Nearly eight months after we first arrived in Michigan, the time has come to say goodbye. When we first arrived, on Thanksgiving day last November, we had no idea how long we would be staying. Our lives were in flux; so much depended on when we would find an overseeing church. As the weeks stretched into months, sometimes the wait seemed interminable. Now, looking back, eight months really doesn't seem that long at all, and in many ways, it has just flown by. We are headed now to Nashville to be with our supporting church for a few months before we go off to Portugal for some intensive language study.
So, thank you, Michigan, for allowing us to be residents of your fine state for the past few months. We have enjoyed your winter snows, your gorgeous spring days, and we are loving your mild summer weather. We think your DMV should give lessons on efficiency to the other 49 states in the union. And we now think we finally understand the "Michigan left."
Thank you to all the churches in the Detroit area who invited us to come and do our Angola presentation. A special thank you to all those who contributed to our one-time expense fund. We know that the ecomony is especially dismal in Michigan these days, and so we are touched by your generosity, even as many of you face hard times.
Thank you to our Livonia church family, for welcoming us to your midst with open arms. Thank you for praying for us and encouraging us and inviting us to your home groups and being interested in our dreams for Angola. Thank you for allowing us to participate in as many church activities as our time and travel schedule allowed. A special thank you to all of Alex' amazing teachers -- he loved to go to Bible Class! And to Beth and Shannon for all the playdates -- it meant so much to Alex to have some social interaction. To those of you who have recently expressed a desire to be regular monthly contributors to our work -- thank you! Each pledge takes us closer to our goal and closer to Angola.
Thank you to "Dr. Kelly" and her staff for taking such good care of me during my pregnancy. Thank you for your willingness to accommodate my wishes for a natural birth and for assuaging my fears that my second labor would last as long as my first! Thank you for knowing when to tell me to rest and take it easy. I am only sorry that you weren't the one to deliver Stephen since everything happened so fast! Thank you to the nurses and the staff at the Henry Ford Hospital in West Bloomfield for an incredible natural hospital birth. (I wish I could have all my future children at this luxurious hospital.)
Finally, to my parents... there really are no words to express our gratefulness for all the ways you have blessed our lives these past months. Thank you for allowing us to call your home our home for an indefinite length of time. It has been such a place of peace for us, a true haven while everything else in life has been in limbo. Thank you for continuing to allow us to use your basement as a second storage unit for the next several weeks. Thank you for putting up with our messes, with a pregnant woman, with a new baby, and with a (sometimes) cranky and defiant 3-year old. Thank you for all the delicious food and good conversations. Thank you for the free baby-sitting while Rusty and I went to our Bradley classes or just enjoyed a night out. Thank you for all the trips to Greenfield Village and the zoo, and for all the special memories you made with Alex. Thank you for sharing in several special events for our family over the past few months -- birthdays, our 10th anniversary, Rusty's HUGSR graduation. Thank you, most of all, for your prayers and encouragement as we waited on God's timing.
I can think of no place I would rather have been for the past eight months, than right where God put us -- in Livonia, MI. Although I am eager to move on, to be one step closer to permanency, I will always treasure the memories of these past months, and the extended time we were able to spend with my parents.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Finally...
...we managed to get a halfway decent picture of the four of us. It will do until we can get to a studio for a professional portrait, probably sometime this fall. This was taken last Sunday. We are wearing our matching Angolan outfits. A seamstress in Angola made Rusty's shirt for him while we were there last summer. She had some fabric left over, so she gave it to me, and I made a wrap skirt for myself -- you can barely see it in the picture. The shirts the boys are wearing, I made with some of the leftover scraps of fabric. (Thanks to my crafty teammate, Teague, for the idea!)
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Life at Three Months
Stephen was three months old on July 6th. He is continuing to gain weight and develop fat rolls, and is now wearing 3-6 month size clothes. Thumb-sucking is definitely his thing; he is very good at self-soothing with it. He is sleeping on a more regular schedule now -- short morning nap, long afternoon nap, and usually 10-11 hours at night, waking up just once for a feeding. I'm not sure how long his good sleep patterns will last with all of the traveling we are going to be doing the next couple of months, so I am trying to enjoy it while it lasts. When he is awake, he smiles and coos and bats at the toys on the arches of his playmat. He is such a good baby that I think he may be in danger of being ignored because he is just so content all the time!With the warm summer weather, we have been taking Stephen outside more. He likes to lay on a blanket on the grass and watch the trees and the sky, or sit in his bouncy seat and watch Alex play in the yard. If we go on walks, he usually rides in the sling. Speaking of my hotsling, I love it! Stephen enjoys it, too, and every time we are out and about in it, I always get lots of comments on it. When I wore him in it at the zoo, I started to feel like we were one of the exhibits because of all the people (mostly children) who were pointing and staring. One lady even asked if she could take my picture!
Stephen can also sit up as long as he is well-supported, so he has been able to start joining in story-time with Alex, which is fun. The two of them are so precious together. Alex will sing to Stephen or "help" him play with the toys on his playmat, and Stephen just watches him so intently and sometimes breaks out into the biggest grin. I'm looking forward to watching their relationship develop over the months and years to come.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Our Growing Team
Nathan Holland, the Reeses, Jordan Yarbrough, the Campbells, the MeyersWe always enjoy spending time with our teammates. We have continued trying to meet monthly, although that has become a bit more challenging now that we are all much more spread out geographically. Despite the long drive (our meetings have been in Little Rock the last few times), we look forward to our time together. And, just in case you were wondering what it is that we do at these meetings, here is a list of the items on last month's agenda:
- personal / family updates, fundraising progress
- discussion on the possibility of our team getting some formal training in rational thinking and decision making
- recap and process some of the strategy discussion begun at May's meeting
- discussion on homeschooling options
- discussion on a team coach / mentor
- discussion on team roles
- timeline (scheduling, future meetings, moving to Portugal, etc.)
- continuation of our doctrine discussion begun at a previous meeting
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Torch Lake
I'm finally getting around to posting some pictures of our family vacation to Torch Lake. Sadly, I don't have as many pictures as I should, because, after we had been there for over a week, Rusty accidentally reformatted the card in the digital camera. (And just in case you didn't know, when you do that, you permanently erase all data on the card.) So the pictures below were taken in our last three days there, as we tried to think of and recreate all the photo ops.
Aside from the camera catastrophe, we really had a wonderful time at the lake. We are so thankful to our friends Bob and Teri for allowing us to spend almost two weeks at their little lakeside cabin. It was a time of rest and relaxation, reconnecting and refocusing. The weather was mostly cool, but we had a few gorgeous days of warm sunshine toward the end of our stay. Rusty and Alex went fishing and kayaking several times. They tried to go swimming once, but the water was still pretty cold, so Alex didn't even last five minutes before he was ready to get out. After that, he was content to just sit on the beach and throw rocks in the water or dangle his feet off the end of the dock. We had a fire in the firepit two different nights and roasted marshmallows and made s'mores while enjoying the stunning sunsets.
We had some rainy, windy days too. On those days, we stayed indoors and played games, read, watched movies, or scrapbooked. We taught Alex how to play Uno Jr., Yahtzee Jr., and Candyland. He is really enjoying games right now, and (so far) is a very good sport, not seeming to care whether he wins or loses. Rusty and I watched the entire first season of "24" in the time we were there, and we both made good progress on our scrapbooks. Rusty and Alex slept up in the loft two different nights, which Alex thought was great fun. (I'm not sure Rusty slept that well, though!) We had lots of yummy food, including some of our favorite ethnic dishes (Thai curry, Japanese curry, okunomiyaki, and temakizushi). Alex helped me make pizza one night, and we made chocolate chip cookies for Daddy. I tried a new recipe for cinnamon rolls which was awesome!
We also went on a couple of "outings." One day, we drove up to the town of Charlevoix and found a nice beach with a playground where we had a picnic lunch. Another day, we went into Central Lake for an antique car show. But mostly, we just stayed around the cabin and enjoyed being together and God's beautiful creation. It was exactly what we needed before facing the next several months, which promise to be very very busy!
Our little fisherman with his catch
Napping
Sweet Stephen
A beautiful sunset
Snuggly baby
Giraffe tongue!
Just kickin' it
Row, row, row your boat...
Aside from the camera catastrophe, we really had a wonderful time at the lake. We are so thankful to our friends Bob and Teri for allowing us to spend almost two weeks at their little lakeside cabin. It was a time of rest and relaxation, reconnecting and refocusing. The weather was mostly cool, but we had a few gorgeous days of warm sunshine toward the end of our stay. Rusty and Alex went fishing and kayaking several times. They tried to go swimming once, but the water was still pretty cold, so Alex didn't even last five minutes before he was ready to get out. After that, he was content to just sit on the beach and throw rocks in the water or dangle his feet off the end of the dock. We had a fire in the firepit two different nights and roasted marshmallows and made s'mores while enjoying the stunning sunsets.
We had some rainy, windy days too. On those days, we stayed indoors and played games, read, watched movies, or scrapbooked. We taught Alex how to play Uno Jr., Yahtzee Jr., and Candyland. He is really enjoying games right now, and (so far) is a very good sport, not seeming to care whether he wins or loses. Rusty and I watched the entire first season of "24" in the time we were there, and we both made good progress on our scrapbooks. Rusty and Alex slept up in the loft two different nights, which Alex thought was great fun. (I'm not sure Rusty slept that well, though!) We had lots of yummy food, including some of our favorite ethnic dishes (Thai curry, Japanese curry, okunomiyaki, and temakizushi). Alex helped me make pizza one night, and we made chocolate chip cookies for Daddy. I tried a new recipe for cinnamon rolls which was awesome!
We also went on a couple of "outings." One day, we drove up to the town of Charlevoix and found a nice beach with a playground where we had a picnic lunch. Another day, we went into Central Lake for an antique car show. But mostly, we just stayed around the cabin and enjoyed being together and God's beautiful creation. It was exactly what we needed before facing the next several months, which promise to be very very busy!
Our little fisherman with his catch
Napping
Sweet Stephen
A beautiful sunset
Snuggly baby
Giraffe tongue!
Just kickin' it
Row, row, row your boat...Tuesday, June 30, 2009
My Brother the Blogger
So, my brother is blogging now. He has been at it for about three months now, and his posts are a delightful blend of updates on his personal life and deeper ponderings, all well-written with a dash of sarcastic humor thrown in every so often. I have wanted to be a writer since I was a little girl, but after reading some of Matt's writings, I am having a feeling that he may beat me to it! His latest post very nearly brought tears to my eyes and is a wonderful tribute to my parent's marriage, which has stood the test of time for 37 years now.
If you have a few minutes, head on over to "(to be announced)" and check it out.
If you have a few minutes, head on over to "(to be announced)" and check it out.
June 2009 Newsletter
Our most recent newsletter is now available for viewing. Click here to download.
(If you would like to receive our newsletters via email, please send a message to rustyandlaura AT gmail DOT com. We would be happy to add you to our mailing list.)
(If you would like to receive our newsletters via email, please send a message to rustyandlaura AT gmail DOT com. We would be happy to add you to our mailing list.)
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Life at Two Months
Stephen turned two months old on June 6th while we were up at Torch Lake. Our itty bitty baby isn't so itty bitty anymore. At his two-month check-up, he weighed in at over 13 pounds! By comparison, Eliana Reese (our teammates' baby), who is 7 months older, weighs 16. I think he might pass her up before she has her first birthday! Every time I take him in, the doctor comments on how well he is growing and how solid he is. This time, he asked me, "How do you hold this kid? He is heavy!" I guess toting him around all day will help with losing the baby weight, which, sadly, is not coming off as quickly this time as it did the first!During his second month, Stephen started smiling (relationally, not just gas). Rusty is especially good at getting him to break out in a big grin. He also discovered his hands, and seems to have a special fondness for the thumb on his left hand. Maybe he will be a thumb sucker. (Alex never was.) I have had to start bathing him in the big bathtub since he is too big now for the kitchen sink (thanks to my sister for leaving me her awesome baby bath chair). He loves baths, just like Alex did. He also enjoys sitting in his bouncy chair (a recent yard sale purchase), and being outside on a blanket under the trees. He can hold his head up really well now, and is already starting to push up with his feet on my lap.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Wonderful News!
Rusty, the boys, and I have just returned from enjoying some family time at Torch Lake in northern Michigan. We got back to Detroit late last night... and we will be leaving again on Wednesday to travel to Little Rock for another team meeting. So, the pictures will have to wait for another time. But I did want to share some wonderful news that we received recently regarding our search for a sponsoring congregation.
The Hillsboro church of Christ in Nashville, TN has agreed to assume oversight of our family and our minstry in Angola -- for at least the next five years. They will be providing half of our salary, as well as supporting us emotionally and spiritually, and serving as our "home base" here in the United States. We feel very blessed to have them as partners in our work.
Our search for a sponsoring congregation is over, but the real work of fundraising is really just beginning. We still have to raise half of our salary, as well as our work fund and our one-time moving expenses. There are many things that still have to come together before we will be in Angola. This is, however, a major step in the process... and somehow, having a sponsoring congregation makes our plans for Angola seem like much more of a reality, not just a dream anymore.
Will you join us in praising God for Hillsboro and for their commitment to us and to our vision?
The Hillsboro church of Christ in Nashville, TN has agreed to assume oversight of our family and our minstry in Angola -- for at least the next five years. They will be providing half of our salary, as well as supporting us emotionally and spiritually, and serving as our "home base" here in the United States. We feel very blessed to have them as partners in our work.
Our search for a sponsoring congregation is over, but the real work of fundraising is really just beginning. We still have to raise half of our salary, as well as our work fund and our one-time moving expenses. There are many things that still have to come together before we will be in Angola. This is, however, a major step in the process... and somehow, having a sponsoring congregation makes our plans for Angola seem like much more of a reality, not just a dream anymore.
Will you join us in praising God for Hillsboro and for their commitment to us and to our vision?
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Aunt Julie's Visit
Aunt Julie and the cousins stayed on for a visit after Uncle Matt's graduation. We drove up to Detroit from Abilene, dropping Rusty off in Dallas along the way for his conference. The drive took us three days, and with five kiddos, a nursing baby and a potty-trainer among them, and me being sick with some sort of stomach bug, let's just say we were all very glad to finally get to Livonia. Julie and I did enjoy some good conversations in the car on the way up, though!
We had a great time and really enjoyed their visit, although it did get loud and crazy on occasion! Major highlights included a trip to Greenfield Village, and a day at the zoo. The kids also enjoyed playing outside, swimming, and watching TV together. Alex loved having his cousins around to play with, and was very sad to see them go.
Enjoy the slide show of our time together!
We had a great time and really enjoyed their visit, although it did get loud and crazy on occasion! Major highlights included a trip to Greenfield Village, and a day at the zoo. The kids also enjoyed playing outside, swimming, and watching TV together. Alex loved having his cousins around to play with, and was very sad to see them go.
Enjoy the slide show of our time together!
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Abilene
The next stop on our journey was Abilene, TX, to see my brother Matt graduate from ACU. We also enjoyed reconnecting with our old friends, Steve and Wendy (from our days as AET's in Japan). It was such a delight to see how their family has grown since the last time we saw them. The kids had a good time playing together. (Sadly, though, we took no pictures of our time with Steve and Wendy.)
My sister and her three girls were able to travel to the States from Bolivia for Matt's graduation, and then spent a little over a week with us in Detroit before they went back. Here are a few pictures of our time in Abilene:
The Stephens family (plus two grandkids)
The lovely lady in the black dress is Janille, my brother's girlfriend. It was a real treat to (finally) meet her while we were there.
My sister and her three girls were able to travel to the States from Bolivia for Matt's graduation, and then spent a little over a week with us in Detroit before they went back. Here are a few pictures of our time in Abilene:
The Stephens family (plus two grandkids)
The lovely lady in the black dress is Janille, my brother's girlfriend. It was a real treat to (finally) meet her while we were there.We were in Abilene over a Sunday, which happened to be Mother's Day. Since Julie and I now have 5 kids ages 4 and under between us, we decided to forego going to a nice restaurant (which can be torturous when you have young children) and just got a bucket of chicken and went to a local park. The kids had a great time, and the adults were able to squeeze in some good conversation while they were playing.
My mom with all her kids and grandkids on Mother's Day
"Dude... they tell me we're related." Stephen and Uncle Matt getting to know each other
Uncle Matt is super fun!
My mom with all her kids and grandkids on Mother's Day
"Dude... they tell me we're related." Stephen and Uncle Matt getting to know each other
Uncle Matt is super fun!More pictures of our time with Aunt Julie and the cousins to follow. I am working on a slide show and should have that up in a couple of days.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Pepperdine
At the beginning of May, our entire team (minus Jordan) was privileged to present at the annual Pepperdine Bible Lectures. We taught a class entitled "New Strategies for New Fields in Africa: The Case of Angola." (The class is available for purchase on CD for those who are interested. Click here to order.) We had a pretty good turnout and were well received. We also hosted an informational breakfast one morning.
I cannot say enough good things about the Pepperdine Bible Lectures. I really hope that we are able to attend them again one day. They had an awsome children's program (which was also amazingly affordable), so Alex was occupied and entertained. And this meant that I was able to attend some classes and keynote sessions and participate in the worship times -- wonderful! Of course, for Rusty and I, it was also a time of reconnecting with many of our friends from the Northwest, as well as people with ties to Africa and Japan. And it's hard to beat the locale -- sunny Malibu, California. The Pepperdine campus overlooks the beautiful Pacific Ocean, and the views as we walked or rode the shuttle bus were just stunning. Lots of stairs, though! If you go there with children, don't take a stroller. I was glad we didn't bring ours. Alex either walked or rode in the Kelty backpack, and Stephen was happy in the sling.
Here's a picture of our team at Pepperdine, along with Charles Kambungo and Andre Banda, Angolan friends and future partners in ministry, who were able to travel to the U.S. to attend the Lectures and also a Church Planting Movements conference in Dallas. It was a real blessing to have them here.
I cannot say enough good things about the Pepperdine Bible Lectures. I really hope that we are able to attend them again one day. They had an awsome children's program (which was also amazingly affordable), so Alex was occupied and entertained. And this meant that I was able to attend some classes and keynote sessions and participate in the worship times -- wonderful! Of course, for Rusty and I, it was also a time of reconnecting with many of our friends from the Northwest, as well as people with ties to Africa and Japan. And it's hard to beat the locale -- sunny Malibu, California. The Pepperdine campus overlooks the beautiful Pacific Ocean, and the views as we walked or rode the shuttle bus were just stunning. Lots of stairs, though! If you go there with children, don't take a stroller. I was glad we didn't bring ours. Alex either walked or rode in the Kelty backpack, and Stephen was happy in the sling.
Here's a picture of our team at Pepperdine, along with Charles Kambungo and Andre Banda, Angolan friends and future partners in ministry, who were able to travel to the U.S. to attend the Lectures and also a Church Planting Movements conference in Dallas. It was a real blessing to have them here.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Life at One Month
Stephen is now well over one month old (he will be exactly 7 weeks old tomorrow) -- however, I intend to continue the tradition I started during Alex' first year of doing Month Milestone posts. (I am a bit behind in my blogging since we have been traveling and then my sister and her kids were visiting for a week.)
In his first month of life, Stephen has traveled to Coldwater to meet his great grandmother, to Memphis for Daddy's graduation, to Nashville for Mommy and Daddy's Angola presentation, to Texas, where he got on a plane for the first time, and to sunny California for the Pepperdine Lectureships. Everywhere we went, people were amazed that we were already traveling with such a young baby. "Wow, you're brave," they said. Brave... or crazy? Honestly, now that I have a 3-year old, I find traveling with a newborn to be easy. They aren't mobile; they sleep anywhere; you don't have to worry about a schedule since they don't have much of one yet; and they don't need to be entertained. He was a joy to have along on our trip, and we were glad to get to introduce him to so many of our friends and family during our travels.
Stephen is really a very laid-back baby. I think he might be even more laid-back than Alex was as an infant (although that may very well be because I am more laid-back as a mom with my second than I was with my first). I have been pleasantly surprised at how much easier things have been this time around. Nursing got off to an easier, better start, probably because at least one of us knew what we were doing this time! I seem to be handling the sleep deprivation and wacky schedules better. There is nothing that really prepares you for the way that first baby rocks your entire existence... but the transition to being a family of four has (so far) been much less overwhelming.
At his one-month check-up (which was actually at more like 5 1/2 weeks because of our travels), Stephen weighed in at a whopping 11 lbs. 4 oz. That means he gained almost 3 pounds in his first month of life (Alex only gained two). It goes without saying that this kid loves to eat! He also loves to be held and snuggled, laying in his cradle and watching his mobile, taking a bath, and riding in the sling. He is already a great traveler, which is a good thing since there is certain to be a lot of that in his immediate future!
Here are a few pictures from his first month.
Having a bath in the kitchen sink
Meeting Great Grandmother
Snuggling with Nyanya
Being loved on by Mommy and Daddy
Conspiring with big brother
Napping on a Sunday afternoon
One month old
In his first month of life, Stephen has traveled to Coldwater to meet his great grandmother, to Memphis for Daddy's graduation, to Nashville for Mommy and Daddy's Angola presentation, to Texas, where he got on a plane for the first time, and to sunny California for the Pepperdine Lectureships. Everywhere we went, people were amazed that we were already traveling with such a young baby. "Wow, you're brave," they said. Brave... or crazy? Honestly, now that I have a 3-year old, I find traveling with a newborn to be easy. They aren't mobile; they sleep anywhere; you don't have to worry about a schedule since they don't have much of one yet; and they don't need to be entertained. He was a joy to have along on our trip, and we were glad to get to introduce him to so many of our friends and family during our travels.
Stephen is really a very laid-back baby. I think he might be even more laid-back than Alex was as an infant (although that may very well be because I am more laid-back as a mom with my second than I was with my first). I have been pleasantly surprised at how much easier things have been this time around. Nursing got off to an easier, better start, probably because at least one of us knew what we were doing this time! I seem to be handling the sleep deprivation and wacky schedules better. There is nothing that really prepares you for the way that first baby rocks your entire existence... but the transition to being a family of four has (so far) been much less overwhelming.
At his one-month check-up (which was actually at more like 5 1/2 weeks because of our travels), Stephen weighed in at a whopping 11 lbs. 4 oz. That means he gained almost 3 pounds in his first month of life (Alex only gained two). It goes without saying that this kid loves to eat! He also loves to be held and snuggled, laying in his cradle and watching his mobile, taking a bath, and riding in the sling. He is already a great traveler, which is a good thing since there is certain to be a lot of that in his immediate future!
Here are a few pictures from his first month.
Having a bath in the kitchen sink
Meeting Great Grandmother
Snuggling with Nyanya
Being loved on by Mommy and Daddy
Conspiring with big brother
Napping on a Sunday afternoon
One month oldFriday, May 22, 2009
Oh, Happy Day!
On Saturday, May 2nd, Rusty graduated with his Master of Arts in Christian Ministry from Harding University Graduate School of Religion. The HUGSR chapter of our lives began nearly 7 years ago -- in 2002 when we returned from our three years in Japan as AET's. We arrived in Memphis on a hot August day with no jobs and nearly no money, only knowing a few people. Seven years later, we are once more unemployed and poor (financially speaking), but rich in the relationships we have formed and the experiences we have had during our time there.
In the years since Rusty first began taking classes at HUGSR, we have gone on a Let's Start Talking campaign to Kampala, Uganda, spent two years working with a church in northern Mississippi, spent another year doing vocational ministry in Japan, joined the Angola team, gone on a month-long survey trip to Angola, and had two precious sons born to us. It has not always been an easy journey. We have moved several times, twice internationally, cared for a dying parent, struggled through the loss of Rusty's mom, as well as our home and life in Japan, been without a home of our own for months at a time, been unemployed or worked jobs that didn't pay much just to make ends meet, and experienced financial stress and uncertainty. And all of this in addition to the normal stresses of graduate school -- hundreds of pages of reading to do each week, exams to study for, papers to research and write.
Through all of it, even during the semesters when Rusty couldn't take classes for one reason or another, I don't think either of us ever doubted that he would one day finish. But I think we both began to wonder when that day would come, especially as the 2-3 years we thought it would take stretched into 7. Rusty found the work of grad school much more difficult than he had anticipated. Some people thrive on study; Rusty is not one of them. There were many times when he felt like a round peg trying to fit in a square hole, when he got discouraged and wondered if he was cut out for this. But he stayed the course and finished what he had started. Watching him walk across that stage to receive his diploma was one of the proudest moments of my life.
Rusty wasn't the only one to receive a degree on May 2nd. At the luncheon for the graduates and their families following the ceremony, I received my PHT (Putting Him Through). After seven years of working to help pay the bills, staying up until the wee hours of the morning proofreading papers, and listening to him gripe about how hard his classes were, I definitely feel like I earned it! Congratulations, Rusty! It has been a privilege and an honor to "put you through" grad school, and I am so very proud of your achievement.
Our family with my parents just after the ceremony
Rusty with teammate Danny Reese
In the years since Rusty first began taking classes at HUGSR, we have gone on a Let's Start Talking campaign to Kampala, Uganda, spent two years working with a church in northern Mississippi, spent another year doing vocational ministry in Japan, joined the Angola team, gone on a month-long survey trip to Angola, and had two precious sons born to us. It has not always been an easy journey. We have moved several times, twice internationally, cared for a dying parent, struggled through the loss of Rusty's mom, as well as our home and life in Japan, been without a home of our own for months at a time, been unemployed or worked jobs that didn't pay much just to make ends meet, and experienced financial stress and uncertainty. And all of this in addition to the normal stresses of graduate school -- hundreds of pages of reading to do each week, exams to study for, papers to research and write.
Through all of it, even during the semesters when Rusty couldn't take classes for one reason or another, I don't think either of us ever doubted that he would one day finish. But I think we both began to wonder when that day would come, especially as the 2-3 years we thought it would take stretched into 7. Rusty found the work of grad school much more difficult than he had anticipated. Some people thrive on study; Rusty is not one of them. There were many times when he felt like a round peg trying to fit in a square hole, when he got discouraged and wondered if he was cut out for this. But he stayed the course and finished what he had started. Watching him walk across that stage to receive his diploma was one of the proudest moments of my life.
Rusty wasn't the only one to receive a degree on May 2nd. At the luncheon for the graduates and their families following the ceremony, I received my PHT (Putting Him Through). After seven years of working to help pay the bills, staying up until the wee hours of the morning proofreading papers, and listening to him gripe about how hard his classes were, I definitely feel like I earned it! Congratulations, Rusty! It has been a privilege and an honor to "put you through" grad school, and I am so very proud of your achievement.
Our family with my parents just after the ceremony
Rusty with teammate Danny ReeseThursday, May 21, 2009
A Day Out with Thomas
One of the things I am especially grateful for during this time of transition in our lives is all of the time Alex is getting to spend with his grandparents. I realize that once we are living overseas again, our times with them will be few and far between. I am glad that Alex has had several months to make special memories with his Nyanya and Babu, and also that he is old enough that he will remember them later on.
On the last Saturday in April, Nyanya and Babu took Alex on the ultimate "grandkid date" (at least in this 3-year old's mind). They bought tickets to "A Day Out with Thomas" at Greenfield Village. The highlight of the day was, of course, getting to ride Thomas, but there were also train tables and trains for the kids to play with, motorized cars to drive, and other activity centers and photo ops. Alex had a great time, and he still talks about it almost a month later.
Alex with his grandparents
Here comes Thomas!
Driving lessons
On the last Saturday in April, Nyanya and Babu took Alex on the ultimate "grandkid date" (at least in this 3-year old's mind). They bought tickets to "A Day Out with Thomas" at Greenfield Village. The highlight of the day was, of course, getting to ride Thomas, but there were also train tables and trains for the kids to play with, motorized cars to drive, and other activity centers and photo ops. Alex had a great time, and he still talks about it almost a month later.
Alex with his grandparents
Here comes Thomas!
Driving lessonsTuesday, April 28, 2009
On the Road Again
We are leaving tomorrow for another trip and will be gone for two weeks (Rusty will be gone for three). It is our first time to travel as a family since Stephen's birth, and I find myself a little overwhelmed by the task of packing for the four of us for the next couple of weeks.
We are traveling for a combination of personal and Angola-related reasons. May 1-2, we will be in Memphis for Rusty's graduation ceremony. On May 3, we will be in Nashville to present to a missions committee at a church that may be interested in becoming our sponsoring congregation. May 5-8, we will be in L.A. to attend the Pepperdine Lectureships. Our team will be teaching a class about the work in Angola as well as hosting an informational breakfast. May 9, we will be in Abilene to attend my brother's graduation ceremony at ACU. The boys and I will be back in Detroit by May 13. Rusty is staying in Texas an extra week to attend a church planting conference with our team in Dallas.
The blog will be on hiatus for a couple of weeks. However, I promise lots of pictures and updates after we return. We look forward to seeing many of you during our travels these next two weeks!
We are traveling for a combination of personal and Angola-related reasons. May 1-2, we will be in Memphis for Rusty's graduation ceremony. On May 3, we will be in Nashville to present to a missions committee at a church that may be interested in becoming our sponsoring congregation. May 5-8, we will be in L.A. to attend the Pepperdine Lectureships. Our team will be teaching a class about the work in Angola as well as hosting an informational breakfast. May 9, we will be in Abilene to attend my brother's graduation ceremony at ACU. The boys and I will be back in Detroit by May 13. Rusty is staying in Texas an extra week to attend a church planting conference with our team in Dallas.
The blog will be on hiatus for a couple of weeks. However, I promise lots of pictures and updates after we return. We look forward to seeing many of you during our travels these next two weeks!
Friday, April 24, 2009
Easter, 2009
Our Easter this year was pretty low-key. The main reason for that being that I had given birth just six days prior. I did help Alex dye some Easter eggs on Saturday. He did it mostly by himself, and he liked turning the eggs different colors, but he quickly lost interest when it came to decorating them with stickers. My mom says I need a daughter to do craft projects with. Well, maybe next time!
On Sunday, we all went to church, Stephen for the first time. He was six days old. Everyone was surprised to see me there, and to be honest, I probably would not have gone had it not been Easter Sunday. The most special part of the service for me was that my dad was able to pray over Stephen. It's something he does for every new baby on their first Sunday at church. I don't think any of us expected that someday he would be able to do this for one of his grandkids. It will always be a precious memory of the events surrounding Stephen's arrival.
After the service, there was an Easter egg hunt for all the kids, and Alex had a great time with that. Then it was home for a yummy Easter lunch -- Mom's awesome chicken tetrazzini and homemade pies for dessert.
After the service, there was an Easter egg hunt for all the kids, and Alex had a great time with that. Then it was home for a yummy Easter lunch -- Mom's awesome chicken tetrazzini and homemade pies for dessert.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Family of Four
Here's the first picture we have of our family of four. My dad took this picture of us in the hospital on the day Stephen was born.Things continue to go well. My recovery has been quicker this time than the last time (maybe that has to do with the fact that I had a quicker and easier labor and delivery). In fact, the thing that is bothering me most right now is my back. Pregnancy really messes with your posture! Stephen is also doing well and (so far) appears to be a pretty laid back baby. We took him to the doctor today to have him evaluated for jaundice. His levels are pretty high, so the doctor said if they go any higher, he will have to go under the lights. We will go back on Monday to have him checked out again.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Pictures of Stephen
About 4 hours old -- being weighed and measured
Getting his first bath -- he wasn't too happy about it!
Nyanya and Babu and their two grandsons
The L&D nurse who actually delivered Stephen
The other L&D nurse who was in the room when Stephen was born.Both of the nurses were absolutely amazing and really kept their cool during the quick delivery! They told me later that I hold the record for the fastest delivery (so far) at this hospital. It's only been open a couple of weeks -- still, it would probably be difficult to break my record. They said I checked in at the front at 9:04, and Stephen was born at 9:12. I'm just glad they decided to bypass triage and took me straight to my room. I still find it hard to believe that my first labor lasted nearly 64 hours, and this one was only 4. I guess I am trying to set a record either way!
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