Home for the Holidays

This year has been a trying year, and it is amazing that we are only weeks from the beginning of a new year.

Josh's instructing is going well. He's usually very very very busy, but the poor weather recently has made him slow down a little bit. Which is both a good and a bad thing for us.

The YMCA is slow right now too, but I hear that things will begin to pick up again in January and keep going strong until after summer. Which makes me a little nervous considering we aren't quite staffed enough for an extremely busy season. We're working on it and I know we'll be there.

Micheala is doing well. She very very active and talkative. She's repeating everything and putting words together to make very short sentences. I'm very excited about her Christmas this year! Last year, I completely missed her first Christmas because I had to work. The YMCA is closed so I won't miss a thing!!! YEA!!!!

Starting January we'll actually have our own place here in The Woodlands. I'm very excited about having our own place again. We may even get a chance to move in earlier than January 1st.

Holiday Cheer

I know we haven't even had Thanksgiving, but already the Christmas season has begun. Especially for the retail industry! What memories!!!! I am SOOOO excited that we won't be in a mall this year. That we won't have to deal with unhappy people, and large crowds looking for a Chick-fil-A sandwich. Hopefully, our YMCA members will be happier people because of the natural increase in their serotonin levels from working out.
I am trying to get all of my shopping done soon, so that I don't even have to think about doing any of it the week of Christmas. I DO NOT WANT to fight the crowds, search for parking that's not there, or sit in a parking lot trying to leave the mall!!! (One year it took me 45 minutes to get out of a Target parking lot. CRAZY!!)
Remember to be nice to your Chick-fil-A people if you do decide to brave the crowds!!!! It is tough working in the mall and trying to please everyone!

Sick

There is absolutely nothing worse than when your daughter's school calls you and tells you that your little one is sick and to come as soon as possible to pick her up. Micheala has been fighting a cold for what seems like weeks. After my health insurance finally cleared, I had enough and decided to bring Micheala into the doctor. (Under the "advice" of the childcare workers at the YMCA Child Development Center) I knew that when I brought her that she would probably be fine, but I brought her on the off chance that I was wrong. Luckily, I wasn't this time, and she just had another cold. Still, it is difficult watching your little one recover.

Luckily, our visit to the doctor didn't ruin our plans for the day!! Josh took off of work and we all went the Houston Zoo. And, although Micheala seemed to enjoy her time at the Zoo and was in awe of the animals, she wasn't as excited as I hoped she would be. The monkeys were her favorite part. She made sure to say Hello and Goodbye to every monkey in the zoo. Regardless, I was in heaven!!! We so rarely get the chance to spend the day with Josh. It was a true blessing.

Candy!!!

We couldn't get Micheala to look up at the camera. She was too busy trying to figure out which piece of candy she could open without anyone's assistance.

My cute little punker! She loved it when I did her make-up! I'm in trouble.

Our first house!

I fully intended to sit this Halloween out! Micheala is just barely two, and I wasn't keen on the idea of buying a costume that she'll only wear once for $40. My dad came home Wednesday with an Elmo candy bucket and insisted that we go trick or treating. So with the help of Walmart and my YMCA buddies we transformed Micheala into a punk girl! A very very cute one at that. She especially loved it when I started dressing her. I was certain that she would pitch a fit when I started layering her up. Instead, she kept commenting on how pretty her leggings were, and that she wanted her shoes on. Yes, she told me, "Shoes, on". She is becoming extremely verbal and starting to put words together to form sentence fragments.
Her hair was my favorite part! I was going to give her a Mohawk, but her hair is SOOO curly that I couldn't really get it to stand up. Putting product in it just intensified the curls. She didn't like the purple spray, but she let us do it anyway. She loved the make-up!
Micheala wasn't real happy about holding her Elmo bucket that her Opie brought her UNTIL...the first house!!! Once they put candy into her bucket, we couldn't pry Elmo away from her. Once she figured out that she got candy when we rang doorbells, she was running up the driveway. She was the cutest little punk rocker I've ever seen! The best part was that her daddy got to join us. Josh is so busy building his hours that I was sure he was going to miss out on this holiday.
Now, I have to figure out what to do with all of the candy?!

Fall is HERE!!

Fall is finally here in Texas! I feel like I've been waiting forever for the cool down, and I can't wait for the cold weather. I love sitting outside by a fire watching Micheala enjoy her family.

A few weeks ago, my little brother, Timmy proposed to his girlfriend Terra. It is so weird to see the family grow so much. We don't even have grandkids yet! I can't wait for someone else to have a baby in the family! The Green family has another one on the way as well!!! Lori and Justin are expecting an April Fool's baby. We haven't heard what they're having, I'm hoping for another girl! We need to take over the male dominated Green line. Its tied right now. :)

Josh is flying a lot, but not always for pay. That is sometimes frustrating, but he's still building time. A few regional airlines have started hiring again, so Josh is preping himself for that possiblity. Kolgan has a base here in Houston, and we're hoping that God will open a doorway for that possibility.

Micheala is adjusting well to going to preschool full-time. Her mommy struggles more with it than she does. Fridays Daddy takes the day off to be with his little girl, and that helps a lot. She's been pretty sick all week, but today she finally seems to be turning a corner.

The YMCA is a different creature! BUT I am finally sleeping again. Teaching preschool was just not my cup of tea. I'm better suited for older children and teaching adults. These last few weeks I've enjoyed getting to know the staff more and meeting our regular members. It feels a little like being in Chick-fil-A again, but without all of the grease. ; )

Butterfly

It is an amazing thing watching your little baby grow. Micheala seems to say a new word almost everyday. Yesterday she noticed my watch and clearly said the word to match it. I was completely shocked. Today we were working on a puzzle when she said, "Butterfly". Oh my goodness!!! Amazing! Okay, amazing to a mommy I guess. I wonder if she's just saying the things that we've been teaching her, or did she learn them in preschool. Hopefully not the later because as of next week, we won't be going to preschool.
She really really seems to like school and playing with all of the other kids, but I resigned, and we can't afford to keep her in school if I'm not there. My stress level has gone down dramatically!! I'm just not a preschool teacher. They're SOOO cute, but I'm just not cut out to teach them. She'll get her playtime and social interaction at the YMCA. I'll be picking up more hours there to compensate for the preschool job.

Prayer Request

Please be in prayer for Josh, Micheala, and I. We've been in Texas for almost ten months, and can hardly believe that it will soon be a year. Josh is doing well at Hi-Tech Aviation, he is one of the highest paid instructors at the moment. We are SOO grateful, but unfortunately it isn't enough for us to live on our own. I feel like Satan is working hard on our family right now. We feel so discouraged at times, that I just want to slink away and hide.
We are both working six to seven days a week, and feel like we have nothing to show for it. Ike of course didn't help because we ended up spending more money during our "vacation", the stay at College Station, and helping replenish the refrigerator at my parents.
I haven't received a paycheck from Sonkids since August, I think my check was lost or something. BUT , a month without receiving a check is a little tough.
My parents asked us about our plan and our budget. So, we revisited our finances and looked to see where we're at. I visit our budget often, because I'm in charge of all of the bills, but it was a little bit of a shock for Josh to see on paper.
So, my prayer requests...please if you think about it we need prayer:

1. That we would be reminded that Satan is a deceiver and looks to discourage us. That Josh and I would lean on God for our comfort and remember what he says in Matthew about taking care of the birds and lilies of the field.

2. That we would be able to save enough money for a deposit and a couple of months rent for an apartment by March. (We would like to move out by June, but earlier if things allow.)

3. Please, please, please pray that Josh would not make a hasty decision in his job choices or our home situation.

4. Pray that you would help calm my parents and provide for them. *The financial market is greatly affecting their way of living as well.*

5. Pray that a job, preferably a flying job, would open up for Josh. That he would be able to begin building hours in a company so that we can make the next step in pay. (Instructors make 20k to 24k a year, without benefits. Beginning pilots make about the same but with benefits. The following year is usually a substantial increase in pay.)

6. Please pray that God would give us wisdom and that he would continue to provide us with the means to provide for Micheala.

7. Please pray for the sale of our Orlando home. We need to free ourselves of it.

Thank you for all of your prayers and the time it took for you to read this!! I appreciate it more than you know.

Blessings

Our pilot for the trip to Fredricksburg, TX. Yes, his head is touching the roof of the plane, which hurt during the moments of turbulence.

Micheala and I trying to stay occupied on the hour flight. Micheala did GREAT! I was worried since she wasn't wearing a headset.

Micheala and I at one of the lookout point for a old railroad tunnel, which is now home to bats. We returned later that night to watch them come out of the tunnel! It was pretty cool! Micheala didn't seem to care one way or the other though.

This is were we stayed in Fredricksburg, right above the bar section of the brewery. It was neat stepping right out on Main Street though.

Poor, tired Daddy and his little girl. We tried to take her out and keep her occupied, but she just wasn't feeling well, and you can see how much sleep Josh and I got the night before. (1 hour)

Ike was a pretty nasty storm for Texas. Galveston is almost completely destroyed from what I've seen on TV and heard from others. Houston fared much better, but wasn't without its issues. There are still many many people with no power, and some with no homes because of falling trees. My parent's home was safe, and not a single shingle was missing. I was completely shocked! There were flooded roads, and some homes flooded as well. Again, we didn't fit into this category.

Josh's passengers to Fredricksburg, ended up deciding to stay in Houston because they couldn't fit their golf clubs into the plane. Again, another blessing because Micheala and I got to go with him. Micheala was pretty sick the whole weekend, and the accommodations that were set up for us was above a bar, BUT we had power, and a safe place to sleep. No air and power with a sick baby wouldn't not have been a lot of fun. We tried to fly back on Sunday but there was a flight restriction for Houston, but we were able to fly into College Station. My little brothers and their sweet girls were GREAT hosts, and we enjoyed our time with them. We stayed until power was up, Thursday.

Mom and Dad were fine, a little stressed with trying to find ice, food, and a generator. They never were able to find a generator, but their neighbors across the street had power so they kept some items over there. Mom said they had a party almost every night in the driveway, mostly because they wanted everyone to know that they were indeed home. (***Looting has been a problem in the area.***)

Thank you for all of your prayers. I know that there were many many people praying for Houston and Galveston this past weekend.

Vacate

So, I guess Micheala is going to get her first ride in an airplane. As Ike approaches, The Woodlands citizens begin to freak out a little bit. The grocery stores are completely out of bread, water, propane, and ice. Maneuvering around the store was quite a challenge and the lines were pretty long. It took Micheala and I an hour to get through the store, and we only bought $50 worth of supplies. (Not much.) Many gas stations are out of gas completely and the ones that aren't have HUGE lines. Luckily, my family decided to fill up on gas yesterday when we thought that Ike might be a problem. As far as food and water, we made sure to get all of that stuff when we thought another hurricane was on our way. Unfortunately/fortunately, that storm moved somewhere else.
The school that Josh works at has an investor that is asking someone to fly his plane away from the storm. Josh volunteered for the task. It is a six seater plane, and should have plenty of room for Micheala, Josh, and I. It is also air conditioned, which is definitely a plus. I'm not sure that Micheala will keep her headset on in the plane, but Josh assures me that we won't damage her ears. *Really that is my only concern about this whole volunteer mission.
I'm hoping that everything goes well, and that this hurricane will leave minimal damage on Houston. Stuff is just stuff, but it still hurts knowing that we could lose a lot of important stuff.
I'll let everyone know how we fair the storm later. Please be in prayer for us here in Texas.


SOOOOOOO, just kidding about leaving with Josh. It looks like Micheala and I will be staying in Houston and braving the storm. Josh will be flying the investor's friends out to Fredricksburg, TX. Josh will be gone and away, and I will be hanging tight with Micheala. Hmmm....which position would you rather be in?

Yikes Ike!

We all thought we missed the big one just a few weeks ago. And although we genuinly felt sorry for Mississippi and Lousiana, we were very very very grateful that we were not the ones dealing with the wind and lots of rain. It doesn't sound like we are going to be as lucky with this one. We will have to see how this all pans out. I am nervous about this being the BIGGEST storm that Micheala has ever been through. I'm praying that God will give me patience and show me how to comfort Micheala when she gets scared. (If she gets scared.)

On a brighter note, today went a lot better at preschool! I was grateful that they all seemed to follow our routines. I still had some hiccups and breakdowns. Luckily no one peed on anyone else. We had some tinkle showers on our first day. Mommies were none to pleased when they picked them up in different clothes. My kids dress way cutier than I do for preschool.

I managed to beg someone to take a picture of Micheala and I at school. AND I didn't cry when I dropped her off this morning. The picture is a bit blurry and Micheala isn't looking at me, but at least I have a picture of her during her first week of school.

It Begins....Tomorrow!

Tomorrow I finally begin teaching, again! I'm so nervous and a little leery after meeting my students last week. They all seem to be very sweet little boys and girls, mostly boys, but WOW. Tomorrow and most of the week is going to be all about routines and expectations. I pray I can hang in there long enough to see everything fall into place.
Tomorrow is Micheala's first day at school. :( I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. I'm comforted knowing that she is right down the hall from me, and that she'll only be in the class for half of the day. Once two o'clock hits we get to go home. Fridays she'll spend with her daddy or with her grandma.
Soooo, obviously there isn't a lot going on in our life right now. However, if anyone knows anyone that wants to buy a house in Avalon Lakes let me know! Our renters broke their lease and our house is officially up for sale. We are hoping to short sale it.

12 Boys!!

I'm starting to wonder what I've gotten myself into by deciding to teach and work at the YMCA. What I am grateful for is the short hours and the chance to spend a huge portion of my day with my little girl. Preschool is only a few weeks away, and I don't feel ready. My room is coming along, but it is hard to set up with an active 19 month old running around. Luckily, Josh was able to stay home yesterday and help me. (Despite the fact that not flying means not earning money.)
I have 12 boys and only 4 girls this year in my room...which scares me to death. I hear only good things from everyone about the group, and most of them have been to preschool before. I only have a handful that have never had a school experience. I hope that I can figure out what level to meet them ALL at. :)
My baby is going to school soon too. I think I might cry. It is hard to imagine her in school already...she's still in diapers.
Josh is doing well at High Tech Aviation. He has three full time students, and is usually pretty busy. This week has been really really really rainy and he hasn't flown a lot. We always get nervous because then we think about what will happen when December comes. (Apparently, it is difficult to fly VFR, visual flight rules, in December because of all of the limitations.) We've been praying, but not enough that God will help us to be patient and continue to provide for us.
Please pray for patience for Josh and I. That we will allow God to work and provide in our lives.
Please pray that we find a buyer for our home. Our house is up for sale and we are looking to short sale it soon. Our renters just gave us notice this week that they are leaving by September 2nd. (*Not exactly 30 days, but he's going back into the airforce.)
Please pray for good health for Micheala as we go back into school.

Expecting?!

We are expecting....another niece or nephew!!! Hehe...thought it might be fun to mess around and tease everyone a little bit. My brother in law and sister in law, Justin and Lori, are expecting a little baby in April. Jace, my soon to be kindergarten nephew, would like a little boy. ;) The Green Family is grown quite a bit, and we certainly didn't expect anyone to have any more...except maybe Josh and I. Which, there are days when I think another one would be sweet, and then she gets up from her nap and tears the house apart. Maybe when she becomes a little more independent we'll consider it.
Otherwise, things are going well. Josh has been flying consistently, and today he'll have flown close to 8 hours. God has been good in providing for us...I keep praying for patience for Joshua.
I start teaching preschool in a few short weeks. I'm excited and scared. It will be the first time that Micheala will be away from me or family for more that a few hours, but I'm not worried about her. I'm more worried that I'm going to have separation anxiety. I'm really excited about reading with kids again!!! I LOVE TO READ!!!

Michael Callin

Michael's namesakes, Micheala
and Micah on a bench dedicated
to him by his family.

Its hard to believe that only a little over two years ago I was watching Josh and Michael cut up a lake with jet ski's. They were seeing how long the other could hold on. You could hear Michael laughing from across the lake! (A sound that I will NEVER forget.) Vicki and I sat on a swing admiring and laughing at our silly men. The jokes that only really they understood at the time. Its hard to believe that only a few weeks after that Michael was gone! Unbelieveable. At only 26, he was gone.

I think we all were living in a dream. A dream where you hoped someone would pinch you and you would wake up. A nightmare, to watch your best friend deal with the death of her husband, your friend. The same friend that inspired laughter and new adventures...motorcycles, car rebuilding, "moonlighting" in Chuluota.


Now, I'm a little jealous. Michael doesn't have to live with the stress of deciding which bills to pay first. Worrying over if he can't work enough to pay for those bills. He doesn't have to worrry about his body falling apart because he has a new body. He can dance as crazy and silly as he wants to and no one is going to say anything! He's dancing with David!!!


We still miss him terribly, but we have something to look forward to. A WONDERFUL REUNION IN PARADISE!!


Josh and I love you Michael!

Mint Chocolate Chip Heaven

So, there must be Mint Chocolate Chip cake in heaven!! It was definitely created by God. There's no other answer!
For at least five years, I have been begging Josh for an icecream cake for my birthday! Which, would haven't been a problem for him to find,except, I requested a mint chocolate chip cake. I saw one a few weeks earlier and knew that it must taste like a slice of heaven. Josh searched for a few days looking for a place that could make my cake in time for my birthday. After a team effort, my parents were able to locate a place that had one!! I was so excited!!!

Five years was SOOOO worth the wait! Since my little brothers were unable to come in for my birthday, there was plenty of left overs. The cake has been a highlight for several days now! Now the real problem is....how do you top that for the following year?

Birthdays

We were birthday party animals this weekend. The twins turned twenty-one last week, and we drove up to College Station to celebrate with them. They enjoyed showing us their homes, and I was surprised by how clean they were. Micheala loves all of the action and all of the attention that her Uncles shower her with. They love spoiling her and trying to give her things that she might not normally get, like Dr. Pepper.

Sunday was Josh's twenty-nineth birthday!! We went to Kobe's in here in Texas, and it was really good, but no white sauce and no banging on the drum to embarass Josh. The chef was "Japanese" from Mexico. He was very funny, and Micheala was in awe watching him cook.


Josh enjoyed himself and LOVED the food. We wanted to celebrate his birthday and his graduation from flight school. Kobe's was the perfect spot to celebrate.

Uncle Daniel and his Princess

Daniel and his sweet girl, Candace

Timmy and his sweet girl, Terra

Another family shot, but baby

isn't looking yet again.

The Dr. Pepper she snuck out of

Uncle Timmy house.

Fears

Fears...the stuff that Satan feeds off of...because then we begin to worship the situation instead of relying on God to take care of us.
Fears...everyone has ones they are afraid to admit. Failure to achieve, or the appearance of.
My fears...one of my biggest fears is taking care of Micheala's needs. Having the financial ability to get her what she needs. (*Maybe a few things that she wants.) Because if I can't take care of her needs I must be a failure as a mom right? I must be doing something wrong?! Or I made the decision to have her, and now... I know they are lies, and they eat at my heart. Satan the deceiver loves to feed me these lines...especially after I finish paying our bills. Its hard for me to relax and rely on God's provisions for us. We are blessed to have a place to stay, food in our bellies (GREAT Food too), and clothes. Although Micheala grows so quickly. We are blessed because we have jobs, and although they aren't exactly what we want, and we aren't exactly in the place we'd thought we'd be in once we had kids...we are grateful. Grateful that we will make some money to pay for our needs. There are still many needs, but we are peaceful and learning to be more patient.
Fears...what does our future hold for us? Will we still be living in my parent's house next year? Will we have been able to sell our home in Orlando? Will we have to move back? Be still...Bayje...trust. Wow, God is the giver of peace and love. I often fall and feel so scared that I'm literally sick, but then I hear him whisper to me (sometimes he shouts)..BE STILL.
Fears...I am learning to take them ALL to God. I fall so much, and I am have to continue to go back and do it over. No matter how many times he tells me, or someone reminds me, I fall and have to learn it all over again.
Thank you Lord for our jobs! For our health and the ability to work. Thank you for our healthy baby girl and protecting her! Thank you for her development and the chance to spend another day being her mommy. Thank you for the roof over our heads, for the food on the table, and the clothes our backs. Thank you that we have the ability to pay for gas in cars. Thank you for family love and support! Help me to continue to trust in your love and power. Help me to trust you with our future.

Home Again

We made it home! We connected to Atlanta, and I thought we were never going to make it out of there. We spent almost all day traveling. Which can be very challenging when you are traveling with an 18 month old. However, God did give us a little present to help us through it. Micheala slept for an hour while we were waiting to leave Atlanta (we were in Atlanta from 9:30 a.m.- 3:00 p.m.), and she fell asleep for the last fifty minutes of the plane ride to Houston.
We haven't really stopped since then. We came home, changed, and headed out for a Fourth of July get together with some friends of the family. Saturday, Josh started looking for a job at some of the local flight schools. Saturday and Sunday, all of my brothers came into town to help celebrate Aaron's birthday. Today Josh is back out looking for a job, and I am starting my job at the YMCA tomorrow.
The two weeks in Florida seemed almost as busy...trying to visit everyone. We had a lot of fun catching up and showing off Micheala. Micheala especially enjoyed her time with the big kids, Levi and Cooper. She even learned some new "tricks" that we're trying to break her out of. (High pitch screaming!)
Praise- The YMCA still wants me to work for them, even though I have a VERY limited schedule right now. AND, I'll be teaching soon.
Prayer- Still praying that God would show us a way to take care of our family financially and not neglect each other emotionally.

Adventures in Weenie Sitting

Florida has been hot and rainy almost all week. We've had a few days of "fun in the sun". And we've had lots of opportunities to get together with our friends. Micheala is enjoying her friends, Levi, Cooper, and Micah. She especially enjoys loving on Micah and feeding him. Micah doesn't seem to mind because his brothers are usually busy wrestling each other, or Josh.

Still no job for Josh. He hasn't heard back from any schools, businesses, or airlines. We continue to pray for God's guidance and a job.

Gale and Paul come back this Thursday from Brazil. I'm looking forward to picking them up from the airport. No matter how often we take the dogs outside, there always seems to be an accident waiting for us to clean up. They've been good with Micheala, but they don't really want her attention. (Unless she is willing to feed them.)

Another week in Florida...I'm looking forward to going back, Micheala is so off of her schedule. Not too mention I'm tired of saying no to the numerous things she seems to get into. However, it has been nice to see friends. There are so many people that I've really missed seeing.

Bling Bling

Children are truly a blessing. They're a lot of hard work, but so worth it. I was overwhelmed with love today as I watched Micheala dress herself up, with a little assistance. In just sixth months my little baby is becoming more independent and a toddler. She loves dolls, jewelry, and real babies. She bends down and talks sweetly to them. What she says, who knows. The babies usually giggle and smile at the attention and love. It is so amazing!!!! I wish that Josh could be here to see it all. My favorite thing is when she actually gives me kisses and hugs me! A mommy's joy!
In a few days Josh will be home and done with his training program! We are excited about him coming home and a little nervous about job opportunities. We are still praying that God will open up a job for him. With all the news about airlines cutting jobs, it is hard not to be a little discouraged. But, for now, this is where God has us. We will be traveling to Florida to visit friends and dogsit for Josh's parents while they are in Brazil. It will be first time we will have been a lone as a family in months. I'm looking forward to spending time with my husband and daughter.
I was offered a job at the YMCA here in The Woodlands. They have asked me if I would be interested in a director's position, and although the opportunity to work for a Christian company in that capacity sounds good, its just not an option right now. With Josh's job being unknown, I have to think about it as if Josh isn't here to help at all. Daycare is not an option because the pay is enough to make is a true benefit for our family. (More than half of my paycheck would go to daycare, while the other half to gas.) So, I'm holding tight. Being Micheala's mommy is a lot of work in itself, and I will be teaching soon. (Although that is just pennies too.) So this is where I learn to trust that God will provide for us, and that is okay to be Micheala's mommy. This is the first time in 12 years that I haven't worked at all. It is very weird. :)

Done?

Josh came home from ATP this past week! He passed every checkride and every oral exam they gave him!!!! I am so proud of him! We had a week to be together and then he was back at ATP for his final course, the jet course. He's pretty excited about it and says that he expects this to be a lot work, but enjoyable. He finishes on Saturday, June 20th.
Now we pray that a job will open up for him. ATP would love for him to come and teach for them in Dallas or Jacksonville, but we're hoping for a "real" job. Josh applied this week with ASA. It would be a commute for Josh, but we have friends and family in Atlanta, which is the hub for ASA, so he wouldn't have to get a crash pad.
I had my first group interview yesterday at the YMCA. It was an interesting experience. Twelve other people all fighting for an opening, or multiple openings. (They didn't specify how many openings for the position there were.) I have been praying that God would give me peace and help me to trust in him. I often get nervous about how we're going to provide for Micheala. My biggest fear is failure in this area. Sometimes Satan just throws it in my face and tells me that I shouldn't have had a child knowing that we are so unstable. God is so much bigger and I always have to remind myself that those are lies from the ultimate deceiver.
In just a week, we will be off to Florida for a little "vacation". "Vacation" because we coming all the way from Texas to dogsit for Josh's parents. I guess I can add that onto my list of "odd" vacations.

Almost Finish?

Josh continues to do extremely well at ATP! I am so proud of him! He has worked hard, and has loved every minute of it. We are all starting to miss each other though. Its been quite some time since we've had a visit. We are all hanging in there and hoping for the end. Josh is suppose to come home sometime this week. I continue to pray for good weather so that he can finish his last two check rides. Then he's all ours for a week...he has his jet course scheduled for June 14th-20th.
We are praying that God will open doors for Josh in the job arena. Airlines have begun to slow down a lot in their hiring of new pilots, and many other pilots are simply not flying. God brought us out here for a reason. He has asked us to trust him without knowing exactly what he has in store for us. It would have made just as much sense to stay in Florida as come here. Except we would never be able to afford to live in Florida on a beginning pilot's salary with our house. (Which we can't seem to get rid of.)
Micheala continues to grow like crazy. Just the other day she said her own name! Its crazy, and amazing. Everyone told me that time would fly. I remember holding her on my chest at three weeks, cherishing her smells and sounds, knowing that I wouldn't have them forever. It is amazing how your life changes with a baby. Josh and I love it! She is the light our life, and quite a source of entertainment. She keeps me busy.
Please pray for us and our job situation. I begin teaching in August or early September. Even with my job and the "potential" job for Josh, we still estimate that we will be short every month. Living with my parents is not what we want to do forever. They have been so much help, but we want to take care of ourselves and don't feel like that should be their burden. I continue to pray that God would bless them for taking us in and providing for us.

One More Month

As many know, Josh and I moved to Texas in January. It has been an adventure to say the least. Leaving Chick-fil-A was one of the hardest and easiest things we've had to do. Chick-fil-A taught us a lot and prepared Josh to be comfortable in leadership and training positions. He is very confident and extremely excited about this new career change. I wasn't thrilled about the change at first, but who ever is? But, I knew that becoming a pilot was a dream of his!! So...I took a large leap of faith and left Florida, with no plans!!!
Micheala, Josh, and I moved in with my parents while we get back on our feet. They have been a HUGE blessing to us. Micheala loves being here with my parents.
Josh left Houston and started training in Arlington, TX in early March. Micheala and I are extremely proud of him. He studied hard before he left and has stayed ahead all throughout the program. He is multi-engine and instrument rated. This weekend he has his checkride for his commercial rating! Things have progressed rather quickly. Please pray for him this Saturday!!!
I am learning how to be a stay at home mommy! It has been difficult. Josh and I have both been the kind of people that are always doing something. Micheala has made us slow down a little, which is a GREAT thing! She is a precious but very independent little thing! No one knows where that comes from. She is growing rapidly and learning to do so many new things. Sometimes I catch myself almost on the verge of an emotional episode.
We are slowly making new friends and trying different churches. It is hard to start all over.
God has been good and provided for us in ways that we didn't even think about! Only one more month and Josh will be home again with us! Our prayer is that God would open up doors for a job, so that Josh wouldn't have to instruct.