House Guest

Yesterday morning, my boss unexpectedly asked if Jesse and I could watch his dog until Wednesday. After a quick phone call to the apartment complex for approval, I agreed (oh, why is being nice such a hard thing?). Chloe stayed at our apartment last night and did pretty well until we realized she was in heat! I called her owner up and she said, "This is first time!" Wonderful...

Everything ended up working out after some quick modifications to the blankets on our bed. I created a tiny little diaper for her, but she wasn't a big fan of it and kept tearing it off. One more night and we can get some sleep!!!

Weekend Wrap-Up

I don't have photos to share, as I didn't carry my camera everywhere we went this weekend. There was a photographer at the company picnic on Saturday, so I should have those in a couple weeks to share. At the NES picnic, we met a couple who recently moved from Germany. I thought our transition was difficult, but their experiences by far outweigh our own. It was refreshing to chat with folks who knew what a small town was, what it means to spend time with friends, and the importance of time away from work. The woman at one point said, "It's funny how people here think their life IS work. They just don't get it." Needless to say, we hit it off with these folks. Very fun people, and what a fun encouragement to talk to people who speak our same language (the small town folk language). At the picnic, Jesse and I raced up the climbing wall--he reached the top before I'd even taken 5 steps. Next time I won't attempt this fete with bare feet. I also braved the jumping contraption they had set up where you are strapped into a harness and bounce on a large trampoline. You can do flips, but I stuck to the simple maneuver of jumping up and down. Lots of food, beverages, water guns, sun, and more made for a fun afternoon/evening at the park.
Good weekend!

Fall is in the Air

The past two mornings have had a different feel. The air is crisp, the dampness has decreased, and the sunrise has gone from bright pinks to deep oranges. Fall is just around the corner! We're excited to experience a "real" autumn season from beginning to end for the first time. Crank out the baking supplies, the hot apple cider, and the afghan throws--we're ready for Fall!

Vampire of Different Size

Politics, bad eggs, oil spills, and dropping gas prices have met their competition in the DC metro news. Their competitor? A small but lethal beast: the bed bug. These little critters have somehow become the celebrities of today, reaching an all time high throughout the nation. The infestation began in Minnesota (sorry Dad and Mom!) and has continued to spread to other neighboring states. It was announced this morning on the 6 o'clock news that Washington DC has found itself at number nine on the Top 15 list of states with bed bugs. Sleep tight, Mr. President.

He Answers Prayer

If anyone questions God's existence, tell them about our life. Whether we needed financial help, medical wisdom, or even career direction, God has always been right there. He has placed His hand so heavily upon us, it's almost unbelievable. If it weren't for miracles in the Bible like water turned into wine and a man raised from the dead, I'd be prone to think it was merely by chance. But growing up knowing a personal Savior has taught me to see crazy happenings as miracles rather than good luck.
Just last night, yet another MIRACLE occurred. Our landlord informed us a couple weeks ago our rent would increase to an amount we knew we couldn't afford. Being the proactive people we are, Jesse immediately began searching online for alternatives, and we even visited one option last weekend. We knew if they wouldn't accept our counter offer, we would be required to move in under two months.
Jesse received a voicemail yesterday evening from our landlord saying they understood our hesitation on signing a new lease at the proposed price, and they'd like to offer a second leasing agreement. You won't believe this...they want to raise our rent $25 a month! Hallelujah!!!! $25!! They went from around a $500 increase to $25! Praise THE LORD!
God has a wonderful way of grabbing us out of the darkness when we are lost. He gently pushes us in a direction we may not have even considered. And best of all, He sends encouragement along the way. Who can say there is no God?

Convertible Tops

On the way out to Litchfield, Dad asked Jesse if he'd like to drive the convertible. Jesse didn't hesitate much in answering. With him and Dad in the front, who was left to sit in the back???
Just little old me. The wind was cold so my hoodie helped. Then came the raindrops the size of golf balls. They didn't believe me that I was getting wet until they turned around and saw it for themselves. Thank goodness for convertible tops that go up!

Buster & Taffy

Anyone who visits my parents' home these days knows who Buster & Taffy are. I was introduced to them as their sister, which might be a little much, but it didn't take long to fall in love with them regardless! Here are some photos to enjoy (Dad and Mom, you can right click on these and save the photo if you'd like them...or I can email them to you if you'd like).

A Good Morning It Is

Sometimes a coffee and a scone are just what you need to get the day started.

Answer to Prayer!

Jesse has been working with his doctor for the past few months to get insurance to approve an increase in his Humeira medication. They would only authorize coverage for injections every other week, but we just learned they've approved them for every week! While sticking one's self with a needle isn't all that exciting, this may be just what Jesse needs to get better. He's reacted well to his current dose, but the doctor thinks he needs a stronger regime to improve more. Please pray this works!

A Weekend Wedding

As promised, here are some more photos of this past week's adventure. Sorry, there are no photos recording my adventure in Milwaukee. I will say this, there was a letter of apology from Airtran waiting for us in the mail when we returned on Sunday. They must have realized their mistake finally.

On a much happier note, here is Dad and Mom in front of their home. The sun was out, and we were all loving it!

Jesse was insisting on giving his goofy faces when we were snapping shots in the garden, but I was able to capture this handsome look at the very end! Ha, patience prevails!

Catching up with friends was wonderful. Here's Carolyn and me at the rehearsal. Later that night, after the bachelorette party, we stayed up talking and giggling all night. Thanks, Carolyn, for staying awake to reminisce and catch up!

Jesse and me at the wedding reception.

Little Stella Grace being persistent in not giving one of her famous smiles. Though, I'm pretty sure this little face is just as cute!

Jason and Megan giving their "Stepford Wife" pose.

I caught Levi gazing up at Kara while all the men were circled around her to sing.

Kara and her beautiful smile. It was exciting to be a part of Abel and Kara's day!

Jesse snapped this great shot of Holly with Mom laughing in the background. This is by far one of my favorites!

Tom grabbed Mom and led her to the dance floor.

Despite my hesitation to dance, there weren't enough excuses to keep me off the dance floor. We had a fun time!

Holly got herself a handsome dance partner!

Diane, Mary, and Dad watching the action on the dance floor. One of these days we'll get Dad out there...Dad, if I did it...so you can you! :)

When the music slowed down and couples made their way to share in a slow dance, Holly didn't hesitate to grab my arm and say, "We're dancing." Poor Jesse had to cut in! Haha

Abel and Kara wore bright orange aprons to cut and serve their wedding cake. Who knew orange could look so good in a wedding?

When it came time to sing to Abel, Holly happened to be the only woman there who knew the complete set of lyrics to the Shania Twain song, "I like it that Way." (if that's even the title).

Julie did a great job too!

And then there was me...I got the easy part..."Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, I like it that way."

And then, it was time to say good bye...

I have more photos to post, but that will come later. :)

Mr. & Mrs. West

We had a wonderful time at Abel and Kara's wedding this past weekend. Spending time with family, seeing friends, and getting away from our daily schedule was a huge treat. I'll post more pictures later this week, but had to share this one for sure!

Minnesota Bound

No more posting for a while. We are headed to Minnesota!!!

The Unexpected

Life is full of surprises. While Jesse was on his way to a doctor's appointment on Friday, our car began making strange noises. Not long after, he realized something was definitely wrong when the car wouldn't automatically shift into second gear. God had His hand on the situation; The car "just happened" to break down right in front of an auto repair shop. After some investigation, it was ruled the Honda had a major boo boo. With lots of prayer, we decided to look for a new car.
At our first stop Saturday morning, we came upon an incredible deal we couldn't pass up. And...here she is (we deemed this car a girl but have yet to name her). So while we liked Higgins (our Honda), he's been laid to rest, and we're now proud owners of a 2010 red Toyota Corolla.

Oh For the Love of Pets

Waking up to little chirping can be quite nice at times--almost serene. I was thinking this morning, however, how peaceful it would be if there was no squawking, persistent chortling, and nothing flying around my head. Our birds certainly love the morning.

To make things even more interesting, Kolby has discovered the flock of birds outside on the porch. This morning, he decided it was his duty to welcome them to the neighborhood by sitting by the window and chirping loudly to them. When they didn't pay attention, he got frustrated and started flying around our living room. So much for waking up slowly this morning!

Thursdays Thoughts

After dealing with some odd changes (I guess the body begins to deteriorate when it reaches 25), I decided to schedule an appointment with the doctor. Part of the consult involved a blood draw, and thus I had to fast. For those of you who know me well, you know fasting food doesn't go over so well for me. So, there I sat on the patient table, trying to respond with comprehensible answers while my sugar leveled continued to drop. At one point, the doctor asked what my symptoms were of hypoglycemia. I laughed and said, well for example, at this very moment, my heart is racing, I'm sweating profusely, and I just feel Bleh. Her eyes widened and all she said was, "Oh." Ha! It's funny what you go through to get better. :)

The Gift of Sleep

Jesse recently read about a new study surrounding UC. The study is researching one of the effects of ulcerative colititis: a lack of naturally generated melatonin. The researchers are giving patients 5mg of melatonin supplements a day to see how it affects their system. Jesse decided to try this out rather than waiting for the study to reveal results. He's been taking the supplement for just under a week, and so far so good! He's been sleeping a lot better (not a huge surprise considering the supplement), but better yet, he's been feeling better throughout the day! Time will tell if this adjustment helps, but we are hopeful. Because Jesse is in the 5% of UC patients who don't (yet) react to the medication on the market, we're up for just about anything. And I do have to admit that I took one of these little Melatonin pills last night, and boy, did I sleep soundly!!! If nothing else, we'll both be better rested!

Reflection of Roses

Despite our bedtime being at 8:30pm these days, I've been following this season of Bachelorette. What's a little loss of sleep? Last night was the finale, where the star of the show gets to pick the man she loves. I really do find the whole scenario very silly, but I'm still intrigued. Even Jesse has given some interest in the episodes. Watching the final rose ceremony last night got me thinking about how Jesse proposed to me, and how our story is way more fun than this fairy tale story on TV. It's so often we gawk at celebrities' fancy lifestyles and maybe even wish we could live a fairy tale dream. Yet, as I sat and watched this story unfold, I kept thinking about how my story is so much better. So while one couple is in Bora Bora getting engaged, I'm spending the rest of my normal, but oh so adventurous, life with an incredible man.