Visiting Family

I went down to Indiana this weekend to see my sister star in her high school play. She had a lead as Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls. Way to go, Emily! :) While there, we got some pictures of Luke with his Aunt Emily and his Grandma and Grandpa. I'm about 29 weeks now. Woo hoo!

His Name Is....

This is the latest ultrasound (sorry about the lousy color) of our son. It's a profile shot and he's sucking his thumb. :) I checked with Jonathan and he was okay with "officially announcing" his name. haha Although we haven't completely decided on the middle name, we are planning to name him Luke.

Nursery

Jonathan got the nursery painted! Isn't it so cute?? (I'm freaking huge, I know.)

Our New Purchases

We're very excited about our new purchases! Jonathan and I were having an issue with what to do about a car seat and stroller. Jonathan's sister gave us her old car seat/stroller combo but told us the car seat was outdated and she recommended getting a new one. Then his other sister offered to give us their newer stroller but they're keeping the car seat (for their new baby due in June). So we were going to register for a car seat, but weren't sure if we could find one that would be compatible with either stroller. We were out with his sister's family and they suggested going to Sears so they could show us what kind of car seat would work with their stroller. While there, we found a stroller/car seat combo that was on clearance! Plus, Jonathan signed up for a Sears card and got an extra $15 off. Jonathan's parents had given us some money to use for the baby and we had just enough left to cover the stroller and car seat! We were so excited! (Okay, maybe excited is a bit too strong of a word for Jonathan, but I was excited at least!)

Our other purchase was a couch, which we desperately needed. People came over to visit us and we never had enough seating! Plus Jonathan and I could never sit together and cuddle to watch tv (it's hard to cuddle in a papasan when one of you is seven months pregnant!). We found the couch at a store in Grand Rapids that sells gently used furniture. It's practically a brand new couch and we got it for just $200! Jonathan was actually excited about this purchase! :)

I Survived!

Well, I had my glucose screening test last Friday and I made it through with no problems! A big thank you to those who recommended the orange flavor over the cola. It tasted like flat orange pop...not too bad but by the end of the glass I was glad it was gone! I'll try to get the latest ultrasound picture on here by the end of the week. It's so cute--he's sucking his thumb! :)

Update on Baby

I had another doctor's appointment this morning. All is well with baby and me. We do have a name picked out that we've been calling him, so I suppose I could just start calling him that on here, but I'd better check with Jonathan first. He's afraid of commitment when it comes to this poor kid's name. :) Anyway, his heartbeat was 138, which is great. I have to get my glucose screening in a week or so. My doctor said he wants to see me in four weeks, and then after that appointment it will go to every two weeks! How exciting!! I am still feeling pretty good, although I am starting to understand what pregnant women always meant when they said they were "uncomfortable". I feel like I weigh 500 pounds and switching sleeping positions is next to impossible. And I'm only at the start of my third trimester! Jonathan keeps reminding me it will only get worse before it gets better. Thanks, hon. Such great support. ;)

Nothing Too New

It's been a couple weeks since our last post, so I thought we'd update it. Only, there's not much to update you on! Jonathan did get the nursery painted yesterday and it is so stinkin' adorable I almost can't stand it. :) It makes it seem that much more real that this little boy really is coming...and soon! I go back to the doctor next week on Wednesday, so we'll see how things go then. I think I have to take the glucose screening test soon. I've heard it's awful from everyone except my sister-in-law. Get this, her doctor lets her eat 18 jelly beans before she comes in for the test instead of drinking that stuff. She's done this with all three pregnancies! Now, has anyone else heard of this?! I want to know if I can get that hook-up.

Jonathan and I are both working. I've been subbing quite a bit (four days last week!). I enjoy it, though it is tiring after four days straight! The kids make fun of me for my Indiana accent. Apparently, I say certain things wierd. I think they don't know how to say things right in Michigan. I want to take a poll. How do you say the word "crayon"? This is the toughest word for me to say (and I use it a LOT when subbing for kindergarten!). They say it "cran" but I say it more like "crown". I had a kindergartener seriously look at me like I was crazy after I told her to pick up her crayons and she sneered and went, "Did you just say crown?!". It was kind of funny actually. So, wow, this update turned out to be longer than I thought. So, let us know what you think: what is the appropriate pronounciation of crayon? :)

IT'S A BOY!!!

Thanks for your patience...I know it took a while to get the post up. Yes, it's true, we are having a boy and Jonathan is SO excited! :) Though we weren't given a percentage by the ultrasound technician, she did point out his, um, boy parts and they were all clear enough for even Jonathan and I to tell what they were. haha It's so much fun now being able to refer to our baby as a "he" and not an "it". We think we have a name picked out, but Jonathan doesn't want to commit yet, just in case he comes up with another great idea (like Arson--ha!). We got to meet my parents on Saturday and share the news with them. They were thrilled, though not all that surprised--my mom has said from the beginning she thought it was a boy. Jonathan is very proud that the Athearn name will carry on. He has done something his brother can't (or at least hasn't yet): produced a boy! ;) Needless to say, we are absolutely thrilled and cannot wait for his arrival. He has been kicking harder and more often lately and Jonathan was able to feel him kick for the first time on Saturday, which was awesome. It's so wierd to see my stomach twitch and move when he kicks! I forgot to mention in the previous post that the technician said she measured me a bit further along than my doctor, so she gave us a range on my due date from July 3-8. So, he may be here sooner than we thought!

Another Ultrasound

I went to the doctor this past Wednesday and everything looks great with baby and I. I really put on the pounds this past month, though. I can't fit into any of my old clothes anymore and my appetite is insane! Jonathan's upset about this part of the pregnancy because instead of getting all of his meal and part of mine, now he's lucky if I don't eat part of his! :) I was scheduled for another ultrasound and luckily didn't have to wait long--we went Thursday night! It was SOOOO amazing--the baby has grown so much! It was cool to be able to see the baby move on the screen and feel it at the same time. Everything looked good on the ultrasound, too. Our baby even had its fingers in its mouth...too cute!! For those of you who are wondering, YES WE DO KNOW WHAT IT IS!!!! We found out, but will have to wait to post it. We're meeting my parents tomorrow to tell them in person. So, until then...
p.s. Thanks SO much for all the great baby advice...it's been very helpful! :)

Looking for Advice

We're probably going to be registering for the baby here in the next month or so. We've been out looking at various things at different stores and one thing is for certain: we have no idea what we're doing! It's kind of overwhelming, trying to figure out what things are a must, what things we can do without, what brands are good, what things you can skimp on and what things you have to go with top-of-the-line on. So, we're asking for help! If you have any advice about baby stuff, let us know. We'd really appreciate it!! :)

Picture Time!

We went to Indiana this weekend to visit my family, so you know what that means...access to a computer where we can actually post pictures! We hope you enjoy our mass picture update. :)

21 weeks

I'm starting to feel pregnant!

Baby Athearn

This is our ultrasound from a while ago. I was only 15 1/2 weeks, so our child looks a little alienish. Oh well! :) We should be going back for another ultrasound in the next few weeks. Hopefully it will look more like a baby then and we can tell whether this is a boy or a girl!

Just Chillin'

Well, Peyton certainly is loving her new home. Whenever she gets quiet and I don't see her around, chances are I can find her here. She loves to sit on the stairs and look out the windows by the door. She can see other people's backyards and bark at their dogs from there. It's one of her favorite places to take a nap, too!

The Nursery (So Far)

Thanks to my gracious sister-in-law, Michelle, we already have some major parts of our nursery! (i.e. the crib, changing table, a stroller, etc.) We also happened to find the perfect bedding last weekend--and it was 50% off, too! We're planning to paint the nursery purple if it's a girl and green if it's a boy.

Home Sweet Home

Since we are now pretty much "officially" moved in, I thought I'd post some pictures of our house now that our stuff is there. :)

Three Month Pic

Getting Kicked Never Felt Like This Before!

I am currently 19 (almost 20) weeks along and right around the beginning of this week I started feeling these strange sensations. Not wanting to get my hopes up, I chalked it up to some gastrointestinal action. However, it has been happening numerous times per day every day since then! I can only guess that I am getting kicked by my very active child! :) My sister-in-law told me I'm probably past the stage where it feels like butterflies and am on to the definite kicking stage. I would have to agree with her! It is such a cool feeling, though.

Jonathan and I had a good Valentine's Day yesterday. It turned out better than expected. Wednesdays are always hectic because Jonathan goes straight from work to the church where we help with Awana. I was planning on a late, fast meal (of Hamburger Helper or something delicious like that) around 8:15 when we finally got home. But, fortunately, school was canceled yesterday which meant no Awana! So Jonathan actually got home at 6:00 (one to two hours earlier than most nights) and I fixed us a nice, candlelit dinner. Very romantic! I tried to make him a homemade chocolate cake with homemade frosting. Lets just say I am not a baker. I have tried this before and somehow forget that I CANNOT make it work! Oh well. Jonathan was sweet enough to tell me it wasn't that bad (I was ready to throw it in the trash!). I am really looking forward to tomorrow evening when we will go out to celebrate V-day. My husband actually planned an evening for us all on his own. We are going to the restaurant of my choice (still to be determined) and then he is taking me to the Grand Rapids Symphony!! Yes, I know, I could not believe it either. I have the best husband in the world...

SUPER BOWL CHAMPS!!!!!!!

So I know I'm a few days late in this post, but I've been snowed in (west Michigan's got it's worst blizzard in a while!). But, I am SOOOOO stinkin' excited! The Colts actually won the Super Bowl!!!!! Thank you to all those who made comments supporting my Colts. And for the anonymous Bears fan who left the "Go Bears" comment, I am truly sorry for your loss. hahaha :) Jonathan and I couldn't make it to our Super Bowl party because of the blizzard, so we spent it with his mom. It was still fun! (Though I did have to control myself more in front of his mom--I don't think she's seen my true side that comes out when the Colts play!).

Congrats to our friends Chris and Chris on the birth of their first daughter, Linnea. It makes us that much more anxious for our little one to get here! I went to the doctor yesterday for the routine check-up and everything is great! My doctor said I'd get another ultrasound in another month or so and hopefully at that time we'll be able to find out what it is! I think that's all the updates for now...

GO COLTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

COLTS WIN!!!!!!

The Colts are going to the Super Bowl, baby!! After countless seasons of exciting regular games that led to disappointing postseasons, they finally did it. And against their nemesis, too. Darn those Patriots for always ruining our postseason...until now! I was so ecstatic last night I nearly cried. Then again, that could just be all those pregnancy hormones...I'm a lot more emotional lately! :) All I can say is, GO COLTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's about time!!

It's A....

baby! haha So we had the ultrasound Thursday evening and it went great. The technician mentioned that it was a little early to be doing one and that everything on the baby was so tiny she was having a hard time finding things. :) I asked her why I was sent in so early for one and she mentioned that my doctor may not have been sure about my exact due date and wanted to check and make sure it was right. Turns out, it is. I'm still due July 8. She was able to measure most everything, except the heart valves. I asked her if I would get another ultrasound and she said it was likely. That would be cool! Jonathan was bummed because she, of course, couldn't tell what the sex was. She said it's pretty hard to tell before 20 weeks. We did get some pictures, though, which was really cool. We got a good one of the baby's head with the hands up by the face. It looks very much like an alien at this point, but that's okay! :) We also got a picture of the little tiny feet--too cute! Overall, everything looks great at this point. I hope we get to go back for another one...she said our baby would look a lot different at 20 weeks than it does now! The heart rate was 150...up from the 140 it was at my last doctor's appointment. And the technician made the same comment my doctor did--we have a very active baby! It was moving around a lot and making it difficult for her to do her job. :) I guess this child will fit right in with Jonathan's family: go, go, go and don't stop except to do something else. (I swear they don't know the meaning of relaxation!)

Ultrasound

So, my doctor informed me the other day that I would be having an ultrasound soon. Turns out, it's tomorrow evening! It seems super early compared to what I've heard and read, but oh well. I'll be just shy of 16 weeks. Everyone wants to know if we're going to find out what the baby's sex is and the answer is...I DON'T KNOW!!! I can't decide!! Jonathan says that he absolutely 100% is finding out, so I'm guessing that we will if he has his way. :) Although, my sister-in-law just had her ultrasound and their baby was curled up into a ball so they couldn't even tell. Maybe I'll get that lucky and then I won't have to make the decision! haha

Mommy Update

I went back to the eye doctor this morning. He did a field vision test for my peripheral vision and checked my pressure again. My pressure was in the "high normal" range and my vision test results were (and I quote), "super duper, kiddo, and baby likes them too!". My eye doctor is this really sweet old guy--too funny! He told me he had no concerns at all and to have a great pregnancy. It was quite a relief! God is good!

My sister-in-law told me that when the baby moves, it feels kind of like butterflies in your stomach early on. Well, I had some butterflies last night, so I don't know if it was the baby or not but it was pretty cool!! :)

Also, Jonathan and I finally got new cell numbers, so if you didn't get a email with our new numbers and address and you want one, give me your email address and we'll send it to you.

Baby Update

I went to the doctor yesterday and Jonathan was actually able to come this time. It was a pretty quick visit with the usual--blood pressure, weight, pee in a cup, etc. I haven't gained much weight yet (not even five pounds) but the doc said that was fine. He pulled out the dopplar again and we got to hear the heartbeat! :) He found it right away and said the baby was really moving around and kicking (which I can't feel yet, but it's only a matter of time). The baby's heart beat was about 140. I'm not sure what the theory is about that--I've heard both ways that 140 could mean boy or girl, so who knows. My mom has thought it is a boy from the beginning...we'll see! Everything with the baby is fine and I'm feeling great, so we're pretty happy. Jonathan later told me that it was "really cool" to hear the baby's heartbeat. Trust me, that's pretty big for Jonathan. It's about as emotional as he gets! :) I'm almost 15 weeks and go back February 6th. Maybe I'll feel the baby by then 'cause that would be really awesome. We finally took a picture of my tummy. I don't know how long it will be before I can get it on here, though. The library won't let me post pics, so I have to wait until I'm at someone's house where I can do it. Hopefully soon, though!

What a Crazy Week!

Wow! Talk about a crazy and hectic past week or so. We had a great Christmas in Indiana with my family and even got to visit our good friends the Mowats on our way back to Michigan. :) On our way back home, Jonathan and I were talking about what all needed to be done on our new house before we could move in. He called his brother-in-law, Andy, who said he'd be more than willing to help us move some stuff over that night (we were planning to get back to Michigan around 9pm Tuesday evening). Jonathan really wanted to spend the night at our new place, but we have some heavy bedroom furniture and I told him we'd probably have to spend one more night at his parent's and move it all the next day. We also talked about how we'd need a mailbox, since no one has lived there before to receive mail. We were so thankful because Jonathan's family all came over to the house while we were in Indiana to paint our bedroom and clean the carpets. It was such a blessing that we didn't have to spend more time doing that before moving in. Well, as we pull into the driveway of our new house, I see that we have a mailbox already out front! Then, I see that there is a Christmas tree with lights and all in our front window! I nearly cried because I had been so disappointed that I wouldn't get to have a Christmas tree in my new house (we closed on Friday the 22nd right before leaving for Indiana). As we walk into the house, Jonathan's parents and Andy and Katie are all there and we are completely moved in! They had moved everything over the weekend!! My kitchen was nearly all put together, the bedroom was ready, complete with a bed that was ready to sleep in! It was so completely overwhelming! Needless-to-say, we were surprised. :) What a blessing family is! Since then, we've spent the last week trying to get everything else out of boxes and set up. We are loving the new place and even Peyton is finally starting to realize that we are living here for a while!

On another note, I finally went to the eye doctor to get retested for glaucoma. He was so much nicer and more informative than the guy in Illinois! He did some tests and told me that my pressure was normal. He wants me to come back, though, to do another test and recheck my pressure in the morning, when it tends to be the highest. He told me not to panic, so I'm trying to stay calm. I go back on the 15th. My next baby appointment is next Tuesday, which I'm excited about. Don't worry, we'll get a picture on here of me, but I really don't have much of a pregnant belly yet. I told Jonathan that people probably look at me and wonder if I'm pregnant or if I've just had one too many donuts! :)

So, thanks for making it through this incredibly long blog. We just had a pretty eventful week!

Remember Us?

We know it's been a while, but we finally got some pictures on here!! We wanted to include a picture of us, just in case anyone forgot what we looked like (Peyton too!). :)

Our New House

Here are some pics of our new place. We move in our stuff in just a couple days!

Lydia Grace

Some pictures of our beautiful niece, Lydia. She's the 10 pounder! :)

We Miss Our Friends from Chi-town

We wanted to make sure to get some pictures of the Bachellers on our blog. We miss you guys!

What's up ya'll?

So yeah, like Amanda was saying, I was sick as a dog last weekend. The aftershock experiences were just as bad as the flu. On my way to work on Wednesday, I 'flaggelated' so bad that my eyes watered up and I had to open my car window. Also, there were a few nights Amanda threatened to kick me out of the bedroom. As much as you all wanted to know this, I have other pressing information to share: we finally closed on our house! We will no longer be living in a basement and have our belongings stored up in a box! Well, have a Merry Christmas.

-Jonathan

Yuck!

That pretty much sums up our week! Jonathan and his parents were all sick over the weekend with various cold/flu/stomach bug symptoms. I guess it's a good thing we didn't close last Friday because no one was healthy enough to move us in! Then, I caught what everyone else had and was so sick on Monday I thought I would seriously die! I threw up for the first time in probably 15 years (hey, if I had to live it, you have to read about it) and had next to nothing to eat that day (and even less of what I ate actually stayed down!). Since Monday I have felt better but still extremely tired and have wanted little to nothing to do with food. I hope this baby is getting enough nutrients! That is seriously the only reason I eat now. If it was up to me, I would eliminate food forever. It is so gross. So anyway, that's how I've felt this week. As far as the house goes, we were supposed to close Tuesday; then on Tuesday they told us it would be Wednesday; then on Wednesday they told us it would be Friday! So now we are scheduled to close tomorrow at 3pm. Obviously, we won't be moving in or anything until the middle of next week. We'll leave for Indiana right after closing. So, all in all, it's been a rough week for us. But hopefully the worst of it is over and we can just enjoy Christmas and look forward to returning to our new home!

A Little Frustrated

So, as you may remember, we were supposed to be closing on our house today and moving in this weekend. Well, our paperwork for the loan did not get completed on time (someone at the bank was slacking on the job) and so now it looks like we won't close until Tuesday afternoon. It's just kind of frustrating because we're heading for Indiana Friday, which gives us very little time to move in and get stuff settled. I doubt if we'll even put up any Christmas decorations, though I can't see myself going without putting up the tree at least! So, if we still have our tree up in March, you'll know why--we didn't get to enjoy it at Christmastime like every else! :) It seems like everyone in Jonathan's family is coming down with some type of stomach flu. I haven't been affected by that yet, though I am stuggling with a bit of a cold. And, of course, the nauseau and disgust with food is still there. Only a couple more weeks of it, hopefully!

The Most Beautiful Sound

Well, I had my 10 week check-up yesterday morning. Jonathan was unable to go (he had a meeting he couldn't miss), which was fine, because I knew it was going to be a long appointment of tests and questions. It was long (two hours) and full of questions, tests, and intrusive exams (to say the least--haha). They took about six vials of blood to test for various things, leaving me just enough blood to get home before collapsing. But the best thing was that my doctor surprised me and said we could try to find the heartbeat! I was so excited but he told me that there was only about a 50% chance he'd be able to find it this early on. After a couple minutes of searching, he told me we probably would just have to wait until next time. And then I heard it. It was the most amazing, awesome, indescribable sound I've ever heard. To actually hear that tiny heart beating reminded me of the true miracle of life. I know, I know, I'm getting a little corny, but deal with it. :) I called Jonathan right away afterwards to tell him (he was like, "That's cool, hon"--such a guy response) and then I called my mom and bawled like a baby! It was truly the most beautiful sound I have ever heard.

And the Award Goes To...

Emily, the aunt-to-be! Okay, so lots of people have been asking me what kind of reaction we got from the family when they found out we were expecting. Well, contrary to what most may believe, my mother did not, in fact, have the greatest reaction (though she did come in at a close second). No, no, the winner of the "Greatest Reaction to Finding Out Jonathan and Amanda are Expecting" goes to my sister, Emily. Her high-pitched screams repeated five or six times, combined with "Oh my gosh!", "Are you serious?!", and "I knew it!" clinched the title for her! I think she was still smiling in her sleep that night. What can I say? She can't wait to be Auntie Em. :)

Sorry No Pictures, BUT...

Yes, I tried to get pictures on here but for various reasons have been unsuccessful so far. However, we did have a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and got to share with them how excited we are for July 8, 2007. :) Yes, it's true! After waiting (and waiting), the Lord has blessed Jonathan and I tremendously with not only a new house but also a new baby! Words cannot express the joy we are feeling right now. I'm currently eight weeks and, other than feeling exhausted and a little nauseaus here and there, have felt amazing! I go back to the doctor in a couple weeks (December 12) for my exam and tests and everything, so pray that all goes well. :)

We're SOOO Excited!!

We bought a house today!!!!! And it's not the one we most recently put a bid on. That one (the one with the fenced yard) we lost to another bidder. The bank told us that someone else had bid on it and we could raise our bid (without knowing what the other one was). We raised it a bit, but not too much and were outbid still by $500. But that's okay, because God (as always) knew what He was doing! Jonathan called the builder of the new house yesterday and we met with him this morning and signed the buy/sell agreement! He gave us an incredible price--I am so proud of my bargaining husband. :) The closing date is set for December 15--right in time for Christmas. We are absolutely thrilled and can't believe it's finally happened! So, everyone start making your plans to visit us in Michigan. haha

Coming Soon...Pictures!

That's right, folks, believe it or not, we will try to get some pictures on here next week! We'll be in Indiana for Thanksgiving and will be able to use a computer that we can actually post pictures with! It's only been since July that we've had any pictures on here. :) In other news, Jonathan and I bid on another house today. We went to look at it last week and are really excited about it. It's in a good school district and has a nice big, fencedin yard for Peyton. Plus, it has lots of room to grow. It's a foreclosure, so the bank owns it now. It's actually in really good condition for a foreclosure. It just needs some touch-up paint jobs and other odds and ends done to it. We got pre-approved for a mortgage loan on Friday. Right after the appointment there, Jonathan got a call from the owners of the brand new house we previously made an offer on! They want us to come meet with them and "renegotiate" the price! Jonathan left it open with them and told them we were making an offer and possibly already had a house we would go with. But, it's so nice to have options and to have them calling us! God is certainly good!! We are very excited to announce the new addition to the Athearn family. Jonathan's brother and his wife had their second little girl yesterday. Lydia Grace came in at 10lb. 11oz. and 22 inches!! (And, yes, it was a C-section!). We got to go see her yesterday in the hospital and she is absolutely precious. I think that's all for now...

Sorry It's Been So Long

Wow, so it's been a while since our last post. It annoys the heck out of me when people don't update their blogs for weeks on end! :) Not much to report, though. I am working on getting my substitute teaching license for Michigan so I can begin subbing. The extra income will help tremendously, even if it isn't much. I also turned my resume and application in to RBC Ministries in Grand Rapids. They are a Christian organization who produce "Our Daily Bread" devotional booklets, among many other things. The position I was applying for was already filled, but they seemed impressed with my resume and will keep it on file for a year. We'll see if anything pans out with that. Still living with the in-laws while we house hunt. Though it can be difficult at times, we certainly can't complain about the free rent! Our main prayer requests right now would be for wisdom in buying a house (of course!) and also for Jonathan's license. He has called nearly every resource in the Grand Rapids area and the cheapest rate he could find was $75/hr or so (and that was their discounted rate). So, we don't know what will happen, but we are trusting that God will provide. He did not bring us this far to desert us now! A huge praise is that our insurance begins on Wednesday! What a relief that will be. We are very excited because niece number three is due in another week! And we found out that Jonathan's sister, Katie, is expecting her third, which will bring the grand total to eight! And to think that when Jonathan and I started dating in 2000, he had just one niece! These Athearns breed like rabbits, I tell you! :)

This is what's up

Hi everyone. This is my first post. It'll be short and sweet. I leave the long, sentimental ones to my better half. Not much is new in Michigan. We're still just trying to get settled in and make our residency official. You would have thought we were illegals by the way the state treated us. I'm starting to think maybe we are...Michigan said they don't have any record that I had a past driver's license in Michigan (those crack-heads). So now we are trying to buy a house. I'm sure Amanda said something about that. Suprisingly, it's harder than one would think. You want the perfect house, ya know. The problem is Amanda's perfect house is way different than mine. I'm thinking of posting possible houses online and letting friends vote on them. Hey, in the mean time I guess we can't beat the rent of living in my folk's basement. That's all for now.
-Jonathan

Road Block

Well, we ran into a slight road block in everything. As many of you know, Jonathan has received his master's degree in clinical psych. He applied for his temporary license for Michigan a while back. There was some confusion then because there were two different licenses he could apply for. The one that he wanted to apply for most, he apparently didn't qualify for (why, we're not sure--but he was denied it). So instead he was issued another kind of temporary license. Under this license, Jonathan will have to be supervised one hour a week for a year by a licensed psychologist (at a doctoral level) before he can receive his full degree (which hopefully will mean more job opportunities and a little more moola!). Where Jonathan is working now, however, there are no psychologists--only master's level social workers. Jonathan wrote a petition to the state of Michigan asking if he could be supervised by a social worker instead, as that is what is offered at his job. He received a call yesterday that he had been denied his request. As it turns out, Jonathan must be supervised by a psychologist. This means, he must hire a psychologist to do this. Basically, it would be like Jonathan was going in for an hour session once a week. And yes, he has to pay just like a client because he is using the psychologist's time. Psychologists generally charge anywhere from $100-200 per hour. So this means that (potentially) for the next 52 weeks we may have to pay that amount every week! To top it off, Jonathan found out that this particular license he is working toward requires him to be supervised by a licensed psychologist for the rest of his career. Basically, he will always have to meet with a psychologist at least once a month for the rest of his life (or at least as long as he practices). He was so discouraged last night, it really was hard to see him like that. We know that God did not bring us this far to leave us. Jonathan is really questioning, though, what God's plan is. If Jonathan were to have a job at a counseling center with psychologists, he could just be supervised there for free. So, we are praying that he can find someone who will be willing to supervise him for a sliding scale fee (or for free!!). Please just keep this in your prayers as it is something that is weighing heavy on our hearts. We still have not made a decision about a house. We have an opportunity to buy a new house for a decent price, but money would be super tight on our budget as it is now. We don't see how we can afford to pay anywhere from $400-800 per month just so Jonathan can be supervised. It doesn't make any sense! We can't figure out how counselors with this license make it! How do you afford to live when you are making next to nothing and paying someone to supervise you?! We're just really frustrated right now and appreciate your prayers. The good news is, Jonathan loves his job so far and we are having a great time being so close to family. I'm sorry all our posts have been so long and wordy lately--we have no access to post any pictures yet. Hopefully soon, though!

Still Searching

Here's a quick update for those of you who like to be updated. :) Jonathan and I are still searching for a house. We've looked at quite a few and I'm ready to start making some offers! But Jonathan wants to check on a couple more before taking the next step. So, I'm trying to be patient with him. ;) He is liking his job so far. His hours are pretty flexible and he gets out early sometimes, which is great! I've been looking for a job half-heartedly. I'm not sure what I want to do. I'm not getting bored yet, what with all the babysitting and stuff my in-laws keep me busy with! Last week I learned how to make homemade applesauce. Wow, what a chore! It was worth it, though. I made about 18 jars for myself, so hopefully that lasts me the year (yeah, right). If any of you come visit us in MI, I'll be sure to let you try some. Just so long as you rant and rave about how wonderful it is! Jonathan and I also signed up to help with Awana, which begins tonight. That should be fun. As a side note, we do have a prayer request. Jonathan's cousin, Gabe, is fighting over in Iraq. We received news the other day that he was injured in a bomb and received second and third degree burns on 30% of his body. He has been flown back to Texas where he is recovering. The good news is that he seems to be in good spirits and that he is safe now. He is a couple years younger than Jonathan and has a wife and two small children. Just pray for them, too, during this time. Other than that, things are going pretty good. Our closing went wonderfully in Chicago. We couldn't believe how smoothly it went. God is so good! We feel so much better having that taken care of. It makes it easier to buy a house when we don't have to worry about selling ours first! We're hoping to get a great deal, seeing as how it's a buyer's market right now. Until next time...

So Long ChiTown...

We're selling our condo today!! Sometimes I seriously wondered if this day would ever come. But it has, praise the Lord! Jonathan and I looked at a couple houses in MI yesterday. It was a lot of fun! We'll try to keep this thing updated as much as possible to let you know what's happening with the house hunt. Okay, we need to head out and go to our closing...

Answered Prayers!!

God is so faithful and good. Today Jonathan was offered a job at Arbor Circle in Grand Rapids!! He, of course, accepted their offer and begins Monday, September 11. It is so amazing how fast it came together. Just a few days ago Jonathan found out the lady was out on vacation until after Labor Day and so we assumed that meant we wouldn't hear anything until then. But she actually called Jonathan while on vacation to offer him the position! When he got the call we had just come from the mall where we had picked up a free home catalog with listings in the area. We had no idea when we picked it up that we would be able to use it so soon! We've been highlighting houses and looking online and hope to start house hunting next week. Thanks to all the prayer warriors who have so faithfully prayed for a job for Jonathan. I am so proud of him!

Home Sweet Home in MI

Well, we have successful moved to Michigan! And in true Michigan spirit, we've typed this blog in U of M colors (you're welcome, Jonathan). The move went smoothly last Saturday with only a couple slight hang-ups. (Like when Jonathan missed his exit and everyone else--but me--followed him; and when I got stung by a friggin' bee which hurt like crap, but anyway...) Both our families came to help us with the move and we also had Tom and Susie helping us load the van. Thanks again guys--we really appreciated it! So now we've moved into Mom and Dad A.'s place and are trying to adjust. Jonathan called back the lady from Arbor Circle last Friday only to find out she's on vacation til after Labor Day. We're at the Moline library now and he's applying for more jobs on line. Who knows how long we'll be staying here. Peyton is having a blast with Tigger, Jonathan's parent's dog. She thinks it's great to have a playmate all the time and a huge yard to play in! So, all in all, things are going fine for now. Maybe with all this down time we can get lots of visiting in with family and friends!

T-Minus 9 Days!

Well, we're back from nearly a week in Michigan. We enjoyed relaxing up north with both our families. It was a enjoyable time, although my brother had a rough "vacation". He tipped twice while kayaking down the Sturgeon River and had a horrible bike wreck in Petoskey. Thankfully, he's okay, but I know it wasn't exactly the vacation he had in mind! We were able to go to the U.P. and visit St. Ignus one day in addition to Mackinaw City. All in all, it was a great time. Now that we are back in Illinois, we've got a lot of loose ends to tie up. We are moving to Michigan next Saturday (that's the plan anyway), so we are packing, packing, packing to try and get everything ready in nine days. Jonathan heard back from the job he applied for in Indiana and they have recommended someone else, which means we can move to Michigan now with more certainty. He did finally hear back from Arbor Circle and they informed him that he is still in the running and they are checking his references. We're hoping he could start working in August because that would mean insurance would begin October 1st. Otherwise, if he doesn't start until September, we're looking at November 1st, which just seems so far away! Our closing date has been changed to September 7th now and we had our place appraised this morning. Things are definitely moving!

SOLD...almost

Well, our condo is sold--almost. They could still back out, but we have an official buyer and are starting the process. The couple is coming over tonight to see the place again and to get the contract to take back to their lawyer. Jonathan's been making tons of calls today (we're back in Illinois for a couple days) to figure out what all we need to get done. The closing date is set for September 8 right now. Of course, we may move before then if Jonathan gets a job lined up. He still hasn't heard back from Arbor Circle, but we are trusting that things will work out. It's back up to Michigan later this week to hang out with both our families, which will be so much fun. We're very much looking forward to that! Thanks again for all your prayers. Things are finally starting to piece together!

Quick Update

Jonathan's second interview was this morning at Arbor Circle. He feels it went well, so that's good. We should hear back sometime later this week. In the meantime, we are enjoying some vacation and relaxation in Michigan! :)

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.