cuts at church. My position being on the chopping block.

I'm loosing my job.

Please don't misunderstand, the church is not happy about these cuts and mine was not the only one. I believe it when they say that it had nothing to do with performance and don't blame them for the decision. Quite frankly, I would have done the same.

All that to say that I'm not upset or bitter, but do find myself in a difficult position with our movement towards the purchase of our first home (are you allowed to call it a 'home' when it's not a stand-alone?) We have had a week to process the information and despite our uncertain financial future, do plan to move forward.

In addition to the $$ end of it, there's also an emotional side. I love my job!! I was thrilled when it became available and tried to graciously endure the 2+ month time frame it took them to finish interviewing and make the decision. I was more than excited to be working at a place I love with many people who I knew and loved in a position that I could enjoy.

This job did not disappoint! I was able to expend my creative juices in every area I could think of and was given the freedom to create my own schedule, create my own position and run a little wild, which was a blast!! So needless to say it's made it nearly impossible to consider another employer or position!! And I love my boss!! Seriously, Janet rocks my world!! And I'm not just saying that. One of our first meetings she said that she wanted to keep evaluating how things fell with this position so that I continued to do what I was passionate about. Who says that?? I actually want to be like Janet when I'm a few years older. She inspires me, makes me a little dizzy with her fast pace, and makes me want to work better, serve more, and love Jesus with what I do!

In addition, the team of people I've served with have been amazing!! I felt as if I landed in the best place with the right amount of challenges, laughter, love, and support. And I'm thankful that even though it will only have lasted like 6 months, that it happened at all!! I've learned so much and wouldn't trade this time for all the $$ I could have earned else where ;)

I'll keep you posted on what my future holds. For right now I'm trying to finish well (although my end date is not until the end of August) and get ready to move into our new place and then travel to MT for some family bonding time at the end of August. Also, my dad and sister come out this week on the Harley. Dad has so generously offered to do the walk-thru with us to learn how to operate our new place and also help us move in 1.5 weeks, among a few other projects. He's the best!! And I'm looking forward to some bonding time with Christina as we use my little car to take loads of stuff I'm too lazy to pack, over to the place a week from Friday.

International Phones Calls

Some how a group of internationals have my phone number. Over the past 4 days I've gotten up to 10+ calls a day from people who don't speak a lick of English. Mark has tried a couple phrases in languages he knows (he only knows the phrases, not the entire language) and we can't figure it out. At first I tried to answer and indicate to them that I won't be able to help them because I can't understand them, although they didn't seem to get the picture because they just kept talking. Now... I just let it ring through and it's convenient as they never leave messages.

Could my number have been accidentally handed out somewhere? Luckily it's always clear when it's one of these numbers because it doesn't have the right amount of digits. Although you would think these people might take the hint after 1 or 2 calls instead of trying up to 5 times in one day. The message won't change, the language won't change, so why keep trying? 984-890-30 hasn't gotten the hint!!

Life in the fast lane... or something

Life seems to be a bit more than it feels like I can handle right now. But this is what I have so instead of making lemonade, I'll make lemons. Oh wait. I guess I'll make lemons with lemonade. Or... okay, never mind. But I am trying to trust God in a new way. It's scary to make big decisions and adjustments in life, like buying a house!!

The house move is moving along!! We are approved and I've rearrange our $$ so we have enough at the right time in the right place. Other than not having started packing, sorting, or anything of the like (but I did email to the peeps I work with for free boxes), we have made progress on painting our kitchen table and re-staining our coffee tables. This week I hope to finish both projects with 2 coats of paint on the chair seats (we were going to leave them wood but have since decided to paint them) and do one more coat of stain on one of the coffee tables. Oh, I have done one other thing... stopped putting things away and cleaning. Does that count as progress? ;)

We move 2 weeks from Saturday and since our place isn't super full, I'm not too worried about packing. I do better under pressure anyway. Although it seems stupid to pack much when we are only moving about 3 miles away. However, I feel like I need to be ready when we have help to move so want to have stuff packed up. But I think I can cut a few corners like not emptying dresser drawers since we can simply take the drawers out. I have the Friday off before we move but after we get the keys and might see if I can borrow Barb's car and get my sister (who will be in town) to help me take loads of stuff I don't want to pack, over to the new place. Perhaps kitchen cookware and hangup clothes.

Other than finding old doors to use as a headboard and little sock booties for the chairs that will be on the hardwood floors, we've put a hold on purchasing anything for our new place. Which isn't ideal but we can do any accessorizing or upgrades in stages as the money is available. We want to make sure we are entering this new "risk" in as good a financial position as we can.

I am looking forward to my dad and sister being in town next weekend for over a week. They are riding the Harley from Montana. I just think that's cool! It will be nice when we have enough space to host our families when they are in town. Although we appreciate that Barb doesn't mind having boarders on occasion.

Vacation Pictures

Finally I was able to get some pictures uploaded! So you'll get to relive our past 2 weekends in pictures ;) 

Mark and I at Crater Lake. We went with friends and camped about an hour away for a couple nights. It was beautiful and a fun adventure!

On a hike at Crater Lake. 

Our friends, Peter and Trisha (my running partner) got engaged on our trip. Exciting!!

Me making the 4 of us pancakes the second morning and after a big rain/thunder/lightening storm the night before. It was brilliant!! And our tent held up beautifully! Our wood got wet from the rain (why we didn't think to cover it, I'm just not sure), so we used our little burner while Peter and Trisha went off to find wood at a nearby store.

Mark and I headed to Florence at the beach for the third night and enjoyed a couple hour kayaking trip. Very fun!! 

Us on the water. Our guide was very good. He seemed to enjoy taking us around the river.

We spent the weekend of the 4th on Whidbey Island with Mark's family. This is me with his sister Adrienne at the fair. 

Me with Mark's mom and cousin Clare, who is visiting from England, at the parade. We had to do the 4th in all it's glory so Clare get could the full experience!

Me with Mark and cousin Clare, still at the parade.

After the parade we went to a little fair at the water front nearby and we got a snack. I accidentally ordered this HUGE amount of curly fries. I didn't know it was going to be so big!!

The next day we took a walk down the beach from Mark's parent's place into town (3ish miles). I used a mostly empty water bottle to catch and keep tiny crabs. It was great fun but mark made me dump them out. 

Amazingly, my good friend from Texas (Noell) and her husband David were on Whidbey Island for vacation visiting David's brother. So we met up for a little visit. I managed to keep the picture where I had my eyes closed ;)

Now we're home. Mark and I had just enough time before tonight to make our place presentable (we had "let it go" while getting ready to move) for Mark's sister and cousin to come visit Portland. They did a little excursion during Clare's 2 week visit. It's fun to have company! We just finished taco salads and are watching Transformers. Mark and I managed to get tomorrow off work so will be taking them to see our new place and head downtown for a visit to Powell's books and a few other highlights in Ptown.