Du bist Deutschland

In some areas of the Western world, people not having enough children to replace the current population. Check out this German ad that encourages more babies.



The ad is part of a German initiative called A Campaign for More Child Friendliness. I found it refreshing to see a public campaign highlighting the joy of children, even when they require much sacrifice.

Mmmm, Bier!

Kevin and I went to a picnic at German Park last night with some friends. It was a lot of fun...especially after Kevin had one of these.



I feel so blessed to be pregnant, but it was not quite as fun to be the designated driver-though I did get all the water and pop I could drink. Needless to say, I spent a significant amount of time making "pit stops".

Moving Forward

We found a house! Here's a picture from the listing.



We are set to close on the house in New York this Thursday. (Fortunately, we are able to have the deed etc. overnighted to us to sign so we don't have to be at the closing.) The closing date for the new house is set for July 25th, though we'd like to close earlier if possible. We are so blessed to have found a house that fits our needs so quickly. The search was short, but emotional. (I'm sure being pregnant didn't help in that regard!)

There are many good deals on houses right now, but buyers in the starter home price range need to act FAST on desirable properties. We put our full price offer in on Monday night and the next day, another agent called with a full price, cash offer from his client. The sellers had already accepted our offer, so the sellers' agent said the property was sold. Good thing we acted quickly! God has totally provided for our needs every step of the way. He is so faithful.

We've still got a few more weeks in the Extended Stay, but we'll manage. My biggest beef with the place is the stinky stairwell. There are a series of garbage cans, and the one on the ground floor has a cigarrette disposal tray. The entry way smells perpetually of stale cigarrettes and garbage. Oy!

Kevin says that if he were a bachelor, he'd stay here indefinitely. The affordable price with all utilities plus housekeeping is too good to be true. I beg to differ, but I'll let him enjoy this while it lasts.

Coming Up for Air

UPDATE ON THE JOURNEY FROM NY TO MI:

I think this will be my favorite pregnancy picture of all time. This is me in our NY house with two of Kevin's coworkers on move-out day. Keep in mind that only two out of the three people in the picture are pregnant.

"One of these things is not like the others..."



I made it into town last Wednesday evening after a none-too-eventful two-day drive. I think the slide show below shows the aesthetic highlight of the trip from NY to MI. This hotel is next door to the one I stayed at near the Buffalo airport. Wow.



Crossing the border into the Great Lakes State.



We are now living (temporarily!!) in an Extended Stay Hotel. Not fab, but definitely adequate and maintenance free. Buck is obviously making himself at home.



The house hunt is now in full swing. Update coming soon!

Deja Vu

For a good portion of our engagment, Kevin was in New York, while I was still in Michigan. We are apart again, but positions are reversed. At least it's only for a few days!

Kevin made it safely to Michigan with all of our stuff in tow. We had a lot of help loading and unloading the truck, thanks to generous friends! One leg of the journey is behind us.

I leave New York on Tuesday with the dog. It should be an adventure--a pregnant lady and a mutt in an SUV full of stuff. Please pray for traveling mercies!

Head 'Em Up, Move 'Em Out

Today is Moving Day.

Kevin should be getting the truck this very moment and then the loading of all our possessions will begin. I really really hope that we won't have to do this again any time soon.

All of the "lasts" have been hitting me hard this week:

• the last time I'll walk the dog on the golf course in the evening
• the last time we'll see friends at our parish
• the last time Kevin can safely drive past the shack of armed guards into work
• the last time we'll sleep in our bed in our first home
• the last time I'll take a shower in the bathroom we designed and remodeled (I love that bathroom!)

Sigh.

It is a bittersweet day. But I take comfort in this:

"For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare, not for woe! plans to give you a future full of hope." Jeremiah 29:11

The Crossroads of American Humanity

There are those places in town where you could meet just about anyone. The Department of Motor Vehicles, the gas station, Dunkin' Donuts (if you live out east where you can't drive 1 mile without seeing two Dunkin' Donuts stores, one on the right side of the road and one on the left)...and the Sprint Store.

Kevin and I have finally taken a leap into the 21st century; each of us now have our own cell phone. I went to the Sprint store yesterday to add a line and pick out a phone and I was amazed at the array of people.

• a female construction worker seeking the water/dust/heat/practically bomb-proof phone

• the executive in shambles over his fritzing Blackberry

• the teenager smacking gum and pouring over the picture taking, MP3 playing, super-texting phone

• and me - the pregnant lady who just wanted a phone with good reception that won't get crushed in my abyss-of-a-purse

After about 45 minutes of decision making, activating, phone book transferring, and money spending, I got the phone. It does take pictures, so I promptly snapped one of Buck, which is now the display on the little phone screen. In a few months, perhaps the picture will change to the Babe! (and I mean our baby...not The Great Bambino)

Hitch in the Giddy Up

The process of moving back to the Great Lakes State is in full swing. Kevin leaves one week from tomorrow, and we're in all-out packing, paper work completing, phone calling, arrangement making mode. Moving is a whole lot of work!

We are waiting to find a house til we roll into town, which means that we need some temporary digs. Our original plan was to live in a house that a friend was preparing to rent out to college students. Long story short, that fell through last Thursday night, and the past week has been a feverish search for a place to stay while we find another homestead. I checked Craigslist, Sublet.com, and other sites looking for an apartment or a house, and nothing has panned out...except a studio room at Extended Stay America. So, as of today, we'll be hotel-dwellers for at least 30 days. Grand.

I'm certainly not looking forward to living in a studio hotel room with a dog, but on the upside, weekly housekeeping, internet, cable, utilities, and a membership at the hotel's workout facility are all included. And, the extent of our stay is totally flexible, which is comforting considering that the time between starting to look for a home and actually closing on a home can be unpredictable.

This situation has brought the life of Christ to mind many times. Mary went into labor while they were on a journey to be counted by the government, and the only place they could find was a cave-dwelling for animals. Joseph had a dream that he needed to take his wife and Jesus to Egypt. They fled Judea right away; no doubt they didn't have the chance to research sublets and long-term-stay inns! And when a scribe expressed his undying devotion to Jesus, he answered:

"Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head." Matthew 8:20

Even as modern day disciples, we must be prepared to depend on our Heavenly Father just as Jesus did, at every moment of every day for ALL that we need.

Maybe Extended Stay American isn't so bad after all.