"Is this your first?"

I have been asked this question a lot recently, as people find out we're pregnant. I never really know how to answer.

Yes, this will be the first child I give birth to.

Yes, this is the first time I've made it through the first trimester.

No, this is not my first pregnancy, but hopefully it will be the first to go full-term.

Usually I just say "yes," but I've always been pretty open about our previous loss, so depending on the person and the mood and situation, I sometimes go into a little more detail. I never want to make anyone uncomfortable for asking, but, it's always a bit weird for me to just flat out say "yes, this is my first."

I just don't know...is it too much to go into detail? Or, do I simply say "yes" and bite my tongue?

First Trimester!

It's true, we are pregnant!

It's been a long road. After a miscarriage two years ago, "trying," having to put "trying" on hold due to traveling, school, unemployment, etc., and most recently, 12 more months of "trying"...

We finally took a pregnancy test that was positive!

We are so thankful and trust God's Perfect timing in this. We have a lot to figure out over the next 6 months, but again, we trust God's timing.

Some Highlights Up To Now:

-We took the pregnancy test when I was at about 4 1/2 weeks. We were both very surprised, (after a year of wanting a positive test you start to not let your hopes get too high) but it also helped explain why I had been falling asleep on the couch every night at 8:00 that week (I blamed it on starting a new job)! We decided to go out that night and celebrate, just the two of us. We bought a little baby outfit and just spent the next couple of weeks enjoying this little secret between the two of us.

-We slowly started telling family and a few friends, and I eventually told my work (hard not to as I was fighting quite a bit of nausea).

-We had an ultrasound (picture above) at 8 weeks, and were able to see the heartbeat. This was the first emotional hurdle for me, as we never saw an ultrasound in our first pregnancy. I was definitely emotional as we drove away after the ultrasound...so thankful to see a heartbeat and a healthy baby. I had definitely been "holding my breath" until I saw that heartbeat!

-The second emotional hurdle for me was waking up the day after 10 1/2 weeks, when we had miscarried before. I looked at the calendar and was so thankful to have made it through that day.

-The first few weeks after we took the test, I experienced quite a bit of heartburn, but luckily that faded, as the nausea hasn't yet. I feel "morning sickness" all day, but it's actually the worst for me at night. I finally changed toothpaste because anything peppermint was making me sick, and with brushing my teeth and my gagging, it was a terrible combination! We've been reminding ourselves all along that if I'm feeling sick, that's a good sign. It's been hard not to compare this pregnancy with my first, and I've definitely felt MUCH more nausea, heartburn, fatigue, and overall symptoms this time around.

-We are due October 13, and we couldn't be more excited! We feel so blessed and are so thankful. Not a day goes by that we don't thank God for this blessing. It's hard not to get overwhelmed with all that could happen in the future, but I guess that's what being a parent is about: for the rest of our lives we'll be worried about something to do with our child, and in turn, trusting the Lord in it all!

Bye-Bye Outrageous Interest Rates!

Today marks a significant day for us.

We paid off our credit card!!!!

For the past few years we have tried, on and off, to use Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University philosophy of using cash and not credit cards to get out of debt.

It's been tough to do when we've both been in graduate school, and then long bouts of unemployment and uncertainty, raising support for Rwanda, and moving A LOT.

But, in January I started a job full-time and we vowed to keep our budget as tight as it had been before, so any extra income could go straight to our credit card. In less than 4 months we paid off over $8800 in credit card debt! We are so thankful! Our only debt we have left, since we don't own a house, is our multiple school loans. These loans make our credit card debt look like chump change, but we are focused and ready. It will take a lot longer than a few months, but for us, the stress of school loans is much less in comparison to the outrageous "minimum payments" and interest added to having a credit card.

Regardless of what the future holds, we can move forward with a lot less guilt and stress knowing we are becoming more financially responsible and stable.

Happy 5 Year Anniversary!

For the last couple years we've done a little self-photo shoot on our anniversary, so here are a few shots from this year.

Can I get that without meat, Please?

There are many, complex reasons that Michael and I have chosen to give up meat, at least for now. A few reasons include economics, sustainability, and health. This article is yet another reason why we have chosen to stay away from meat, especially ground beef.

Warning: Details in this article of how ground beef is produced may be disturbing to your meat-eating psyche.

Summer Pictures

I've been terrible about keeping up to date on this blog, but I wanted to post some pictures from the past few months.

In early August we went to a Cubs vs. Rockies game with our friends, the Bunces. We met the Bunces when we were living on the Oregon coast, but have stayed in touch over the years. They recently moved to Kansas, so they drove to CO for the weekend so we could attend the game. Being huge Cubs fans, they (meaning Josh) brought us Cubs shirts to wear. The funny Tom Sawyer hat was the free gift they passed out to all ticket holders.






Then of course there were a lot of pictures taken while we were living with Tim and Amy, mostly pictures of our niece Isabelle. Here's a montage of a few pictures with Isabelle this summer, and by a few I mean a lot.






Painting a frame for Buela (Grandma Bev). She has the Chapman/Ankeny-tongue-out-while-concentrating.




Photo Booth with "Butta" (Aunt Melissa)

Office Time

I interviewed last week for a job working at Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary as the Administrative Assistant to the President and Director of Advancement. The interview went well, and they actually called me back later that day to begin reference and background checks, so I was feeling pretty hopeful about it.

Today I was offered the position, and I am going in tomorrow to begin orientation. There are some important meetings next week that the president would like me at, so that's why I'm starting so quickly.

The position is part-time. It used to be a full-time position, but due to cutbacks it's been reduced. At first I was feeling hesitant about only working part-time, but I've grown to like the idea. I've been surprised at how much I've been enjoying running errands, having the afternoons at home to relax, work-out, and get dinner ready. I think this will work well for now.

I'm looking forward to the job. There's been no one in this position for the past year. Actually, the old president resigned a year ago, and this new president has been interim until now, so there are some changes going on in the office. I will be working in a beautiful old house on the second floor, and I have a nice big office to myself, connected to the President's office. I'm excited to use my administrative skills to be organized and to help keep track of schedules and all the other tasks they will be throwing at me rather quickly. It sounds like there's been a need for someone to be back in this position, and I'm excited to work hard and do my best. I'm also thankful for this job, because there really aren't a lot of jobs out there right now, and the location and position I'll be in is perfect for where we are living. I've been slightly bummed out lately as I read all of my teacher friends' Facebook updates about starting school again and setting up their classrooms for their students, so I'm happy to have a job to focus on again. I'd love to be teaching, but I know this is where the Lord has us right now, and I'm ready for it.