Sickness and the Humane Society

We have all been passing around a sore throat, cough and stuffy head mess but at this point I think we are nearing the end. (PTL!) There are still boxes everywhere and I feel like I'm running from the moment my sleepy head is out of bed. My body seems to be fighting tooth and nail to continue to be a night person. Life necessitates me being a morning person during this season and I'm beginning to wonder just how long it will be before my body and mind will cooperate with the alarm clock :)

Tim is settling in at work and all that seems to be going well. He has some certifications to get but they are providing the study materials so he picks away at that as he is able. The kids are settled into school as well. All three are enjoying their new schools and we are quite pleased with the entire situation. Communication between parents and teachers is amazingly good and so unlike what we had in the mountains. We really feel blessed to be here.

We visited at CCA again two Sundays ago and hit another special service so we have yet to hear the pastor teach. It was a bit discouraging. That Thursday we went to the Calvary in Dayton for their midweek study. It was good we went that week as that was the last midweek meeting before the New Year. Evidently they take a break over the holidays. The study was good and reminded me of Frank's Tuesday morning study. The kids were downstairs and enjoyed the evening as well. They have an old church building that reminds me a lot of Bill Faehl's place in Pottstown. It was refreshing to be among familiar teaching and welcoming people. Tim actually had lunch yesterday with a guy we met that night who also works on the base. Tim and the kids (sans Quin) went to their Sunday morning service last weekend. I stayed home with Quin and his runny nose. It is a bit farther to drive than we hoped but thus far seems to be the closest church teaching verse by verse. Tim and I went to a home fellowship in Kettering Sunday evening that was enjoyable as well. Since I missed services that morning, it was good to go to a study. We are praying about begining a study after the New Year. Stay tuned for more....

When we thought everyone was finally well last week, Tim, Quin and I visited the Humane Society to see what kind of dogs they had. It is a new facility and very nice. We looked at several dogs until they closed. I went back alone the next day (the kids were off school so Hannah watched the others while I went out). I looked at five more and found a sweet tempered young shepherd mix. I put a hold on her and brought the kids back to meet her. What a gentle dog. She rolled over and let everyone pet her belly and was friendly and very tolerant of all the hands and attention. So, Saturday we picked her up and now we have a dog :) She has just been great. Her previous owner released her (allergy evidently) and she has obviously had some training. She is house broken and seems to know "sit". She is a bit hesitant with her crate and I wonder if she spent a lot of time in one before. She definately likes to be near someone and follows us around where ever we go. Last night she seemed to finally relax some about following us from room to room. Going across the room to the kitchen didn't require her to actually get up... she just watched to make sure we'd be back. Her first vet appointment was last night and she got a clean bill of health and several comments of "you got a good dog"! We have a consulation appointment next week with the trainer to set up some obedience classes for her (and us). Anyhow, her is the blurry photo from her petfinder listing:

Landed

After much ado, we have arrived in Ohio. The closing in the Poconos went much longer than expected due to some issues with the buyer's bank. The drive was nearly more than I could bear and shortly after arriving I came down with laryngitis and Faith had croup BUT I love our house, the schools thus far are better than we could even hope for and the community is wonderful. I think we will be very happy here.

Tim had an interview the Friday after we moved in and was offerred a position, which he accepted. He is working at the air force base for a computer support contractor. The pay is less than we hoped for, but the benefits seem to be quite good and there is plenty of room for advancement. They have tuition reimbursement as well, so Tim plans to finish his degree while there.

Our first Sunday we visited Calvary Chapel Tri-State (in Cincinnati). It was a nice little congregation very much like we had in the Poconos and the teaching was good. They are a very mission/outreach focused church which was nice. The pastor was saved in prison, so there is an obvious love for that type of ministry. It would be a fine place to get plugged in however the distance and time is a bit prohibitive. Last Sunday we visited Clearcreek Assembly which is a larger group and much closer. It went well there also. The teaching isn't what we are used to at all, but seemed fine for what it was. They also have seem to have a lot going on, especially for the teens, which is nice. I miss the verse by verse teaching I've become accustomed to for the last 18 years. We are still praying about what the Lord would have us do in the church regard... where to attend and serve as well as if/when to start a home study. Not many churches have a Sunday evening service, so perhaps that would be a good time to have a home study. At this point, we'll wait until after the holidays.

School is going quite well. Emma and Hannah are both a bit behind where they should be which was expected. They seem to be working hard to get caught up though and I don't doubt that they will. Hannah and I attended a winter guard informational meeting and she has decided to join. I'm excited for her and hope she finds it as fun and challenging as I remember it. Practice starts after Thanksgiving and she can hardly wait.

Jot's resource room teacher and helpers are just what we hoped for and more. He is finally being challenged and pushed to work hard and learn. We are so thankful to have found a place where they are willing to put in the effort to get results from him. His main teacher doesn't buy his "it's too much/hard/confusing" line that other's before her have given in to. Jot is excited to be reading "real" books rather than photocopies of younger readers. The class just began Holes yesterday. I really appreciate that they are stretching him up to the materials/curriculum rather than simplifying everything to the point of not challenging him at all. Thus far we are quite pleased.

I still have not quite gotten my voice back but am trying to push on and get the boxes unpacked. It seems to take six times as long when Quin keeps getting into everything and requires my attention. My goal is to unpack five boxes a day at least. Eventually it will get done. (I hope.)

I have lots of pictures but haven't spent the time uploading them yet. Eventually it'll get done... :)