Holiday Season Part 3: Let it Snow!

We're out in North Bend this weekend for some good ol' family fun! I worked yesterday and left the hospital at 3:45 pm, it took me exactly 1 hour to move 1.5 miles in my car. In all, it was a 2 hour commute to get from the hospital to the in-laws. Plus...I was in charge of picking up KFC for dinner for the crowd of 8, and I was craving some crispy chicken to snack on for the remainder of the ride (and I have very specific cravings these days). You can only imagine how disappointed I was to find the KFC in Issaquah closed due to a main break. So we settled on McDs, which wasn't a part of my list of cravings...

I kept praying that this wasn't a sign for how this weekend would turn out...

After a night of reconnecting with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Greg and I headed to my parents to sleep (due to a shortage of beds). We decided to tour the housing development for Christmas lights and were happy to find a nice variety of displays! It was quite festive with the snow that was continuing to fall, adding to the inch of accumulation that was already on the ground. We found that LED lights are the new fad...though we're not Christmas light connoisseurs, we like to think we know a thing of two of outdoor illumination (we try to help my dad every year so he can compete in the annual competition). We're not so sure about the neon, rave look, but we know they're "green", so I guess that's a good thing : ) Greg refers to the new LED trend as a "Chernobyl Christmas".

Once we got to my parent's house at 11:30 at night, we settled into the "lodge" bedroom. There were no blinds to hide the icicle lights blinking furiously outside our three windows...Greg said it looked romantic on the ceiling...I said it looked like the house was on fire. But it was a nice touch none-the-less. We had a good couple of laughs over the experience, thinking back to a Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase (It's an annual tradition to watch the movie while decorating our Christmas Tree). I was happy to compliment my dad on his handiwork this morning.

So the snow is continuing to fall beautifully. Josie continues to say "bubbas (bubbles)" as she excitedly looks out the window. It's quite sweet really. She's enjoying the time she's spending with her 2 year old cousin, they're best-friends now...here are the pictures to prove it!

It has been a good weekend so far! We've still got the big party tonight! So I better go get the cake decorated!

Holiday Season Part 2: God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

Well our Holiday Season posting started off slow and trailed off from there. So here I am resurrecting the theme in the second post. There are many things that I love about Advent, aside from celebrating the incarnation of our Savior to enter into our world to identify with us in suffering and secure peace with the Father as the sacrificial Lamb, such as scarves. I recently got my yearly cold winter scarf and really enjoy it. It was cheap at the Gap and has a nice print on it. What I enjoy most about scarves, is the feeling of a proper English Gentleman that accompanies it (I will even don the wool coat to complete the ensemble). This year, I was feeling so proper I decided to shave off the 'ol beard, which is a standard this time of year. But it is so nice to snuggle up on the coach next to the illuminated yule tree with a scarf, a nice glass of scotch, and a feeling of rest.However, that is not where rest is. Rest is also in stay-cations. I am taking Wed-Thurs. off work until the last two weeks of December and am looking forward to relaxing at home. But the problem is always the hustle and bustle that it creates for the days surrounding the stay-cation. But I am going to try and be diligent to not fall into workaholic mode when I am off the clock. Additionally, it has been tough lately resting at night because Dolly's morning sickness seems to accompany bedtime, and sometimes after I have already fallen asleep. The waking up makes my body feel like it was naptime more than bedtime. This has lead to the only cure for insomnia I know; reading a biography of an obscure Dutch-Presbyterian Apologist. Nevertheless, true rest isn't found in stay-cations, dutch-Presbyterians, or cool winter scarves that make one feel like a Gentleman. It is ultimately in Christ, and it is exciting that we have a season that commemorates his incarnation in literal tidings of comfort and joy. His incarnation is our comfort and joy because the work that he came to do (atoning for our sin, saving us from Satan, sin, and death) is the only place that we find real rest.

God rest ye merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember, Christ, our Saviour
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

The joys of toddlerhood have arrived!

Josie is now 14 months old! Time has truly flown by...that cute cooing baby is now a babbling machine with an outstanding dictionary of hundreds of words (only 15 are audible to the parent ear). It's definitely an exciting time! Right now I love how proud she gets when she says "light on/off" with the flick of her tiny fingers at the light switch. She'll glance up at me, her smile beaming as she points to the ceiling. Greg just leaned over and said "you can't overstate the sense of accomplishment she has." Her sense of wonder is hard for me to understand and relate to. If only I could translate that wonder into my view of Christ. One way I miss the joy of my salvation is by failing to see the wonder in Christ's amazing love for us and in his work on the cross. How much more he could reveal about himself to me if I was not so distracted, thus preventing me from experiencing the childlike wonder of faith? I wish I too could have a sense of wonder at the little things I encounter each day; thankfully, I have a little person with me all the time to help show me what these things mean.

So as joyous as this time has been, it has honestly been VERY challenging! Two weeks ago Josie learned how to whine and scream. She used to be "easy-going", and I was thankful for an infant who rolled with the punches, even with those extra long outings and delayed naps. Now I'm having to work harder at teaching her little heart! This came about too suddenly, and maybe it's just the added hormones of pregnancy impacting the drama that seems to be flooding upon me every morning when I change her diaper. But still...it's been difficult as I discuss with Greg how best to address these tantrums and screaming fests. I know children...they are my passion...but I'm just learning parenting! (This too came as a shock to my pride!) So...needless to say, I am having a heck of a time with her new mode of communication. I have found one thing that is helping is to get down on her level (literally), look at her in the eyes, and ask what's wrong. She recognizes a few signs, but does not perform them, so it's nice to have her whimper with the right one I sign. My patience has been tried about every 15 minutes, but the Lord is thankfully giving me more and more grace and passion to parent as each day comes. So it's getting late...and I will have to sleep to get more energy so that both hers and my own heart can go through more transformation tomorrow! Wish me luck as a new day approaches!

Holiday Season Part 1: Over the River and Through the Woods

Happy Thanksgiving! The official start to the holiday season started today, at least for our family. As soon as family is involved, it rings all too clearly of the spirit of the season (not intending to sound sarcastic here, but never-the-less, I just giggled).

It had been a busy week, but very enjoyable. Skip ahead to Wednesday...I went to lunch with my family at the new Snoqualmie Casino and won $40 on a penny slot machine! We then hosted our community group for a pre-Thanksgiving dinner, somehow we all fit around a dining room table (kids included). We all had good intentions to go to the Ballard Thanksgiving service at 7pm after our dinner together. However, in our intentions to plan wisely (i.e. post-pone naps so that kids would make it through the service), none of our kids actually took their naps...so we had actual and potential meltdowns about every 10 minutes (us included). Really, it was a good time to connect and relax, and Greg and I enjoyed opening up the new home to our church family. That night we had a date night, and since there was no place open in North Bend to get dessert, we traveled a few miles up the road to the Snoqualmie Casino to gamble the $40 I had won previously that day and to find out that drinks are not complimentary. We ended the night with a McDonald's milkshake and fries before crashing at his parent's house.

So here's the run-down on Thanksgiving for Greg and I. Every year, we have to share the holidays with each family. That means, one family gets us for Thanksgiving and the other for Christmas day...we've found ourselves to be a hot commodity, second in line only to Josie. We spent some time with Greg's parents in the morning to share breakfast with them (homemade biscuits and gravy!). This gave me the precious time I needed to decorate my notorious turkey cake, which later got intentionally demolished before anyone could eat it...no not by me or Josie....not to insinuate Greg either, it was actually my own mom, for the purpose of good video footage : ) So we spent Thanksgiving in Ellensburg on my grandparent's farm. We had a good time (yes, I say we because Greg did too!) We were surprised to find that their TV was able to get a snowy version of the football games, so Greg was thoroughly enjoying the Titans big win. Josie had a good time getting re-acquainted with the family she hasn't seen in awhile, and I had a good time feeding the horses next door, after driving across a pasture in a golf cart in 35 degree weather to get to them.

But really, it was a wonderful day filled with laughter and family. I was thankful the Lord brought us all together, especially my sister from California. I was also thankful for the time I spent with Greg in the car on the way over. We had some good conversations and felt energized for the rest of the day together. He let me sleep on the way back...what a sweetheart : ) So here we are....relaxing and unwinding from another busy week, but one that has been truly blessed and we are very thankful for our friends and family who shared this time with us.

"The Greg and Dolly Show" Spinoff

Dolly and I have always been fans of "The Greg and Dolly Show." It was a term that we started back in High School to characterize certain dates, scenarios, or events in our life that were big enough to be deemed for a good TV show. It started off as a teenage drama, complete with cool soundtrack (we still have some mixed CD's for certain dates), hot drama, a little bit of ignorant romance, and even in some cases, action. The first season was fun with some great day trips to Leavenworth, road-tripping the cascade loop, skipping school to go to the zoo, and Dolly butchering Mac N Cheese while we played pop-punk in my band Influence (that's right Nick, my band, even though I only played drums). It had a lot of comedic moments, was light-hearted and felt more like a pilot season than anything else, we had no idea where it was headed (although we both knew it was headed to marriage).

The second season began following high school, the fun teenage drama became a little more intense. We both felt distant from each other and fought to keep the love that we kindled in High School as Dolly was at SU and I was off at Army Training and then Northwest University. Throughout the season, there was the angst of feeling exiled from home, love, and life. It bred fights, fears, and bitterness but also gave us the chance to fight for our love. It was a difficult season for "The Greg and Dolly show", whereas it was previously characterized by that careless teenage feeling, it had developed into something more serious but unstable. It was like the crappy part of "Friends" where you were sick of the Ross and Rachel drama and you wanted either the closure or the consummation (I voted for closure for Ross and Rachel, but wanted us to make it). At the high point of this was when I got my military orders to go overseas. It felt like we were getting close to the season finale, what would happen next? Would they still be together? Was it just a good run for two seasons? The questions went on and on.

The season finale ended with a proposal.

Halfway through the deployment there was a special summer episode of the show. It was a two week stint where we got married, had a vacation to Victoria, moved into an apartment, and experienced the giddiness of newlyweds. It matured past a teenage drama, but embodied more of a prime-time sitcom. It was very fun. We we married, being cool, hanging with good friends, and laughed a lot. After the two week stint, I went back to Kuwait and the show was put on hold (it was sorta like a writers strike, where it couldn't continue, but we couldn't wait for it to come back).

When we came back we finished school, got into our careers. For me it was ministry, interning at Mars Hill for 100$ a month (thank you GI Bill), and for Dolly it was working at Children's. The show was in full swing and hit a good stride. It continued to do well. There were little hiccups here and there which made for an interesting season, e.g. Greg getting laid off for budget reasons, thinking about moving to Charlotte, NC for Seminary, but realizing that God has called us to the NW. This season ended with a Bang: a pregnancy (watch the surprise pregnancy announcement here-the first 30 sec.). We ended up moving back to North Bend, our hometown, for that season so that we could be close to our parents when Josie arrived and it was awesome. Little did we know that his was going to be the finale of the "Greg and Dolly Show."

The show ended when ratings were at their peak. It had been a run encompassing every aspect of great television: romance, comedy, action, and spirituality. However, it wasn't the end of our career. The "Greg, Dolly, and Josie Show" was an even more successful spinoff!

What had started as a teenage drama transitioned into a feel-good family sitcom. There was the comedy of ignorant parenting, poo, great laughter, sleepless night, and love. Receiving Josie into the cast has been one of the biggest blessing in our "television career" and we look forward to continuing to watch her mature into an actress and seeing the roles that God calls her to. In addition to that, we are also excited about the possibility of future cast members (hopefully some more brothers or sisters for our lil prima donna).

Although we still do get great evenings where we are able to do a reunion of the "Greg and Dolly Show" (such as going on a great date night), it is no longer the show that characterizes our family. The show has unfolded into a more elaborate one that is a great blessing. The best part is that we have so many supporting actors that make it so enjoyable for those watching and participating. Our parents, friends, co-workers, those we live in community with, and others.

This all really hit me following Josie's B-day, and I realized on the way home from Leavenworth that we made it through the first season of the "Greg, Dolly and Josie Show" and it was a seamless transition from the original show to the better spinoff. We do see this as part of God's blessings and are so thankful for the ways He continually shows His grace and love to us by giving us another season (hopefully many more) with more cast members, and more opportunities to see His hand as the director of the show. By the way October 15 will mark 8 years from the pilot episode of the "Greg and Dolly Show" we might have a reunion in honor of that :)

Josie turns 1 year old!

If 1.5 minutes of Joines family fun wasn't enough....

Josie turns 1 year old as of 12:21 am October 4th! That would be tomorrow. So in celebration of this exciting turn of events...we've created another montage. This time we sorted through roughly 1000 photos and a few hours of random video footage...all into 11 minutes of pure Josie fun montage style. So sit down and invest 11 minutes into our movie...the good parts are towards the end. Hope you enjoy our little darling as much as we do : )




12 Months of Josie from Greg and Dolly on Vimeo.

When feeling like Richard Gere isn't as sexy as it sounds

Yesterday was a great Birthday! I have hit a huge milestone; lower car insurance rates, the ability to rent cars without using my expired military ID, and according to an old copy of Men's Health, 25 is the most healthy year of a man's life (I intend to disprove that). Now that I am officially old, and on my way to becoming a geriatric (gray hairs to prove it), I have learned two huge things that can only come from this old age. First, the papers I produce when I drink 4 cups of coffee and consume 2 Red Bulls are far from intelligible (HT: Editorial Team of Dolly and Erin). However, that won't stop me from my Red Bull binging. Second, just because a cupcake has a cool design doesn't mean that it has more frosting (HT: wifey).

Overall the Birthday was/is awesome. I have married into a tradition that maintains a strict 3-day birthday rule (which usually evolves into a couple of weeks for some people). The first day was an awesome day with one of the greatest (and my favorite) recipes in the entire world, a beef enchilada dip (HT: Teresa. I will ask permission to post her awesome recipe on here...). Yesterday, we went out for appetizers and drinks, I won't mention the restaurant but it was featured in "Talledega Nights" and rhymes with -pplebee's (it's cheesy but I love the happy hour...). Then tonight, after community group (where Dolly brought cupcakes- hence lesson numero two) was presents. Dolly knows the key to my heart, a case of Red Bull and a DVD of the greatest action adventure film since Bicentennial Man, well it was the best this year (Death Race was a huge let-down), Iron Man. But the best present comes from the Browns, who gave birth to their new daughter on my birthday. Great "planning" guys, I am honored!! So here is a pic of the spoils of the B-day, and time to go look into getting a AARP card....and watch Iron Man with my lovely wife.

Family Montage at Gasworks

On Monday, Greg met me and Josie at Gasworks. We were both dolled up, Josie looked cute too :) We met Kaitlin Musser for a photo shoot, which was exciting because she took our preggo photos a year ago (view on her website). She took some excellent photos! So please take a moment, relax, enjoy 1.5 minutes of Joines family montage.

Family Montage at Gasworks from Greg and Dolly on Vimeo.

Pibil, the Phantom, and Parking Garages

*Some details may be falsified/embellished for dramatic effect...

So last Friday was a great day of celebration. I didn't exactly know what we were celebrating, but we decided to party like Rock Stars (or how we would party if we were Rock Stars). It started with the usual; waking up to the Josie, getting some grub and heading out the door. Instead of making the pilgrimage all the way out to North Bend, we met Dolly's mom (Grandma Sheri to the wee one) in Issaquah at 'the Bird' for an Iced tea, Diet Coke, and an order of fries. After leaving Josie for a fun adventure at the Grandparents (she has become rather fond of Boompa), we decided to head over to Ross so we could look snazzy sexy on the Cheap. I ended up with a nice Calvin Klein shirt, Dolly ended up with a wardrobe, and Josie would get a puffy pink jacket (I hope we return it, *hint* *hint* Dolly). There is something about getting some new, nice clothes and going out on the town (and there is something else about even leaving the tags on to let the town know that you are going out in new nice clothes- we practiced the former and neglected the latter). Anyway, after Ross we had to hit up QFC to make ingredient for our favorite Mexican dish, Puerco Pibil.

**SIDENOTE: Puerco Pibil is an amazing slow roasted pork dish that is uber fantastic (I probably should've used a Spanish word and not a German would to describe that...). Anyway, it is the only thing good about the movie "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" Robert Rodriguez has a "10 Minute Cooking School" (Rated -R, but the PG-13 version of the Recipe is here) and it teaches you to make this amazing dish. I highly recommend it. Because you use 5 lbs of meat, it usually feeds the Joines Fam for about 10 meals.**

At QFC we figured the best course of action for our Pibil campaign was to break up into two teams ('super secret squad alpha,' consisting of me and 'lame Dolly team', consisting of Dolly) Alpha team was in charge of a 4-pack of Red Bull and 5.5 lbs of Pork Butt and the Dolly team was in charge of the rest. It was like a crazy scavenger hunt to get the ingredients and meet at the register. Unfortunately, and I won't mention any team names, but it wasn't the super secret squad alpha team forgot to get the most coveted Mexican cheese in the display, Cotila or something, so she had to go back and get it, and ultimately had to pay separately for that.

So after a short stop at a liquor store (to get a cute lil bottle of Tequila for the Pibil), we made the trek home. We had laid out all the spice before we left and were ready to grind, blend, and roast. The little bottle of Tequila somehow broke and when I opened it up it started draining across the floor and shooting a small stream of liquor across the kitchen. Since my military training kicked in, I knew exactly what to do; get a safe distance away and aim the small stream in the blender. Unfortunately my marksmanship with a lil bottle of Tequila isn't as good as one might expect with all my taxpayer-sponsored training, so after the most expensive dribble of tequila in the mix, we were ready to put it in the oven.

After a short nap we woke up to some fantastic Pibil and got ready to go. We both looked great and we were ready to tear up the town. So after a few navigational blunders/parking adventures, we ended up parked and almost 50 minutes early. So we got to the Paramount, purchased an outrageously over-priced program, and looked good (we do these things in style, or at least we pretend). So we decided that we would get a drink; I got Glenlivett on the rocks (a standard) and Dolly ordered a "Masquerade" (Absolut Pear, Soda and a splash of Cran- disgusting). So neither one of us really enjoyed our drinks (they gave me about a pint of Scotch and Dolly's was just plain disgusting), but we didn't want to just throw our drinks away. So with the utmost care we performed the most clandestine operation of the evening; getting rid of our drinks without other people knowing that we were getting rid of our drinks. We saw only a handful of options:

1. Wrap the napkin around the cup and toss it in the garbage can,
2. The dying tree to the left of us could probably use a little pear liquor in its roots, or
3. Tastefully discard the beverage while at the drinking fountain pretending to get a drink.

We decided on the last option, but I had to perform the act with both drinks. It was smooth (aside from the mountain of ice left in the drinking fountain). So finally we were able to snag our seats. We had purchased the tickets one week before they went on sale thanks to Dolly's passport thing for working at Children's and they gave us some of the best seats in the house. They were dead center and 8 rows back so we could easily gaze over the pit to the theatrics unfolding around us, and were under the Chandelier as it fell (really cool). Overall, the play was a fantastic experience (the production was amazing, the costumes were great, and the music was captivating) my only beef is that the main lead for men were anything but strong. Since my only framework for the Phantom was King Leonidas (300) who played the Phantom in the movie version, so I was expecting a pretty tough dude. Instead, we got this joker (below the King). Lame. This consequently made Christine's character look weak. So after enjoying the time at the theåtre, we hit up the Cheesecake Factory for a quick appetizer and drink. We both enjoyed some of our favorite foods (Potstickers for the misses and I rocked some sliders), and got some Cheesecake and Carrot Cake for the road.

Unfortunately, the entrance to the convention center (where we parked) closes at 10pm and the garage closes at 12am. Our watch said 11.15 and we knew if we didn't play our cards right, we would be that couple calling you (to the two people who will read this) asking if you could pick us up. Luckily after going through the entrance off 8th, through a parking garage, through three levels of the convention center, and riding in two elevators we made it back to our car. We pulled into our Pibil smelling abode shortly after midnight and were able to enjoy some of our Cheesecake bounty. We started a good movie about the IRA terrorists, but was only able to make it 20 minutes in before we crashed.

Dolly wishes that I would be more thoughtful posts on here instead of just recounting the adventures. I honestly am thankful for Jesus that I have an amazing wife who have been able to grow with over the past 8 years and still enjoy and experience 'that teenage feeling', that I get to eat good food that anticipates a heavenly feast with Jesus, that we have caring parents who love and adore our girl to enable us to do this, that there is creation and expressions of it via theater (and the better movie) to reflect God's creation and drama, and that we can share how special this is to the one person who actually finished reading this.

Why I'm a Nurse at Children's

The Soulworker

A nurse is a soulworker. The mending of
the body is only a fraction of what she
accomplishes each day. With her compassion,
kindness, and specialized skills she encourages and
inspires those she works with. Through her caring,
courage and everyday heroism, the act of nursing
becomes a life’s work. The nurse is transformed
into a vehicle of healing. She is a soulworker.

Micheline Montgomery PhD
September 2002

I had an incredibly emotional and difficult time at work on Friday evening...the second night of work that I have ever cried in front of my colleagues. I cried twice last night at work in fact, and fought tears the rest of my night at home. I am often asked how I cope with working with sick children, and my only answer is that God has prepared my heart in advance to serve these families in the capacity he has enabled me to. I feel privileged, honored, and blessed to have the opportunity to show the same love and compassion that my Father has shown me to families of different cultures, languages, and religions. Whatever economic, situational, or physical characteristics seem to define these children and their families, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ looks beyond to see the heart. I am thankful that he has called me to serve them with kindness and love as I too reach beyond what is on the outside to help the hurting, sick, or disabled child and the family that provides unconditional love to that child outside the hospital.

So here is a list of reasons why I love working as a nurse at Children's Hospital:

I see bedridden children sit up with joy at the sight of a therapy dog

I see exhausted fathers return to their teenager's room with McDonalds at 2:00 am

I see new mothers tearfully express thanks when I enter their room with hot tea, as they await the doctors news from the most recent labs drawn from their newborn.

I see teenagers who have battled cystic fibrosis together for years, chatting on their hospital phones while they play Monopoly from separate hospital rooms

I see foster parents dressing their child's wounds day after day with the utmost care and affection, for they were called to care for a child who's skin fails to heal

I see the 3 year old in severe pain call out for "more bubbles" as I fill their room with little floating balls of joy.

I see new fathers anxiously attempt to change the first diaper of their little boy as I stand nearby coaching with words of encouragement.

I see excited toddlers stand in their "bubble-top" cribs playing peek-a-boo with me as I stand outside their room, knowing that when I enter I have to "gown up" and put on a mask making it impossible for them to truly trust me, a faceless stranger.

I am a sticker queen for the school girls

I am a warm arm for the babies without parents alone in their room at 4 am

I am an ear to anxious teenagers, missing the most important dance at school

I am encouragement to the mother learning how to give insulin injections to her 2 year old, newly-diagnosed, diabetic son

I am respite for the parents who have spent hours trying to calm their agitated daughter who has cerebral palsy

I am the lady who pulls the wagon for the preschooler needing to go on a "walk" around the unit late at night

I teach, encourage, support, learn, cope, laugh, plan, lead, listen, hold, blow bubbles, cry, and everything else that is required of a nurse besides giving meds, continuously assessing, calling doctors, and endless charting.

Nursing is not who I am, it is not where I find my identity, it is not what I do. God has called me to nursing, not solely as a profession, but as a call to service. I learn about my heart, and it's sinful and fruitful responses, through this calling. I learn more about others: the strength that Gods gives a family to endure, the love that connects a child with his or her family, and what it means to work with a team on a common purpose to promote the physical and emotional well-being of a child.

I am truly thankful that God has placed me at Seattle's Children's Hospital for the past 2 1/2 years. I pray he will keep me there longer, whatever his will may be. I am thankful for my husband who has supported me the past 8 years, through high school and college, to discover and answer this call that the Lord had for me. I am thankful that God (and my husband) continue to give me the opportunity to work as a nurse part-time, and for my family who supports me by watching Josie when I need to sleep during the day. I continue to pray for emotional and physical strength as I experience more difficult situations at work. I pray for the ability to rest easily when I come home and to give up my worries about patients through prayer. Lastly, I pray for those children who are struggling as I type, for their families, and for the many people who care for them tonight who may also be fighting back the same tears I have shed.

Changing Traditions

I was supposed to go into work tonight at 11pm, but they gave me a "no pay". Basically, that's when they call at about 10pm saying "we don't need you...do you want to take the night off (not eligible for pay)?" It's always fun to receive a no pay : )

So...I thought now would be a good time to talk about our trip to Ellensburg! Greg gave you his version in the last blog (it made me laugh out loud..but I can guarantee I was not laughing at the time it happened!)

Ever since my family moved to Washington in '99, we meet at my grandparent's farm in Ellensburg for the annual parade/fair/rodeo over Labor Day weekend. We've done it all over the past 9 years: played horsehoes, badmitton, golf, picked corn, fished, camped and/or chased cows in my Grandpa's pasture. Memories have been made every year. The first year I got a puppy, the third year we slept out in a 3 room tent (at which time I was horrified at my mom told my then-boyfriend Greg how I was conceived...), the list goes on and on. But this year...everything was different.

I'm the type of person that thrives on tradition and memories, and it hurts to see such an important event in my life, one that I look forward to for months, change so drastically. I knew it was coming eventually. Every year my Grandpa hosts the tractor portion of the parade in his front yard. Saturday at 6 am dozens of men with their polished John Deeres ride into the yard in formation to head into town for the morning parade. The largest pulls a giant covered wagon big enough to hold 50 people. It started out that the entire family, including my great-aunts and uncles, cousins, and random people I was somehow related to, used to ride in the covered wagon and wave to the crowds. Over the past 5 years, the number has decreased signficantly. This year only 6 members of my extended family rode in the parade, even the number of tractors decreased! This was a sign of a much bigger problem to our family traditions.

This year I realized that Labor Day weekend won't ever be the same. Each family has changed; there are new marriages, pregnancies, children, relocations, career changes, homes, deaths, and separations. It hit me hard this year that everything has changed. At first I was dissapointed, no one showed up for the annual family reunion except us! There were no family games of horsehoes, badmitton, or golf. My heart was broken.

As we were leaving town, God spoke through my husband to heal my heart. I must not look back and regret what won't be in the future, I must look back with a thankful heart for the memories and bonds made in the past. I must look towards the growth in each family's life, and pray for my family for the changes each one is enduring. I must look forward to the blessings God has for my own family with Greg and rejoice in the changes that have come and will come in the future. Nothing is meant to be stagnant in my life. God is ever changing this renewed heart within me. I am constantly learning and constantly growing in every way...and so is our family. This weekend the Lord blessed Greg and I with a restful time to connect with our daughter and each other. With a large crowd, we would have been unable to spend the quality time as a family. I would not have been able to spend two wonderful, and well-needed, date nights with my husband. So I am truly thankful for the changes that we witnessed this year. I believe God has prepared me for a new and difficult lesson to learn. Life is going to continue to change, our family reunion will likely never be the same as before. Another lesson of adulthood I guess, and now that Greg and I have a child, the lesson hit hard! But we are rejoicing in it!

To lighten the mood, I should tell you that we had a great time introducing Josie to horses, pigs, and golf carts. She had a blast with every thing! She had her first date at the fair; her daddy won her a pink doggy from the carnival games.

A Trip Characterized by Poo

Over this labor day weekend, the whole fam packed up and headed east. It has been a family tradition ever since before we became a family. Its a great time to connect with relatives at Dolly's grandparent's farm, watch (and even participate) in the Ellensburg Rodeo Parade (we usually ride in a covered-wagon and wave to the locals), eat the nasty (but tasty) Rodeo food (this time it was tacos and nachos), and find ways to wreak havoc with Golf Carts. In contradistinction to previous years, this year's trip has primarily been characterized by poo. Unlike Eggnog, that you can drink up to 3 week past the expiration date without major side-effects, organic DHA-enhanced whole-milk maintains a strict "7-day within opening" rule. Not knowing this "7-day rule" Dolly has been introducing this jug of Milk into Josie's diet for the past 2 weeks (that's 7 days longer than the "7-day rule"). Of course, we became aware of the rule on the morning we were planning to pilgrimage to Ellensburg.

We were about 30 miles away from Ellensburg, in the middle of nowhere, when it hit. A blowout for the books and on par with the worst parts of the Bible (or so it seemed). We took the next exit and ended up on a dirt road in a pasture with a flurry of baby wipes, little scented orange plastic bags, and dirty clothes. It was an adventure lasting approximately 20 minutes, and following a deluge of purel we finished the trek.

Throughout the afternoon we had little blowouts like these, but the worst was the following morning. As is custom, Dolly woke up and went to check in on Josie (usually affording me another few minutes of sleep), unfortunately, this one was cut short by the dreaded, "Greg, I need your help." I leaped up donning the cargo shorts from the previous night, and followed Dolly to the next bedroom where I heard the giggle of a mischievous Josie. It looked like Armageddon had struck the little pack 'n play. Following a flurry a baby wipes, hand towels, large garbage bags, antibacterial soap, 2 repeated loads of laundry, one impromptu bath, and a deluge of purel (pre and post showers), we were ready to start the day.

Overall, it was a great trip and provided an opportunity for Dolly and I have take two nights out on the town... err, Ellensburg. It was a great time for us to connect, make some great memories and discover some great local talent. I am sure we will post some more thoughts in the near future, but now Dolly and I have to watch "Hunt for the Red October."

Hugs and Kisses...whether you want them or not!

To all those who know Josie and have seen her recently, you might laugh when I mention her stoic and serious demeanor. People compete over whether they can get her to smile. For example, this week we had gone to a friend's BBQ birthday bash, and amongst all the strangers, never once did Josie offer a smile or friendly smirk. Sure, she laughed and giggled as she watched her daddy play badminton, but to the rest of the world, she shot off thoughtful gazes that seem to cut those who try to be affectionate. This, I know, is just the surface of her personality. She opens up to people eventually, but it does take time. She's one of those people that seem to hold the philosophy that trust must be earned.

There's nothing wrong with this part of her personality. True, I sometimes wish selfishly that she could be that friendly baby that everyone loves to poke at and play with. I wish sometimes she wouldn't continue to stare at the Safeway clerk when she says "wow...what a serious baby". Furthermore, she's not a cuddly baby...she never has been. In her colicky stage she could not be calmed by Greg or I, no matter how hard we rocked, sang, read, walked, or prayed with her. She did best when (at six weeks old) we moved her out of our room and into the nursery. And even now I have taught her "hugs and kisses", but instead of reciprocating the affection, she literally pushes me away (no exaggeration here!) I told someone how I have been saddened by her uncuddly nature and her response was "well I wanted a cuddly baby, so I rubbed my tummy a lot when I was pregnant". That certainly didn't help encourage me in anyway. I instead was left feeling ashamed that maybe I caused her to be unaffectionate. I only briefly entertained that sinful thought, later I laughed it off.

Josie is almost 11 months old. I feel like I know this little girl inside and out, every nook and cranny of her budding personality. I've been with her the most out of anyone since her birth in October. Plus... I carried her so I feel like I know her even more.

I had to confess my prideful thoughts first : )

I'm not rambling or complaining, I do have a point! God is working on my heart through all of this.

#1: I cannot have unhealthy expectations for the child I have been blessed with or of those future children I may have. I have sinned in my selfish thoughts for a cuddly or extroverted baby. Josie may not be affectionate...she takes after me in that respect. I have a very particular space bubble that must be respected, even Greg steps cautiously at times. I happen to like the use of the term "love languages", and God (being perfect in his pairing of mates) chose me to be with someone who happens to have physical touch as a primary love language. Thus I have learned, and am continually learning, how to show and receive physical touch as a way to communicate love. I must learn to communicate love in the way that Josie knows how to communicate and receive love. Nevertheless, I will continue to be affectionate in all ways that I know how, including the giving of frequent hugs and kisses as the mommy inside me longs to do : )

#2: God knit this child together in my womb. She belongs primarily to him. I know he finds joy in the little creation that He created, the little creation that I was blessed enough to give birth to and to love and cherish as a mother should. Just as he pairs mates together in his perfect plan, so I believe, he pairs parents with children. Parenting Josie will mean a long and continual process of redemption. I and she will sin, confess, and repent; we will be sanctified for his Holy purpose, and the relationship we have will be one that reflects His redemption.

Within this realization, I know our Father in Heaven created Josie to have a particularly unique and special personality fit for His plan for her life. I, therefore, cannot have prideful thoughts that I know her "the best", as if to presume I have her figured out. I also cannot be discouraged by how she interacts with our friends. I do not know her as well as the Lord does. She will continue to surprise me, and I will always be learning who she is. Although I do believe the Lord does provide parents with a special insight into their childrens' hearts, so as to guide them as a Godly parent should.

So I love Josie with all of my heart, and I feel privileged and blessed to be her mother. To all those who fight for her smiles, keep trying, they will come eventually. Until then, love her as one is called to love a child of God : )

Little Words of Wisdom

I recently confessed to Greg that I was struggling with bitterness, specifically referring to how I hold on to the wrongs done to me in the past. I wasn't thrilled when his encouragement was "we don't have permission to hold on to them". I honestly thought that was a lame and trite thing to say at the moment. But I've been struck by it the last few days as God has graciously allowed the piece of wisdom to sink in on a deeper level.

We don't have permission to hold on to bitterness. Am I assuming that God has granted me permission to hold on to it? Maybe I am. Maybe I confess this sin with an attitude that I am "gifting" God with something that is mine to begin with. God never granted me permission to hold on to it, so why do I feel that I can own these feelings? Or worse...that I feel I have a right to own them, a right to allowing bitterness to stain my heart, and consequently, my actions. Maybe I fail to realize that I don't have a choice to own them or not.

It has been easier to whole-heartily confess and be free from the tangled mess of bitterness when I admit that I do not have a right to own it. It is not a confession I gift to the Lord, it is something he already suffered and paid for, it is something that belongs to him. I cannot wallow in bitterness at the sins committed against me. He paid for those one's too, so I cannot act like those sins only affect me and grant me a right to own my response to them. It's easy now to see where pride (again) is the root of my sin. It all goes back to breaking the first commandment I guess: I found an idol (myself) to place before God.

So when the feeling of bitterness arises at the mention of a name or place, I have been telling myself that it is not mine to keep, for God never granted me permission to linger on a sinful response. Greg always does have the perfect way to encourage me, even when I'm too stubborn at the time to allow the Lord to speak through him. Thank God for his and my husband's patience! :)

Blessed Gifts

Josie turned 10 months today! That means in 2 months from now, we'll be celebrating a landmark birthday! We're very excited, but haven't yet made plans on how to celebrate. However, Greg and I have been discussing what presents she'll receive. We originally were going to get her her first doll, as a special gift, but decided that she is ready for one now :) So we recently bought her the first "baby" (we'll post pictures soon, she's really sweet with it!).

Since we bought her a special toy already, and I've already made her 2 blankies, I was at quite a loss on what we should give to her. God has been convicting me over how much emphasis I have been placing on her gifts. I've now realized that I can create her some memorable gifts using the creative skills he has blessed me with. Fortunately, this will be inexpensive since we have most of the supplies. So here's what we have decided to do.

I am creating a scrapbook of her first year, not for my own to keep, but for her to have. Greg will also pitch in his artistic creativity to personalize some pages (we have created a scrapbook together in the past). Within it I will have letters written from all the close family, which will remain closed until she's old enough to read and cherish them. We're also going to make a "Josie montage" so that her first year of videos will not make for a boring, uninteresting evening of family movies. But that she would find enjoyment as she watches a shorter clip of favorites from her as an infant. Lastly, I will buy a journal for her. A friend of mine told me how she journals for her children, and ever since, I have been intrigued with the idea of journaling my thoughts for her. Some tangible way for her to see how God is transforming me as a woman of faith, a wife, and a mother, so that she can look back in years to come to see inside of who I was at this stage in my life. I'm not sure how often I'll write in it, but that'll be worked out after I find the right journal. Greg has agreed to write in it as well, so basically it'll be a way to write "letters" of wisdom and love to our daughter.

So wish us luck with finding the time to complete these special gifts. I pray that our hearts remain joyful as we prepare them, and that we will not become over-whelmed or constricted by time. I am ok with presenting half-completed gifts for her birthday. The gifts won't mean anything if in preparing them we are sinning. I am looking forward to spending the next 2 months really looking back at this past year and how the Lord has blessed us with the most special gift in our precious child!

Confessions from a Stagnant Christian

So it's been awhile since we blogged, but I finally have a topic I'd like to share with my friends and family. It involves some completely honest testimony, open confession, and the joyful revelation that our Lord in heaven showed to me today.

To begin, I will share a brief testimony of my salvation...since the revelation He revealed to me won't mean the same without hearing about my life as a Christian.

I was saved at the age of 15 as a sophomore in high school. I was lead to Christ by the man who is now my husband (and my co-blogger), Greg. I attended youth group, and it finally hit me after a few months that God had destined me to know him and to receive his gift of grace, the salvation of my sins by the death of his wonderful Son, Jesus Christ. It seemed so clear to me at that point that he had been calling me all along. I can still recall the "seeds" of faith he had planted throughout my childhood. It is beautiful and comforting to know he was with me in every memory: the joys, the sorrows, the pain, the blessed times, everything. So for the past 7 or 8 years I have had a roller-coaster of growth. Greg (paraphrasing from Powlison who paraphrased from Calvin) describes believers in this way "some people grow in leaps and bounds like gazelles, others dredge by their fingernails...". At first I was a gazelle...thirsting for wisdom and knowledge that revealed and glorified him. But I quickly believed the lie that "Christianity is hard", I believe this is what resulted in my depressed spiritual state. This whole time my relationship with our Triune God has been like grasping for weeds to hold on to as I climb a steep mountain that I can't even see the top of! Every now and then it would be marked by "spiritual highs" that lasted a few weeks or months. I realize now that I am actually the slower grower, maybe like a sloth climbing a tree or something, rather than a gazelle leaping around.

So that's where I've been. Saved, but not truly experiencing the joy that Christ has given me in himself. What happened to the faith that should have been like all those Max Lucado books? Christianity sometimes has this appearance that everything should just "click" right away. You walk into a Christian book store and are often overwhelmed by fluffy Christianity (no offense to those who like Lucado, but that is who first comes to mind) or how-to books that are actually mainstream psychology with a flavoring of Christianity placed between the lines. There is a general lie that is believed by most that "Christianity is hard", but instead of understanding this statement as a lie, people cover up their "inadequacies and failures" with smiles.

Now to the confession. I have failed to recognize that I have a new identity in Christ. I was surrounded by lies that I was filled with inadequacies and fears that prevented me from growing in relationship with him and those around me. This sounds so simple, but it's not fully recognized by people who say "Christianity is hard". Every time someone says it is hard, it seems to say "It's hard to be everything a Christian should be...it's hard to hold to what Scripture says". It doesn't seem like a lie at first, but it is. That's because when you say that, you're assuming that by your own power you could make it easier. That is completely false. We will ALWAYS fail if left up to our own futile power. So yes, it's hard if you assume you could fix the problem. I personally liked to plead in my prayers "I try Lord, but I can't seem to serve you or my husband....what am I doing wrong?" What I was doing wrong was "trying". I failed to recognize that he was and is my power source in everything. Ultimately, the foundational problem was that I failed to recognize the new identity that I possessed when I first acknowledged Christ as my savior.

Some of you might say right now..."wow that's a basic Christian truth she never really got." But that's the thing...I did get it. But obviously I was holding on to lies that prevented me from understanding and experiencing the joy and freedom that accompanied this truth. As a new creation (2 Cor 5.17), possessing a new identity, there should be freedom . We are no longer slaves to sin (Rom 6.6), our "sinful nature" no longer dwells within us, we don't need to try to make Christianity easy.

Now to the revelation...I am raised up. Since having a new identity in Christ, I am a new creation, "raised up with him (Eph 2:6)". I assumed that I still have a sinful nature, the sole inclination to sin, which presumes that I remained under the captivity of sin as a slave. But the language of Scripture does not say that. It says that we are new creations, filled with the Spirit (Eph 1.13) which was graciously given to us as a gift (Eph 1.13-14)...if that is true, we could not possess sinful natures, because we could not walk in darkness and in light (cf. John 12.42, John 8.12, and 1 John 1.5-7). Sinful natures and the Spirit could not dwell in the same person (Gal 5.17)! Although we as Christians obviously have the capability to sin and are definitely still prone to sin, we can have confidence in Christ who rescued us from being a slave to it and from the effects of our past, present and future sins (1 John 2.1).

Ephesians 2 1-10, has been a revolutionary passage for me. I believe the Lord has blessed me by answering my prayers to know what "having an identity in Christ" actually referred to. We are new creations because of our union with Christ; our identity is no longer a sin nature, we are now identified with Christ, thus possessing an identity in him. There is a freedom and joy in truly understanding what it means to be a new creation (2 Cor 3.17). Everything does change. We aren't the same sinful nature person who has God in the back corner of our life looking down once in awhile. He is ever present and we are ever connected to him (Col 3.3). Initially when Greg asked me what I thought having an identity in Christ meant, I first described it as being saturated with Christ. Greg corrected me by saying that "we aren't saturated. That assumes that we had something added to the same person. But the Bible states that person was dead in sin, and we are alive in Christ" (Eph 2, Rom. 6). Instead we are raised up (Col 3.1), yes we are filled, but that is because we are raised as new creations (2 Cor 5.17) seated with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph 2:6).

So my next post will be shorter. It'll be of the chiastic structure of Eph 2, which helped lead to this revelation. I'll ask if Greg could post on what chiastic structures are for they are not commonly known, but I have found them quite helpful :)

Praise be to God for revealing himself! I am so thankful that 8 years ago he revealed that I am saved from sin, and has now let me experience that fully by saving me from the lies that I believed.

Condition of the Sheep

As husbands we are called to love and lead our families as Christ loved the church (Eph 4.25-28). Unfortunately, many husbands fall into one of the two extremes of either neglecting their duty of leadership, or assuming a role of the household tyrant. The latter extreme is often because of neglect in loving the members of their family as Christ loves the church, and the former is due to neglect that leadership must be loving. One of the practical ways of lovingly leading our families to be invested in them. Both in regards to knowing their condition (e.g. their struggles, their joys, etc.) and practically investing in them (e.g. quality time, affection, etc.) . Proverbs exhorts us in knowing the condition of our flocks (and in this case our family). It states,

Know well the condition of your flocks,
and give attention to your herds,
for riches do not last forever;
and does a crown endure to all generations?
When the grass is gone and the new growth appears
and the vegetation of the mountains is gathered,
the lambs will provide your clothing,
and the goats the price of a field.
There will be enough goats' milk for your food,
for the food of your household
and maintenance for your girls. (Prov. 27.23-27)

There are so many times that we don't know or lead our families with love as we should, we don't care to know their condition, and instead get caught up in providing for them and not investing in them. This is something of the utmost importance because investing in them is a real, tangible communication of the love of Christ to them. That in our love and leadership to them, they will have a real analogy of Christ's love and leadership. That when put into practice the family becomes a community that reflects the church, a community of love centered on Jesus.
The Proverbs section also indicates an important truth, and that is the result of leading and investing in them. That just as caring for your flocks provided for a good family existence (clothing, food - the essence or core of the family) that caring, loving, and leading your family provides a good and joyous family experience. Practically, that could mean sacrificing an evening with the guys to watch a Jane Austen adaptation, helping her with chores around the house, cuddling up with the wife for some quality time, playing with the daughter, or even posting a blog while watching a good 'ol post-apocalyptic zombie/vampie movie.

Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Josie!

I'm happy to report that after tears shed from every member of the family for seemingly endless nights of crying and feeds, Josie is finally sleeping through the night : ) To those of you have come to know our little Josie over the course of her 6 months of life, you will know that she has been a challenge to say the least. I like to say she has a sparky (and highly particular) personality. She knows what she wants and when she wants it.

It started about 2 weeks after she was born. Fussing and crying incessantly for 2-4 hours in the evening, unable to be soothed unless she was being driven around the Snoqualmie Valley (which was a blessed time for Greg and I to talk about the day in quiet). We found that swaddling helped a great deal, but there seemed to be no way to prevent the evening terror episodes...that is until we stumbled across a parenting forum on our church's website that dealt with colic and strategies to help relieve it. At 6 weeks of age she was "cured": we moved her to her own bedroom and crib and put her down at 7:30 pm, in a tight, double-blanket swaddle. However, it wasn't until last week that our little Josie (5 1/2 months old) slept through the night. For months Greg and I have gotten up every 3-4 hours to soothe or feed our little angel. We praised God when he gave us a blessed 5 hour break! The true help arrived in the form of a book, one that came highly recommended by several friends. Although it's a little technical at times, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth, M.D. is a great source for information on how to prevent and fix sleep problems in infants and children. More importantly it helps the parent understand why sleep is so important.
Josie is still very particular. She really only has one cry...maybe two...that tells us she's unhappy. It's a little over-dramatic, she only gives me a 10-20 second fuss before it's an all-out scream in "pain" from hunger or wet diaper. Once I've figured out (and corrected) the problem, she's full of precious giggles and grins.
So what I have learned from this sleepless situation besides the importance of an early bedtime? I've learned to pray for my daughter. This experience has helped me value the prayer of a parent. There are times, and certainly will be times in the future, that I am unable to give my daughter what she needs. I will be unable to soothe her and comfort her to the extent that she needs. It is at these times that she and I must lean on Christ for comfort, knowing that only He provides ultimate peace and comfort. Hopefully, we will both grow in our faith enough to not only call on Him in desperation, but throughout each day for every situation we are in. I am learning to pray for her every night when she goes to bed (sometimes with selfish motives that she will sleep for mom and dad), but mostly for her comfort, well-being, and most importantly, her faith in Christ.

Will eat squash for smiles...please, no peas

Greg and I started Josie on solid foods 6 weeks ago, when she turned 4 months old. She loved the rice cereal right from the start (we've posted some pictures of the first experience). She did well for a few weeks until we started green veggies. The green beans were tolerable, but once I gave her peas she started a "strike" against solid foods, protesting anything that came from a spoon. This was certainly frustrating to say the least. We tried the airplane trick, the funny faces, the noises...nothing seemed to help. Grandma attempted to give her a bite followed by a quick mouthful of binky, which seemed to work, but Josie caught on to that trick. Needless to say, after weeks of protesting, her and I came to agreement tonight! She just needed a little squash...actually a lot of squash! I'd say 90% of the bowl went in her tummy, 6% on her bib, 2% on her hands, 1% on the highchair straps, 0.5% on her sleeve, 0.25% on her forehead, and 0.25% on her nose.
So what I have learned from this experience? I've learned that children can be stubborn and particular in doing things according to their own timing and under their own circumstances, despite the loving motivations of their parents to follow the "healthy" path of green veggies. Reflecting on my own life, I realize I am no different towards my Father. Sure as a baby I probably acted like that towards my dad, but I never changed (although I do like green veggies now). As an adult, I'm still as a stubborn now towards my Heavenly Father. I realize that I still want to try to time and plan my life according to my own will, despite having realized time and time again that Christ knows my life and future. He has planned it out perfectly long before I was born according to his perfect will. Who am I to argue with his perfect will? It takes faith and trust to be reassured that I am safe in my Father's arms, and I am ever thankful for those gracious gifts. Like Josie I accept the blessings of "squash" openly and readily. In the future I hope to act like this with all things that come my way...even the green veggies.

Purpose of table talk

What is table talk? With the help of Dictionary.com...

Table talk [tā-bəl to'k]

–noun

1.	informal conversation at meals.

2.	a subject that is considered appropriate for conversation at meals.

We have decided to start a blog to keep our family and friends updated on our lives and the many transitions the Joines' family is going through. Table talk is a suitable title for our blog, since we want to keep it as personal, open, and comfortable as possible. Unfortunately, we aren't able to meet with everyone over an occasional meal to share our lives with one another, so this just seems like the next best thing without food : ) Please check back regularly as we will keep you updated with Josie's newest tricks, life changes, and the lessons God is teaching us.

a little more background...

Dolly was born and raised in California, and moved to North Bend, Washington when she was 14. Greg has lived in Western Washington for most of his life. After joining the Army Reserves in 2002 he spent one year in Kuwait. We spent the first 5 years of marriage living in and around Seattle, WA. Currently, our family resides in Charlotte, NC.

Where we met: We met in high school, specifically Ms. Lighty's math class. Dolly was 15, Greg was 16. We knew after 3 weeks of dating that we would be married someday.

Where we've been: We got married in 2004, half-way through Greg's deployment to Kuwait. We finished getting our college degrees in 2006. Dolly went to Seattle University and graduated with a bachelors in nursing. Greg received his bachelors in biblical studies through Moody Bible Institute. In Sept 2007 he began his pursuit for a Masters of Theological Studies from Northwest Theological Seminary. We became parents to our first daughter, Josephine (Josie) Leigh, on Oct. 4, 2007. Our second daughter, Maribelle Mae, was born July 16, 2009. In August 2009 we stepped out in faith and relocated to Charlotte, NC, away from our family, friends, and church.

Where we are: We are living in Charlotte, NC while Greg attends Reformed Theological Seminary full-time. Dolly is working full-time as a pediatric nurse. We also are full-time parents on the side : ) Josie is actively growing and changing faster than we all could have imagined. She is almost two years old! She is a big talker, she loves Elmo and Winnie the Pooh, and is already praying at night to "Jeezees". Belle is a good-natured baby who sleeps through the night and has the most adorable crooked smile. We'll keep updating!

Where we're going: After years of wondering if God was calling us outside of Washington, he finally led us across the US to Charlotte. We had planned this move several years ago, but waited for his timing. Greg will finish his Master of Divinity at RTS and hopes to plant/replant a church here in North Carolina. For a short time, Dolly will work full-time as Greg completes school. She then plans on homeschooling both Josie and Belle if it is found to be a suitable training method for their personalities.