the tiniest wine

Today I found myself thinking about a glass of prosecco and sweet figs

...perhaps that means the nausea will pass

...perhaps I am feeling the pull of blue skies and the distant call of summer

...perhaps that means I have been pregnant for far too long

...perhaps I hear the distant promise of August

Until then, I will sip my sparkling water and enjoy a different type of contentment

Giving Ted Mosby a piece of my mind

As the whole world knows, How I Met Your Mother ended on Monday night. We have not been faithful HIMYM watchers since the beginning. A few summers ago we binged on the whole series and have been faithful fans since that point. In fact, it is one of the few shows we watch live...with the commercials and all.

In case you have been living under a rock this week and avoiding all things related to pop culture, I will inform you that many, many fans are less than satisfied with the ending of the show. A few weeks ago, I looked at Josh and said, "I think they are going to kill The Mother!"

They did.
They killed the mother in the last few seconds of the show.

I sobbed. I sobbed. I sobbed as if my best friend actually died. The amount of tissues and snot were embarrassing.

So, last night in the last of my edition in my long series of vivid pregnancy dreams, I had a looooong talk with Ted Mosby/Josh Radnor. My dream vascilated between the person and the fictional character which is a perfectly acceptable format in my dreams. I yelled that he needed to go back, start over and do better so. I would not accept an ending where The Mother died.

It was cathartic.

I feel better.

In my world, The Mother recovered and made them waffles at the end of Ted's story.

This concludes my musings on popular culture for the week. 

PS: Did anyone like the ending of HIMYM? I might hate you forever it you did but I would be morbidly curious to hear why it was satisfying...or acceptable for you.

23 weeks or a Spaghetti Squash

Now that my wonderful, high powered meds have my nausea under control, I thought I would post a little pregnancy update. By under control read: I am not lying in bed huddled in the fetal position sick. It is truly amazing how much nausea one becomes *accustomed* to living with. I hear people like to look back and see pictures of themselves.

I am trusting it is true.

I look at myself and wonder, "Who is that tired looking pregnant woman? Some one please offer her a cookie or a nap."

My standards are low these days. Showering has become optional. Getting dressed in real clothes is an if I have to type of activity. As a result, I only will take pictures on the days I actually get dressed. I should take a picture of me in my oversized sweatshirt and leggings because that is real life but I'm afraid it might be a little too real.

This is Amy + Joey at 23 weeks. I thought about taking a picture in the full length mirror but that lives upstairs and the prospect of walking up and down the stairs seemed daunting on Monday night. So, I am telling myself this picture is "artsy" and giving myself bonus points for my mirror that hasn't been dusted. Is it hipster to not dust? If so, I am the hippest hipster around.

Also, because surely everyone is on the edge of their seat, dying to know, here are a few of those questions about the pregnancy for you, posterity, and for future Amy if she ever decides to be pregnant again.

Movement: Oh my goodness, this boy is active. I think the term the highly specialized ultrasound doctor used was "wild." Personally, I really like feeling his punches and kicks.

Development: Spaghetti Squash or 1lb. I think those pregnancy phone apps are liars. He HAS to be bigger than that...look at me.

Best Moment of the Week:  I love to feel him move.

Worst Moment of the Week: I'm voting the babymoon at the hospital as the low point this past week.

Sleep: Eh. I wake up several times a night because my bladder thinks it is the size of a walnut. Also, my doctor changed around my medications so I've been waking up in the middle of the night with waves of extreme nausea.

Food Cravings: Melons. I have been consuming large amounts of Cantelope and Honeydew melon. They have surpassed berries and apples as the food of choice. I'm still digging salads but not to the same extent.

Shoe Fail and a Soggy Sock

Apparently after three winters of salt and snow and ice and chemicals and three springs + two falls of rain and mud, my boots have given out.

They have cracked in protest from misuse and abuse.

Truthfully, I noticed the small crack a few weeks ago but apparently I forgot. So, on Monday morning I pulled on my boots as I rushed out the door and fearlessly entered the rain. Somewhere in the middle of my morning to-dos I realized that my sock was soggy and my foot was wet. Clearly cracked boots are not as waterproof as their uncracked counterparts. I suppose they are merely "water resistant."

Obviously, I could use a new pair of boots. Last time, I happened upon a pair of Sperry boots that were on clearance for $40. It was a pretty great deal considering how long they lasted and the utter abuse they endured. This time I am thinking of breaking down and buying a pair of Hunter boots. I know they are sturdy and should be able to handle three seasons of shoe abuse. On the other hand, they are a hefty chunk of change.

Here is the dilemma:

- Do I buy new boots now in preparation for the soggy days of spring and fall?

OR

- Do I wait for winter and ask for a pair for my birthday when one can legitimately justify the expense of Hunter boots?

OR

- Do I buy a cheaper pair of Target boots to fill the boot hole until next winter rolls around?

Normally my inclination is to wait for a sale but Hunter boots do not really go on sale....

Decisions...Decisions...Decisions...
Anyone of my non-existant blog readers have thoughts? I'm all ears.

Begin Again

What better reason to begin [blogging] again than because of a new child?
(Seriously if you have a better reason I'm all ears)

It seems that all the cool bloggers started blogging in 2010 as I was getting out of the blogging game...but with this new, tiny human cooking inside of me I thought, "Why not start blogging....again."

For now, I am back.

Those of you who know me really well might be rolling your eyes and saying to yourself, "We'll see how long this lasts."

"You and me both sister"

It is quite possible that this precious baby boy will come and I will be able to share his beautiful life and ours with you. We are wild and crazy and more exciting than you could dream. Go ahead and dream. Then, write and let me know how exciting we are. It is also possible blogging will go the way of bikini wearing and become that thing I once did a long, long, long time ago. But, for now, I will give it a whirl.

So, Welcome Back Friends!

Hola
Sault
Ciao
Hello

Introducing...Millie

Amy here:

Big news.....
We have a Millie. Her name is Millicent L-W. We call her Millie. She is a beautiful, tiny, curious puppy. We love her. In case you are wondering, she is a Bichon Havanese Mix. All that means is that she is super-super-super cute.

We have fallen in love. Both of us.

So, two quick stories:

*After getting her, my mother and I went to the feed store to purchase her gear. Puppies have gear. She was exploring the world around her when she came across a group of chickens in a pin. She edged closer and sniffed. The chickens made a loud bawking sound in her general direction. She jumped barked twice and ran behind me. It was so cute.

* Yesterday at nap time, Joshua took her into our room to put her to bed. After he had been gone awhile, I went in to check. As I peeked into the room, I found Millie asleep in her crate and Joshua asleep on the floor next to her.





We are glad to have her.
She will be loved!!!

New adventures await...

Walking Life's Road by ItaXdei4eva at DeviantArt

From Josh:

Hello everyone!

For those of you that have walked down life's road with us over the years, we are so incredibly grateful for your love and support. This is just a little update to those of you who are interested in, invested in, or praying for, us and our endeavors....

We have been living, as those who have been in contact with us in the past year know, in Huntsville, Texas--home of Sam Houston (and his colossal human likeness that scares greets interstate drivers coming through town up from the city of Houston), tall pine trees, and, most importantly, Anita... Amy's grandmother.

It has been a treasured time for us as we have lived here with her, during a period of time that was hard on her physically--her spirit has remained doggedly-determined, and her infectious love for God, for others, and for her family has been a continual source of lifting our (my and Amy's) spirits. We have been honored to serve her where we could, and inspired by her life and witness.

We knew going into this year that it would be a one-year commitment to serving Anita, while taking the time to reflect and prepare for the future, and that we would eventually have to open ourselves up again to God's call....

Josh's past year:

I've remained in ministry while in Texas as I serve a Presbyterian church as an interim lay pastor in Conroe, TX, as well as through pulpit supply in Caldwell, TX, and with a handful of teaching engagements at youth retreats. But I have also spent significant time during the first 6-8 months here considering whether or not this unexpected time in Texas would give me the opportunity to pursue a Ph.D., something I have thought about ever since my first year in seminary. So I begin that process, which went from June/July to mid-January. That in turn was followed by a period.....

of......

painful....

waiting.

(It was really only about a two-month wait to hear back from most of the schools to which I applied. But it felt OH much longer. But that's b/c I'm a big whiny-pants.)

The next step

After receiving my responses back from schools, Amy and I spent about 6-8 weeks praying and talking to friends, family, and experts. What was our next step?

Anyone who has gone through a similar discernment process knows--- "clarity" is a bit of a misnomer when it comes to discernment. Seeking "clarity" in a direction can't be a goal in itself, and "clarity" doesn't often look like what we expect or hope it to look like (utter lack of doubt, fear or confusion; full assurance by God and others, etc.)

Faith wouldn't be faith, if our hopes and expectations were always met, of course.

In the end, Amy and I decided that I would accept an offer to study at Boston College's School of Theology and Ministry, and begin their Ph.D. program in Theology and Education.

Why Boston College, then?

* An interdisciplinary program specifically in Theology and Education is not very common--and the philosophy behind the formation of the program is actually remarkably congruent with my hopes for doctoral study (which I describe in brief on my personal, theology-focused blog).

* Boston College's STM teaches specifically from the Jesuit tradition-- which I believe will give me a breadth and depth to my theological understanding, as well as expose me to examples of greater integration of spirituality, theology and mission, for which the Jesuits are famous. The Catholic world, in addition, I think possesses a number of gifts from which the Protestant world can learn, and I hope to take those gifts with me into my future Protestant contexts. The school also happens to be very ecumenically-open while also being Jesuit...

*...that, combined with the fact that I will be part of the Boston College Department of Theology and will have full access to its resources, as well as to the other resources at BC, creates a uniquely spiritual-yet-academic; open-yet-from a particular perspective, learning environment.

* Not only THAT... but as part of the Boston Theological Institute, I will be permitted up to take half of my coursework at 9 other religious institutions in Boston!

Boston College STM looks like this.

When it's not covered in snow.

Either way, it's pretty to me.

As for ministry....

We obviously hope to continue in ministry even as I am taking time to study and develop, and to be a "minister" of sorts to other students at BC as a Ph.D. candidate. We both need to continue serving and supporting a community in order for us to connect our studies to real life, and to continue fulfilling our callings and developing our gifts. Part of being called to Boston College is, for us, believing that we're called to minister in the Boston area as well.

Oh yeah, and we have to eat, too. :)

I'm happy to say that things are progressing--- Amy and I are interviewing at a church outside of Boston in a few weeks! We're very excited and hopeful, and continue to pray and look for ministry opportunities in the area--- we may not know exactly where we will be called to serve yet, but we believe that there is a place for us. This will also give Amy a community and a forum where she can formally begin her ordination process. She will, of course, also be continuing her Distance Learning M.Div. studies at Western Seminary in Michigan.

THANK YOU for checking in, and for keeping us in your prayers as we transition. This blog will again be a place where you can check back in to learn about our goings-on. Feel free also to drop notes in the comments section, and you can leave there prayer requests, collaboration requests, random statements, dueling challenges, haikus, your very own 95 theses, or anything else you can imagine.