3 1/2 Weeks!

There are only 3 1/2 weeks until our wedding! How crazy is that?! Time really does go by quickly. I really can't believe we are both about to be done with school, get married, get another puppy, move, start working, and eventually buy a house. So much is about to change, but it will be great. Something that I have been sort of sad about is not being able to buy a house. I know it sounds silly, since most newlyweds and recent graduates don't buy a house immediately, but I really want to take advantage of the low house prices. If we wait a year or more, we may not be able to afford a house. Hopefully, I will find a job, and we will be able to buy a house in 6 months or so. I know everything will work out, and I just need to be patient (which is pretty hard for me). 

On another note, Marlowe opened her eyes this past week, so (of course), here are some pictures...

I can't wait to pick her up and hug her, and I know Kona can't wait to play with her!

-Christie

Easter

I love Easter! It's a great reminder that Jesus not only died for everyone in the world so that we could live forever, but He rose, conquering death. How can anyone not worship him after all that He did for us?! We shouldn't be reminded of this once a year, though. We should think and thank Him for what He did constantly. I know I don't do this enough.

During Easter weekend, Chris was able to go to the Master's with my dad on Saturday. They had a great time! I did homework that day, but I'm glad I did now. I also ate at his parent's house. His Aunt Cheri is a great cook. She made short ribs (and you know how I feel about beef), and they were so good! I need to experiment with meat like she does more often. We also had an Easter egg hunt at my house, thanks to Chris's parents. I have a battle wound from the hunt. I wanted the golden egg and went to the dangerous part of the yard to get it, but I didn't even get it. Christopher did. But that's okay with me, since his money will soon be our money...in 1 month and 2 days. Crazy! Time does fly by. After tonight, I only have two classes left to complete. 

So our breeder sends us pictures of our new puppy, Marlowe, weekly. Here she is at 2 weeks.

We can't wait to bring her home! I know Kona can't either (even though she doesn't know what's going on). 

Kona is all better! Yay! The only problem with her now is allergies. She's licking like crazy, and I have to tell her, "no," all day long. Maybe some Benadryl will help (the vet said 1 tsp. a day is okay). 

Have a great day!

-Christie

Interview

Please pray for me as I'm preparing for an interview with Huntsville City Schools on Wednesday. I'm almost positive that I can answer whatever is thrown my way, but who knows until I am actually asked the questions. I know I'll do fine. I just have to be confident and believe in myself.

Also, Kona has been sick lately. She has been having some tummy issues, and blood is involved. It has been going on since Thursday, and she hasn't gone #2 since Saturday. She also has a fever. Taking care of Kona is like taking care of a baby. I had to prepare special food that consisted of a bland diet. I made her chicken and rice, so she's been eating that lately. She loves it, but she has a beard, and when she eats rice, especially sticky rice, her beard is covered with rice. It looks hilarious, but I keep finding rice in the weirdest places. At least she's getting better.

Here is a picture of our new puppy at 1 week old. Isn't she just the cutest? I can't wait to finally meet her! 

-Christie

New Puppy

We have now paid a deposit on our new puppy, Marlowe. We our proud parents, again. And I know Kona will be a great big sister. We're really excited (at least I am)! We'll pick her up the week after getting back from our honeymoon. She looks like a panda bear, but I promise she's not. She's a Boston Terrier. We came up with the name by thinking of Boston-y things. One of the hotels we're staying at on our honeymoon is Hotel Marlowe, so Marlowe it is. The other hotels are the Hob Knob Inn, the Mandarin Oriental, and the Nine Zero. Can you imagine a dog named Hob Knob or Nine Zero? That is why her name is Marlowe, plus we think it's really cute. It won't be long until we graduate, get married, and have a new puppy!

The little girl a day after being born.

God Is Good!

God is good...again! It may not be surprising, but it's definitely true. Today I met with my professor about my issue with tutoring, and she was very understanding. So I'm able to get everything done in a timely manner. 

On another note, I can't believe how quickly time is passing! Tomorrow is April! This means that we have lots of wedding and school stuff to complete. It also means we have only a month until the wedding and school is over! Time really moves so quickly. I know, I sound like an old person, "___ will be here before you know it," but it's so true.'

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge dog lover. All dogs, all ages. Well Christopher and I are planning on getting a Boston Terrier in the next few months. We are currently on a few waiting lists for a puppy. We're looking for a black and white female (they can be red/white, seal/white, or black/white). I've been receiving a lot of e-mails about puppies being born. I am so excited about our future puppy and can't wait to see pictures of it! I love being a dog mommy! I will definitely post pictures when everything is finalized. 

I realize that I don't take enough pictures, and that is definitely something I need to change, especially since Christopher bought such a wonderful camera. Last night I was craving something sweet and chocolaty, so I looked around in my refrigerator to see what I could create. I found strawberries and semi-sweet chocolate, so I made some chocolate covered strawberries. They look great but taste better. Though I am not a photographer, I am learning how to take pictures that look photographer worthy.

I hope everyone who reads this has a wonderful day!

-Christie

Faith

A question that I struggled with yesterday was, "Are you doing anything that requires faith?" God always speaks to me through Francis Chan. I was reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan yesterday after having a bad morning. I went to an elementary school to tutor my kindergartner in the morning, in which was planned. I'm doing this for a class I'm taking. I got there and the student was with another teacher working on reading. I was kind of frustrated but continued to wait for him. When he finally came back to the classroom, it was too late to begin the lesson because it takes 30 minutes, and P.E. was in 15 minutes. So I left and have to come back on Friday. I also cannot tutor next week because of testing (even though kindergartners don't take the test), so I have to skip a week. I know this shouldn't have frustrated me as much as it did, but it really got to me. I only wasted about 30 minutes of my day, but it was inconvenient. Another problem going on with this same class I'm taking is that I have to observe a first grade classroom twice for 30 minutes each. Well, I haven't been able to observe a classroom yet because the principal wanted me to wait until testing was over. Testing is next week. My project, containing the tutoring sessions and the observation is due the week after testing, giving me no time to put the project together. I am behind, and it's no fault of my own. This is the most frustrating part of it all. This is beyond my control. After I fell apart, I felt like I needed to talk to God. That's when I picked up Crazy Love and read a chapter on faith. God was completely speaking to me. God's timing is right on the money. He never fails to teach you something when you need it most. I know I have been putting God to the side because I was doing everything on my own. I didn't have a need for him because everything was going smoothly. When I hit a rocky road, I realized my need for him. This continuously happens because life is full of highs and lows. When life is at a high, I am so focused on me that I don't focus on God, but when life is low, I realize my need for Him and have to focus on Him. This makes me disgusted with myself. I guess I'm just using God, which is really sad. He loves me so deeply, and I only give Him my attention when I need Him. I can't do this anymore! Another theme in this book is lukewarm Christianity. Can you really love God if you're lukewarm? I would have to say no. The world doesn't see anything different in me (at least right now), and I can't do that for God. I don't show love to everyone, but I am called to show love to everyone. I am called to treat everyone as I would treat Jesus. Would I ever talk badly about Jesus? I hope not, but it seems like that is exactly what I'm doing. I want my life to look crazy to unbelievers. Not crazy because of how I look but how I act. I want people to say, "How can she love everyone and treat them so nicely? How is she so patient? What is it about her?" I want to be like Jesus, but I'm more like Judas Iscariot or like Peter when he denied Jesus. It seems like I'm down and have a low self-esteem, but I really don't. I'm just waking up to the truth and realize the need to change. This is going to be a struggle, but God never said it would be easy. I know I'm going to continuously fail, as humans always do, but I have to give it my all. I love Jesus, and people need to know that, therefore, it's time for me to do something that requires faith.

-Christie

Huntsville, Here We Come!

Last week Chris accepted a job with Boeing in Huntsville, AL. We're so excited to know where we'll be living and to know that at least one of us will be with a job. I've been applying, but there aren't too many elementary teacher job openings in the Huntsville area at this time. I have applied to a brand new school, and if I had a choice, I would love to work at that school. That way I won't feel too new because others will also be new in that school. 

We need to find a place to live, which will probably be an apartment for now, which is too bad because his company is paying for moving expenses. We'll probably have to store some stuff either with parents or rent a storage unit. 

We're so excited to begin this phase of our lives. We look forward to our new home, new jobs, and new puppy. We're getting a Boston Terrier after we're settled, which will be named after a hotel we stay at in Boston during our honeymoon. I'm really excited about our upcoming vacation to Boston and Martha's Vineyard! Please pray for my job situation. Thanks!

-Christie