It's been a while...

...I know!

But honestly, there really hasn't been much going on. Its just been so stinkin' hot that you really can't do ANYTHING outdoors- not even get the mail. We've pretty much watched LOST and a bunch of movies we had been wanting to see.

But we did go to a Fort Worth Cats game a few Saturdays ago. The Cats are a local minor league baseball team.  We had a really good time.  One thing pretty cool about the stadium was that they still use an old school score board.  At the end of each inning a man walks down and puts up the sign for the runs.   I was more fascinated with that than I was with the game! Ha!

We got some new neighbors over the weekend.  We were excited about that since we've been without one for a while. Donald helped them unload their truck Friday afternoon, so they invited us to dinner with them and their family as a thank you to Donald (I just got to enjoy the food/fellowship without the hard work!)  We went to Uncle Julio's, a Mexican restaurant. We had never been so we were excited to try it, and we are please to say it was very good! We had a good time getting to know them and telling them all about SWBTS!

We got a crazy hair on Saturday and wanted to re-arrange some rooms, but we can't change our bedroom, the living room or the kitchen because there is pretty much no way to change things. That left Donald's room, so we spent a good majority of the afternoon moving furniture and cleaning (always feels good to clean under furniture).  There probably isn't any more room than there was before, but it feels like it, so we're excited.

My cousin Julie's wedding is coming up in a week and half, so I will be heading up to NJ for all the festivities! I am excited about seeing family and being a part of her big day, but Donald will be staying here so that a little of a bummer.

School goes back on the 25th and Donald is ready to get back to the books! (I'll do a post later with more on that, I am not sure of his schedule and all that fun stuff!)

I will be starting a new job in about a month! On Friday (August 5) I interviewed with a school about a tutoring position, and they gave me the job on the spot! (How cool is that!) I will be an in-house tutor for reading.  I'll be given a set of students that I will pull out of class and work with them individually on their reading skills.  The tutors generally start at the end of the first marking period (which would be around Oct. 1), but the principle is hoping to start sooner, like maybe the third week of September.  I am really excited about this opportunity.  It's not teaching, but it is working in a school with kids and will be utilizing my degree. And hopefully this will give me some good connections!  I'll keep you posted on definite start days and how it's going!

P.S. Don't you love how you thought there was nothing going on here in TX except for a baseball game and a room change! Good thing you read the whole thing huh!?!?

Saturday Morning Traditions

Besides sleeping in, my favorite thing about Saturday is sitting on our front porch.  We generally wake up as we please, one of us will make a pot of coffee and when its done we take our cups and sit out front.  We sip our coffee and just chat. I love it!

We generally don't talk about anything specific, we just chat and enjoy each others company.  But we've reminisced about the going to Nags Head, talked about the kiddos back home, and have even planned a few day trips.  We've talked about more serious things like where God will take us after seminary and have shared our hearts for the those who are hurting and for the lost.  I love that we can be totally serious and goofy all in the same conversation. 

We've been fascinated with the clouds (there are some pretty cool clouds here in TX!) and we water our basil plant.  We've seen a few neighbors walking their dogs and watering their plants. 

In 20 years when we are serving in a church and we think back to our time in seminary, I am almost certain that these Saturday mornings, just the two of us on our front porch, will be filed under some of our most favorite memories.  When the hustle and bustle of life is put on hold and for 30 short minutes its just us...and our coffee!

Thank you for sweet memories!

Update

It's been a while since I blogged, so I thought I've give an "update" blog.

Donald is working 3 days a week and the other two he is doing stuff with our church. Even though school is out, he has been super busy!  He has been sub-teaching for various Sunday School classes the last few weeks and for the next two weeks.  He has also been teaching a series on "How we got the Bible" for the Wednesday night Bible Study.  I've really enjoyed getting to hear him teach and seeing how passionate he is about the Word.  Also a few Sunday's ago he preached a message on Sunday night.  I love watching this man preach.  I am looking forward to him being my pastor one day!! When we go home in a few weeks he will be preaching at my sisters wedding (a mini sermon) and then preaching at NCBC on Sunday morning. 

I am still working and trying to find a teaching job.  Unfortunately, is does not look good at all! But I will keep putting myself out there and trying to find something!! On Monday I have been summoned to jury duty! Donald is a little jealous because he would love to serve on a jury, but I am not as excited! Knowing my luck I'll be picked to actually serve! We'll see! I'll keep you informed!

We have had a slightly "rough" week! Last Friday we had the pest control people come because we have seen a "Texas Bug" (aka Waterbug) and so we thought we would call before we saw more.  Well, they seem to have made the problem worse.  This week we had seen 4! Yesterday morning Donald found one (bug #3) sitting in our cup cabinet when he went to get a coffee mug and that was the final straw for him!  So yesterday afternoon he clean under the stink, like scrubbed it down and  filled in any holes, we think that's how they are getting in.  BUT we were wrong and I found another one last night.  We are mortified.  We are scared to go into our kitchen in fear of being attacked by bugs.  I want to move, but I think they are everywhere.  We are hoping that the last one was already in the house before we filled in the holes and we will not see anymore.  And the worst part, we ran out of bug spray with number 2, so the last two we have been dealing with without any defense mechanism.  I will be getting more when I go to Wal-mart, even if it causes me to go over my grocery budget, yes its THAT bad!

We are so looking forward to our "vacation" in a week and a half! (I say "vacation" because I am not too sure how much of a vacation it will be!)  Kari and Matt are getting married and we will also be going to Philadelphia with Jackie and Jared and then to the beach, and then to Lynchburg.  I will have to say that I am excited that we do not have to drive.  We decided it was actually going to be cheaper for us to fly because after the rental car, gas, food, and a hotel each way we were going to spend close to $800 and we were able to find tickets for around $580.  Woohoo!  And we will be able to spend more time there cause we will not be in the car for 4 days of our 12 day vacation!

Whelp, I guess that's all.  I leave you with some pictures from our last little adventure!

Saying Goodbye...

There are LOTS of great things about seminary, one that I love the most is the friends you meet along the way.  Your neighbors and classmates become an extension of your family, since most of us are all so far from home. But at the same time it can be one of the hardest things, because everyone has to leave at some point.

Because leaving and saying "see you later" is a part of seminary. 

Donald and I have been truly blessed by a sweet family that were our neighbors and friends.  Jenny and Herbert and their two boys are going back to Germany today.  They moved here about 3 weeks after we did, and we became fast friends!  I took classes with Jenny and we celebrated together when we both received our certificate.  Donald and Herbert survived Greek together.  And they always had an egg if you needed it (a sign of a great neighbor!) We've shared meals together, and celebrated with them when they had their second boy.  We watched their oldest boy go from a baby to a fast moving 2 year old.  They taught us about the German culture.  But most importantly they were our friends.

Right now it hasn't quite hit us that they are gone, mostly because we saw them last night and we know their flight doesn't leave until later in the day.  But in about a week when we no longer see their van or hear Jannis laughing outside, it will hit us.

Thank you for being our sweet friends, we will truly miss you! 

We've Survived

We have survived another semester! Overall it was a good semester! Donald balanced school, work and wife very well.  The past week has been a little rough, but that's the end of the semester and exams for ya! Donald has been staying up late trying to get all the reading and studying he needs to get done. But we are happy to finally say it over, until August! AND only 4 more semesters to go!

And this semester could not ended with more of a "bang"! Last Friday Donald woke up sick, and he got sicker as the weekend went on! He is now feeling much better, but he is exhausted! Also on Friday our car decided it was tired and it is currently not working! We'd been having a little trouble getting it started and thought that maybe we needed a new battery.  We replaced the battery and it still doesn't work.  It's probably the starter, but there is probably also something that is causing the starter to go bad.  We've had this car for almost 4 years and this will be the third starter we've had to replace, so obviously there is something else wrong!

We have been very blessed by our church family.  They have been more than willing to take us to and from church and work over the last few days.  And Monday night our Sunday School Teacher let us borrow his truck for a few days while he looks at our car and tries to fix it for us! We truly have been blessed by them.

We are looking forward to the next few months of some much needed rest and relaxation!

"And be not conformed to this world, but ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

Romans 12:2 (KJV)

Graduation

Since Donald and I have started here at SWBTS I have been taking classes designed for Seminary Wives.  Well, last week we had our little graduation!! I am "officially" a pastors wife, I guess! Ha!

There was a little reception at Pecan Manor (the President's House) that morning for all the graduates and their familes.  Then we headed over to chapel for the ceremony! After chapel, Donald and I had lunch with some friends and then I got to go to one of his classes with him!  I really enjoyed being able to attend one of his classes and to see what its like in a seminary classroom!

Here are a few pictures from the event:
(Please note: I was extremely nervous up on that stage, so I look a little mad/scared!)

Love this guy!

All the graduates!

Life...

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33 (KJV)

I am so excited that, thus far, I am doing well with my memory verses! I know, I know its only one verse and its a fairly easy one at that! BUT I have memorized it and I am excited about starting February verse!

I am using a portion of a book program that Donald had to use when he was in his first year here and had to take a class called Spiritual Formation. I am memorizing the verses from the section called "Be Christ's Disciple" and coincidentally enough there are 12 verses in this section and so I will be memorizing all twelve of them! (Well, that's the plan!)

I have decided to memorize all of the verses in King James Version (KJV) because I've been told that its easier to memorize using this version because there are so many "thees and thous" and you really have to think about each word. 

Life in general...
Last night was the first Metochai meeting of the semester and it was a great time! I love getting together with all of those ladies- its always a great time of worship, Bible study and fellowship!

The weather for the past few days has been absolutely gorgeous! It's kind of chilly in the morning, but by 10 or 11am the sun is shinning! We've gotten into the upper sixties and lower seventies! But there is a cold front coming on Monday-Wednesday and with that they are calling for a chance of a "Wintry Mix", which here in Texas means- close everything and stay in your house!

School is underway, but it hasn't gotten too crazy, yet. I am so blessed to have Donald for a husband! Even though he goes to work and school, most days when I come home from work and he has done the dishes or vacuumed the living room, which is so nice because usually that means we get more time together in the evening.  Thank you sweet hubby!!

In two weeks I will be taking the other test that I need for my Texas teaching certificate.  I need to buckle down and start studying! After I pass this test I will pay to get my certificate and I will be a certified teacher in Texas! BUT I will taking another test- I really need to be ESL certified because that is such a big deal here and most schools won't even look at you unless you are. Please pray for me as I prepare for both of these tests and look forward to finding a teaching job (hopefully)!

We are looking forward to going to have dinner with some friends from church this evening! It should be a great time of fellowship!

"And he said to them all, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." Luke 9:23 (KJV)

February's Verse

P.S. Happy Birthday to my Mommom Rudderow and my Uncle Hack! 

Back to school....

Today Donald went back to school- back to the books, back to studying, back to class, and back to balancing work/school/wife...again! Donald started his 4th semester, his FORTH semester.  I cannot believe we've already been here that long! It seems like we just moved here, but alas, after this semester we will be half way DONE! (Woohoo)! It's always bittersweet when school goes back because, while I love that we are getting closer and closer to the end, it also means that Donald will be spending most nights studying.  But while he is studying, I won't be too lonely!  My class will start up again on Tuesday nights and Metochai meetings and officer meetings begin again now too.  So I'll be busy being the good seminary wife that I am by going to class and serving with a bunch of wonderful ladies at Metochai.  I also won't feel as guilty about going to the gym 2 or 3 days a week because I'll know that he'll be busy with school work!

Can I brag on Donald for a minute?  This past semester he got 3 A's and a B+! With these grades he was able to make it onto the Dean's List! (Dean's List is a lot harder to achieve here than it is in undergrad.  In undergrad, Dean's List is a 3.5GPA, here it's 3.9GPA, so you have to work extra hard!) I am SO proud of him and all his hard work! (Guess all those late nights paid off huh?!?)

It's going to be another tough semester for Donald.  He'll be taking Greek, Systematic Theology, The Christian Home, and Baptist Heritage, a full load for sure!

Will you join me in praying for him this semester? Pray for him as he studies and goes to class and while he balances school and work.

P.S. In case you were wondering, Metochai is a seminary wives group here on campus. We get together once a month for a time of worship, a speaker, and table fellowship.  It's a great way to get to know other seminary wives! I'm serving as the publicity officer and I so enjoy getting to know all the ladies that I serve with!