Things to be excited about

Go to www.google.com/maps

Search for "Indian Restaurants, St. Louis, MO"

354 results - now THAT is exciting

I find myself giddy about all the options we will have once we move to St. Louis. I think people will actually want to visit us there because there is so much to do!

One of the first things I want to do in St. Louis is visit the City Museum. Check this place out - http://www.citymuseum.org/. Yes, it's a children's museum, but it is amazing. This is when I really wish we had some kids, but I think this can be the enticement that all our child-rearing friends need to visit us. Seriously, this place has caves, a giant dream of a jungle gym city, an aquarium, a toddler town, an art city, giant ball pits, a treehouse, a two-story slide and oh, so much more. I just might have to buy a season pass.

And, I am a huge fan of zoos. After visitting the San Diego Zoo and the Henry Doorley Zoo, it is going to be hard to find something that beats those. And even though the St. Louis Zoo isn't either of those, it is said to be wonderful and it is also FREE. Hmm, maybe I'll work close enough that I could spend my lunch hour there.

St. Louis has professional football, baseball and hockey teams. Plus Forrest Park and the arch, of course.

And, I can't end without mentioning that I will be in the same town as not 1, but 4 Trader Joe stores.

I think I'm gonna like the big city.

The One Picture

This is the ONE picture we took during Christmas.

We were all together. And since we won't be together next Christmas, it will be interesting to see if the family grows in 2 years time.

Winter Skies

Lately, I have been noticing the sunrise and sunset. I attribute this to the amount of windows in our home - double the amount in our old residence. And, each time I have noticed the vividness of the colors. It seems more eye-catching then a summer sky - brighter, bolder, and more vibrant - which I attribute to the crisp, cold air.

Of course, I snapped some photos with my point and shoot which really can take some great pictures, but for a sky-scape, just doesn't do God's glory justice.

Years ago, I would have never been able to tell of something beautiful in Kansas. Now I can whole-heartedly say that the expansive skies are the saving grace.

Beautiful sky, but it sure would be nice to have a white Christmas.

Smarts

Our dog has some smarts. Hubs and I will forever be amazed that he found his way back to my parent's house in Kansas City this summer. And, although he does lick the oddest of things, he really adjusts to life in a very smart manner.

I mean, he knew that something was going on during our move. He whined as we packed up and he was constantly on our heels ready to dash to the truck, not to be left behind.

Within 30 minutes of being in our new house, he had found "his" couch and was curled up relaxing. Five hours later we left for a party and he knew exactly where to go when I said, "Kennel." And by the next evening, when we said, "Ransom, let's go night-night," he trotted straight back to our bedroom and plopped down onto his bed.

After 2 days of being fed at our new house, Ransom has completely adjusted and knows where home is. He has even (and we have too) adjusted to hearing himself walk along the floors. Our old home didn't have a basement and he was quiet as a mouse. Now, we hear his ever step, which could be a very good thing. AND, he knows that the best place to poop in our yard is as close the fence as possible, so that he doesn't step in it while playing.

After 5 days, however, I still have to think when I get out of bed of where the bathroom is, when my contacts are, and how to go about my normal routine. And, let's not even go into finding items in the kitchen.

Victory occured yesterday and this morning, though, when I finally found my salt dish and my fleece jacket, both of which I was missing severely. I still have no clue where my napkin holder is hiding.

Yes, I would say Ransom feels right at home.

And we do too.

MIA?

I could possibly be M.I.A for any of the following reasons:

1. Internet is not hooked up at our new house

2. Our new house is in chaos.

3. It's Christmas this week and there is much to do.

But, most likely I will find some time to snap some photos and post anyway. Because I just can't stay away.

A Dream Came True

When I was young and carefree I dreamed of being a doctor. Not just a doctor, a forensic pathologist. And then not even just that, but the Surgeon General of the United States!

Now, I wouldn't have the stamina and determination to be in medical school or residency or fellowships or anything else that required me to study during every free moment. I'm happy with where I ended up - the wife of a doctor - but every once in a while I think about that long lost dream.

And then, on Sunday night, my dream came true!

In our Christmas Program, I was "Dr. Newheart." Children came to the doctor on Christmas Day feeling down. I came in, diagnosed, ran tests, and helped them understand the cure for their sinful hearts was salvation through Jesus Christ!

This was a new endeavor for me, but I had so much fun. Here's why...

1. The kids. The children who were in the musical wth me were GREAT! It is one thing to get kids to memorize and say lines in front of almost 400 people; it is another thing entirely when they act out their part. And this kids did awesome. They made it so easy and fun.

2. The director. When my friend asked me to help her with this, I was clueless. Like I said, this is a first for me. But she was completely prepared. She coached us in acting the part. She encouraged 45 children K-6th grade to sing. She kept it all together and, most importantly, she always reminded us why we were doing this. We were sharing the gospel with all the people that were there and were watching online.

I'm sad it is over and I won't get to hang out with the kids each Sunday evening. But, I think they did an amazing job and had a lot of fun, too!

Christmas Cheer

In the past week I have:

packed 0 boxes.

caught Ransom licking my bath towel.

put my bath towel in the dirty clothes.

got dressed up 2 times more than usual.

had exactly 3 freak-out sessions concerning our move in 9 days.

decorated our mantle for Christmas.

No tree this year, but at least it feels a little more like Christmas now.

The thought that counts

Reason #1358 why I love my Hubs: He offered to make puppy chow for me

Reason #552 why I love my Hubs: He makes me laugh

When Hubs asked me what he could do to help me out, I asked him to make the puppy chow. I was wearing a black shirt and I wanted to stay clean, so I thought this would be perfect. I handed him the recipe and the ingredients and went to tackle other chores.

About 7 minutes later, Hubs calls me over to look at his creation, saying that it didn't look quite right. There were rather large clumps mixed with dry Chex cereal.

I tried to say, Oh, it looks okay. To which he replied, "NO IT DOESN'T!" And we burst out laughing at the interesting mix.

Turns out, he tried to take a shortcut and it didn't work so well. We made a new batch, and it turned out very pretty.

Get It. Together.

That is what I am telling myself every second. This week has been a blur and I am now beginning to see that I might now have been totally "with it." I am looking at things wondering, What was I thinking?

You see, I've been letting the stress get to me. I don't show the stress. I'm very light-hearted and happy-go-lucky. I go to all my scheduled events and smile and work and talk and listen. But after it is over and I am alone, everything crashes down and I (silently) freak. Then I sit down and read so I don't have to deal with the world.

Today is different. Today, I am tackling tasks that must be done before the packing even starts. Today, I am working out and baking. Today, I am going home and taking an Excedrin Migraine before I collapse.

So pardon me, while I work on getting it together. Hopefully I'll have pictures of our new home soon, with Ransom playing in the background. But, I'd prefer to have pictures of our stuff IN the new house. Magically having appeared there with a twitch of my nose.

St. Louis

Population: almost 3 million in the Greater St. Louis area

St. Louis is our big news. We got an email this morning that told us our new home will be in St. Louis. I screamed when I found out - screamed with excitement. I'm excited about this move.

Life doesn't actually change for a while. We won't be moving for another 6-7 months, but it is nice to know where we will move. For the next 5-6 months, though, we will still be focused on our life here and the people here and what God has for us here and especially on our upcoming Israel trip!

But now that we do know, the planner in me will begin to research the area, the dog parks, the shopping, the jobs, the housing, and everything else. As excited as I am and as much as I do like visiting big cities, living in one is sort of intimidating.There will be so much to discover!

A new chapter of our life will begin. It seems so real today. Though the planning has taken months, it didn't seem real until today. Until we found out that we are moving to a place that neither of us knows anything about. A place that God has been preparing for us. A place where God will be using us in other's lives.

 St. Louis, here we come!

As you know, I try to keep our blog semi-annonymous. If you would like more details about the move, call me, email me, or facebook me. I'd love to share!