Joanne Heim

To move, or not to move, that's the question

I've mentioned before that we are staying here in Arizona for another year. What was a one year commitment is now two, and we're excited. Yes, we miss Denver (though not the snow they're getting today; we much prefer the pool!), but we feel very much at home here in Gilbert. Thanks to our church and some amazing friends.

One of the questions that's come up is this: Do we stay in this house? Or do we look for a different house to rent?

I have not been a fan of this house. Or, I should say, I wasn't a fan of this house until January, when we brought back more of our stuff. 

LESSON: Even if you're moving for just a short time, take the stuff you love! 

I didn't, and so I didn't feel at home for the first six months we lived here. I just felt like I was staying awhile and waiting for something else. It was awful.

After Christmas, I brought back more of my treasures and we put some attention into the house--a few new pieces of furniture (like a game/work table for the corner that adds some height to the room and big leather chairs for our room) and window (mis)treatments. I started feeling more at home.

I suspect that if we were to bring even more of the stuff that makes our house our home--all those little treasures that don't do much beyond make us happy and feel like we belong (which is really a lot just in and of itself when you stop to think about it)--then we'd feel even more at home in this house.

Things like all my roosters. And Miss Millie, my vintage dress form. And my big dining room table. And some old window frames for the walls. And some vintage aprons for a kitchen window treatment. And some more books. And a few quilts. And the chicken lamp.

  

Moving would mean a bigger (possibly) house with more room for our stuff. But it would also mean moving. And more rent. And more $$ toward the air conditioning bill. And maybe a pool! But then $$ to the pool man. And possibly giving up our neighborhood clubhouse and all of its amenities--which is like a resort and we use it all the time.

I strongly suspect I'm starting to ramble.

And I strongly suspect we'll be staying in this house. And adding to the TO BRING BACK FROM DENVER list that's on a huge posterboard and stapled to the wall in the kitchen. And getting fuller by the day.

Hmm...wonder if the landlady would be up for new carpet? And removing some of the goofy build-ins that limit the amount of furniture we can have in the house? And maybe some better landscaping? And paint? What about paint?

Think it's time for a THINGS TO ASK THE LANDLADY list.

A big announcement (And nope, it's not a baby.)

So I've thought and thought about how to say this, and I'm thinking that the direct approach is best. We've got some news...

We're staying in Arizona for another year!

Remember how God kept pointing out Isaiah 43:18-19 to me last month about making a way in the desert (here and here)? I suspected God was specifically saying we would be staying in Arizona another year. But I sort of doubted it at the same time, wondering if I was reading too much into it. So I didn't really say much. Instead, I asked for more information and determined to wait some more.

All along, we've said that we would obey God and go where he said. Go where? He wasn't saying. It seemed that what was most important was for us to determine that we'd obey no matter where he said to go.

And all along, we've said that be it returning to Denver or staying in Phoenix, we'd be really happy and really sad. We are beyond blessed to feel so at home in two places.

Then last week, we got a phone call from the pastor at church and rushed off to a meeting (I hadn't even had a shower yet--I think I beat a record for showering and getting dressed and getting to a meeting on time) in which he asked us to stay another year and run twoignite again next year.

We said we'd think about it and pray about, but it was pretty clear that it was God. Because here's the thing, wherever we live, we need a job. Pretty important detail.

And so we are staying here. And we are really, really excited. And we are really, really sad. 

Excited to continue to develop some incredible friendships. Excited to stay at this church we love. Excited to be warm. (Yep, it's just about warm enough to hit the pool today.) Excited to know what's happening in July when we really expected not to know until March or even April. 

Sad to be far from family (especially now that my sister is back in Denver and having her third baby in April). Sad to be far from dear friends we love. Sad to not have our stuff and live in the house we love.

But above all? We are grateful. 

We inquired of the Lord and he responded. So much sooner than we'd anticipated. Grateful that there's some level of certainty about our near future. Grateful for the opportunity to continue to work together. 

Grateful that when we ask for direction, for guidance, God gives us. He is good!

It's beginning to look a lot like...any old day of the year

When we moved to Phoenix, we fit everything we brought into a 6 x 6 x 12 U-haul trailer. Most of what we own is still in Denver, packed in boxes, stored in the basement. 

Things like Christmas decorations.

It's hard not to think that if we were in Denver, I'd be sitting in my big comfy chair, having my quiet time by the lights on the Christmas tree I'd have put up yesterday. The house would smell like cinnamon candles and little bits of Christmas cheer would be tucked here and there among my favorite treasures that make a house a home.

Instead, the house looks the same as it has since the day we moved in and the sum total of my Christmas decorations are two latte mugs I bought at Walmart the other day for a grand total of $4. 

Christmas has always been my favorite time of year and I'm feeling unsettled this year. Advent begins tomorrow and I don't have my Advent treasure boxes (scroll through to see all the treasures that go in the boxes), an Advent calendar like this one or these, or even a Christmas tree. 

I do have some books. Which I will begin tomorrow. And maybe I'll include the rest of the family in those devotions that are usually mine alone.

This is just one more piece of this year in the desert. A harder piece than others. But a piece of the whole. And so, somehow, without this piece of it, the picture wouldn't be complete.

I've been thinking a lot about Providence (hello, Esther gals!). And choosing to believe that nothing happens by chance. God has us here in this place at this time for a purpose. To teach us, to grow us, to prepare us, to shape us, to test us, to define us. For his glory and for our good.

Two Ignite "2Play" pool party!

We hosted our pool party on Sunday night and had a blast. The chicken tacos were a hit, and since I over prepared and got ready way to early (it's a sickness...I just can't help it!), I was able to sit and visit with everyone rather than run around like a crazy person. My only task was to whip up another batch of sangria mid-party.

Of course, after I looked at the pictures, I realized that I should have taken more. No picture of the line of food, no pictures of the people who came (though we did takes some video for the Two Ignite ministry site if they want to use it).

(I feel funny about putting pictures of people up on my blog sometimes. I ask first and so in a party situation where I don't know everyone, I just don't. Those of you who blog, how do you handle it?)

Anyway, the deal is that we didn't know everyone who was coming. The church posted a bunch of different "2Play" opportunities (the theme for the month for the Two Ignite marriage ministry) for people to get together and have fun and couples could sign up for whatever they wanted. Everything from wine tasting to motorcycle trips to skydiving to bowling to cards. No excuse not to get involved!

It was a great way to meet some new people--some who even live in our neighborhood. We had all ages, all stages, and it was fun to see people connecting left and right. And it'll be fun to run into people at church and know who they are!

We hosted the party at the clubhouse in our neighborhood, reserving the Queen Palm Patio and its gazebo for the evening. There are small tables all around it, a circular bar in the middle, and fairy lights for when the sun went down. So lovely with candlelight flickering too!

And look! There are mountains here. Little ones, but mountains all the same.

I can't wait to do it again. When it's cooler. With hot cider and cocoa. And a sweater. Someday...

Throw a party and make some friends

Toben and I are hosting a party tonight as part of Two Ignite, the new marriage ministry at our church. The theme for this month is 2play--you can find out more about the ministry and what all the "2 (fill in the blank)" things are all about here.

Our neighborhood has an amazing clubhouse and several pools--and we can rent the facility for free a couple of times a year. So we're hosting a pool party tonight and expecting quite a crowd.

(I do have to say that I struggle with the "play" part of this. It feels like we're really just hanging out. We've not really organized games or anything like that and I'm sort of wondering if we should have. Anyway.)

I'm excited to meet some new people, to hear some marriage stories, to sit under the twinkle lights in the palm trees, and sip some sangria. (I found an alcohol-free recipe here. Not that I'm opposed to alcohol, but with Toben's struggle with alcoholism, we just avoid it. Period. I'll let you know how it turns out. I got a beautiful beverage jar at Costco yesterday and I'm so excited to see how pretty it looks in it!)

I'm serving up some chicken tacos (the chicken is cooking in the crockpot already this morning) and will post recipes and pictures and maybe even some video after the party tonight. But a couple of things are on my mind this morning.

This move has been a good one, mostly because of our church. We didn't have to "church shop"--Toben's being on staff pretty much determined that we'd go to Mission Community Church! But even at that, we made a choice to jump in and get involved. To meet people. To be at church whenever it's open. 

We've invited people over for dinner. Instead of waiting around for people to befriend us, we've tried to reach out to others. Who cares that we're the new ones? We don't have to wait to be asked, we can ask!

Please don't think that I think we're all that. But we've moved quite a bit, and this move has been particularly good and different from the others because we made some specific, determined choices about how we'd settle here. 

All too often, I think we as people expect others to reach out to us, to invite us, to know that we're new, that we need friends. And when (especially in a big church where there are so many new faces) people don't automatically know all that, we give up, get disappointed, and sit around feeling grumpy and even a little bit mad.

We get out of something what we put into it. We have to make some effort, take some chances, get up and get out and reach out if we want to feel at home in a place. 

The cool thing is that we don't have to wait for a new move to start reaching out. Sometimes we've been in a place for a while, but still don't feel quite at home. We can always start over--even in the same old place. And in starting over, we find a whole new place.

Can we play?

It became pretty clear pretty quickly that to fit in with most of the staff at church, we need to learn to play Settlers of Catan. As Toben would say, it's what all the cool kids are playing.

I first played when I went to Seattle for Sarah's wedding. I had no idea what I was doing, but there were enough people around the table and the company was so terrific that I didn't really care that I lost. Badly.

So we invited our friends CJ and Renee and Mike and Patty for dinner last night. (And everyone actually showed up--no crossed wires this week!) CJ and Renee brought their friends JT and Ashley along--they are in the process of moving to Phoenix. And they brought along their baby girl, Azzi, who's only six weeks old. So sweet!

(Toben told me it makes him want another one while we were doing dishes after everyone went home. WHAT?! Don't think that's gonna happen.)

We figured out how to seat 10 people by putting our tables together. It was tight, but it worked great. We could have put the girls in the kitchen at a kids' table, but they wanted to be part of the evening, and who can blame them?

We ate, laughed, drank a gallon of iced tea, polished off a loaf of bread that had just come out of the oven, and had napoleons for dessert. (Recipes and such coming soon!)

Then we gathered around the coffee table to play.

(I have to stop and say that it was Toben's idea for them to bring the game and teach us. My husband who HATES to play games. No cards, no board games, no video games. I was astounded and this proves that even after 18 years of marriage, your spouse can totally surprise you. So keep the hope alive!)

CJ taught us how to play, and then undermined every decision we made. "Are you sure you really want to do that?" See that fiendish look in his eye? He didn't really want to help; he wanted to WIN. (Which he didn't. Shout out to Ashley who won for the first time! We decided we need some sort of a trophy to pass around; I'll have to think about that.)

Poor Mike. He's allergic to cats and forgot to take allergy medicine (oops!) and had to sit next to CJ who yelled at him through the whole game: "Just build something!" And he would have, but kept rolling sevens and losing half his cards.

 

It was so much fun. Something tells me this night will be repeated a lot in the next year. Are you a "Settler"? Is there even a name for people who play this game? Seems like there must be because the people who play, really PLAY. Like all the time.

It was a late night (for us, anyway). But it was worth it to stay up and finish cleaning up the kitchen so I could wake up to order this morning. The girls stayed up late too, so we'll have having our first "one-hour delay" for school today. 

***

Thanks, by the way, for all the homeschool info, encouragement, and wisdom. I'm still way behind on my email--I'll catch up over the weekend.

So here's why we moved to Phoenix

This is what Toben's doing for the next year and why we moved to Phoenix. Go check it out! There's all kinds of information on the website about who's involved, what it's about, and so on. There's a blog for twoignite too. 

The newness is wearing off

Do you know what I mean? You move someplace new or start something new or buy something new and the newness of it all carries you for a while. About three weeks to be exact. 

And then it's been almost four weeks to the day of when you started that new thing, and all the newness is gone and it's just your life.

I'm not complaining. Well, not much anyway. Mostly I'm just realizing that to continue, to live well requires discipline and choice and will--not just riding on the wave of emotion or newness or excitement.

Not fun words, those. But words that crop up all over Scripture, all over the lives of people who make a difference, who live with intention, who really, well, live.

I'm reminding myself this morning that even in the midst of discipline and making choices and setting my will and my mind that there is still newness to be found and savored each day. 

...his compassions never fail. 
 They are new every morning;
 great is your faithfulness. 

Lamentations 3:22-23

Life without television

We've talked about this year in Phoenix as being set apart, a gift, an opportunity to do some things differently in our family. Celebrating biblical holidays, homeschooling, unplugging the television. (More on that here.)

And I mentioned that I'd thought about unplugging the television, but didn't say anything out loud for fear that my family would run for the hills and leave me behind in the dust. When Toben brought it up, I about fell over. 

So here we are--three weeks into life without television. And it's good. Really, really good.

(If you asked the girls about it, they'd complain and moan and tell you it's horrible, awful, terrible, torture. But in the day to day, they don't talk about, don't mention it, don't seem to miss it at all!)

No TV means we could arrange our living room with conversation and people being the focus, not being able to see the television. And the room feels much bigger arranged that way. There's space to sit and talk and even lots of floor space to play.

No TV means our home is quiet. We do have music playing from time to time, but for the most part, it's just quiet. Calm. Peaceful. Restful. Toben comments on it at least once every couple of days. 

No TV means more reading. More games. More playing with the few toys we brought. It means listening to books on tape (we've listened to all the AG Felicity books as well as Harriet the Spy so far and have some new ones from the library in the line-up).  

No TV means that we're all together more, rather than some of us watching one television and others watching something else on another computer. It means finding something to do, rather than flipping it on just because.

Don't feed the wildlife

So if my sad little Indian isn't enough, we have some otters living in the backyard. Otters? In the desert? (Oops--typed "dessert" the first time. Must be hungry!)

These little guys play on the fountain on the patio. Which we have not filled--and probably won't until October. Because I'm sure the water would evaporate as it left the hose.

These last two are over in the corner of the yard under a cactus, wishing they could spash in the make-believe water too. But at least they have some abalone to munch on...

Something tells me these five little rascals will need names too...but they may have to wait until it's actually cool enough to hang out back there and get to know them. For now, we're staying inside where it's cool!

A horse with no name

This is our front door and it totally makes me laugh every time I walk up to it because IT IS SO NOT ME. But he's growing on me in a funny sort of way.

This poor little Indian is so sad and dejected looking. Probably because it's hot here in the desert and a cactus doesn't offer much shade. I think he needs a name. And his pony too. Any suggestions?

Here's a peek at our new home

While we are all unpacked and settled, there are a few projects I'd still like to get done around the house--pillows for the couch, a few curtain panels to hide some things on the shelves, and such. And I am wishing that I brought more of my treasures to scatter around.

Here's the living room:

For a sneak peek at the pictures coming from my sister, look here.

And here's the view from the other direction:

Those are our new IKEA couches, which will fit in our Denver family room when we get back. I'd usually go for a floral print, but I'm loving the black and white stripe. And bought some great fabric at IKEA (I know! They sell fabric too. Could IKEA be any greater?) for throw pillows.

And here's Audrey's room:

And Emma's room, its mirror image:

I did bring some absolute decorating necessities. The kitchen chalkboard for menu plans:

(Look, Meredith! A white fridge/giant dry erase board to mark chores and to-do lists. Thanks for the awesome tip!)

My favorite clippy thing-y. The ability to hang lots of stuff with only two nails:

And since I'm short on decorating stuff, I decided to hang my costume jewelry as art, rather than hiding it away in the closet. So it's decorating a bathroom wall:

No pictures of my bedroom yet, other than a quick peek at my new IKEA dresser. I love red furniture! I do have an idea for above our bed, and will post it if works. I did bring all my old suitcases by packing them full of my clothes and making them work for their ride here:

Couches, dishes, and meatballs

After we arrived on Thursday afternoon, we got up on Friday morning and headed to IKEA. We wandered through the store, filled a cart FULL in the market place, checked out, and loaded the back of the car.

Then we headed back inside for some meatballs and chocolate cake to gear up for round two.

Three flat carts loaded with two couches, four chairs, three dressers, and one coffee table.

See?

As we were waiting in line, the boy in front of me whispered to his mom, "How are they going to fit all that in their car?"

Here's how. We came ready to shop.

(There is a U-Haul place right next door too. Bet they get a lot of last-minute business from IKEA customers whose eyes are bigger than their cars.)

While we waited for Toben to pull the truck and trailer around, the girls and I had a mini photo shoot.

Then we went home and spent the rest of the day putting furniture together. Pictures of that stuff and the rest of the house coming soon...

P.S. Of course we realized all we'd forgotten and went back again on Sunday afternoon. No meatballs on Sunday, though, we did 50 cent hot dogs instead. :)

Well, hello there

I've been without internet since my last post a week ago. The Qwest internet box thing-y (my term, not theirs) finally came last night after seven o'clock and Toben got it set up. When I saw how many email were in my inbox, I promptly shut the lid to my laptop and decided to wait until this morning. 

Besides I was almost at the end of the second Traveling Pants book and I wanted to finish it. (I read The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares while we were at the lake and I was totally surprised and loved it. So I was excited to get the second book in the series at the library yesterday morning.)

So if you've sent me an email or commented on my phone updates on Twitter or Facebook, I'll take a peek at them just as soon as I finish saying good morning here.

I have lots to tell you, posts swirling around in my head, but don't want to overwhelm you (or myself!). 

So for now I'll just tell you that we arrived safely on Thursday afternoon, cleaned the house (can't put my stuff away until I wipe down cupboards and clean bathrooms), had everything unpacked and put away by Saturday morning, and are feeling all settled.

More in a little while,

Joanne

P.S. I missed you!

It's here. Today's the day.

We're up and gathering our things from Mom and Dad's and will head over to the house in a bit to get the animals packed up and the last few things in the car. I'll load the cooler and then we'll hit the road.

Now that it's here, I'm not feeling so excited anymore. I know I'll feel differently once we get on the road, but I hate saying goodbye to my family.

I told Mom this morning that we're going to think of it like going on a long vacation, so we really don't need to cry. But I'm not sure that's going to work.

Next stop...Albuquerque.

Hanging in there

I'm sitting on the couch at my Mom and Dad's house, the kids (my two, plus their cousins) are all watching Clifford on PBS, Toben's at our house doing some touch up painting and feeding the cats, Kristen just left to take Wade to work, Dad's at work, Mom's starting the Monday laundry.

There, I think that's everyone all accounted for.

We moved over here to my parents' house on Friday, after a day of packing and making piles of stuff in the garage. It was NOT a good day. Moving + packing + PMS = one GIANT pity party. It was not pretty. Got to the point where I knew if anyone was nice to me, I'd fall apart in a big, huge, ugly ball of bawling.

So I did my best to be generally mean and nasty to everyone to keep from crying like a baby. It didn't work too well.

On Saturday, Mom and Kristen came to our house and helped me clean. They are super rockstars and their help meant we got the house pretty well cleaned in a day. Windows, baseboards, doorframes, drawers, cupboards, blinds--you name it, it's clean.

I appreciate them both so much.

We work together really well and decided that as the reigning Queen (Mom) and Crown Princesses (Kristen and me) of Clean, we need to make this a regular thing once we're all back in Denver together. To take a week to spring and fall clean each other's houses.

There are still some last-minute things to be done tomorrow while Toben packs up the trailer, but the house is clean and sparkly and ready for my friend who's moving in. Everything's on schedule for us to roll out of here on Wednesday morning sometime.

(Now in my head I'm hearing that voice saying "Stay on target, stay on target" from Star Wars when they're trying to blow up the Death Star.)

We got to rest and hang out at the pool yesterday, and I'm guessing there may be more of that on the calendar for today.

So many of you have sent me messages and comments and email to let me know you're praying for my family. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I don't take your prayers lightly and appreciate them so much.

Keep 'em coming!

Sweet fancy Moses

I've always thought I liked moving. But I don't think so. I'm totally over it.

Maybe it's the country music I'm blasting this morning that's making me feel all blue-sy, or maybe it's that every time I turn around THERE'S MORE TO BE DONE. Will it never end?

So I grew up with my mother chanting "Do everything without arguing and complaining" to me and my sister. And generally, I agree with the sentiment. In fact, I repeat it to my own girls every single darn day. (I mean, you can't really go wrong with the Bible, now can you?)

Anyway, today I want to argue. And complain.

But I'm all alone in the house with boxes more to go before I sleep and you're all I've got. So...

argue, argue, argue

complain, complain, complain

I'm off to go sing along with Wynonna and heft some more boxes. And not think about the fact that once we get to Phoenix one week from today they all have to be unpacked again. Nope, not gonna think about that.

That's all. Carry on with your day.

Up and at 'em

Are you sick of hearing me talk about packing boxes? Me too! But it helps me to get things down on paper--or whatever this internet/webby thing is made of.

I got a ton done yesterday. Audrey and I got her room mostly done after dinner and our after-dinner bike ride around the loop. The trash! Do your kids hoard trash? Seems like she never throws anything away. And puts things in weird places. And then gets upset when I get frustrated. Not good. But we made it through still talking and feel asleep nose to nose and holding hands last night. (Awww!)

Why are there Littlest Pet Shops here there and everywhere when we have a bin for them? Why?

Must say, there's nothing like moving to convince you that you have way more than you need. Even Audrey gets it after packing stuff up! But we've sorted and tossed and packed and she's getting close to being ready.

I think a year without so many drawers and bins will be good for her; there won't be as many places to hide things!

Up this morning? Emma's room. And then a trip to JCP's for curtains for the dining room since the old ones literally fell apart. And then to Target for sheets and towels.

And then later this afternoon sometime? My little sis and her kiddos arrive in Colorado! That's motivation to get going today so we can have some time to play!

I'm starting to count down the days--I think we have 10 to go. And despite so much accomplished yesterday, so much is still to be done. I woke up way too early this morning feeling overwhelmed by it all (not to mention the PMS that is looming).

So I hit the floor and poured it all out to God. Are you as amazed as I am that he actually cares about all the details that consume our lives? How incredible that God--huge as he is--cares about my cares! But the Bible says to cast ALL our cares on him because he cares for us.

So I did. And asked if I could just stay on the floor for the rest of the day! But after pouring it all out and asking him to keep my eyes focused on him and on what really matters, I'm feeling better.

Another incredible thing--when we give it all to him, our load lightens. And we can actually feel the difference. Certainly not right away every time, but letting go makes a difference.

I don't know what your burden is this morning, but whatever it is, whatever its weight, God is ready to pick it up for you if you lay it at his feet. It may be something you can lay down and be done with, or it may be the kind of thing you lay down, pick up, and lay down again for a while until you've finally let go once for all. 

Cast ALL your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)

Stuff, stuff everywhere!

I was thinking I'd tackle my desk in the packing plans for tomorrow. But as I sit here and see a pile of magazines by the window, the iron on my coffee table, the breakfast table piled with boxes, coolers sitting by the back door, and so on, I think I need to get everything that's half done totally done first.

It makes me feel stressed to have stuff everywhere. And now that we've arranged the basement for storage and the garage for piles for the trailer we'll haul and for each car we'll drive, I really can finish packing a box and then put it where it needs to go.

There's nothing on the calendar tomorrow, so I'm hoping to make some good progress.

Luckily the dining room is empty and clear, so we can sit down and eat dinner in peace!

Indulge

Last night I went out with Kristin and Yvette--they're the gals with whom I have secret club meetings (staying in our pajamas and watching movies all day while our kids are at school).

We went to Indulge--and if you live in south Denver, you might want to make a reservation soon.

We sat outside on the patio--they have couches and fire pits out there--and watched the sun set over the mountains, drank a glass of wine, ate some yummy food, and chatted. For four hours!

Yum.

While things like chocolate-orange fondue and Brie with a balsamic reduction may be an indulgence, friendship is not. It's a necessity, a staple of life.

I am blessed to have such great friends and have been thinking about that as I've been saying goodbye (or "See you soon!") to many of them. Making time to be a friend and to have friends is a necessary part of life.

As busy women, I think sometimes that we think we don't have time to have friends. To get together, to hang out with our girlfriends.

But having friends with whom to share life doesn't take away from my family, instead it enriches it. My friends challenge me to grow and change, to be authentic and honest, to be a better mother, a better wife, a better person.

So go make some time for your friends today. Send a note in the mail, make a phone call, meet for coffee, or at the park, or for dinner. Call someone who may not be a friend--yet--and invite her to come over for a cup of tea.

And thanks, gals, for a great time last night. I love you both!

Au revoir

Janna and Kimberly threw a party for me yesterday and it was so wonderful. Thank you both so much! They know how to do things well, and it was fun and beautiful and delicious. Full of laughter and a few tears.

Here's the cool thing...except for Janna (who I met through my sis), these are all women I have met blogging. And as I commented on Twitter yesterday, these women are exactly who they present themselves to be--only even better in real life. I am blessed to know them!

(And because we're friends online as well as in real life, we'll all still be in touch over the next year even though I'll be in Phoenix.)

Janna, me

Kimberly, me

Paula, me

Angie (Didn't Janna set up such a cute seating area in her backyard?)

Amy, Angie, Amy, me, Kimberly

Amy, me, Amy, Angie

Holly, Janna, Amy

Paula, me, Angie

Want to "meet" my friends too?

Janna

Kimberly

Angie

Amy

Holly

Paula (not yet a blogger!)

The other Amy (not yet a blogger!)

(And Meredith, we missed you! Been praying for your trip!)

Working hard

While I've been working hard to pack things up, others are hardly working.

But she's so cute, I can't feel upset. I just love those little tufts of fur between her toes!

Tired

The past few days have flown by and I'm pooped.

We hosted a garage sale here on Friday and Saturday. Ten families donated items to sell to raise money to offset tuition for a family we all know and love like crazy. They're going through a rough time and we wanted to help them in a tangible way and let them know they are loved.

Lifting, sorting, selling, hanging out, laughing, talking, haggling...it was fun, but tiring. And, oh so worth it. 

Audrey and Emma went camping with their Gran and Papa in Kansas this weekend. They left on Friday afternoon and just got back an hour or so ago. Mom and Dad stayed for dinner and it was fun to hear all about their weekend. Sounds like they had a blast!

Toben and I splurged and went out to dinner both nights the girls were gone--something we haven't done in ages. (Plus, we're trying to eat through what's on hand which sometimes results in some weird meals!) We had some great conversations and came up with some terrific ideas for the new ministry Toben's working on in Phoenix.

And I've packed and packed and packed some more. And moved stuff around in the basement and sorted through stuff. We're getting there.

I'm off to wash my face, take out my contacts, put on my favorite pjs, and hit the hay. I'm beat!

Never say never

Every time I say, "I would/could never..." it happens. You'd think I'd have learned my lesson.

I would never live in that neighborhood. Built a house there.

I would never drive a mini-van. Dodge Grand Caravan. And even loved it!

I would never move away from Colorado. Moved to California.

I would never move to Phoenix. Ahem.

I would never cut my hair short again. Ahem.

I could never homeschool my children. It's official. We're definitely homeschooling next year. And so stinkin excited about it we can hardly stand it.

I'm in the process of giving the girls some placement tests to help figure out some specific math curriculum, but we'll be doing Sonlight next year and learning all about American history together. I love that there's so much reading together in the program. I love to read aloud!

They'll also be learning to plan menus, stay within a grocery budget, cook, clean, do laundry, and a bunch of other things. 

The funny thing is, every time I say "I'd never..." I end up loving whatever it is.

Just so y'all know: I would never win the lottery. (Think it'll work?!)

Moving update (or don't you want to come help me pack?)

I grew up in the Air Force, so moving is not a new thing for me. In fact, I have to say I'm a pretty efficient mover. It only takes about three days to have everything unpacked and put away and pictures on the wall and to be all settled.

The packing up? Well, that takes a bit longer. A lot longer.

We leave three weeks from yesterday. And, oh my, is there a lot to be done. (My to-do list is four pages long.) If I think about it all, I get just a teensy bit overwhelmed. Make that a lot overwhelmed. But then I think, Just do the next thing and it starts to pass.

Since the house we're renting is unfurnished, we're taking more than we planned. But we're still leaving most of the furniture behind. A friend of mine is moving back to Denver the third week in July, so she and three of her daughters will be living in our yellow house for a year.

Closets, cupboards all need to be totally empty. Beds stripped, towels down, family pictures off the walls.

I have to say, it's a good chance to purge.

We're having a garage sale tomorrow and Saturday with a bunch of friends and as I look at stuff I'm putting in the pile, I wonder why I ever bought some of it in the first place. There's nothing like a garage sale plus a move to make you get rid of stuff you don't want or need and to resolve not to bring stuff in the house in the first place!

So I'm packing stuff to go to Phoenix in paper boxes since they're a uniform size and don't get too heavy (Note to self: Stop by Kinkos today to see if they have any more empties) and stuff to stay in the basement here in clear totes.

I went to the Walmart the other night and bought 25 huge clear plastic totes. Seems like a crazy thing to spend money on, but they are water-proof, see-through, and will protect the stuff that stays. And when we move back to Denver in a year, I'll use them to store seasonal decorations and stuff.

Janna's coming this morning for a couple of hours to hang out. We're going to head to the basement and pack up my crafty/sewing stuff. She'll be a great resource to help me decide what to take to Arizona and what to store. I could ask Toben for an opinion, but he's not much help with stuff like fabric and yarn and such :) She'll also be a great person to help me decide what knick-knacky stuff to take, that stuff that makes my home mine.

Okay, I gotta get moving this morning. A very happy Thursday to you all!

Locks of Love

The girls and I decided to donate our hair to Locks of Love back before Christmas. And with moving to Phoenix--in July--we decided to go ahead and cut it short before we move rather than wait till back to school as planned.

Here's them staging their big reveal. They had a ball spinning each other around on the chair, pretending to be on What Not To Wear.

They can't stop looking in the mirror. :)

Before:

After:

All told, it was about 3 feet of hair, which weighed half a pound!

New house

Because you asked, here are a few pictures of the new house! 

It's pretty small--three bedrooms, two baths, kitchen with a tiny nook, laundry room, and this living/dining/great room. (Somehow it looks like a lovely yellow here, but I think it was really all just a creamy white.)

This is looking the other direction from the sliding glass doors toward the front door. The kitchen is tucked back into that corner on the right.

And to the left of Emma is the hallway to the girls' rooms and bathroom. Our room and bathroom are right on the other side of the build-in on the left. You can see it better in this picture.

Here are the girls' rooms. Right next to each other and exactly the same, just mirror-images of each other. Their bathroom is to the left of the picture. 

The backyard is all rock and patio. I'm guessing we'll avoid it in July, but come October, it'll be great! Our bedroom also opens onto the patio.

And that's the whole thing! 

I woke up super early this morning, making lists in my mind of what to bring, what to buy, what to do without, what we can't do without. Think it's time to grab some paper and get it down in ink!

I've loved reading what you all had to say about what you need to make a house a home. Family photos and kitchen stuff are topping the list!

We have a house

First and foremost, thank you for your prayers yesterday. The girls and I ended up having a GREAT day that only got bicker-y toward the end when we were all hot and tired. It was good. There was an ease to the day, if that makes sense. 

(And we got to have lunch at In-n-Out Burger! Mmm... And we swung in to Trader Joes and devoured a whole box of popsicles on the way to pick Toben up from his office.)

Okay. So we have a house. All the pictures are still on my camera--and I didn't take a picture of the outside. Or the screen door that features a cowboy and a cactus! Oy. In fact, I'm not sure any of the pictures are great, more just to help me remember size and shapes of rooms.

Toben's thrilled with it. Me? It'll be fine. We had planned to do a vacation sort of rental--furnished and with a pool. Instead we have an unfurnished house with no pool. But in a great neighborhood that does have a pool. So it'll work. It's just a change in plans that I'm still adjusting to.

It's small and well within the budget we've been given. As Toben and I were talking last night, that feels right. We could spend extra to get a house with everything we want, but then we'd be spending extra. And part of this next year for us is paying off debt and being responsible with what we've been given.

The neighborhood is what's going to make it wonderful. Clubhouse, gym, tennis courts, lakes, pools, and so on. Even boat rentals! We'll be in Val Vista Lakes in Gilbert, for anyone who wants to know or is familiar with the area. Or wants to drop by for a visit after July 1.

An empty house (and an empty house with the air conditioning turned off when it's 105 outside) is always just kinda sad. But we're starting to think about what we're going to bring and what we'll need to find and how to use the space creatively. And about what we need to bring to make it home instead of just a house. Even if that means bringing more than we originally thought.

So, what do you have to have to make a house a home? What can't you live without?

It's hot here

If you follow those Twitter updates in the sidebar, you know that we're in Phoenix. Toben flew out Sunday night, the girls and I flew in yesterday afternoon. And it was 106 when we landed. Hot, but not as bad as I expected to tell the truth.

We're really moving.

Somehow it's all seeming real to me all of the sudden. Not sure if it was walking through Target last night for toothbrushes and thinking This will me our Target, or if it was talking to my mom on the phone long distance, or driving past what will be our library. But it's all really happening.

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. Could also be that I didn't sleep well. And every part of my body hurts. (Today will be day 3 of the 30-Day Shred if I can work up the energy to do it.) And that I haven't had any coffee yet this morning.

I think I'm rambling.

The girls and I are going to run a few errands this morning after we drop Toben off (I ran out of time yesterday morning--perhaps from losing my mind and going on a super cleaning binge just hours before needing to leave for the airport) and then later today we have an appointment to go see the house we're pretty sure we're going to rent.

Yes, I have my camera. And, yes, I'll take lots of pictures.

I was going to sign off here, but I've gotta tell you that I'm also feeling overwhelmed as a mom. Would you pray for me? Audrey and I have gone through cycles in the past where we really struggle with each other. It's been good for a long time, but the past week or so has been hard. I'm sure it's the stress of everything that's going on for both of us, but it feels so bad.

My reading this morning was out of Titus 3--all about doing good. Would you pray that I do the good I need to with her. That I don't just think about what I should do or say to encourage her, but that I would actually JUST DO IT!

Thanks.

Memory Monday: Psalm 34:3 and a peek at the week ahead

Psalm 34:3

Glorify the LORD with me;

let us exalt his name together!

You know the cool thing about this verse? It's who is being invited to glorify God with me. Verse two tells us it's the afflicted. That when we boast in the Lord, the afflicted hear and rejoice and then are invited to exalt God's name with us. Pretty cool, huh?

For next week? I think I'll start learning Ephesians 3:14-21. It's a long one, so it'll take a few weeks, but this is one of those that I sorta, kinda know and would like to really know by heart.

(Leave a link or a comment with your verse if you learned one this week. And click on the button in the sidebar if you'd like to join in!)

Today is the beginning of the last week of my semester at seminary. I'm handing in a big paper this afternoon and doing an oral presentation to go along with it. Then I'll get up tomorrow and start studying for my OT Prophets final on Friday. It's going to be a doozy.

Audrey's in the school play this week, so she has rehearsal everyday after school with a performance on Thursday night. (That means Emma and I will get some good after school reading time together--we're loving the Cam Jansen mysteries. We take turns reading a chapter out loud.) 

Then Friday is field day. And next week is the girls' last week of school, but they're going to end up missing most of the week since we're going to Phoenix. We all need to be there and this was the only week that worked.

Gotta go get lunches packed. (Can I just say that one reason I'm excited about homeschooling is not having to pack lunches?! We're in a baloney rut.)

The gift of one year

Good morning, sweet friends. (And friends is what you are--even if we've never met face to face...yet!)

I've had some thoughts swirling around in my head, had some questions from you, and have some time this morning to get it down on paper (or whatever this internet thing-y is actually made of) and process through some of it.

Today I'm going to finish up my last paper for the semester that's due on Monday. I'm going to do an oral presentation along with it--my chapel from the girls' school. I'm so excited to get to use that again. It was my professor's idea to use it as my creative presentation. So the mustache is coming back--for a few minutes, anyway.

Once that's done, I'll start studying for my Old Testament Prophets final on Friday. And then...the semester will be over. It has flown by.

I submitted a leave of absence to the seminary the other day. So I'm officially giving up seminary for the year we'll be in Phoenix. Yes, I could take on-line classes, but the experience of being in the classroom is one I value so much. I'd rather wait and come back to it in Fall 2010 when we return to Denver. After all, I'm not in hurry.

So. Phoenix.

I have to say that now that I'm over the shock (::ring, ring:: "Hey babe, we're moving to Phoenix for a year. Gotta run to a meeting now. Bye!") of it, I'm really seeing this as a gift.

One year. Set apart. To be intentional. To rethink some things. To dream about what we want to do, how we want life to be.

(And of course, I think about being led to the desert for a year and go all Old Testament, wondering what kind of preparation this year will involve and for what and all that good stuff. One thing I know for sure, there will be manna each day to gather!)

So here's some of what we're thinking:

Unplug. It was Toben's idea (shock, gasp, awe) to think about unplugging the television for a year. Not taking one with us at all. I love it!

Celebrate. Especially if we homeschool (see next item!), but even if we don't, we want to be intentional about celebrating biblical holidays. I have this amazing book and put all the dates for these holidays on my calendar earlier this morning. We love our Passover meal each year and want to experience the joy and learning of some of the others.

Homeschool. We're seriously considering homeschooling the girls. For numerous reasons. For the freedom it would give us. For the one-on-one opportunity to reinforce some difficult math concepts for Audrey, to grow Emma into an incredible reader. To pour into the girls. To build up their identity in Christ. To develop their friendship with each other. (If you homeschool and have some advice for me about what I really need to know, or a great link for me to check out, please leave a comment!)

Dream. This whole year feels like a new beginning, a chance to hit the "reset" button and determine what we want our family to be like. There are certain times of the year (New Year's, back to school) that are a chance to do this every year, and this feels like a chance to think long-term and big picture.

Explore. Because of our school schedule and the amount of homework to be done, our girls don't do extra-curricular activities for the most part. If we homeschool, we're excited for the girls to explore some of their interests. To have the time to pursue and learn something new.

Church. We'll be going to church here. We're not involved at our church here in Denver; we really see the girls' school as our place of ministry, the place where we volunteer and give. For this next year, we're excited to be at church as much as they'll let us. That means Sunday school for Toben and me while the girls go, and then sitting in the service each week as a family.

So naturally we've made a poster to keep track of our thoughts and ideas and so on. Cause that's just what we do around here! (See here and here.)

How can you pray?

For wisdom about school for the girls. We will be visiting a Christian school in a week or so when we're down in Phoenix as a family for some meetings. 

For peace and calm in Toben's anxiety (all that change causes some anxiety to surface for him). He's in the process of changing some of his meds and anxiety is troubling him.

For me to live one day at a time. It's easy to get overwhelmed by the big picture. So to do one thing at a time and then move on to the next thing.

For us to really live while we're in Phoenix and pour out our lives and energy, rather than feeling confined by it being temporary. For friendships and relationships to grow and flourish.

We do have place to live. No pool in the backyard, but an amazing community facility--pool, lake, gym, tennis courts, bike trails. But it's unfurnished. Not what we had planned. So wisdom about what to take and all that good stuff.

It looks like some friends will be living in our house here in Denver while we're gone. So wisdom and details surrounding that. It's definitely a God thing!

***

Okay, this is entirely long enough and Toben and the girls are headed to have a putting context at the driving range (free entertainment!). So I'm going to take advantage of the quiet and get my paper finished up. Enjoy your Saturday--and thank you for listening. I really do love you so much!

Marriage Adventure

Here's a little bit of what Toben's up to on our new adventure.

Okay, it must be real because there's now a category button for "Moving to Phoenix"

I didn't really stop to think much before I let the cat out of the bag. But I think I did because it just doesn't seem quite real. I keep waiting to wake up or for Toben to call me and say, "Just kidding."

Telling people makes it real.

Thank you for all your kind words and prayers and encouragement--both here and on Facebook. It means the world to me to know you guys are praying. I have some specific things I'd love for you to pray for, but I'll get to those in a minute.

We've been praying for God to provide some new income for a while now--about six months. Not to buy more toys or go on fun vacations, but to pay the bills and pay back some debt. As I've prayed, I've really tried to ask rather than prescribe.

Does that make sense? So often, I pray for what I want--and exactly how I want it to happen. So this has been a prayer adventure of praying with my hands open, asking God to help me trust him, to keep my hands open to receive whatever he gives.

(And I have to say that I kinda hoped by having such a good attitude about it he'd go ahead and answer my prayer in the way I really wanted, which he knows already even though I didn't pray about it--because he's my God and knows my heart. But he didn't.)

I was telling a friend yesterday that it's much easier to tell a friend that God knows best, that we need to follow where he leads, that we need to accept what he gives with thanksgiving than to actually do it yourself!

Toben will be working with some great people on a new ministry. I'll let him blog about it soon and then link to it so you can get the whole picture from him. Let's just say that it's very, very cool and I'm excited for him. And excited to see if God has a place for me to contribute to it too.

If it's up and running smoothly in a year, then it'll be feasible for Toben to run it from a remote location and we can come back to Denver. Or we may decide as a family to stay there. I just don't know. No one knows, but God. And for a planner, that's hard. One day at a time. (See how God's been working on me with that little bit of wisdom for the past month already to prepare me some for this?)

What about seminary? That's something you've asked. Me too! I told Toben that I feel like someone has handed me this incredible gift this past semester and now it's being taken away. I can take online classes; I think I could even take some classes at Phoenix Seminary (though they do not offer my degree). However, being in the classroom is what I'm loving about school. I'm not going just to get a degree, but to sit in the classroom and learn. 

This morning, I'm thinking about not going to school in the fall and then maybe taking Hebrew or Greek in the spring. But I just don't know. I need to talk to someone at Denver Sem and find out what they recommend. 

It may be that I just need to be with my family. Or work alongside Toben on this ministry. Or teach Sunday school. Or go to Bible study. Or write a novel. Or just rest. I don't know. One day at a time!

A couple of details you may be wondering about...

We're not selling our house. We're not moving any furniture. This new company will rent a furnished house for us in Phoenix for the next year. 

We have friends in Phoenix. Good friends and friends we're excited to get to know better. Friends with kids my kids know and love. So we're not going someplace unknown.

We even have a school for the girls if we decide to do that. We're even talking about (gulp!) homeschooling as a possibility for a year. Though I want the girls to make friends and school is a good way to do that. Who knows? We're looking at this year as an adventure--a chance to relook at all kinds of things. 

How can you pray?

One day at a time! I get easily overwhelmed by the big picture and need to focus on the things that need to be done in the next three or so weeks.

Wisdom. For school for the girls, for school for me.

Details. House hunting, packing, all those things that take time and phone calls.

Audrey and Emma. They're excited (it's an adventure!) but sad too. They'll go to school this morning and tell friends they're moving for a year. That's always hard.

That's it for now. Gotta get ready for school. Love you all.

J.

P.S. The cool thing is that my computer is obviously going with me--so that means all of you are coming to Phoenix too!