First day and other tid-bits...

Yesterday, George went to work in America for the first time! (I resisted the urge to take a picture of him...but he sure did look great!) He felt like work went well and the hours flew by! He's very excited for the future and works 4 days next week. I am sooo proud of him and happy that he is working-it's really good for him. I am going to miss him though. :( Our schedules don't really work together yet, but I'm hoping it's a short term problem.

This weekend is going to be pretty busy for us as we'll be experiencing A Day In The Life Of Foster Parents! My friend S lost a a very close friend this week, so she and her husband will be going out of town for the funeral. :( We will be helping by watching their two foster kids all day-I'm excited and a little terrified! We'll see how it goes...

G did not get the other job he interviewed for, but we see God's providence in that. We're still searching for a more ideal job for him, but for now, we are more than happy with retail!

My big feat of the week is finding George's beloved MILO! Milo [me-lo] is a chocolate, grain beverage mix that is big in Ghana and other parts of the world....just not here. It's a major staple-especially for breakfast. We've tried things like Ovaltine and Nesquick, but none compare for George and it's something he reeeally misses. I searched and searched nearby and haven't been able to find it. Finally, I found it on Amazon with a subscription option, so 3 big jars will arrive every other month! G will be super surprised! Yay!

J-O-B!!!

My husband has a job!

George got a job on Friday! He'll be working for Calvin Klein near us and we are SO EXCITED! (No, this is not the career job he's dreamt of and worked hard towards for the past 7 years, but it's a step in the right direction!) I am very proud of him and we are thanking God for this small victory.

As if that weren't good enough, he has an interview with a non-profit tomorrow! Woot woot! Hoping for the best....

I'm a planner. It's just a part of who I am. I thrive on plans and structure and organization. I like to plan eeeevvvveeeerrrrrything. You would think that I would have quit planning after years of every major plan I had not working out. Nope. I'm still planning!

Some things have changed though....I'm learning to let go of the plan and prioritize things that can't be planned.

Yesterday, I had a job interview. This job was fewer hours than I currently work and more money! I was pumped! The wheels were turning and my life plans for how this job would impact us were in full swing! I prayed before I went that God would make it clear to me whether this was the right job or not. I had faith that I would know instantly if this was "it" (and I knew our future would be amazing because of it).

Apparently God thinks I'm a big girl...He did not make is abundantly clear. Instead, critical thinking and prioritizing were needed...this is a theme in my life right now.

When it came down to it, the money, (which was speaking so loudly when I applied for this job) really wasn't the biggest deal. I had a good interview, but turned the job down. I just didn't like what my life would be with that job.

So I won't be getting a new Coach purse or those amazing over-the-knee boots from Nordstrom. And yes, we will be waiting even longer before we can get a car or have a baby or buy a house...all things I had planned for in our near future. Things I thought I needed; maybe to be happy, maybe to feel secure, maybe because I'm greedy...I'm not sure why.

I'm finding out that I'm really okay with letting go of the plan. I will always be a planner and a dreamer and we still want those things, but there's no rush.

I remember in those awkward high school years, I was trying to figure out what I was going to do with my life, and it had to be great. I would say things to my mom like, "I don't want the world to pass me by!" (Oh the angst!) Now, I want to drive in the slow lane and enjoy the ride. I don't want to pass the world by.

6 months, etc.

This past weekend we celebrated George's 6 months in the US! What a blessing that he is finally here! These 6 months have been packed with so many things. I think the next 6 months will be equally full, but easier to maneuver. I'm so proud of my man-he has handled this new life and all the new things that go along with it so well!

Last night, George learned how to use a lawnmower and other yard equipment. It was so cute to watch he and my dad work on the yard. Next week, G will try out his skills solo! While my dad is out of town, George will take care of my parents' yard.

G also learned how to go get the oil changed on the car (double thanks to dad for teaching him that new skill). I'm VERY happy to be able to pass that job on to him. :)

We're just enjoying the summer....trying to keep cool and hopeful!

God winked...

Some days are harder than others....yesterday was one of those hard days. G had a particularly discouraging day which was compounded by a toothache. It's really, really hard to watch him struggle and not be able to help him. Being at home all day and not being the provider for our family goes against everything in him. I don't have any sort of solution. We just try to remember that God is indeed faithful (even when it seems like He's gone on vacation) and things will be okay...they always are.

One thing I pray for a lot is that God would send some sort of encouragement while we wait for bigger changes. Today, we got some.

Today, George's toothache feels better, he has a little more hope, and I came to work to find that I got a raise!

It's not a huge raise, but it means a lot. I never imagined I would actually make more at this job....but God made a way. In a way, He winked. And that wink has said to us, "I'm still here, I'm still listening. Keep on going."

Thanks, God.

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

Goodbye, World Cup....and Vuvuzelas!

Well, the World Cup is over. It's been a fast month! I loved all the pageantry, I loved peoples being united over a simple game, I love that Africa got to host. Our interest in the games declined SHARPLY after Ghana was robbed in the Uruguay game...but I'm not bitter. It was a wonderful distraction (so was HGTV, which came with ESPN:). I even got used to the vuvuzelas.

George and I met around the time of the last World Cup...who knew this is where we would be for the next one? And who knows what life will look like four years from now? I'm not so concerned about the details anymore-as long as we're together, I'll be fine.

Yesterday was a loooooooong, hard day.

I came home to a completely SPOTLESS apartment (and I do mean spotless), clean laundry hanging up in the closet, and my favorite zebra sheets on the bed.

My husband is so awesome.

Weekend Recap

This weekend was great! It was relaxing and so much fun!

I really loved seeing G play football in the pool with my brothers-it was so cute! Brothers are great.

The food we ate this weekend was WONDERFUL!! My mom cooked and cooked and cooked! Now, it's back to yogurt and fruit and healthy stuff....

Having Tucker in town was fun too. G was a very doting dog sitter! He loved "Tuckah!" and was very concerned for his well being. They got along great (according to G, it's because they are both black). It was a glimpse of George I hadn't seen yet. He is definitely going to be the type of Daddy who stands over the baby to make sure he's still breathing. :) We should have gotten a picture of the two of them. It was nice, but I'm definitely leaning more towards waiting 'til we have a house to get a dog.

Yesterday we did even more job searching and G applied for several. We're still searching and hoping and praying!