A Confession

I have a confession to make. I love pretty much any cheesy show that involves singing. I'm addicted to American Idol (although you could argue that it's not cheesy...then again, you could argue it is...*cough*ryanseacrest*cough*), and I still watch beauty pageants for the talent competition (although the girly side of me is, admittedly, intrigued by all the pretty dresses). Tonight, I watched Mama Mia! while my husband was away for the night. I'm always drawn to movies like Rent and Hairspray...and, yes, I even once watched High School Musical. What can I say, I'm a sucker for singing. In the same vein, I've always loved shows like Star Search or America's Got Talent or, now, Britain's Got Talent (way to go, Susan Boyle!).

Maybe it's because I'm a singer. Maybe it's because I have a morbid fascination of hearing people who think they can sing fail - although maybe not, because I can't stand the auditions for that very reason. I don't know what it is...but I love singing and musicals - everything from to Bye Bye Birdie to The Sound of Music to Les Miserables.

That said, I do draw the line somewhere. High School Musical was too ridiculous even for me. I just couldn't do it.

So, my confession is this: Have you heard of the upcoming new FOX show, Glee? I can't wait for it to start. I'm almost looking forward to American Idol being over so it can start. (Almost.) I even wrote the date of the premiere on my calendar (Tuesday, May 19 - after the American Idol finale). A bunch of outcast kids finding a place in high school through singing and dancing - and, what's more, singing and dancing to Journey??? Sign me up!

There you have it. Give me a cheesy song and dance, and I'm a happy camper.

progress on the job front

Our hunt for income continues, but we've gotten some good news the past few days.

First of all, the family I'll be babysitting for contacted me earlier this week with news that the current babysitter, who's expecting twins this summer, was put on bed rest for the rest of her pregnancy due to high blood pressure. While I'm sure this is frustrating for her, it means that I'll start two weeks earlier than expected - and my first full day is Tuesday! They were hoping to have me come a few more times for some "half days" before I jumped in to an 8 hour day, but that's not an option anymore...so, Tuesday, here we come. It's a relief to know that at least some income is headed our way sooner rather than later.

In other news, we've sorta been in process with a church looking for some leadership help in worship. We've gone to visit a few times already, and were so welcomed and genuinely "loved-on" - the church and the people in it have already found a spot in our hearts, I think. And, believe it or not, they already asked us to play in the worship band on Easter Sunday - which marked our third time of attending a service there! Crazy. Anyway, we went there initially because we were told they were looking for musicians/worship leaders and were told to send our resumes, etc. So, we did, and the process began. We met with the senior pastor and the pastor of ministries over lunch today, when we found out that they weren't really able to offer a staff position at this time, but they're definitely needing more support on the leadership front. The past few years, they have 2 committed leaders, but it's not their main job, so a lot of the planning tends to fall on the pastor and especially his wife - which they enjoy, but they're doing more than they'd like. So, they offered the possibility of pulling us on board to help fill out the gaps, at least, for a stipend pay for each service we'd lead. Which would be great for us - we've both been longing for a church that we could really call a church home - where we could really get involved and build relationships and all that good stuff. And this seems like a great place for us to do that. They mentioned some other areas of their ministry where they'd love some extra help - some worship-related, and some more community development related, but all of them would be great experience for me, especially given my masters program! And, Jeremy, too, of course. Since most of their worship people are only able to help out on a volunteer level or, if they're on "contract", they've still got lots of other things happening during the week, they've got some gaps which they were hoping we could fill. And, the pastor of ministries even said, "We don't want to lose you!" at one point, so I think they're glad to have us stick around. (And we are too!) And, while it wouldn't help pay the bills as well as a staff position would, it still helps us financially - anything is better than the nothing we've had so far! - and it gives us some great experience during our seminary training. Not to mention, I'll need some internships later on in my degree, and it will be much easier to figure that out when I have a church I'm committed to and involved in rather than a church I just go to and disappear every Sunday... So, it's good news.

Thanks for all the prayers and support everyone's given us before. I was reminded the other day just how powerful prayer really is as an agent of change - our God is good and his mercy endures forever.

an experiment in verbosity

I've noticed that my husband's blogs are much more eloquent than my own. Being that I am clearly the superior being, I cannot allow this atrocity to continue the pleasure of existence any longer. Thus, I have come to the decision that my posts must be brimming with grandiosity. I hope that's a word.

We have finished The Sopranos. Perhaps a number of you are not acquainted with this piece of television brilliance, but it is, in fact, brilliant. However, I cannot seem to comprehend the complexity of the final moments. Tragically, I cannot divulge the details of this sequence, because I am about to commence my commendation of the show to the entirety of my audience. (All four of you...) I plead with each and every one of you to watch this show. It is a thing of beauty, allowing the viewer an inside look into the underworld of organized crime in the form of the mafia, while instilling in all who are willing a love for these seemingly degenerate sociopaths. In fact, I even shed a tear when one of the protagonists met his untimely demise at the hands of a murderer. The Sopranos shows the viewer beauty in the midst of depravity. (Hey, that sentence actually held a little depth...)

Meanwhile, tomorrow marks the commemoration of the birth of my beloved canine companion, Sir Charles Watson the Valiant. He has enjoyed life for the entirety of one year. In order to herald his event, my husband and I intend to make our merry way to the lovely Old Pasadena, where an establishment named Three Dog Bakery resides. Here, furry friends can enjoy frosting, ice cream, and cookies created especially for "man's best friend." Following this, we intend to carry our pal to the dog park, a place where he can run and play and find joy in so doing, after which he will inevitably drift off to slumber, allowing us to complete our studies in peace.

And now, my friends, may you enjoy the rest of your activities in cyberspace. My time here has been completed, and I shall retire to my other tasks. Peace be with you.

(Whew! That was hard work...still. I win.)

You should probably feel bad for my dog.

Feel bad for me!

Poor Charlie's had a bad week.

First, we left him for Jeremy's green card interview in Detroit. He doesn't do well when we leave, and we were told he didn't eat for the 3 days we were gone. We were also told that every time he would be left alone in our apartment, he would howl for at least 15 minutes. (Well, "howl." For being a basset hound, he's not so good at howling. It's more of a really sad sounding bark. Still, I'm sure the neighbors loved it.)

Then, despite getting to play with his two new favorite dogs in the world, Huckleberry and Mona, while we were gone, the stress of being alone followed by the euphoria of being reunited with Jeremy and me set off his panosteitis. (For the non-dog-obsessed, panosteitis is basically really bad growing pains in a young dog's bones, and is really common in male basset hounds under 2 years old.) So, he was limping and whimpering and generally in pain within a short while of us coming home.

And, to add insult to injury, it turns out that Charlie is illergic to bees...well, probably bees. If not bees, some other mystery California bug that lurks in the grass. After taking him outside last night, Charlie's nose suddenly swelled up (Jeremy and I actually saw this in progress...), followed by lots and lots of doggy vomit. We went to the dog version of WebMD and thought it was something food related, especially since we gave him table scraps due to his not eating for 3 days while we were gone. So, we took him to the vet as soon as we could today, and learned that he was stung by a bee (or some other bug, but the vet thought it was a bee), which set off an allergic reaction. So, he got a shot and some pills, and is doing much better...although very groggy.

Poor puppy.

Legal Permanent Resident of the United States of America

We're approved!! The green card interview was surprisingly easy, and we're instantly approved and the actual card will come to us in the mail in 10 days. Such a HUGE relief!

It's finally setting in, I think. Although we're feeling sore and headache-y now that we can relax a little...but it's okay.

Jeremy is a Legal Permanent Resident of the United States of America!

Hooray!!

Hooray!

I beat Olga! I was informed last night that I got the babysitting job. So, starting for sure by the end of the month (maybe sooner), I'll be working two full days a week with great hours and great pay. SUCH an answer to prayer, and a very encouraging way for us to leave sunny Southern California for 35-degree-and-snowy Detroit, MI. We're very excited about the good news and relieved to know that at least some income is coming our way. :)

Hooray!

In other news, we bought a paper shredder. This whole social security number fiasco has us very paranoid, so we're now shredding everything that has any hint of personal information on it before we recycle it. So if you want my identity, too bad for you. It's shredded.

And today we're spending the day getting ready for the big meeting. I'm very nervous and jittery and have to keep doing things or I'll go absolutely nuts. But, we keep thinking of things we need to do before we leave, like buy airplane-friendly toiletries, make sure we have all our paperwork in order, rearrange the apartment so Charlie can't leave the kitchen, get Jeremy some clothes for the interview, etc. etc. etc. And, sadly, we're missing a hiking excursion in order to do so. (Thanks for asking, though, Peter!)

And now Charlie is begging to go outside, so I better take him before we have a mess on the floor. Hopefully next time I post on here, I'll be married to a Legal Permanent Resident of the United States of America! :) (Please, Lord? Please?)

Feel like praying?

It feels like a lot of important stuff is happening in a very short span of time. Take a deep breath...here we go:

1. Jeremy's green card interview is Monday morning in Detroit. We're both exciting and terrified for our 11:30 appointment! We've been told that the interview is always less scary then it seems; basically, we need to prove to the Department of Homeland Security that we really are married and we really do love each other and this isn't all just to let Jeremy stay in the country. Which, I would hope, shouldn't be hard. But, as some of you remember, the whole process has been stressful and longer than we anticipated, so we're looking forward to this being done. Assuming everything goes well in the interview, our lawyer tells us we should have the card in our hands within 3 weeks. We're expecting a little longer, mostly because that's how this process seems to go AND so that if it does come in 3 weeks, we'll be pleasantly surprised! Regardless of when it comes, though, when we have it, we're throwing a party. Guinness floats will abound.

2. We found out yesterday that someone may have stolen my social security number. We tried to open a new bank account, and they couldn't let us because someone in Chicago opened an account, overdrew it, and then left it without paying any off the fees that were piling up - all using my social security number. The good news is, though, that my credit score is still fine and it doesn't look like she's made any huge purchases, so there's a chance it might have been a clerical error in the bank. But, still, I have to go through the whole process of reporting (which, by the way, doesn't seem to be very efficient - I have to wait for a week for things to come in the mail before I can even know the whole process of reporting things. Safer, I guess, but a lot can happen in a week...). Still, if she's trying to get some cold hard money, I think she maybe went for the wrong identity. I'm sure this woman will be very impressed with all the money I have to my name. She'll have a great time at the dollar spot at Target. :)

3. In more exciting news, I'm waiting to hear - probably today - if I got a job babysitting 2 great little boys 2 days a week. This has been a month-long process; the family is looking to replace someone they've had with them for 10 years, doing different tasks, so for them it's like replacing a family member. So I've had three or four "trial runs" with these boys, most of which have ended with a "Mommy, that was so fun!" and a big hug from the boys, so I think I've got a good shot. I am, however, up against someone named Olga, which could work to my advantage or disadvantage. :) But, it would be fun and they're a great family, so hopefully I get some good news.

4. Also on the job-hunting front, Jeremy and I are finally getting to use our CRC/Calvin College connections. :) To make a long story short, we got hooked up with a recruiter for the CRC in Southern California who met my parents, and she told us of a church about 35 min. away from our apartment that is looking for worship leaders. After mentioning this to my parents, we learned that the pastor went to seminary with my dad, and they were RDs in the dorms when my parents were, too, at the beginning for their marriage. So, the recruiter gave the church our resumes, and we went to visit the church on Sunday, and it was incredible. We were greeted so well by both people who knew who we were and why we were there and by people who just saw new faces. People were giving us hugs and hooked us up with other people our age - some of whom went to Calvin - and we ended up going out for lunch with the pastor's wife and another person our age. Someone even invited us over for Easter! And the worship was so genuine; it really reminded me a lot of the church I grew up in - down to the same chairs, stage set-up, and pulpit! I think we'd fit in well there...I've never been so well received at a church before... The pastor himself was gone to Grand Rapids, believe it or not, but we talked with another woman who'd been reviewing our resumes and she was SO excited about both me and Jeremy. So, apparently the pastor was coming back on Monday, then was swamped with meetings Tues. and Wed., and then hopefully by the end of the week we could set up a time to meet with him. It's SO exciting to think of having an actual, fulfilling job, rather than some of the other places we've applied. Jeremy and I both love leading worship, and it's a big part of what we were preparing ourselves for in college, so it's VERY exciting to think we'd get to do that AND keep studying... But, assuming we'd split that and I'd get the babysitting job, we feel like we'd be pretty well set money-wise, which is also a nice feeling. We just have to get there first. :)

5. We've finally started at Fuller! Monday was our first day of classes. We only have classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, which is great, especially as we're looking down the barrel at some job opportunities. Jeremy and I are taking two classes together, which will save us some book money - American Church History and Old Testament writings - and then we each have a night class. Jeremy's taking Christian Ethics and I'm in Culture and Transformation. We're both excited about all three of our classes, and the first week went well. Hooray! :)

So, if anyone's been wondering if we need prayer...yes, please. :) We'd really appreciate staying in your thoughts and prayers as we go into these next few days and weeks. If you made it all the way down, thanks for reading...and, of course, I have to leave you with a picture! So...here's one from hiking with two of our neighbors about a week ago: