do you remember?

i love the stage these pictures are in. they're in the phase where the memories aren't too distant--but they're distant enough to make you have to dig back in your piggy bank of fond memories and get all warm and nostalgic. the beauty is that we're still in it--in it to win it--and we've picked up more passengers along the way.

sheeeew. friendships are a blessed thing.

our FIRST saturday night in D8.

the story of what schnell and i thought of each other at this point is pretty funny.

look how pretty ben is!

you think chris is creative with sleeping positions in the apartment?

try a road trip in a van.

i don't think this picture even needs a caption.

Anthony would grace us with his wonderful presence every once in awhile.

he was the "lava" instigator. it was awesome.

this one's for me

"An elevated mood can only come out of an elevated habit of personal character. If in the externals of your life you live up to the highest you know, God will continually say--"Friend, go up higher." The golden rule in temptation is--Go higher."

-Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

a smattering, if you will

Today, we win.

Jessi and I turned in our applications for an apartment last week and TODAY I got a call telling us that we got it!! This was a cause for joyous dancing in my cube and high fives all around. Oh man, we are READY to start this grownup thing. Living with the Blasers has been a huge blessing and we LOVE them, but it's time for us to have our own space and start to feel like we're making our own way. And, just in case you were curious, we will be making our own way in a pretty sweet location. Our apartment is a walk away from the marina, the grocery store, the library, a hole in the wall thai place and 3 retirement homes (Jessi and I are going to scope out the Bingo playing options). Now, here's the downside--a side that Jessi and I have decided to view optimistically, but others seem to think we're crazy--apparently our apartment has a 20% approval rating (we saw this AFTER we turned in our applications). And I'm almost certain that that 20% came from the managers writing nice things about the apartment with an alias name. BUT, as Jessi's boss pointed out, nobody goes on those websites to write nice things--they only go on there if they want to complain. Now, don't freak out, but I will tell you that the words "black mold" and "sucky management" were used quite a bit. But, mold schmold, you know what I'm sayin? This apartment has been renovated and is the biggest, nicest, cheapest, best locationest place we found. So there, respiratory system. Take that.

So I think we're going to be moving in next weekend. The parents will come and help us get situated. My dad has vowed to buy me a nice silverware set--he's very concerned about it. "You can't have forks that bend," he says. I love him.

Work was good today. I am getting it and being helpful and being encouraged and that equals a pretty dang good day. Man, working life is interesting. I have thoughts on that but I'll reserve them for when I'm in a more melancholy mood. But right now I want to tell you that what Jessi and I have on the docket for tonight is to make grilled cheese sandwiches and watch West Wing and then go to bed early. Doesn't that sound lovely?

Jessi and I are real funny together, I'd say. We are basically married. We pack our lunch together for work--we actually eat all our meals together, now that I think about it. We share a room, a closet, a car, a bed, the building we work in, our hearts, our worries, our support and lots of laughs. People have warned us that we need to be careful--friendships are ruined this way. We know this. And we're not under any illusion that it's going to be great all the time--but we're communicators and we're dedicated to loving one another and maintaining this beautiful friendship we've built--so don't you worry.

Last weekend we babysat my boss's kids so he and his wife could have a date night. They were so precious. So, so precious. Ah! Kids! They make my heart so happy!

Friends, today life is good--and, man, it feels good to say that.

close to distance

Surprise us with love at daybreak;
then we'll skip and dance all the day long.
Make up for the bad times with some good times;
we've seen enough evil to last a lifetime.
Let your servants see what you're best at—
the ways you rule and bless your children.
And let the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us,
confirming the work that we do.
Oh, yes. Affirm the work that we do!

Psalm 14-17 MSG

shopping for steeples

Jessi and I have been "church shopping" for the past three weeks. Today we went to the Puyallup SDA church. We had heard whisperings of a thriving Adventist young adult group. So that's where they all are! So we went and made jokes about meeting our future husbands and friends--we made fun of that thought while meticulously putting on our makeup.

When we got there the greeters did their greeter thing, and it eventually came out that we were church shopping and visitors. Oooh man did they like that! We instantly were given a little form to fill out and one of them darted off to find Mr. Young Adult. Mr. Young Adult's name is Brian, and he seems nice, but unique. They invited us to lunch AND to games tonight. We weaseled from the commitment--graciously, mind you. Commitment in new places is scary. We're not sure if we're ready for that yet.

Jessi and I decided that it's like dating. Lunch and games is dinner... we need coffee. Coffee has a built in exit strategy, a safety net, if you will. So we have a coffee date next Friday night (maybe). They have a Bible study at Brian's house every Friday evening. This is what we've decided to attend. So, we shall see. Maybe this is the place God is nudging us, maybe not. We both really want to become part of a church family. A place where people notice if you're missing and families invite you over for lunch and you get to play with their adorable little kids.

[sigh]

That sounds really nice.

On another note, today happened to be Pathfinder church. Jessi and I stifled giggles pretty much throughout the whole thing. It was epically awkward and contrived and cute. We even got to sing to a soundtrack once while the guitar player sang off key. At one point Jessi reached over and grabbed my arm because it was so awkward. It was wonderful.