Back to School... Part-time!

Andrew/Happy is back in school, hence the new background. He started classes on Wednesday and is taking Educational Ministry in the Church and Hebrew. Two classes, as opposed to his full-time load of at least three. Then again, Hebrew is a three unit class that really should count as four since he's in class four hours each week, and the other class is another three unit class. He's going to have plenty to keep him busy. Please pray for good time management and perseverance! We're looking towards a Spring 2013 graduation date, Lord-willing.

We had our big ultrasound on Monday and everything is looking great. The only real news to report is that Caleb is actually Emma! Turns out our doctor was a little ambitious when I was 12 weeks (that's VERY early) in predicting a boy. Although I did think I was having a boy, I had a weird dream less than a week before the ultrasound that "Caleb" came early and was a girl. Very strange. In my dream I panicked because we didn't have a middle name. We still don't have a middle name, but have a few ideas. We'd like to have some kind of biblical significance in the first or middle (or both) name of each of our children... So if you're dying to pass on a suggestion, that might help guide you. We've had a handful of people suggest Emma Rose. Apparently that sounds good to lots of people.

Another SUPER exciting thing... I went to a free couponing class last night hosted by the OC Register and am really excited to get started. Just need the coupons now... I was pretty hyped up about it last night and my poor (and wonderful) husband had to listen to me go on and on about how much money we can save and the different methods. I'm such a nerd.

Alice is finally ready to be done with her nap, though she's been awake and playing for 40 minutes! Love that girl. Some day I'll get better at posting pictures. First I have to take them. Turns out Alice is just about as photogenic as her Grandpa Gilmore. Anyone who knows him will understand what that means, but if you don't... I'll just say, Alice doesn't quite yet know how to smile at a camera and keep her eyes open! Have a lovely weekend!

Meanwhile, In Garden Grove . . .

First things first, there are hundreds of new photos (mostly of Alice!) if you just click the link to Web Album 2 on the right side of the page.

Last night, Amy and Alice and I visited our friends Jacob and Sarah Ailes in the hospital and got to see and hold their baby girl, Lucy Amanda Ailes. Sarah's blog details the meaning of Lucy's name, which I think is very thoughtful. That, and I'm a Narnia fan!

October is a busy month. This Friday is our "dateiversary" and we'll be celebrating six years since we started dating/courting/going out/"liking" each other. It's a surprise to Amy where we'll be going, but it's going to be a blast!

I have an exam on Wednesday and one on Thursday.

On Sunday I have a missions team meeting after church on Sunday and then we have a youth fellowship night that evening.

Next Wednesday I fly up to Oakland to help move my 86-year-old grandpa move out of the house he bought in 1954. It's time for grandpa to move to an assisted living place across town from my parents. It will be a bittersweet time as a lot of family says goodbye to the home Grandpa raised a family in. I'll be driving home on Saturday. Amy and Alice will meet us in Santa Clarita so that Grandpa can meet his great-granddaughter.

Then, on Reformation Weekend (Oct. 29-31), we'll be in Santa Maria celebrating my maternal grandmother's 75th birthday.

Phew! A lot's going on, but God is gracious in supplying strength and his power is made perfect in weakness. Amy continues to work hard at Pan-Pacific and I'm working at church and going to school full time. Alice is growing up so fast and we're amazed at her alertness. She brings lots of laughter and joy into our lives.

So often I'll see something while driving and think, "I should totally blog about that!" only to forget about it until I'm going to bed or before class or before church. Maybe some day soon I'll stop and blog about one of those things.

Some things

Well, it's Friday of my first week back in school and there's a few things to update y'all on.

Tonight is the final night of the summer softball season. We get to play twice: at 8:00pm and 9:15pm. The later game is against Bloodline, a team made up of a large extended family in our church (along with some friends) and our rivals. I'm really looking forward to it. This is my fourth summer playing softball with the men from our church. I love it because I get to play a sport (which doesn't happen much anymore), but more than that, I love it because I get to know people in the church that I wouldn't get to know any other way. Also, our games have tons of fans in the bleachers because bunches of people from the church come and watch our games, which just adds to the fun.

In other exciting news, our friends the Rehrers are in the process of adopting a little girl from Africa! That's really exciting and something Amy and I have tossed around as an idea for the future. It will be fun and informative to see them go through this process.

Some people have been waiting - with bated breath no doubt - to hear about why I shaved my head. In fact, I believe my mom's exact word was "yuck." Thanks mom. Anyway, two weeks ago I was trying to hustle so I could get to church in time for our weekly staff meeting. I needed to shave and my sideburns were also getting a little long, so I decided to pull out the hair clippers and give the burns a little trim. However, in my rush, I forgot to put a guard on the clippers! So when I whooshed upwards with the clippers, my sideburns did not get trimmed, they got shaved! Not only that, but I went past the sideburns.

I called Amy and told her what happened. I said that I thought I would have to shave my head. She said not to. I took a picture with my phone and then sent it to Amy. She said I should shave my head! That's the story.

Palm Springs and a New School Year

Sunday through Tuesday, Amy, Alice and I were in Palm Springs with Pastor Ron and Susie and their three kids: Mark, Jeffrey and Alicia. As you'd expect, it was hotter than hot, averaging about 110 degrees while we were there. We stayed in a two-bedroom condo that a generous person in our church let us stay in for fairly cheap. The air conditioning was cranked up (down?) the whole time we were there, making for an almost 40 degree difference between the outside and inside temperatures during the hottest part of the day. We took several pictures and videos, which you can view here.

This coming Wednesday marks the beginning of my fifth semester at Talbot. I'm taking Apologetics, Biblical Leadership & Management, and Exegesis in Acts and the Epistles. Yep, that last mouthful is my last required Greek class! That means two things: 1) People now will (mistakenly!) expect me to be proficient in biblical Greek, and 2)I can begin taking Hebrew in the spring!

Last night I checked online to see if any of my professors had posted syllabi and was ridiculously excited to see my Apologetics syllabus up. My professor, Garrett DeWeese, not only posted the syllabus, but also all the supplementary reading, the first day of class' powerpoint slides, and other miscellaneous links and resources. Besides the last day of class, I think the first day of class is my favorite day of the semester!

Today I have Alice until 11ish and then a church friend will be watching her. She's getting big, but especially growing long. Here's a video for you to enjoy!

Proud

I'm proud of The Master's College for its work in the community of Santa Clarita. Why? Here's one very tangible reason.

Throw 'Em A Bone!

Okay, keeping up with this blog has been next-to-non-existent, so to prevent me from going crazy in my office right now, I decided to post the books I'm reading/studying right now for those who care:

The UBS Greek New Testament
Christian Theology, Millard Erickson
Knowing God, J.I. Packer
Kregel Dictionary of the Bible and Theology, Henry Holloman (my Theology I professor)
O Pioneers!, Willa Cather
Get Outta My Face!, Rick Horne
College Ministry 101, Chuck Bomar
Everlasting Dominion, Eugene Merrill
Exodus, Philip Ryken
Exodus, John Currid

Exodus, R. Alan Cole

Exodus, James Bruckner

Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics, Daniel Wallace

Moral Choices, Scott Rae

There it is!

A Whole New World

I know when you read the title that you were hoping that there'd be a video of me singing the Aladdin song, so I'm sorry to disappoint. What I meant by that title is that on Thursday morning at 8:00am, I'll officially be back to school. Graduate school. Seminary. It's a daunting task, but Amy and I are both very excited about it. Last night, we went to Talbot New Student Banquet. It was a great time of being introduced to Talbot School of Theology at Biola University.(notice the guy in the brown shirt on the right side of the first picture that pops up on Biola's site. He's wearing a Hotchkiss shirt! That's the dorm I lived in at TMC!)

There was good food and cheesecake for dessert, but the best part of the evening was being able to sit at the same table with two professors. Dr. Garry DeWeese and Dr. Clint Arnold were very friendly and curious hosts at our table. We talked about how we got to Talbot, where we were from (lots and lots of questions about Amy being from New Hampshire, which she very much enjoyed!), what program we're in, etc.

Toward the end of the night, a microphone was passed around to all the faculty present. They introduced themselves, what department they teach in and several - sometimes very funny - interesting facts about themselves or their spouses. It was very helpful for Amy and I to be there together and meet and see who I will be learning under for the next several years.

This semester, I'm in five classes:
Beginning Greek I
Personal Foundations of Ministry
Theological Research Methodologies
Theology III
Hermeneutics and Bible Study

In other news, Amy and I are looking forward to a mini-vacation this Labor Day weekend with our newly married friends, Travis and Katy. They invited us to go camping with them on Santa Rosa Island, an island in the Channel Islands chain off the coast of California. We're jumping on a boat that takes off at 8:00am Friday morning from Ventura Harbor and hoping to return sometime in the afternoon on Monday. We'll be roughing it, since we have to hike a mile and a half from the shore to our campsite and nothing that we bring can weigh more than 45 pounds. It should be a blast! We'll post pictures and our experiences when we get back.

Adieu

Unemployed

I am no longer an employee of Liberty Christian School.  I do get paid through the rest of the summer, but my contract with LCS has expired.  Friday was my last day and it was a weird feeling.  Teaching at LCS was my first "real" job.  It was the thing that determined where Amy and I would live after we got married.  I said my goodbyes on Friday, gathered my last few belongings from my "cloffice," and drove out of the gates on Friday afternoon.

Now, I'm excited, nervous, and anxious about my first seminary class tomorrow.  I'm also anticipating a great summer of being the youth ministries intern at our church.

Speaking of that, it's time I got back to reading and studying.

School and Travel

Today marked the third day of school at Liberty Christian. But in reality, it was the second "real" day of school. Tuesday was only the first day of school for the secondary (7-12). Wednesday, the elementary (K-6) graced us with their presence (and the presence of proud parents and grandparents, snapping tons of pictures of their less-than-eager students).

Yesterday was also the first day I had to teach my Bible class (second period) and eighth grade homeroom class. I went over the PE syllabus with 38 junior highers this afternoon. That class is really going to test my patience and my classroom management skills. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I have at least 43 students signed up for junior high PE! AHHHHH!!! Yesterday I also went over some basic introductory rules and procedures with the high schoolers in PE. To end class, we played Big Booty. If you don't know how to play, then you need to learn. It's so fun!

Today was my first day of lecturing in Bible and I basically filled up the whole period lecturing on Bibliology, the origin of the Bible, the Canon, etc. It was fun. I learned a lot from it and figured out some things I need to do better. I'm really looking forward to the rest of year in that class.

Last, here's a random list of trips - in no particular order - we would like to go on in the coming years. It started as a way to figure out what we want to do next summer for vacation and expanded from there. What do you think? Any comments or questions?

1. Go camping with my parents and brothers.
2. Go camping with Emily and Steven at Buckeye Flats in Sequoia National Park.
3. Hike Half-Dome in Yosemite with Amy.
4. Climb Mt. Whitney with guys from Village!
5. Go to Monterey.
6. Visit New England in the Fall (Octoberish).
7. Visit Aunt Cindy in Colorado.
8. Take a road trip to Idaho.
9. Take a road trip to Seattle and visit Uncle Bob and Aunt Barbara.
10. Visit the UK.