I still exist

It's been a long time since I posted but I aim to do better. I'm shooting for at least one post a week.

As Amy mentioned, I recently was promoted to the Assistant Supervisor at Crossroads. It gives me more responsibilities (which I am looking forward to) and a couple more evenings at home (which I am also looking forward to.)

I have also dived into a new hobby. It started when I was scheduled to lead an activity at work where we would go shoot off model rockets. I have a number of them and I help guys build their own (it's fun to watch them shoot off their own rockets.) It was not rocket-shooting-off weather that day so the activity became "Build Models with Pete." We only had a limited number of model rockets or plastic model cars and some guys had limited resources to purchase one of the models from us and I wanted everyone to be able to get involved. I had seen some paper models a number of years ago and figured I could find some on the internet to print out and offer for some guys to build. I was blown away by what I found and that I could download them and print them for free! I was hooked. If you want to see what I'm talking about Papertoys.com has some fairly basic models to build, Yamaha Motor has an impressive collection as does The Disney Experience and that is only a taste of what is out there.

dateline: nashville

I'm posting this from a hotel room in lovely Nashville, Tennesee! There is a group of us down here from work for strategy meetings with our big music vendors - Word, EMI and Provident. Each of these companies encompass record labels, who present their new releases to us. We listen to lots of new music and get to do some really fun stuff. Today was our meeting with Provident, and we heard some great new music from both new and established artists. And then we got to have dinner with Michael W. Smith tonight. I grew up with his music, and while I'm not the fan I was when I was 15, it's still a bit of a mind-boggling experience. And let's just say that he's pretty airbrushed on his album covers. :)

While this is a fun trip, I really don't like being away from home. I'm a bit of a homebody to begin with, and I have such a good reason to be home. Plus, Pete just got the exciting news this week that he will be the assistant supervisor of the home he works at, so we won't be able to celebrate until I get home this weekend. I'm so proud of him - it will be a great role for him.

We have one more meeting tomorrow (with Johnny Cash's sister, of all people) and then we're on our way back. Before I left, we put in a lot of work on our entryway (there is paint on the walls!) and we might be able to finish up this weekend. Woo hoo!

good friends

My friends Laura and Jill and Melissa (who took this photo - its quality is not her fault) came over about a week and a half ago to celebrate Laura's return to Spain. She leaves a week from today and will be working with Muslims in Barcelona - just the type of ministry God has gifted her for. I'm so excited for her, but sad she won't be here in GR.

I've know Laura and Jill since junior high - and they've known each other since kindergarten! We've gone from sitting together on the bus in middle school, through the drama that is high school, then supporting each other through all of the change that happens in college to weddings and babies (Jill has four!) and now homeschooling and Spain and new houses. Good times. And there's nothing better than simply sharing conversation, some Chinese food, homemade humus, wine, bread and olive oil on a Friday night. Life makes it a little more difficult to get together as often, but I treasure the times we do.

And I've had the opportunity to reconnect with some college friends lately. Several of us that worked together on our college newspaper are getting together Monday night (somehow, we all ended up in Grand Rapids and found each other after eight or nine years) and my roommate Andrea and I have just gotten back in touch after a few years. I've found that the older I get, the more difficult it is to make these kinds of friends. Maybe it's just the stage of life I'm in right now, and it's fine, but it's not as easy as it was in college and in my early/mid 20s. So I cherish the ones I have, try to stay connected to them, and look forward to the ones that may await.

rainy days and mondays

Yesterday was Monday and yesterday was rainy (VERY rainy), but, to paraphrase The Carpenters, neither of those really got me down. Instead, it was the woman who hit my car.

Yes, after years of accident-free driving, I've now been in two in the last 15 months. The one last year was my fault. Yesterday's (fortunately for me) was not. First, the good news: no one was injured. The bad news: my car is in the body shop for its second round of body work in 15 months. Soon, the entire front end will be brand new!

So I was headed toward work yesterday morning when a car in front of me slowed to turn into a health club on Burton. I slowed down too, since that's what you should do. There was a car waiting to turn out of the same parking lot. She later said she thought I was turning as well (though I can't figure out why - I didn't have my turn signal on). So car in front of me turns in, I start to accelerate, and so does the car coming out of the parking lot. And it accelerated into my passenger side. There's nothing quite like that sound of metal smashing against metal.

It's truly providential that on a dark, rainy morning, the accident was not any worse, the police officer was friendly, the tow truck drive was friendly, and the woman that hit me was extremely apologetic. And my gem of a husband was able to drive over and comfort me, give me a ride to the body shop and then a ride to work.

No pictures of the car to post - we'll just look forward to it looking as good as new.

my favorites

In lieu of another boring life update, I thought I'd post a list of some of my favorite blogs, especially since I can't figure out how to post the links on our blog template.

1. The Corner at NationalReview.com
http://corner.nationalreview.com/
This is a group blog on the electronic side of the political magazine National Review. They are all conservative politically, but what I appreciate is that they are thoughtful - not knee jerk. And it's a wide spectrum of people - a few athiest/agnostics, several Catholics, a few Jews and a handful of evangelical Christians. Some are employed by National Review, others with think tanks, the government, etc. One guy is a producer on the TV Show "According to Jim." And it's not all politics on this blog. Lots of interesting links. I have to admit - I check it at work at least once a day (don't tell anyone!) :)

2. Andrew Osenga - independent artist living in Nashville
http://www.andrewosenga.com/blog/
Andrew used to be the frontman for a band called The Normals - not your typical "Yeah God" Christian music. They have disbanded, and Andrew now plays with Caedmon's Call in addition to his solo shows and albums. He's also part of a community of independent Christian artists called the Square Peg Alliance, which also includes Andrew Peterson, a top favorite of both Pete and me. I'm going to Nasvhille for work next month and I'd love to check out a Square Peg show if I could (doubtful that would happen, but it's worth trying!)

3. My cousin Rachel
www.scottandrach.blogspot.com
It's a great way to keep up on my cousin Rachel's doings all the way over on the east side of the state. And congratulations again on your fantastic news! (Read her blog to find out what it is).

4. Following Austen - by Lori Smith
www.followingausten.blogspot.com
I stumbled upon this blog via AustenBlog and was hooked. Her posting has been spotty lately due to a battle with Lyme Disease, but she's a great writer and will have a book out soon about her summer following Jane Austen around England (my dream trip someday!)

There are others I randomly read, but those are the four I probably read the most. Follow the links and have some fun!

year two

I wrote this on September 5, but had problems posting it then. I'm actually posting it on September 26.

Two years of marriage under our belts...we've got this thing totally figured out. :) Okay, anything but, but it's been an amazing two years. I am so grateful for the gift God has given me in Pete and I pray I never take it for granted.

I think we'd both agree that the second year of marriage was more difficult than the first - not in a bad way, but I think we've reached a higher comfort level with each other, and more of our "stuff" comes to the surface. But we're able to work through it and, in the process, learn more about ourselves and each other. It's been very helpful to be married to someone who has worked in a theraputic setting for 6 years!

Anyway, we celebrated this weekend by heading to Detroit. Not the typical romantic destination and yet, it was perfectly wonderful.

We took in two Tiger games - one Saturday night (rainy, cold, Tigers lost) and one Sunday night (much nicer weather, Tigers lost). It's a blast to go to their games, even when they do lose. Comerica Park is beautiful, the game of baseball is fascinating and people are so excited to be there. It's especially fun to watch the kids (and the big kids who still get a kick out of going to a Major League game). We caught batting practice on Sunday night and sat near the bullpen so we could see the various pitchers warming up. Fun times.

Sunday, we drove around metro Detroit and visited the greatest store on earth (right up there with Target!), IKEA. Inexpensive furniture and any and everything you'd want for your home. It was packed with everyone in southeast Michigan, so it was tough to take everything in, but I got some great ideas. Pete tolerated it very well - I don't think he would consider IKEA the greatest store on earth (that might be Best Buy for him) but he faked it pretty well. We didn't buy anything major - just cheap batteries and Swedish sparkling juice for us, light bulbs for my parents. I wonder what their sales volume is in just a day - it's amazing.

But more than Tiger games and IKEA and everything else, it was special to simply spend precious time together.

life goes on

August has been a busy month...here's an update on what the Andersons have been doing:
- Side entryway is now devoid of any and all wallpaper. Awaiting coats of primer and whatever color we finally decide on.
- Pete just returned from camping in the UP with his kids (and other staff). A good time was had by all, but he was grateful to return to a shower, a toilet and a bed.
- Work has been super busy for me as we are full force into the Christmas season. That means loooong days (arrive before 7 a.m., leave after 8:00 p.m. - made easier by the fact that Pete was gone last week. Not sure how to balance that this week). But fun things too: I got to meet Phil Vischer, the co-creator of VeggieTales, last week. And I got to interview Pat Summerall, which was nerve-wracking. I mean, he's really famous! I'm always afraid of sounding like an idiot when I interview, especially over the phone. Anyway, here's the finished result: www.familychristian.com/summerall
- We celebrated Tori Anderson's 11th birthday on Friday. Happy birthday, Tori! I've only known her 2.5 years and I already can't believe she's 11. Pictures from that forthcoming.
- We think skunks have taken up residence under our deck. Calls have been made to Critter Control. The fun never ends!
- Currently reading: Pete's been reading Lloyd Alexander's series (can't remember the name right now). I've been reading The Summer of the Great-Grandmother by Madeleine L'Engle, book 2 in her Crosswicks Journals series. Highly recommended.
- And remember Whitney Cerak, the girl involved in the accident and misidentification of Taylor students? She's back at Taylor today to begin her sophomore year. God is so good. Read more: www.whitneycerak.blogspot.com

it's been a long time!

And there went the month of July!

It's been way too long since either of us has posted. I can't say anything terribly exciting has happened between the last post and now...new carpet in the basement, moved the office upstairs, very hot weather, bought a window air conditioner so we could at least survive the nights, work is both busy and fulfilling for both of us, weekends have been busy (we went to a Tigers game last weekend with my parents and grandparents - fun!!), work on our entryway and yard continue (when it's not too hot), etc.

For me, I've started work on the Christmas 1 catalog at FCS. We publish 3 Christmas catalogs so the next month to month and a half will be very intense. Fall 1 will go out the door tomorrow (it was supposed to go to the printer Friday, but we had a ton of last minute changes). We had our first proof of the Fall 2 catalog last Thursday. And we begin planning for our Christmas 2 catalog Tuesday. Crazy! It's hard to get into the Christmas spirit, especially when the temperature outside is 95, and listening to Christmas music just doesn't appeal to me right now. I love the summer and I don't want to wish it away! With all of this busyness, I have to remember to take one day at a time. I tend to get overwhelmed by the imensity of the task ahead of me instead of taking it in small chunks. But so far, so good. I pray that it continues this way!

Pete's spent a few weeks in June/July filling in as the activity therapist on his unit and had a ball. It's an area he's truly gifted in and that he really enjoys. He has a great relationship with Mark, the unit's AT, and they'll conduct a training session together for other Wedgwood ATs soon. For his work, Pete received a letter of commendation this week - what a guy! He also replaced my parents' hard drive, which decided to die last weekend. He spent a good amount of time at their house on Monday and Tuesday getting that figured out and replaced. As an added bonus, he also bought us a new hard drive, which he installed with glee this week (along with some new computer fans that have a blue glow - they make a nice night light). He's also taking down the painted-over layer of wallpaper in our entryway. Thanks for your dedication, honey!

In the next couple of weeks, we hope to replace the threshholds in both of our entryways (they're wood and crumbling) and have some work done on the doorframe of our front entryway. There's some water damage there that has caused the wood to rot (need gutters!) but I also have a feeling that is also where our friendly neighborhood carpenter ants have set up shop. Yikes. That may also warrant a call to an exterminator. They're everywhere and that seems to be the place they like to scurry to. I love living in an old, wood-sided house. Really I do! :)

Okay, another long post and no pictures. We'll try to get some pictures up soon.

a week ago tonight...

I came home to a quiet house after a long day of work. Pete was working , so my plan was to accomplish a few little projects around the house after I ate dinner. Things like calling a college friend. Maybe doing a little cleaning. Perhaps finishing up The Gifts of the Jews. Or maybe all three.

My plans were dramatically altered when, after dinner, newspaper and too much Seventh Heaven on the ABC Family channel (why does that show suck me in? It's so silly!), I got up from the couch and stepped out into our basement hallway to go upstairs. Squish went the carpet under my feet. I had a glass of water in my hand...maybe I tipped it and spilled some? Another step. Squish. By then, I'm in front of the door to our laundry room and panic quickly sets in. Shoes are floating around the bottom of our freezer. A few items that are normally upright have been knocked over and lying in a pool of water - not a puddle but a pool. A pool that covers the entire laundry room and under my feet.

My heart pounding and my mind racing ("I'm alone. What will I do? Will insurance cover this? Is our basement ruined? We don't have the money for this! AHHHHHHH!!!!) I know the culprit so I go upstairs and sure enough, the toilet on our second floor is running. And running. And running. It has been this way for more than an hour. And it's coming up through the drain in our basement. It's happened once before, but we caught it in time (and figured out the problem after an hour of baling water and a call to the city). Just days before, we'd even talked about how we needed to call a plumber to come look at the basement drain. It was on the to-do list...

I know Pete's completely out-of-pocket (Tuesday night is ropes course night for his kids) so I leave a desperate and somewhat tearful message for my dad. And then another tearful message for Pete. And I start rescuing items from our basement floor in our carpeted rec room. Things like the computer. The PlayStation. The surround sound system speakers. Water is seeping under the wall from the laundry room and soaking the carpet. I think I'm on the verge of hyperventilating. I know our neighbor, Bob, is home. Would he be able to help if I can't get ahold of my dad? I call my dad again and reach him. Dad to the rescue! We harness the power of our shop vacs and suck up water - lots and lots of it. My dad is a saint, especially when he's emptying gallons of water outside in the rain.

Pete comes home around 10:30 and continues to clean until about 2:00 a.m. He is a rock (and he should be - that's his name, right?) I appreciate his calm demeanor, even when I want him to freak out along with me. :)

Long story short: we apparently have tree roots in our drain out to the sewer. The kind man from Penning Plumbing took care of them on Wednesday, but said it will probably continue to be a problem - a hazard of living in an older neighborhood with mature trees and old pipes (that aren't PVC). We've ripped out all of the carpet from the basement - and discovered what we think is mold on the back. So perhaps this is a blessing in disguise. We've also discovered signs that this may have happened before, perhaps in the last several years. Funny the things people don't mention when they're selling a house. And no, NONE of this is covered by our insurance (apparently you need a provision for floods caused by drain back-ups. We don't have that provision. Grrr...) But we've found an inexpensive option for carpet replacement, the paneling seems fine, and we wanted to put vinyl at the bottom of the stairs anyway. So we'll do a nice little remodel - a little earlier than planned, but the results will be worth it.

I'll end this very long post with a few pictures of June 6 and its aftermath...some of them turned out blurry and I don't have the photographic finesse to capture the "magnitude" of the water.

God is on the move

Several weeks ago, I posted a request for prayer for Taylor University. On April 26, four students and a staff member were killed in a tragic car accident on I-69 as they were returning to the Upland campus. According to reports, a young woman from Caledonia had been seriously injured. Ever since, I had been following her progress on a blog her sister continually updated. There are several people at work close to the VanRyn family, and although I don't know them, those connections, as well as the TU connection, brought them close to my heart.

As I'm sure you've heard, there was a stunning announcement this week that there had been a misidentification of students at the scene of the accident and, in fact, Laura VanRyn had died and it was Whitney Cerak the VanRyns had been caring for during the last month. It's made national (and in some cases, international) headlines since Wednesday when this discovery was revealed.

There aren't words that adequately express the sorrow and the joy these two families are experiencing. One of my co-workers, whose daughter was a close friend of Laura, said it best: "God is on the move." And He is. This story has touched hearts around the country and God is using it to bring people to Him. The blog address has been published nationwide, and it's been incredible to see the comments on it from people praying for these families - from alumni to complete strangers. Some have indicated that it's prompted them to open a Bible, return to church, seek Jesus. God is truly on the move.

As a Taylor alum, these events have touched me deeply - Taylor truly is a family and while I don't know these girls, I've experienced much of what they've experienced on campus (Whitney Cerak lived in the same dorm I did). It's made me realize - again - how blessed I am to have gone there and to call myself a member of that family.

Here's where you can read more:
www.lauravanryn.blogspot.com
www.chronicle-tribune.com (Marion (Indiana) Chronicle-Tribune - they've had great coverage of the events, from the night of the accident until now)
www.taylor.edu