Last week and weekend have been super busy for us, so I haven't had any time to write about our big news! Matt got a job offer last Wednesday for a high school science position at a small Christian high school called Stone Ridge Christian High School in Merced, CA. After a long stressful weekend of thinking, discussing, and praying... we finally decided to take the offer and move to Cali! It was a hard decision because it is going to be a ton of work for Matt, especially as a first year teacher. He will be the entire science department at this school of only 50 students. That means he will have 5 science classes plus an added math class to teach every day. But after his amazing student teaching experience with a great cooperating teacher and professor, we decided that he could handle it.
This decision was very hard on me at first. It took some time for the idea to settle and for me to get over my selfishness about it all.... the possibility of me facing year 3 after graduating of not doing what I have been waiting and waiting to do. Thoughts like, "when is it going to be my turn?" "how patient do I have to be?" "how am I going to get going on renewing my teaching certificate before it expires?" "I have worked so freaking hard all through college and then for 2 years working in a daycare so that Matt can finish school, and now it's all about him again?" I guess you really realize both your sinful nature and the hardships of sacrifice in a marriage through something like this. I started feeling less anxious and more peace about it as I focused more and more on God's provision wherever we are. So I am trusting in Him A LOT right now. Because I am very confused about His big plan and what He has in store for me, so trusting that He knows much better than I is all I can do. Now I am getting more and more excited about our move and what a great opportunity this is for Matt, and am waiting once again to find out what God has in store for me.
What else? Let's see... Merced is 13 hours from Seattle, 40 min from Modesto, 60 min from Fresno, 2 hours from Visalia (where Matt's g-parents and 2 aunts and uncles live), and 2-3 hours from: Sacramento, San Francisco, and Yosemite. We are very excited about all of our hiking, camping, and general travel possibilities. I am excited for the sun and warmth, but not quite ready for the July/August heat that we will be first entering I don't think.
We have so many details to figure out and take care of, and about 2 months to do it. We are hoping to make it to the DeKoekkoek camping trip/reunion earlier in July, and then come back and finish packing and leave around the week of the 20th? All plans are so tentative right now, but that what we have so far! MANY more details to come!
On a very different note, Jordan and Al and Evangeline get here tomorrow night! I am SO excited! It's going to be an awesome, crazy busy weekend!
Monday, May 18, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Matt's Birthday
Happy 24th birthday to Matt! I made him a yummy cake (which we dug into the day before...). On his birthday we got to go to Craig's Cruisers (a gaming/mini golf/lazertag/go karts place) for a volunteer celebration for church. We got the buffet and 2 activities paid for, so we chose mini-golf and go karts :).
Matt got the drums for Guitar Hero World Tour from Josh, Amy, Carissa, and I... which he LOVES :-D.
On Friday we got to take Samson for a walk together for the first time. And it was an amazing warm sunny day. I also went for a walk at work that day... we walked our preschoolers to the Fulton Street Farmer's Market... and they did amazingly well! Except for it was the first week the market was open and it was a little disappointing.
Samson got neutered this week and seems to be doing great. We did get a nice little break from him Thursday night while he stayed at the vet for observation :).
Matt got the drums for Guitar Hero World Tour from Josh, Amy, Carissa, and I... which he LOVES :-D.
On Friday we got to take Samson for a walk together for the first time. And it was an amazing warm sunny day. I also went for a walk at work that day... we walked our preschoolers to the Fulton Street Farmer's Market... and they did amazingly well! Except for it was the first week the market was open and it was a little disappointing.
Samson got neutered this week and seems to be doing great. We did get a nice little break from him Thursday night while he stayed at the vet for observation :).
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Fabulous Spring Weekend
This was by far one of the best and fullest weekends I've had in a very long time. I am real tired out, but it was fun and productive with even a little bit of relaxation! On Friday night, Zach and Sarah came bowling with us again to celebrate Matt's birthday (Tues May 5). Then we surprised Matt by going to Old Chicago for dessert afterward! Yum!
Saturday was the Tulip Time festival in Holland! My friend Carrie from small group and her 18 month old, Cohen, came with me, and it was the most beautiful sunny, warm, spring day. The flowers and trees were all in bloom and absolutely breathtaking. Not to mention the good old Klompen dancers :). I did some reading in the sun (my favorite way to read!), then took Samson for a walk on the trail when I got home. Then my friend Bethany from work called because we had talked about watching a movie, and she wanted to go for a walk as well, so I went on another (plus all the walking around Holland... lots of miles logged for that day!)! Then we watched Slum Dog Millionaire.
On Sunday we bought flowers for the planter in front of our big living room window :). There are pretty much only 2 kinds of flowers that grow well in shade, so that's what we got: begonias and impatiens. That looks so much nicer.
I am absolutely loving the spring weather! At least I'm loving it on the sunny days double to make up for the rainy ones. Today I had a half day at work, so I took Samson on the trail, then went for a bike ride without him on another trail. It was the perfect sunny 70 with low humidity to do some jogging without overheating either of us.
More about Matt's birthday tomorrow to be posted later! Oh, and it's Evangeline's 1st birthday tomorrow as well, what a big girl! (Whom I get to see in just over 2 weeks! But I'm not counting down or anything...).
Saturday was the Tulip Time festival in Holland! My friend Carrie from small group and her 18 month old, Cohen, came with me, and it was the most beautiful sunny, warm, spring day. The flowers and trees were all in bloom and absolutely breathtaking. Not to mention the good old Klompen dancers :). I did some reading in the sun (my favorite way to read!), then took Samson for a walk on the trail when I got home. Then my friend Bethany from work called because we had talked about watching a movie, and she wanted to go for a walk as well, so I went on another (plus all the walking around Holland... lots of miles logged for that day!)! Then we watched Slum Dog Millionaire.
On Sunday we bought flowers for the planter in front of our big living room window :). There are pretty much only 2 kinds of flowers that grow well in shade, so that's what we got: begonias and impatiens. That looks so much nicer.
I am absolutely loving the spring weather! At least I'm loving it on the sunny days double to make up for the rainy ones. Today I had a half day at work, so I took Samson on the trail, then went for a bike ride without him on another trail. It was the perfect sunny 70 with low humidity to do some jogging without overheating either of us.More about Matt's birthday tomorrow to be posted later! Oh, and it's Evangeline's 1st birthday tomorrow as well, what a big girl! (Whom I get to see in just over 2 weeks! But I'm not counting down or anything...).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
