Visiting Family and More Softball

This weekend Jeromy and I traveled to Dayton for a visit with his family. We had a great time of playing games, swimming, and just plain visiting.

On the way home we stopped off in Lima so Jeromy could go to an orientation at St Rita's Hospital. He is picking up moonlighting shifts at Putnam County Hospital and this was the last step to do just that. While he did that, I sat in the lobby reading. I like to read, but the lobby was freezing and after a while it does get a little boring.

Once we finally made it home, we decided to rest up for our final softball game of the regular season. We played Northwood Church of God, which was nice because we always have fun playing them. We won our game and ended the regular season in second place. We moved up from 3rd place because the last two games we played were forfeited by the other team. It was discovered that they had played a couple players who were not on their roster (after being told a month ago that they could play if they signed the team roster). I think this is sad because what was supposed to be a fun time with other Christian was turned into something ugly and competitive. The league is not supposed to be like that. If they stay in the league next year, I hope there are no issues.

I almost forgot (I don't know how)...I was injured last night. As I went to get a ball flying through the outfield I overshot it and it hit my arm instead of my mitt. I have a nice ball shaped bruise on my left forearm. It is also a little swollen. Then, a couple of innings later I tried to stop a grounder with my leg. I had a huge bruise on my left shin. Even though by this time I was in considerable pain, I had no choice but to continue playing. We need to have three girls on the field at all times and we had no subs. Last night when I finally got home, Jeromy babied me a little bit with getting me some Motrin and a ice pack. This morning both injuries feel much better.

Another BIG Decision

I have held off writing about another BIG decision that Jeromy and I recently made until we had talked to a couple of people. We have decided to change churches and attended Bethel United Brethren in Elmore. This was a tough decision. We like our current church a lot and will definitely miss seeing some people on a daily basis.

A lot of you who know us are probably asking why, so I will tell you. For the last six to nine months I have not felt as if I was serving the way God was asking me to serve. However, I also did not feel like what He was asking could take place where I was at. Then, before Easter, Jeromy and I ran into Pastor Norm (my youth pastor when I was in middle school and early high school)and found out he was a pastor at a church in Elmore. Later that same day, my mom and I ran into Pastor Norm and his wife Cindy again. During our conversation, I mentioned that I felt called to work within children's ministry. Pastor Norm became excited because they needed someone at his church to revamp their children's ministry. Nothing happened with this until late June when Cindy called to see if we could all get together. We were unable to get together until early July. Everything has moved so quickly since then. I have been praying constantly and talking to Jeromy and finally I gave in to God and decided this is what he would have me to do.

We do not plan on leaving ONC totally. We will definitely be attending our small group still and we will probably attend on random Sundays when we don't get up early enough for the drive to Bethel (20 minutes).

I'm excited about the work God will have me do, but I am also scared. I'm also sad about the people that I will no longer see on a weekly basis. However, I trust this is what the Lord would have us to do and I trust Him.

Softball Loss

Yes, we lost again to Heritage. No excuses, they just outplayed us. At least we had fun! (Well, at least I did)

Another Loss in Softball

Tonight at softball we played a team we have yet to play, Heritage Christian. They are new to the league and so we did not know what to expect. Unfortunately, we lost by one run. It was a good game. We made a few errors and the umpire made some bad calls and in the end we lost. But, we had fun and that is all that matters!

Preparing for the Baby

Even though we have not began to fill out paperwork for the adoption (we found out we probably won't be able to do anything with that until after the meeting on September 11), Jeromy and I feel it is prudent to begin preparing for the baby. This is mainly because we have no way of knowing when we will be matched. So, this week I took the first step in preparing.

On Wednesday, my mom and I began by cleaning out the spare bedroom that is upstairs that will soon be a nursery. I also began working on the curtains for the room (these may be changed when we finish the nursery). Then, today, we began painting the room with Kilz. This is a type of primer which covers dark paint on the wall to make it easier to paint later. The problem is the current paint color is horrible (we did not paint it this way, it was like this to begin with). Here are pictures to show you what the room looked like this morning (the white stripes on the wall was where wallpaper was that mom took down on Wednesday).
























Here are some pictures of us painting the room. Believe me, it was an experience.




Alex and Elena (my niece and nephew) "helped" for a little while.




This is my sister Kelly helping out with the painting. My mom and sister Laura helped as well but my camera died before I could get a picture of them helping. Last but not least, here is a picture of me painting (yes, I helped as well).





Here is a picture to show you the final product.




The next step will be to decide what colors we want to paint the nursery. I will keep you updated on what we decide.

Softball Update and Other Stuff

Today, has been a very busy (and painful) day for me. As I mentioned yesterday, we all headed off to Soak City this morning. It was a lot of fun (mainly because I was able to spend time with Jeromy). However, shortly after arriving I managed to tear off part of one of my toenails. My toe is very sensitive and did not do well in softball cleats.

Jeromy and I left Soak City at about 3:00 so he could get a little nap and we had to be back for the softball game. We played St. Peter's and won a very close game. They were actually winning for most of the game. We came back the last two innings and won (I hit the game winning run (Jeromy) in with my best hit of the year). Unfortunately, we had an injury. Danielle, who plays first base, got hurt at the bottom of the third. We were missing a lot of players and this caused a lot of confusion while we figured out what to do. Obviously, it all worked out in the end. But, keep Danielle in your prayers. She really hurt her back.

After the game we had to rush home because Jeromy had to be at work by nine. After he left for work, I decided to injure myself again. Not really. I decided to grill a hamburger for dinner. While doing this, I got distracted and burnt my left hand. My pointer finger has a nice 2nd degree burn and the rest are suffering from a 1st degree. So, it has not been easy typing this.

Eventful day, a lot of pain, but a lot more fun!

Hot! Hot! Hot!

It is over 90 degrees today! It is very hot! We have spent the afternoon in our pool relaxing. It has helped considerably! Tomorrow we are going to Soak City (a water park in Sandusky, a part of Cedar Point). Jeromy and I are going with my mom, sisters (Kelly and Laura) and our niece and nephew, Alex and Elena. It should be a good time. Jeromy and I have to drive separate because we have a softball game tomorrow night at 6:30. I'm glad we are playing, but it will be hot and unpleasant. Oh well, afterwards I'll come home and get in the pool.

By the way, please keep my friends Tracy and Rhonda and their girls (Bethany, Kailey, Meke and Neti) in your prayers. Tracy, Rhonda, Bethany, and Kailey are currently in Ethiopia picking up Meke and Neti. If you are interested, you can check out their blog here.
I am soooo excited for them!!!!

Rockin' at Freedom Fest

I love the summer!

Yesterday, Jeromy was working a 24 hour shift on life flight (the helicopter that services his hospital and many others in the area. They are the ones who respond to accidents. I'm so proud of him!) and I was faced with a long day by myself. Michelle saved me from that by calling to see if I wanted to do lunch (technically we had kind of planned this the night before) and we went out for some chicken wings at B-dubs.

Then, she had the great idea of going to Freedom Fest which was being held on the other side of town at the Cathedral of Praise. The Christian rock band Pillar was playing that night and it sounded like a good time. We first went shopping (of course) at Levi's Commons and then headed to the festival. We ran into friends from church and hung out with them while listening to the opening bands and simply enjoying the beautiful weather.

After the concert, we were able to enjoy a great fireworks display! All in all it was a great evening spent with friends having a good time. That is why I love the summer!

What are Men Thinking?

Okay, if anyone can answer that question you will win a prize. My friend has been dating this guy for three or four months. They have talked about marriage and plans have been made that extend into September (some which require tickets that have been purchased). On Tuesday, they made plans for the rest of the week and discussed some of the aforementioned future plans. Then, on Wednesday, he called (from work) to tell her that it just wasn't working out! Can you believe it? She was in shock! Actually, everyone she has told this to has been in shock as well. This decision of his seems to be coming out of left field.

Honestly, I think he is a HUGE JERK! I am very upset about this! I have known him for some time, not well, but I never would have expected this out of him. I have offered to go beat him up (I know I can take him). Anyways, I don't understand how someone could act one way one second and another way the next second (my friend's aunt suggested a brain tumor). If I am as confused at this, I can not imagine what my friend is going through. However, I know my confusion and shock has turned to anger. If I ever see him again, he will be receiving an earful!

Yet Another Update on Softball

I'm not really sure when I last blogged about our softball team. Currently, we are tied in first place with two other teams - Heritage and New Heights. Each of us have lost one game within our bracket. We lost a game last week to New Heights. We beat New Heights once and New Heights beat Heritage this week. We have yet to play Heritage. We have two back to back weeks where we will be playing them at the end of July. No matter what happens, at least we will have fun!

This week we played Grace Community. It was a sad game even though we won. We only played four innings because of time. Our bats were hot and we had scored 18 runs in the first two innings alone. Grace was having difficulty in their fielding and in their batting. I feel bad for the other team during games like these. This is mainly because our team went through seasons like that. One year we lost every game in regular season and came back to win the tournament. It's not fun to lose every game and is very frustrating. I hope their luck changes and we head into the final games of the season.

We Have Made a Decision!

I know it's amazing, but we have finally decided on the agency that we will go through for our adoption. We have decided to go with a local agency - Catholic Charities Diocese of Toledo. I know we are not Catholic, but you don't need to be to work with this agency. However, you do need to be a regular attender of your own church and have a pastoral referral.

Why did we choose to go with Catholic Charities? Well, as many of you know, I have been researching agencies for the last few months. I have also been doing some intensive praying on the subject. During this time I was continually drawn back to the Catholic Diocese. Then, Jeromy and I went and met with John and Amy. We met them through one of the Attendings at Jeromy's work. Jeromy had been talking about how we were going to adopt and Dave mentioned that he had friends who had adopted two newborns. He hooked us up and I'm glad that he did. John and Amy went through Catholic Charities for both of their adoptions and had a great experience both times.

I am so excited! We have already begun the process by signing up for the mandatory classes and we filled out the pre-application form. Jeromy would probably also point out that we have written our first checks. This is going to be such an exciting process, but it will also be nerve-wracking. Please keep us in our prayers as we proceed through this process.

Sad...but True

I actually took this video from a friend's blog. It really moved me. Teenagers do not always realize how well they have it here in the United States (and in Australia, in the case of the video). Of course, neither do adults.

My friends (whose blog I took this from) are adopting two beautiful girls from Ethiopia. Actually, they are leaving in in about two weeks to bring them home. With this upcoming addition to their family I have really been thinking about the culture shock they are going to experience when they arrive in the U.S. But, as I think of about this, I realize it is because of all the excess we have. They are leaving a country where people are dying because of lack of food, clean water, and medical supplies and we throw away all of these resources every day. Think of all the food we waste and these little girls are currently living in an orphanage where they only receive one meal a day. I think this is why this video touched me so much.

This is an ad for the "40 Hour Famine" held in Australia. We do the "30 Hour Famine" here in the US. I'm not sure why Australia does 10 more hours. This is an event that is connected to World Vision which raises money to feed people who are starving around the world. Our church has participated in this event the last couple of years (I was unable to attend this year because we were out of town visiting family).

I hope this video touches you like it did me. It can be funny, but in truth I found it sad.

Frustration!

I don't want to get into detail, but I have to vent somewhere and since this is my journaling spot...

I am finding frustration in how God wants me to serve. Through prayer God repeatedly lays on my heart how He would like me to serve within His kingdom. However, I do not feel that where I am currently will allow me to do what He is asking of me. He also seems to be adamant on what He wants me to do.

So, I am left with a quandary. I have an option which would allow me to serve the way God is asking me to serve and it is sounds really exciting to me. However, there is a part of me that is scared to take that step (even though I feel that is the way that God is leading me). It is also scary because there are others who are waiting for me to make this decision because they may make a similar move based on my decision. I don't want to make the wrong decision.

I am praying about this, but I feel that my view is slanted because of my frustration on not being able to use the gifts God has given me. So, I have asked Jeromy to pray just as hard about God's guidance so that we make the correct decision (not just one that will make me happy), the decision God would have us to make.

Job, Riverdance, and Camping

Well, where should I start? The teacher's union had a contract ratification meeting on Wednesday afternoon. I went, of course. I did not want the vote to fail by one. I have not heard the official count, but it was ratified which means that I am 99% sure that I have a job next year. I don't want to become too confident until the school year has begun. Afterwards, Michelle had practice at church for an upcoming concert with Tim and Katie and then she took me out to dinner to celebrate. We went to El Camino Real (a great Mexican restaurant, if you haven't tried it). We had a good time of talking and laughing.

Yesterday was my first day of summer break. My sister Laura dropped off our niece Elena at my house on her way to work. I read her some books (about Ariel and Belle, of course) and we went outside for a little bit. We then went to visit Grandma at work because Aunt Julie wasn't ready to leave yet (we were going to Kelly's house for lunch to drop off Elena and then Julie needed to catch a bus for Cleveland). We finally arrived at Kelly's and enjoyed pizza. Julie managed to get to her bus on time and then I headed home.

Then, last night, Michelle and I went out to dinner at Red Lobster (I haven't been there in forever. I love seafood!) and then we went to the theater to watch Riverdance. I have always wanted to see Riverdance. If you haven't seen it, it is a beautiful performance that includes Irish dancing, ballet, flamenco dancing, tap dancing, singing (in both English and Gaelic), and a band playing Celtic music. Jeromy was working, but that is okay, I don't think he would have enjoyed it. Michelle and I went to Stomp about a month ago and I think that would have been more up Jeromy's alley.

This weekend we are planning to go camping out at Maumee Bay State Park. We had been planning on going out tonight, but it is supposed to storm so we may not go out until tomorrow. For those of you who are not familiar with Maumee Bay, it is a beautiful park right on Lake Erie. It is not very far from our home (less than 10 minutes), so we can head out at any time. It also makes it convenient for Sunday since I have to work with the kids during first service at church. We plan on camping until Monday afternoon, afterwards we have a softball game (which I think the guys are getting antsy. Our last game was rained out, so it has been two weeks since we played last).

Oh, I almost forgot we are also going to a Toledo Mud Hens game on Sunday evening with a group from our church. We really do have a busy weekend ahead of us. Hopefully, I will be able to relax next week and get some work done around the house.

Great News!

No one is going to believe this, but I have a job! Today, during the first exam of the day, two men who are high up in the union came to see me. It seems that the school district is going with a new medical insurance company. Because of this switch, the district is saving enough money to save all the jobs they had previously cut. This means I will be happily teaching English at Clay High School next Fall. Of course, this is not official until the board approves the decision (which they said they would) and the union members ratify the new contract. Once all that is official, I will be able to rest easy!

I am so excited! God is So Great!!!!! The first thing I did when I found out was pray and thank Him for all He has done! I know someone (and some of you know who I'm talking about and are probably chuckling right now) who would say that I am giving God too much credit. I don't believe that is possible. You could never give God too much credit because we could never comprehend all that He does for us!