Good News!

We had a young couple come look at our condo Tuesday night. By Wednesday, they had made an offer! We counter-offered and are now just waiting to hear back from them. How amazing would it be to finally get our place sold?! Jonathan also got a call back from Arbor Circle today and they want him to come back for a second interview next Tuesday!! Things are finally starting to look up. My last day of work is tomorrow and Jonathan's was supposed to be next Wednesday but that may change to Monday since he has this interview now. So please continue to pray for our place to sell and for this interview coming up. We are very excited about what may happen...

The Wait Continues

Jonathan's interview at Arbor Circle was yesterday in Grand Rapids. He got home safely last night and reported that he felt it went well. Of course, they are just in the beginning stages of the interviewing process. They told him it would be a few weeks before they decided and then he may get a call to come in for another interview. Jonathan knows this isn't his dream job but he does think it will be a good way to get his foot in the door. The benefits look pretty standard and the pay is about what he expected, too. So, I guess we just sit back and wait (and pray!) for a call. We are still waiting to hear back from the guy who came to see our house last week. He still sounds interested, which is good. Only a week and a half of work left for me! Even though we will lose some security when my job ends, I am soooo excited to get out of there! It will be such a relief to be done with this job. Maybe we'll have some time to take a vacation before the summer ends--we have tons of people we need to visit!

Kick Back and Relax

After all that eating and basketball at the reception, we were pretty worn out. What better way to relax than to pop open the bubbly? (Sparkling white grape juice, that is.) Our table consisted of my siblings and crazy cousin John and, needless, to say, we may have had a little too much of that sparkly juice!

Hoosier Hysteria

Jonathan and I headed to the Hoosier state for my cousin's wedding this weekend. The reception was possibly the coolest one I've ever been to (if you are a basketball fan, which I am). The reception was held in the Hoosier Gym in Knightstown, Indiana where the movie "Hoosiers" was filmed. By the way, if you have never seen the movie, it is a classic. We all enjoyed eating popcorn, pizza, hotdogs, and nachoes and also playing a little b-ball on the same floor that was home to the Hickory Huskers. (By the way, the "Go Hickory" sign and the team picture are originals from the movie that are still in the gym.)

Good Times, Great Friends

This past week I've been fortunate enough to get to see two people whom I have not seen in a long while. Last week Jonathan and I met my youth pastor downtown for some good ole Giordano's pizza. Pastor Jim officiated at our wedding and we haven't seen him for a couple years. His family is now in Florida and it just so happened that he and his youth group were in Chicago on a mission trip. It was SO good to see him again. And to think...if we had moved to Michigan already, I would have missed seeing him. Funny how those things work out, huh?














I also was able to see one of my best friends, Elisa, this weekend. She has been teaching English over in China for the past year and she is in the states for a few weeks before heading back there again. Elisa has given me so much insight into this ordeal Jonathan and I are going through. She is a beautiful person and I am so happy that God brought us together as friends. She has truly been a blessing from above.

A Day at the Beach

On our way home from Michigan over the fourth of July weekend, we stopped at a beach in Michigan to climb the dunes and play in the water. It was Peyton's first time to see Lake Michigan! She was a little leery at first about the waves, but she did alright! She loved the sand and was covered in it by the time we left.

Needless to say, after five days of nonstop play and swimming, Peyton was a little tired!

Pictures from the Fourth

We thought we'd share some pictures with you from our time in northern Michigan. We are convinced we have the cutest nieces and nephews around!











Caleb is an avid fisherman!










Jacob and Micah













Emily

Peyton had a blast, too! She loved swimming in the river and even learned how to climb the ladder! (Kind of) She played and played and played with her other dog friends. She and Bullet may have had the most fun together, though.

Interview #2

Yesterday was kind of a busy day. We had one guy come look at our condo and two other people call and ask about it. The guy who came to see it really liked it and told us he'd crunch some numbers and get back to us. We're hoping to hear from him soon. And to top off all the condo calls, Jonathan also got a call for a job interview! It's at Arbor Circle counseling in Grand Rapids this coming Monday. We are both very excited about this and can't wait to see how it pans out. So please keep this interview in your prayers. Who knows what may happen.

25 Years Young

Yes, I turned the big 25 yesterday. My siblings made sure to remind me that I am now halfway to 50 and a quarter of a century. Thanks guys. My wonderful husband took me out to eat and to a movie to celebrate. When Jonathan told our waiter that it was my 25th birthday, he chuckled to himself and said, "You look 18". Now, he may have been trying to get a bigger tip, but it's not the first time I've been told I look much younger than my years. It used to bother me, because I didn't like being a working adult who was told she looked like a high schooler. But now, as I am getting older, I'm starting to realize that this looking a lot younger thing is actually a good thing! Now when I'm 40, I'll still look like I'm in my 20s. I love it!! :) Anyway, back to our evening out. We went to see Nacho Libre at the theater and, man, was it funny. I was in the mood to laugh at something stupid, which is exactly what happened. Jack Black makes that movie, and I spent half the time just cracking up at his outfit and accent. So, we would both recommend it; and the best part is, it's clean! All in all, I had an enjoyable 25th birthday. Jonathan made me a butter cake with my favorite frosting of all time--rainbow chip. Mmmm! As a side note, we do have a guy coming to look at the house tonight, so we'll see how it goes. Until next time...

Jonathan's Interview

Jonathan and I had a great break from work and spent the past five days in Michigan with his family. We were up at his parent's cottage in northern Michigan and had gorgeous weather and a great time. Peyton got to swim and play with the other three dogs and had so much fun! She is completely exhausted, though, and has slept for the past 18 hours or so! It was great to see everyone again and all our nieces and nephews (pictures will be coming soon hopefully!). On our way home, we stopped in Grand Rapids for Jonathan's job interview yesterday morning. The interview went well, but there is no open position at this time (and won't be for about a year or so). I don't understand why an agency would ask Jonathan to come in for an interview when they don't even have a position to offer him, but then again, there's a lot of things I don't understand anymore. The guy basically just told Jonathan that he liked his resume and would pass it along to some friends of his, whatever that means. I have 12 more days of work before my replacement begins, so hopefully something happens soon. Jonathan continues to apply for new jobs and I know he is getting discouraged. Thank you to everyone who is keeping us in their prayers. Words cannot express our appreciation for the love we feel from you guys.