General Update

We are due for a real update. It has been too long!! It has been a beautiful fall in bakersfield. Of course, it doesn't seem like much of a fall at all! Temperatures range from the low 80's to mid 60's. This winter is when it will really be cold. It might even get as low as 40. haha. No below zero temps here in Bakersfield! No snow either. I never thought I would say this, but I miss snow, winter, reasons to stay indoors, the adventure of having to dig yourself out of your house after a big snowstorm, the necessity of hot chocolate just to stay alive. :) I am sure that if our life ever returns us to the midwest, we will not be grateful for winter long. It's all about embracing the current day.

Matt is still enjoying his work at KAXL. Since August, he has had the pleasure of doing Level 6 Radio on Saturday nights. Level 6 is a rock & hip hop show for 2 hours. The name comes from Psalm 150:6 where everything that has breath praises the Lord!! Love that verse and think it's important that everything makes a joyful noise pointing to God!! In addition to the afternoon drive, Matt has been the production director at the station. He is also doing part-time production & music director work with an amazing voice-over professional. He is loving all the wonderful ways he can use his God-given creative mind.

I have been working with our church, Life Journey, since August. Even though I've been pregnant since I've been working for the church, I've been enjoying that. One of my favorite things I get to do is put on coffee house nights called Mile 124. It's all about expression and reflection pointing to God. We have coffee, free childcare, art tables to do things like painting, writing, etc., music going on in the background, and lots of community building. I feel like these events really encompass a lot of who i am so I feel like it's really a privelage to be able to put them on. I get to help the church organize, get their teams together and pool resources to help empower people for growth. I think it's great that I get to be a mom & use who God made me to be!!

Zoe is getting to be a big girl. In just a few short months, she will be 4. Wow how the time has flown. We are hoping to put her in preschool in January. This will offer structure and stimulation to her and concrete work time for mom! She is a really good girl. She loves our new kitty who she so beautifully named CHART. In fact whenever Chart is around, Zoe has trouble sitting still. Zoe loves to work on creative projects because she always sees mommy & daddy working on them. She also is about half-way through her Kindermusik course. Not only is this amazing material during class but we have fun little tasks to work on during the week. LOVE IT. Zoe is getting real excited to be a big sister, but I often wonder if she thinks the baby will actually ever be in the real world!!

Speaking of which, I will be 22 weeks along on Tuesday. Can't believe it's going so fast... but at the same time not fast enough. I can understand why it takes 9 months the first time but after that I wish we could just move on with life. hehe. I can't wait to meet our second baby girl. (At least she looks like a girl!!)

We are learning many things as a family in which I am VERY excited about. God has put many really giving and generous people into our lives and I cannot think this was on accident!! We have been able to find opportunities for giving just in our daily lives. Recently put together BOX OF LOVE which is all the ingredients for a full Thanksgiving meal for a needy family. We had so much fun going together to get these special ingredients ready! Also I've personally been learning about dealing with hurt and pain properly and not burying it. I don't want harbors of bitterness and anger! Lots of good lessons happening.

Let's not forget that we are now living in a house!! We've been renting a house since the begining of October. We are still getting used to have so much room, but are really enjoying it. Slowly but surely we making it ours... all the while killing cockroaches and learning how to prune rose bushes. Guess we'll see how forgiving those rose bushes actually are!! :) Once 2 became 1, then baby made 3, now cat makes 4, house makes 4 bedrooms, a yard & 2 fireplaces.... and baby makes 5. Ha. That totally didn't make sense!!

We are looking forward to this week. Matt gets to do the morning show over the next few weeks as Dan, the usual a.m. guy, will be with relatives in Texas. Next Wednesday we leave for Phoenix to spend time with Matt, Kristy, Andrew, Laura & others. It will be nice to spend time with family over this holiday-- especially since we likely won't be traveling back for Christmas. Makes me sad to think about-- that we won't have the snow or cold. But we will be making it special. I sense that this time right now is a really special time to establish our little family things-- closeness and little traditions.

We are thankful for so many things this holiday: good jobs, a good home, a good church, a wonderful family, a good God!