So I haven't blogged much...

...a fact pointed out to me by a very good friend of mine ;) (Warning, this entry may be a total teal deer)


So what's been going on? Well, not a whole lot. The winter whizzed by, praise the Lord, and now spring is well on its way.

We had a blast visiting Australia for December, and were very reluctant to leave. Adelaide gained many friends and admirers during our trip, and now loves to talk to our faraway loved ones on the phone - her especial favorites are "Gammy", "Gampy", "Sholl" and "Rodyn" (you all know who you are ;P) We got sunburnt several times, had a few interesting adventures (don't ask Aaron about walking from Mundulla to Bordertown because his version of the story makes me look like the bad guy), and made some wonderful memories with wonderful people! Hopefully it won't be too long before we all get to see each other again.

Adelaide is now two years old, if you can believe that, and boy is she zooming along. She seems to talk non-stop these days - her favorite phrases are "what you doing", "read book" and "apple-nah-butt" (apple with peanut butter - guess her favorite food!). She's becoming more and more of a wonder every day, and often surprises us with her astute observations or statements.

As for life in general, well, the economy has been less than helpful. We've been living with Aaron's folks for almost two years now, and while we will always be grateful for their amazing hospitality and generosity, I think we all feel it's time for something different. The kind of wages we need can't seem to be found here in the Brainerd Lakes region, despite constant job-hunting by Aaron - and more lately by me. We've had a few interviews and possible opportunities pop up in the cities, so we're setting our search engines for the Minneapolis region.

The job hunt has been hard for both of us, and it's something I'm sure millions of Americans can relate to on some level or another. Apply for a job, get an interview, get a callback, wait a few weeks... and nothing. Repeat ad nauseum. Every time, I find myself getting overly excited about an interview or a call-back, only to have my hopes dashed at the last second with "sorry, we decided to go with someone else". And that's with Aaron's interviews - it must be a hundred times worse for him (though he shows it differently). We try to stick together and keep encouraging each other, though, and he has been fantastic despite the disappointments. As always, please keep praying for us. We have one particular opportunity about which Mary and I both have that "this is IT" feeling... Aaron had a call-back earlier this week, and he also seems optimistic (which is saying a lot!). I'll keep you posted about it.

Spiritually things are going well. :) I'm helping out with the dramas for Kidstuff, the Wednesday night kids' service my church does, and I really enjoy it. I know God has given me a passion for drama, especially when used in church situations, so I'm humbled that He has given me this opportunity to use it almost every week. The end results are never perfect, lines are often forgotten and props left at home or improvised at the last minute, but we always say that as long as the general message gets across and we have fun, that's what matters. :) I've found myself really having to step forward in the Kidstuff drama arena since Carrie, Ben and Jake moved to Colorado (three wonderful, amazing people whose skills at the performing arts are just mind-bogglingly awesome - I believe Darth Vader made an appearance at the Christmas sketch in 2008?), and I've enjoyed the challenge. I find myself relying more on God for help during the performances, which is how it should be. :)

Aside from Kidstuff, well I just gotta keep reminding myself that God is in control. That's really my main thing. Any time I find myself freaking out about something, or frustrated about an interview, or frustrated about our living situation or my job, I realise that the things I'm actually freaking out about or frustrated at are things that are not in my control. They're in God's control. And He knows what He's doing - He has plans for a hope and a future for us, and I just need to remember that. :)