A Busy Week 4-21-06

A Busy Week

I am not even sure where to begin updating our lives this past week! We have done so much and time has gone by so quickly! Early last week was spent weeding and mulching our entire landscaped area...which included a large section in the front , both sides of the house and all along the back of the house, and a separate tree area. We worked from sun up to sun down from Monday through Wednesday when it was finally done. It really felt good to work so hard and to see such progress. Landon was so good...he is finally to the age where we don't have to watch him every second. We worked and he played and we all had fun. Many hours were spent together as a family working away, but it really gave us a great sense of accomplishment to work on our own yard together as a family.

After the yard was finished I began to shop and prepare the INSIDE of my house for the baby shower I was to hold on Saturday for my sister-in-law. Thankfully everything got done and the shower went off beautifully. I think she really enjoyed herself and had a wonderful time. The most amazing part of the entire experience was that twenty-five women actually fit into my living room, and the sun was shining, so we could use the deck as well. Praise the Lord!

Sunday was spent going to church, having lunch at my parents and buying a new vacuum cleaner. First of all, I have to say that I am by nature a very clean person. I just like a clean house. So, last week when my neighbor bought over her new vacuum to show me and we swept my living room and I got to see inside of the chamber what was sucked up, I was mortified and greatly disturbed. I vacuum all of the time...but obviously my cheap-o vacuum was not doing the job. So I told Jonathan (who gets extremely grossed out by such creatures as dust-mites that like to live in carpets). I think I knew telling him all about what her vacuum sucked up would get me a new vacuum. And it did (in fact he was more in favor of buying it than I was!)...we went and bought a http://www.dyson.com/homepage.aspDyson and I just want to put a plug in and say that the vacuum is amazing. We used a BedBathandBeyond coupon and saved a hundred dollars! And my carpets are not only cleaner, but they actually feel better. It is quite amazing.

Jonathan and I have been church-hunting for about a year. We have visited more churches than I can count...seriously. We stayed at one for three months and another for four, before deciding they just were not a good fit. We are just about out of options. I don't think that it should be this difficult. Maybe it is because we were so spoiled by the preaching at Cedarville, but so many pastors seem to be teaching Christian Life 101 and we just really do not feel inspired, lead or encouraged or anything positive from what we hear. I understand that many lay-people do not have much Bible knowledge, but I also know that sometimes Bible study needs to be deep and not so fluffy and meaningless. One church we visited recently did a message on the B-I-B-L-E children's song...not on scripture, on the SONG!!!! Also in most churches we visit, if you look around during worship, the people look much more dead than alive. So often I feel like the lip service of singing about God's amazing love is really a slap in His face bc while people sing that His love is amazing or his grace all sufficient, they look and act like the opposite is true. We are just really discouraged. We are not trying to be too picky, we just genuinely feel like so many of these churches are not how God intended the church to be. So we are searching for what He did intend it to be, and hoping that eventually we can find a home.

Landon's friend that he played with ALL day Friday is sick with a really bad cold and ear infection. I am praying FERVENTLY that Landon can avoid it. He has been sick so much this winter and I really hope that he doesn't catch this too. He stayed with Grandma and Grandpa for the entire weekend bc of the baby shower. (Notice the chocolate around his mouth...Grandma thinks it is a major food group just like Landon!) I was sad to see him go. He is my little buddy, my helper, my entertainer...! I missed him a lot, and last night it was so wonderful to get to tuck him into his bed and then later to know that he was asleep just a few steps down the hall. I sure do love that kid!