And it is snowing again......

Oops.... they got the weather forecast wrong again... 6 inches came today. So far we are up to the fourth snowiest December on record and we are only 2/3 through the month. Needless to say, we will be glad to have a short break from the shoveling over Christmas. Here are some pictures from our neighborhood and Boston over the past week.
Jack isn't very fond of the snow.... he just trudges around and leaves deep trails where he has drug his body through the deep snow. Most of these pictures are after the first of our three major snows... so just imagine this times 3 minus very little melting.
Rain, snow, shine, or sleet... Billy still has to watch over the parking lot each day. Snow makes him VERY hyper. And.... he has figured out that it is edible.
Those big fluffy white things aren't lifesize marshmellows.... they are cars.
This is my best Will Ferrell (Elf) impression. We got out after storm number 1 and before the Nor'easter to go to the Cheesecake Factory and see the Boston Ballet perform The Nutcracker. I got my picture with one of the mice (lifesize and in the show). It was lots of fun. Jeremy found his favorite cheesecake of all time (White Chocolate Caramel Latte) and I was sad that they were out of pumpkin cheesecake.
The big Christmas Tree in the Boston Common. We had a few minutes between dinner and the Nutcracker.
Aren't we cute?
People ice skating at the Frog Pond.

Well, last Thursday I was told to leave work early cause the snow was coming down super fast (like 2 inches per hour). So, I left at 1:30 thinking I'd be home in after the normal 45 minute, 2 different bus commute. Well, the first bus went without incident and dropped me off in Roslindale Sq. for the next. Well, an hour later, I'm still there and noticed that it was 22 degrees. I couldn't cry because my tears would freeze! So, the bus finally came, but then it took that bus more than 2 more hours to get me home. It got stuck on the way and the driver told the men to get out and help him get it unstuck. Interesting and exhausting day.

Jeremy's war story is even worse. He didn't get home until about 10:15 that night after leaving work early at 4. He was stuck on one short stretch of road by the Charles for four hours and was worried about running out of gas. The news called it the worst commute in Boston's history.

Thanks for listening to our stories.... I guess we will be those old people that talk about the "Bad commute during a snowstorm in 2007" to our kids when they complain about traffic.

Amusing Commercial

I don't know if yall are getting this outside of New England but I just had to post this commercial. It makes me want to wet my pants. Well, I guess not "want to", but as an involuntary reaction resulting from extreme humor.

Happy Six Month-a-versary to us!

Well, as of the 1st, we've reached the 6 months in Boston mark. Can you believe it? And wow, what an adventurous time it has been....

Quit a job in Waco (Chels)
Graduation from Baylor (Jeremy)
1969 miles
Moved up to a fourth floor apartment (with no elevator mind you!)
Six weeks of unemployment......twice.
Dealing with medicaid (for unemployment) and the registry of motor vehicles...my favorite activities. not.
Starting grad school... and being just a few days from being done with one quarter of it.
Surviving our first "snowy" commute....(only a couple inches earlier this week).
Working on gas-turbine engines for helicopters.
Building relationships.

I think we are just starting to feel we are settling in.... hopefully a few months of calm now. :0)

3-2-1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy day after Thanksgiving!! So, with Jeremy being off from work and me avoiding my paper writing, we managed to wonder downtown for the Christmas tree lighting at Macy's. Here's the video so you can share in the experience.



Today has been one of the colder days since we've been here. It was in the 30's all day and is 26 as I'm writing this. We gave our hats, scarves, boots, socks, and gloves a good test drive today while we stood outside of Macy's for well over an hour. Interesting, because Thanksgiving here was about 60. What a change! To close, I'll post another clip taken after the tree was lit. After this, we walked down to Quincy and had some clam chowda :) and then some hot chocolate (coffee for me) to close out our night.... yay!

An interesting article.....

In today's Boston Globe and there was an interview with Boston's Cardinal Sean O'Malley about the Catholic church's stance on abortion and embryonic stem cell research. Apparently, anyone who supports a pro-abortion candidate endangers their own salvation! Wow...... A bold statement in a state that is full of Democratic Catholics. Here's the link to the article here:

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/11/15/omalley_draws_line_with_democrats/

How do you "rank" morality and moral issues as a Christian? I'm talking outside of things directly contrary to God's word that we just shouldn't support anyway. I'm not saying that I'm pro-abortion here, but I just cringed when I read this. Effects salvation? Really? I personally can't rank morality issues as most important and so on and so forth. What about poverty? God speaks directly on this one, and the political party that is most often against abortion often is also coupled with an often harsh stance on poverty and social welfare. I won't go any further with other issues. Just read the article and think about it. I just don't remember God "ascribing" Republican (or Democrat!) as a description of his character.

My New Job (Belcan)

So I had an interview with the Belcan Corporation the other day. It was amazing! I spoke with three different team leaders and the general manager over a 3 hour period. When I flopped my groups turbofan engine report from my propulsions course on their desk, I saw a twinkle in their eyes as they flipped through the pages. They were impressed with the gas turbine knowledge I had gained in my propulsions course as an undergrad. The Lord gave me the confidence Chels and I had prayed for as I spoke with them. My words came out clearly and I actually was far more articulate than ever before.

The very next day, I received a call from Belcan extending to me an offer to be a Design Engineer working with the airfoil/turbine group. It was great and I took it. Praise the Lord! He not only took care of us in our time of need, but rewarded our faithfulness with a job. Not just any job, a career that fits my passion for gas turbine engines (jet engines) right out of the gates. The job also offers me the opportunity to work closely with group members. My propulsions professor, Dr. Van Treuren, emailed me about the job and explained to me that it is very rare for an entry-level engineer to score a design position this soon. God is freaking awesome! I'm still not entirely sure exactly what I'll be doing. The company is a very entry-level friendly company so I'm not the least bit nervous of starting on Monday.

Man, the Lord has taken us on quite a ride over the past 6 months. It’s been a little scary at times but always exciting. God has completely lived up to his end of the deal, and then some, as Chels and I have trusted Him in times of need and with some big decisions we’ve faced.

In closing, I’m pretty dern excited about working with jets. “Word to the Fatha” –DC Talk

Old Blog, Never Posted (Cytonome Lay-off)

So I'm black and boggin. Wait, scratch that and reverse it. It's been a while but if I'm gonna blog about anything, this outta be it.

The events that transpired this Thursday (9-27-07) will definitely go down in my books as an experience. My boss and I and two other coworks took a stroll after lunch to check out the three gargantuan cruise ships that docked next to our building earlier that morning. Amazing feats of engineering by the way!

To set up the story, Cytonome, Inc. is a privately owned medical devices company resting on ...or shall I say clinging desperately to the shoulders of a few investors. In a company meeting we had a month ago, Lydia, our CEO, updated us on the status of the company by saying that we had a few key investors on the fence about this next period (I don't speak business very well so excuse me if my terminology is wrong) due to the shaky economy as a result of the deteriorating housing market. She was very optimistic which allowed us to leave with nothing really to worry about. Well, this Thursday, Lydia spontaneously called everyone (all 26 of us) into the conference room for another company meeting. She jumped straight to the point. The fence walking investors lost their balance and tumbled off the wrong side. (excuse the cheese) She was given a two week period to feverishly pick up some new investors but that didn't pan out. In order for Cytonome to survive, they had to make some cuts. Well, being the latest hire, I thought for sure I was a gonner...you know, being the one guy or maybe one of two to go. Nope. They cut 50% of the company. Not only did I go, but so did many others, which from my point of view, had much more at stake. Of the laid off included a few that had been around since the company started, a few Ph. Ds, and many with wives and children to support. Quite surprising to say the least.

Prior to this day, for some time mind you, I had been spiritually struggling to no avail. Despite even the tremendous blessings Chels and I have been given (my excellent job, our successful journey to Boston, our new relationships, etc.) My line of communication with God was, what seemed to me, severed, failing to encounter Him on a daily...um, make that a weekly basis. I found myself doing what I wanted to do, not thinking twice about what He or Chels wanted. To make the story short, life has been a bit dark for me lately.

Initially my heart dropped when I heard my name. "How am I gonna tell Chels?" was the question that weighed on my mind at first. As she continued to read the list, my mind was diverted from "What was I gonna do" thoughts. At that instant, I had a hard-wire connection with God and He was saying to me, "This is it, Jeremy! Here is an opportunity to represent me. This is why I brought you here.” Probably one of the most comforting and peaceful feelings I’ve ever felt in my life. It’s as if God had just raked any negative connotation from what had just occurred.

My attitude went from the verge of panicking to speaking with and consoling other coworkers who were also laid-off. I was reminded at that point that God said he would take care of us, which allowed me to maintain a positive outlook and encourage others for the next few hours I was there. I was able to reassure other “employed” coworks that Chels and I would be taken care of and proceeded to joke and make light of the situation, though not in front of other laid-off folk as it might have come across as a bit insensitive.

Needless to say, I left work happier than I had left any other day. It was an incredible experience and I am privileged and thankful to God that he used me in that.

World's Fastest Update

It is 31 degrees right now in Brighton. I see frost on a neighboring roof. Our bedroom heater still whistles louder than a train and maintenance told us that was "normal." Jeremy's engineering brain didn't settle for that, so he's figuring out how to work on the heater in that room.

I have a paper due tomorrow and have written one of 7-8 pages. I'm up early with Jackson (he's helping while Billy is snuggled in with Jeremy) trying to work on my paper, yet I'm blogging.

Well, Jeremy had a job interview yesterday. Went very well and he should hear within the week.

Back to work!

The mushrooms...

Well, that is just a couple of them... Cape Cod mushrooms fresh from a bucket in our neighbor's kitchen. She picked them herself from Cape Cod. Jeremy wasn't brave enough to try them when I cooked them. He said they looked like "Billy turds." I cooked them the way she said her mother did back in Russia. Evidently, they used to pick them from mountainsides. Cool. They tasted ok.... but then again, I can eat just about anything. I need to give her something back now... I gave her fresh basil and fruit from the market, she gave hand-picked mushrooms, hmmm.... any ideas?

Scattered thoughts minus the mushrooms

I'm full of disconnected thoughts this morning. I wanted to write about my mushroom eating experience, and post some pictures.... then I realized that the pictures are on the camera which is in the car which is parked about a 7 minute walk away from our apartment. It is dreary out, so I'm too lazy to get out and walk to it, even though I am greatly enjoying fall and being able to wear scarves without it being cold or frigid. Alas, the mushroom pictures and my story of cooking them "Russian style" will have to wait.

Jeremy is out and about today. A friend of his who was a resident on his hall when he was a CL (Community Leader or simply an RA) in a dorm at Baylor wanted to come up from NYC and see Boston for a day. So, he's out playing tour guide. We've done this so much already that perhaps we should start a business. We've even got a route and pattern that we've been using when doing this. Maybe this is our calling in life.... ha!

Me, I'm staying in because I didn't feel like being wet, and also need to do some homework (I haven't done any reading, studying, or writing for grad school since mid-terms ended about a week or so ago). I came out ok with grades on papers and tests.... the hardest I've ever worked for A's in my life! I am beginning to feel like I belong at grad school where I am so that is a great blessing and confirmation.

I just noticed that there is moss growing on the tree outside our balcony, and only on one side. My thought was "hmm... that must be the North side of the tree cause it gets less sunlight." Yes, random thought but true. I learned it from Jeremy's mom who learned it in girlscouts. Remember, when lost, always look for the moss to determine North. Actually, maybe I learned that on Man vs. Wild too.

In other randomness, Jeremy turned down a second interview for a job this week, bringing out mixed emotions from our family of which one side is more understanding of the reasoning in doing so than the other. Perhaps we just should not talk with them about it anymore so that we don't get the "well, a job is a job" explanation again. A job is much more than a job.... it is where God places to portray Himself. If a job were just a job, we wouldn't be up here draining a bank account of savings when we could make much more money easier at an engineering firm in Houston or Los Angeles working in oil where the market is hot.

I've been babysitting more lately, which is great. They don't know how much of a blessing they are being in Jeremy's and my life's by giving me more work when we need it. They don't know that Jeremy lost his job either. I've just kept that quiet. Also, Jeremy's truck back home looks like it may sell soon, which would help us out in this waiting period. Anyhow God continues to give provisions as they are needed.

Finally, someone asked the other day if having continued faith in God's provision for us is getting harder as days continue to pass. I said no quickly, but then made a comment that I have thought back upon. I said, "it will when after we pass the mark of time that it took Jeremy to get a job last time." It makes me sad that I said this as I guess the quick utterance of my mouth may say something about the condition of my heart. I pray that I don't have "timetable faith." But, I also see that God values me admitting my doubts honestly as I try, and try, and try to continually look to Him.

Next time, I'll post a picture and talk about the mushrooms. Just to hold you over though, I'll post a couple pictures.... one of me old school dressed up in my SING costume about ready to leave and go perform with KXA/ATO (Yay for the 80's) and the other of what happens when I get out of bed in the morning. Thought both would be good for a laugh. :0)
And in light of Halloween coming, I thought I'd post the dog's in a clown outfit previous to Halloween this year. Don't worry, no one is dressing up here this year.

Fall Foliage Trip

So, last night I decided that we needed a mini-vacation. I've studied my eye-balls out lately (seriously sat so much that my tailbone hurts) and Jeremy has worked super hard at applying for job after job after job. We hadn't gone leaf peeping yet, and knew if we didn't soon we'd lose the chance. Anyhow, half a gas tank and 8 hours later, we have officially participated in one of the most traditional of New England activities. Since most of you aren't up here with us, we thought we'd be so kind as to share pictures (and hopefully a video if it will upload) with you all.
Red trees are my favorite. Jeremy loves the fiery orange.
We were up in the White Mountains in New Hampshire. There were tons of rocky creek areas.
There was no one driving where we were today. Just silent.
Jeremy in his Texas shirt. Funny though, cause rednecks (and Reddin's) fit right in in New Hampshire. Tons of rednecks. Jeremy chunked big granite rocks into the creek for about 20 minutes just trying to make loud splashes.
That's me way over there just soaking up fresh air and thinking.
Jeremy always says I look like a chemo patient when I wear hats. You can't tell, but it's a Red Sox hat.
Funny cause this picture is right after crossing back into Mass. right at the MA/NH border. The leaves here were prettiest in our opinion. Still, pictures don't really do justice. It was foggy and rainy all day, but it cleared up for us when we were out of the car.

Anyhow, here is a video.... this wasn't the most beautiful area, but still beautiful. Just thought we'd share!


I think that's about all. There is more pictures on Jeremy's facebook. The job search for him is ok. He had two interviews this past week, one went well and one didn't. Funny thing is that he felt like he might not take either even if offered. The one that went well is a company eerily similar to the last company that he worked for.

Jeremy's boss from his internship in Waco said in an email the other day that perhaps God's plan is to send Jeremy from one failing company to another just to use his gifts of encouragement and flexibility. That is a scary thought, but then again, we signed up for whatever He had for us up here. We don't see that right now, but who knows. I guess we asked for it in all those prayers for God to build our faith.

We have also been praying much more specifically about certain job openings lately as a result of a conversation with our pastor's wife about this when we were back in Waco. One's we have been praying towards have been companies that promote relationships and community among employees. We've also been praying that our motives in praying are pure and not praying towards our own agenda for Jeremy to be employed by certain companies(i.e... that we wouldn't pray towards certain jobs because of salary, perks, etc.). Needless to say, we aren't in any hurry to get a job just to have one, but are interested in seeking where God wants Jeremy. When I read over that, I wonder if we are crazy. Anyhow, that's all about that.... ask more about specifics if you want to know!

Apple Orchards

Thought I'd post some pictures from our apple picking adventures!
Heading into the orchard on the hayride.... It was a nice fall day! :)
How bout them apples!
Jeremy never knew his giraffe like height would become so useful.... many of the apples were higher in the trees.
Ahh.... finally apples I can reach!
All done.....
Whoa..... 49 of them here. The doctor will be kept away for quite a while in this house!

Anyhow, those are just a few.... it was really a neat experience. We've conquered quite a few of those apples so far. Yum! Earlier this week my cousin and his wife were in from Florida to vacation in Vermont. We were able to try this nice place that neither of us has tried yet in the North End, and get gelato. It was fun to see them!

Beauty

I REALLY should not be writing at this moment... I have 25 minutes before I need to start supper to have it ready between when Jeremy arrives and we leave for Tuesday night Bible study/discussion time. Anyhow, I am really loving this whole idea of Fall... the changing of the seasons, etc. I think down South the leaves are just green, yellow, and suddenly gone (and maybe without the yellow part).

It is beautiful here. The leaves are just starting to change. It seems that everyday I look out the window and the tree outside our place looks noticably different than the day before. I went out to coffee with a friend last Friday, and she suggested taking pictures of an area over the next bit of time to catch the change in seasons. Anyhow, it is cool.

We are going apple picking this weekend, which for the non-New England readers, is a huge tradition up here. Apple orchards are everywhere and that is just what you do... pick apples right off the tree. I'm super excited. We'll be going out about an hour west of here this weekend, and then up in New Hampshire in a couple weekends.

Jeremy is still chugging along at work as well. If it were up to him, we'd skip everything and go straight to winter.... he's crazy. I agree that I'm excited about Christmas time with actual snow.

My internship is super.... I like it a lot. I spend most of my days corralling the elderly. Telling them that no one is behind the piano stealing our secrets, that they can't be mean or yell at the nurses, and helping them remember what happened 5 minutes and 10 and more years ago. It's fun and sad at times. My supervisor is great. I talked with a "healing priest" today who is now a resident in the long-term care area.... that was interesting. Evidently, he used to have quite a following in that area of Boston.

Alright... gotta get busy with dinner.

Heatwave!

Just a super quick funny note. I woke up feeling dizzy, was sweating and wanted to barf last night(no....not pregnant :o)...). When I finally woke up enough to analyze further how I was feeling, I realized that the freakin HEATERS were on. Apparently our apartment complex felt that the first chilly evening (45 degrees or so) deserved heaters. We can't control it (I can't complain because we don't pay for it). Not just a bit of heat either.... enough that I opened the windows a lot in order to be able to go back to sleep.

I just found it humorous that it was mid-September and a heater was on. That's all.

A bunch of hogwash...

I went to a website a bit ago to read about this new Christian book that had come out that I was interested in, and then underneath it was another new book about getting over depression, and this was the beginning of the authors comment about his book:

''In a sense, a depressed Christian is a contradiction in terms.''

This comment bothered me deeply, and push me to come write my thoughts because I think that it will be refreshing for me to read my own words and for others like me in the Christian community who may feel ostersized if they have the same struggle. Very, very few of you know that I have stuggled with episodes of what I only recently am realizing that may be depression or at the very least a big struggle to adapt to all of the many changes and stresses in my life, for over a year now. It included a huge struggle with my image (I don't know a woman who doesn't find herself here), and how my faith fits in with all the many awful things I saw at work everyday in Texas. I have gone through times of constantly feeling guilt and being overwhelmed. In many ways, I am a different person than before all of the things that happened at my previous job. I cope with EVERYTHING differently than I used to. At times, I'd searched and dug through all areas of my life thinking that I'm missing something, that there is some sin there that I am not realizing, and then guilty again because I just "must not be praying enough" or I'm not "depending on Christ fully" even though in many ways I felt that I was crying to God and looking to him. I felt so guilty that I didn't talk about it... not even with Jeremy. Anyhow, here are the words of a wise, wise lady that I've been talking to from my church back home:

"I am not saying that there is not depression that is caused by circumstances, even sometimes by sin. But that is not true of all depression."

"Sometimes all the things you do to help the situation, including time in the Word and prayer (which I fully support), are not enough to keep you on an even emotional keel."

Anyhow, be your own judge if you will, but I just wanted to put it out there.... I know I'm not alone in my journey, and I think that it is refreshing for the Christian (and non-Christian) community to hear something different. Don't feel guilty.

Back to what I should have been doing, but haven't started all day.... reading. :)

Chili Cook off....

Funny story. So there was this joke circulating around Jeremy's workplace about this guy from the Midwest who was recruited to judge a chili cook off. Anyhow, long story really short is that he couldn't handle the heat. They asked Jeremy if this was true about chili cook offs in Texas, and not only did he say that it was, but that his wife has won a chili cook off. This is a little known fact about me, and actually the truth is that I've won twice..... in the 2nd and 3rd grade (Jeremy left this detail out... and merely boasted me as an "award-winning chili chef"). My second and third grade classes had chili cook offs each year and I won them both. Although I got the credit, and can make the recipe myself, I guess it would be more accurate to say that my mom won cause let's face it, no grade schooler should be cutting jalapeños.

Anyhow, now his whole office knows and is expecting a very large batch of chili any day now. One of his co-workers even went as far as to get my personal email address and email me personally about his request for a chili lunch.

No worries, I can't back out, cause it was announced at the company wide state of the company meeting yesterday.

Sorry about the lack of blogging. I really do have some topics to write about, but it seems that everytime I'm in the mood for blogging about something serious and deep (haha), I'm really busy. So, to suffice for today, I'll list the topics that I mean to blog on just to make our readers salivate while they eagerly await our next post (haha... again). Here they are: my calling to social work, observations of some who think they are well-meaning at a planned parenthood picketing (I sure did think I left the part of the country where this occurs, but no), and politics. Yikes. Now maybe you see why I haven't sat down to those yet.

For now, I'm off to buy my final book for school, back to finish some homemade potato salad (Jeremy and I are going to BBQ tonight with another couple... I haven't had BBQ since I left Texas!), and tend to Billy. By the way, if you think about it, pray that Billy would be ok and that we wouldn't have a big medical bill coming. He did something to his leg and it is noticeably swollen. Poor guy.... he's really not acting like himself. We called our vet back in Texas and he said it would probably be ok to wait it out until Monday before going to the vet.

I've been tagged....

Kristin, you're lucky today cause I usually don't answer things like this. So, feel blessed (j/k)....

So here goes:

The Rules

1. Post the rules

2. List 8 random facts or habits about yourself.

3. If you are tagged, then you must Post the rules and list 8 random facts or habits about yourself.

4. After you post, tag people and let them know they must read your blog for the rules.


1. I find it incredibly amusing to talk back to Jeremy when he wakes me up from talking in his sleep. He doesn't wake up, but can carry on a conversation. The other night he was talking about drive shafts in cars.

2. Shamefully, I am addicted to iced coffee from Dunkin' Doughnuts. So, in order to make myself feel better about my unhealthy addiction, I'll order my drink with skim milk and splenda instead of cream and sugar. Toasted almond flavoring is my favorite thing in life other than God and Jeremy. Try going up to the counter next time and order a small toasted almond iced coffee with skim milk and splenda instead of cream and sugar and see if you don't feel silly.

3. On any random Friday or Saturday morning, you will find me at the Haymarket in Boston getting my fruits and vegetables. I love the market and bargaining atmosphere. It puts me in a happy mood all day. Just so you know, last week I got 4 lbs. of potatoes for $1, 2 lbs. of strawberries for $1, a pint of blueberries for $1, and 6 kiwi for $1.

4. I love to study so much that I'll study things in other areas of expertise just to say that I've read about such and such. I hate being nerdy, but the closer and closer that I get to going back to school the nerdier I'm becoming. It is rather scary. Jeremy has said that I know everything about everything, and that is embarrassing.

5. My favorite frozen treat is watermelon sorbet. The only place in the world that I've found it is Coldstone Creamery. It is especially good with a mix-in of fresh blueberries.

6.I have a very strange bedtime routine. I have to put chapstick on my lips and lotion on my feet and hands just prior to turning out the lights.

7. I have turned into a big Red Sox fan, so much so that it annoys Jeremy sometimes.

8. I peed my pants from laughter and made a small puddle in the Around the World Coke room at Disneyworld in the 9th grade. I was mortally embarrassed cause I was with this guy that I liked at the time. Sorry for the embarrassing fact, I couldn't come up with a good less embarrassing 8th fact, so I went with the really embarrassing one.

Tag you're it Lara and Laura. :)

Gotta love paying rent.....

No, but really.... I have come to really enjoy walking to go pay the rent and here's why. Interestingly, the place where we pay rent is just down the block from the hotel that we stayed in in March when Jeremy and I got our pre-moving exposure to Boston. I walk about 10 min from the T stop, and as I'm walking (the same walk as to and from the T in March) I just find myself reflecting on the journey God brought us on as he drew our hearts towards Boston. I think about how he grew our faith in increments, preparing us at each step for the step ahead. The walk reminds me His provisions for us, and how He continues to bless us. All in all, the walk causes me to pour out praise and be thankful.

Random thoughts on a rainy day...

Today is the first of what is supposed to be many rainy days in a row for us here in Boston. I find that I get excited about having rain in the summer in Boston as it keeps the temperature lower so that you can keep the windows open and the air conditioner off (that is unless it is a blowing rain and you then have to shut all the windows). Jeremy has started work this week, so he's busy with that during the day. He has a cubicle with a huge window that overlooks Boston Harbor. He works in the new "Seaport" area which is supposed to be the up and coming area of development in Boston. It really is quite pretty. So when he's taking a break, you'd find his face peering out the window at the navy ships, cruise boats, and airplanes. Me, I'm working about 10 hours a week watching kids for a stay at home mom so that she can go run her "errands." I make more doing this than I could working 20 hours/wk in retail. I have accepted an internship next year working in a long-term nursing and short term acute transitional facility called Deutches Altenheim. I'm excited about the change of pace that working with the elderly will give me. Plus, I'll be able to learn loads about medical charts, medications, post surgery rehab, etc.... which was a goal of mine and will hopefully serve me well as I move towards eventually working in a hospital.

Since I had some time I thought I'd write out a bit of what I've been thinking about lately. I think it will benefit me to write it out, and well for those who do keep up, you can either read it or stop reading and wait for a more light-hearted post.

I've been thinking a lot lately about a lot of things about Boston, what I believe, challenging things about this culture and refreshing things about this culture. I'll start with what I find is refreshing about the culture up here as I think that there is much that Christians and southerners alike could learn from the general goings-on. First, I am challenged by the kindness of Bostonians. I know that as a whole people up here aren't noted for this, but I'm really beginning to think that perhaps, people are just misunderstood or that a few bad apples ruins the whole bunch. First, there is our neighbor from Belarus who is always going out of her way to be kind to us, and generous (hello, she gave us and A/C). Every time I talk to her she remembers to inquire about Jeremy's and my job situation. She is genuinely concerned and her kind words were so encouraging in the time that we were without a job. She also remembers to ask about our family, our dogs, and any other thing that might have been mentioned in a previous conversation. I don't think I could ever stop listing the amount of times in the past that I haven't been very attentive in a conversation, or even worse is times that I tell someone that I'll pray about something for them and then don't or I forget. May Christ develop me into the type of person that is always genuine and interested and attentive.

Then, the other day, Jeremy and I were out to eat with his parents and Jeremy's brother's girlfriend's parents (randomly also in Boston). The girlfriend's parents have a adult son with CP (Josh), and he was also along for the vacation. We went to this famous whole in the wall seafood restaurant, and the waitress and and the restaurant owner went out of their way to treat Josh with dignity, honor, and really invested in him and in us as a group. I felt ministered to by their extreme kindness.

And for the large part, although, people as a whole do keep to themselves, they are hard-working, helpful, accepting of who you are as a person, and part of keeping to themselves is that gossip really not near the issue it was in the South. There were times that when I left the suite at work in Texas that I knew that I was being talked about because of what I wore, when I came into work that day, who I associated with, or that heaven-forbid, I actually asked my secretary to help me in a way that wasn't expressely written in her job title. And sadly, I'd say that over 75% of my co-workers in Texas considered themselves to be regularly practicing church-going Christians! These things challenge and convict me. I find that all of these issues find their way into my life, and for this I'm sad. I'm challenged to be a better reflection of Christ to those around me.

With that, I do find that it is challenging to truly integrate into the culture of those who live here. While accepting and kind, Southerners are from what I've seen so far, seen as close-minded, conservative, and Christian. On the second day of work, one of Jeremy's co-workers out of the blue said, "You'll need to learn that we just aren't conservative up here." Because of this, I feel that we're kept at a superfical surface level, at arms length distance away. I know that this just takes time and investment, and for that I ask for prayer that we would be persistent, continually attentive, sensitive, open-minded, and yet still true to our Savior.

The Winning of the Bread

As of yesterday, I am officially a Manufacturing/Mechanical Engineer for Cytonome, Inc. WOOHOO!!! God has, once again, taken care of us as we've trusted in Him. This experience has grown our faith tremendously as a result. We hope and pray others can say the same about our experience. Thanks again for your prayers and support.

Jeremy

Trip to Maine and July 3rd celebrations :)

Well, let's see. Jeremy had an interview this past week on Thursday with a bio-science/engineering company here in Boston. He tells everyone that the interview went very, very well, and I guess it did as he got an offer today. We haven't accepted it yet, but will let everyone know when things are set. After his interview, we went to Maine for the afternoon (it is so wierd to say that I went to Maine for the afternoon). We had a picnic with TJ and Dena in Kennebunkport on the rocky beach and then drove by the Bush compound where it turns out both Bush's and Putin were set to meet. I think Bush just likes to follow Jeremy and I around.... we leave Texas, he comes here. Ha.... we wish. :) Anyhow, here are some pictures of the beach and picnic.
This is the ocean..... :)
This is me (Chels), TJ, and Dena.... Jeremy had picture taking duty. This is a "natural" unposed photo. ;)
This is me trying to look cute. I'm wearing a Baylor shirt... Sic' Em.
This is the Bush vacation home. We were amazed that they built this thing so close to the road. Security was everywhere and the coast guard was fun to watch jetting around in the water.
This is Jeremy with his first ever lobster. He loved it. We named the lobster Stuart. They have lobster everywhere in Maine and it is much, much cheaper than lobster anywhere else in the nation.

On the 3rd, we got to spend some time with Andrew and Kristen who also live here in Boston. We went to the Boston Pops free "preview" concert for the 4th. Andrew and Kristin packed our picnic and we ate sitting on the banks of the Charles while listening to the Pops. The Blue Man Group and John Mellencamp were also there. Even though this was just the preview, we couldn't get close enough to see the Pops, so that's why we don't have a picture of the hatchshell.
This is the group..... We were actually on a small channel of the Charles.
These ducks and geese were crazy about us. Kristen threw enough tomatoes in there that they got a full serving of lycopene for the day.
This is the view upriver from where we were sitting. The hatchshell was behind the tree.
Kristen and I picking Arthur Fielder's nose on the way home. I'm still not sure who Arthur is. Evidentally, he was worth this statue head.

That is all for tonight. We have to get in bed as we have a hard and long day of celebrating the 4th tomorrow... :)

Heatwave :)

Did you know that 3+ days above 90 degrees is considered a heat wave in Boston? I think my fellow Texans would (or probably are currently) laugh at this statement. I should have you know though that it has been much hotter here than in Waco this week. Today we topped out somewhere in the upper 90's with (as the weather man put it) "oppressive" humidity. You would think that having spent a whole summer in Northern Africa without AC and temperatures frequently flirting with 120 degrees that I'd be tougher. I guess something has happened over the past couple years, or perhaps humidity really makes that big of a difference.

Today, we were blessed to get a window AC from our neighbor from Belarus....it wasn't until late in the day, but still was a huge blessing as we'll be able to sleep in comfort tonight. Most all the stuff in her apartment is handmade by either her or her mother, so she is a super talented and way cool lady. She offered to teach me some stuff, so hopefully that will lend to a great relationship. We are so thankful for her tonight! Jeremy was able to bless her also by helping to put her newer window AC in her window (she got a newer one and that is why she could give us her older one. Something that Jeremy and I have discussed several times is that part of our role as Christian's in Boston is to make big strides in blessing, serving, and healing our community. Isn't interesting how God seems to bless those who strive to be a blessing even more than they could bless? Read: It is not at all our agenda to seek our own blessing (remember I hate that word agenda) in building relationships with others, however, I find that God always has blessed us and continues to bless us way more than we can bless. You can continue to pray that God would continue to show us practical ways to serve others. Pray also that we'd see needs and and be able to heal hurts.

Lastly, I thought I'd post a funny picture of Billy.... Tuesday we came into our bedroom and found him sitting in this location. We aren't sure how he got up into the window, but he did. I guess he needed to be closer to the outside air.

Pictures of the apartment and news from Jeremy

Sorry, I know we promised pictures of our apartment, and at Lara's request, an inclusion of pictures of life from the dogs' views. Ten days late is better than never right?

This is the view from the front door. That white thing is a really cool and old thing that buzzes our guests in down stairs.
This is our living room. That blanket is Billy's usual sitting location if he isn't out on the porch. This is the couch that we basically had to take apart and push through the door. My mom got me this rug as part of my birthday present... :)
This is our kitchen while some have told us is very large by Boston standards. It actually has more storage than my kitchen in Waco. I actually really like it. Oh, and there is an actual pantry in here (with a door) that you can't see opposite of the toaster oven in the corner. If I walk in here, Billy assumes that I've come to open the door to "his" patio.
This is our bedroom which is actually a really good size. The bed is on an angle to give us an extra corner of storage to shove things behind it. I interrupted Jack's nap by taking this picture.
Here is our tiny bathroom. Off to the right you'll see our room divider type door, basically it just covers you so no one watches you pee.... however, you can hear someone peeing when it is quiet from any room in the house. What a way to become intimate with your guests, huh?
Here is Billy on his porch. He just lays out there and suns himself and watches the birds and squirrels. I think he'd live out there if we'd let him. I have more to say, but Jerry :) wants to blog, so I'll let him do that and write later so this isn't too long.

Jeremy here:
So last week looked about like every week for me as far as job searching goes. I've been throwing out lots of seeds but still haven't seen a harvest. Towards the end of the week I sensed a bit of doubt and anxiety creeping in to thwart my confidence in God's promises of taking care of us. I'm extremely happy to say that it was short lived as the Lord has rejuvinated my faith by revealing to me that I had passed the FE (Fundamentals of Engineering) Exam. Some of you are familiar with this test and the prayers that were lifted in preparation for it. Though passing this test is not a stipulation of graduation or becoming a working engineer, it is the first half of the process of becoming a certified professional engineer, which comes with a lot of perks in the future. To now be able to put my FE certification on my resume will surely make it more attractive to employers. Anyways, I was not able to study for the test at all. Studying or taking practice test are essential for passing this exam, therefore, my expectations for success were quite low and had already decided I'd take it again in the future. My passing of this test is truly a testament to God's hand on Chelsea and I. I cannot thank those enough who prayed for me in this endeavor.
More from me tomorrow. Chels wants to go to bed.

Naked Bibles and Wet Dogs

Jeremy here:

Now for those of you who satirize me for my concern of my Bible's well-being, as made known by my Bible buffer box (BBB), I'll have you know that I ventured out sans BBB last night to church. Chels and I were in charge of dinner last night so we had to carry it over to TJ and Deanna's. Having carried my naked Bible with the food, upon arrival to their home, low and behold a slimy residue resembling that of the chicken spaghetti contained in our casserole dish had tarnished the pristine leather of my Bible. It is my belief that under no circumstances should any soul mock me again with the use of my BBB.

Today, we took the dogs out to the reservoir nearby our apartment. Billy has been curious about the water the past few times we've walked, but today while walking down to sneak a drink, he slipped off a rock and went for a swim. He came up with algae hanging off his tail and head and mud everywhere. Later during the walk we threw Jackson in the reservoir since we were already going to need to give Billy a bath. Jackson did not appear to appreciate his swim nearly as much as Billy.

We're official!

Well, we got our Mass. driver's licenses in the mail today. They sure don't have it very together at that office. They had to redo Jeremy's about 3 times to get it right, and the expiration date is still what they originally had his birthday as. More importantly though, apparently I'm an organ donor now. I didn't ask to be one, but my license says I am. I guess the guy could see that I had good organs and decided to mark me. Since we now have the capability to post pictures I'll post the copies (we got the software that had been lost to upload them). I blotted out the number so that you all couldn't steal our identities (cause everyone wants to be a smelly man named Jeremy right?). We'll post pictures of the apartment this weekend.

On a more serious note....

Well, I thought it was about time for an update after the weekend and to post some requests. The webcam is up and running.... it was great to see our small group last night. :) We've worked on the color since and next time we talk to someone we won't be red!

One of the jobs that Jeremy applied for today called him today for an in-person screening tomorrow. Then another person called who saw his resume on monster, but she wanted something for her company that Jeremy couldn't do. Regardless, it is just good to hear something and know that he isn't sending these resumes out into cyberspace never to hear anything again. Pray that the screening goes well, and that he'll get an actual interview. It is a different type of position than he'd ideally want, but not out of his field.

Pray that we'd be more patient with each other. Being solely around each other 24/7 is getting to be a bit much for us both. We've been quick to biting comments the past few days.

Last night Jeremy and I went to the home church that we had a connection with that we made in March. Both Jeremy and I felt at home and unawkward. We felt as thought the church was open and real with each other and that we were like minded. We are going to go back next week. Praise for that!

Pray that we as individuals and as a couple would continue to grow in faith and in our prayer lives. I feel that we are being stretched in that now. Although it still isn't that difficult to have faith that God will provide, pray that we'll continue to see that even as time goes on.

That's all for now!

For now, that's all....

Correction....

I was re-reading the blog after it posted and realized that I said that I was happy that all my clothes fit. I mean't that I am happy to say that they all fit in my tiny closet. :)

IKEA, the weather, and more...

Well, the past couple days have been productive. Jeremy is not content with leaving boxes around the house, so he's been driving me pretty hard to get it all put away. We've picked a bank and gotten that settled to. We ventured out to IKEA today, which Jeremy surprisingly loved..... he was worse to have along than a child. He had to look at EVERYTHING..... we were in there for over 3 hours, but emerged with a bookcase, TV stand, some organizing thing for Jeremy's closet, and some potpourri. All which were must haves for our little, cozy abode. He'll write about his experience later. TJ and Laura... we did manage to get a bookcase similar to you all and also got it in the car with some creative arranging.

We are watching the weather for the rest of the week right now, and just found ourselves saying 84 on Friday! ugh.... what a miserable and hot day. It is interesting how thoughts change given the circumstances and lack of air conditioning.

Also, I am proud to let everyone know that all my clothes (minus my 3 coats which reside in Jeremy's closet) all fit. I guess I downsized just enough.

As for the dogs, Billy loves his porch..... we'll have to post a picture of him sitting out there. If we'd let him, he'd sit out there and stare for hours in a very stoic stance. He also likes to poop on the sidewalk in front of the Temple on our block which he's done two out of two walks so far. I guess he's just making a statement in his own way. Jackson is having a bit tougher of an adjustment, but I think he'll make it just fine.

Ok here's Jeremy....

So I feel I'm starting to get a bearing on the layout of this city. Our drive to IKEA today was quite a comfortable commute. No jolts across 4 lanes of traffic or anything like that. That IKEA was something else. I was fascinated at the level of thought and detail engineering that went into creating such a successful furniture store. So where do they get all those spare flat screens, xboxes, PS2, and books they use for the mock rooms? And a cafeteria? Dude! Not to mention their cheap prices. They've won me over, I can garranteeya that much. Anyways, it was nice. Enough about that.
The place is looking more and more like home as the boxes vanish. My stress levels seemed to be elevated by the large number of boxes. The Lord has been taking good care of us. Setting up our bank accounts went well. We aren't as far from the grocery store as we had originally thought. Our neighborhood seems to be very (almost eerily) quiet. We feel quite safe and secure here, especially for the sake of Chelsmels. Back to work. Aufwiedersehen

We have arrived!

So, most of you have heard a bit about how the first couple days have been going, but as promised, we are going to begin to write it all down. For the first time, we'll both write for you (you should feel blessed).

Right now it is about 60 degrees.... move in day it was about 90. It was gross and grueling. Never try moving to a 4th floor apartment without an air conditioner on a day like this. We were all drenched in sweat within minutes of starting and all day. Thanks to my parents and Andrew and Kristen for their help... we seriously would not be moved in without them. All was well that night as we went to a restaurant that had a large LCD screen per table and watched the Sox and the Yankees. That was a good end to the day.

We have done a bit of grocery shopping, and in case you wanted to know.... a gallon of 2% milk is $4.29 here. We'll be poor just due to Jeremy's milk drinking habit. Guess it is cheaper than supporting some other types of drinking habits. :)

There is a lot of Jewish stuff in our neighborhood. We haven't met any practicing Jews or any that claim Judiasm, but it is interesting to find multiple temples, kosher restaurants, etc. We also have a Zen Karate place near us.... I guess we live in a hodge podge area.

We are so excited about our neighborhood and our apartment building. One of the things we prayed for was a good neighborhood that was safe and also people who were friendly and interested in building relationships. This was definitely answered. We have some very friendly neighbors including a former Russian architect from Belarus. We share a porch with her, and she loves our dogs. Please pray that we continue to have opportunities to meet and talk to neighbors.

Finally, I registered for classes for grad school and registered to go FULL time! I'm very excited. Perhaps if a summer nanny thing doesn't work out, I'll apply at the little supermarket in hopes that I'd get a discount on our groceries. Haha.... Alright, Jeremy's turn.... hopefully we'll get pictures on here soon.


Jeremy here...

dido

Love Jeremy

...just kidding. Na but seriously. Man that move-in day was intense, and I ain't talking about no indian reservation. Thanks for everyone's prayers. The Lord held off the rain strategically, once again, just as he did when we were moving out. I am very excited about our future here. The apartment is adorable. It doesn't seem as small as we thought. It must be the old high ceilings. Someone come visit us soon. Not that we are lonely quite yet but just to share our new life with. I love being able to keep the windows open at night since we are on the fourth floor. It's like we're camping out every night. It's going to take a bit longer to get used to the streets than I thought. I'll tell you what, those street sign locations and colors are wild (difficult to folllow), not to mention the mysterious sudden street name change as you travel. I had a chick behind me today lay on her horn just as the light turned green. These people mean business. I need a job. Please, keep praying about that situation. I know I'll get one, just pray for patience and my future work place along with fellow employees. I can't wait to meet some locals and dive into the culture. One more thing, pray that amidst all the changes taking place, Chels and I will not lose sight of our purpose and keep us selfless in everything we do here. Thanks for your support!