God has other plans. And aren't we glad!!

This week, I spent time in Orlando with my Dad. He flew from California to meet and help me search the area for somewhere we might like to live. Justin is at a training camp, and was unable to make the trip with me. And seeing that this is my first time purchasing a house, it took a lot of stress away to have my Dad here with me. The first day was somewhat successful, and he found some neighborhoods that might work. Ultimately, we were searching for somewhere quiet, safe, and a great place to raise a family. The next day we met with the realtor, and she was amazingly helpful. She showed us some properties, but it wasn't exactly what I thought we would find within our price range. I was a bit disappointed, but I thought I'd give it another go the next day. To cut this story short, Orlando is not the place for us like we thought it was.

Also, we've very much gotten used to the quiet lives we lead in Kansas. To think of moving to a huge city again wouldn't fit the ultimate desires of raising our kids in a peaceful place. So, the search continues. We have an idea of where to look next, but we're letting God have the reigns and lead us to his perfect plan. I take huuuuge comfort in that. At any rate, we will be done with the military at the end of December. Where we live after that is still up to Jesus.

Even though this week wasn't as "successful" as a I thought it would be, it was nice to spend time with my Dad. We found some cool places to eat, and spent a day in Cocoa beach. And I had frozen yogurt!!! BIG win, seeing that it doesn't exist where we live in Manhattan (and no folks...TCBY doesn't count!).

Well, better get to bed before my early flight tomorrow!

Lauren <3
"As for God, His way is perfect..."- Psalm 18:30

Let's blog!

I've always admired those that can steadily update curious family and friends through a well-written blog. So, I've moved to start one of our very own, however mundane or exciting. Plus, now that I'm a college graduate, I don't want to lose my English/ writing skills that I spend endless hours running through a word processor... (Man, I'm glad those days are over...for now...)

2010 has been somewhat uneventful, with the exception of a few extraordinary events that have kept us on our toes. January to May, I was student teaching. My best friend, Amy, came to visit us from California and gave me a nice getaway from the madness of planning lessons. To say the least, that was the most stressful semester of my college experience, and I'm glad it's over.  My family came to visit for the big graduation day, and our great friends, the Straubs came too! I was glad to share that with them. Now, Justin and I have some fun student loans to keep in mind. :)

Amy and I in Aggieville

We were given some wonderful time to relax this summer. The heat has prompted lots of BBQing and summery cuisine. Justin is quite the BBQer. But, we may have overused the BBQ, because now the igniter doesn't work. Every time we'd like to use it now, I put my husband's life in jeopardy, because he has to light it by hand. Needless to say, he's lost his finger hairs quite a few times now. We'll be purchasing a new grill quite soon!

In July, Justin took his summer leave, and we went to Germany! My Dad's B-I-L was nice enough to give us free stand-by airfare through Delta, and we went on an adventure. We flew into Frankfurt, then took a train to Leipzig and stayed the night. It was fabulous to show Justin a lot of the places I had seen while studying abroad there. We then took the train to Berlin to spend the remainder of the week. It was a great time, and I was thrilled to use my German...especially, since that doesn't get to happen as often as I would like.

Justin eating a Doener in Leipzig (like a turkish gyro)- so yummy!!

When we arrived back to KS, we realized we were six months away from the end of Justin's military contract. This got our wheels rolling as to how we wanted to transition into "real life." While we're not able to go back to California (simply because it's so overcrowded and so expensive), we thought Florida was the next best thing. What's completely wonderful is that we have complete freedom to decide where we should go next. Ergo, our adventure! God knows our ultimate destination, but we are really excited to see how we get there.

Justin has a few options that he's looking into for what he'll do in Orlando. We'll disclose that as our move draws sooner. I'll ultimately be teaching, although I wasn't able to find a position for this school year. Hopefully next year!

Tonight, Justin will be traveling to Louisiana for a month for training he doesn't need/want, because he's not deploying... and that's what this training is ultimately for. I'm leaving for the airport as well, to go Orlando to meet my Dad. He's been awesome enough to go with me to look at houses (Oh and we're buying a house!).
Justin would love to go, but with only 5 months or so left, it seemed best to get this ball rolling. It's pretty exciting, I just wish he could be there, too.

Also, today is our 5th year wedding anniversary!! How fast this time has gone, and I'm thrilled that it's not even close to over. Thank you Lord for his many blessings in our marriage and these last 5 years. I love my husband.

August 15th, 2010- 5 years after our wedding. :)

Well, now that you're a little more caught up with what we've been doing, maybe our next blog entry won't be as long (thus probably more fun to read!). This could be fun! Thanks folks! More later. <3