It's a........

BOY! We just found out and John couldn't be more thrilled. I mean, I of course am happy too, but something about the family name going on and a hunting buddy and all that makes my hubby giddy. I would have posted a pic but I am still without internet and without a scanner, so you are saved from the sonogram picture of my little mans "package". He will be John Paul Schaffner, III and the only form of this that we can come up with that we like AT ALL is JP. I actually don't mind Jack, but John insists he would be picked on in school and had never heard of someone named John being called Jack. I thought everyone knew that.

We got the house. We think. This process makes me crazy. Our closing date is August 18, but we're trying to get in earlier because the girls moving in to our apartment are moving in before that. I don't think there's enough room for all of us, so we gotta get out of there. I can't wait to have room. I can't wait for Boudreaux to have room, I feel so bad for that poor dog. I also am scared to death. I mean, when something broke before we could just call the landlord. Now we have to FIX IT????? And we have to buy a lawnmower and get flood insurance and the list goes on and on and on and on and on. I mean, are we really going to be broke for the next 30 years? Can you tell I have a little anxiety over this? I am excited, and once I can I will post pictures and you can all help me decide how to fix the mess of the fire-engine red painted fireplace, but for right now I'm just freaking out.

I just got over my second bout of food poisening since coming here. I think I've had it once EVER in my life, and now I have spent two weekends since moving to Hammond hugging the toilet. Atleast this time it stopped just short of another emergency room visit. The last visit, where all they did was give me saline solution and some phengren, was $1500.00. How do people afford to live in this country?

We went to yet another different church this morning. It was okay. I don't know what I'm looking for, but I don't think this was it. The people were nice, and they had dinner on the grounds after that rivaled Thanksgiving, but unless God speaks to me in a dream tonight I think I'll pass. We have been to one church we really liked, and the pastor and his wife are really neat, but we have to visit all the other churches first in order for my husband to "network" with the pastors and get a feel for what's going on around here. Alas, so far it seems to be nothing. Isn't that sad?

I have to tell you what the pastor at Immanuel (the one we liked) did for John. In order to fully understand this story you also have to know that the day before this happened the washing machine in our apartment exploded spilling about 30 gallons of water into our hallway carpeting. The last time I had food poisening was the day John was supposed to meet this man for lunch. He called him at 11:00 to tell him that he couldn't meet him because he was taking his wife to the emergency room, of which he had to just drop me off because we don't know anyone to keep Sadie, and then he had to go home and sop up the carpet and yada yada, basically dumped on the guy. An hour later this pastor, in his suit and tie from church, showed up with a shop vac at our apartment and got down on his knees and sucked up the water for John. We didn't ask, we didn't even know he had one, he just showed up and did it. Later that night he came back with supper for John because I was still at the hospital. Now, that is a pastor. He and his wife are amazing, even if we don't go to their church we know we've already found friends in them. John goes by about once a week to chat with him and the pastor (also named John, that's why I'm not calling him by name, it's confusing) told him last week that he had been praying for someone to talk to. Isn't that cool?

Okay, I've been gone long enough. Sadie and John await. We brought home leftovers from "dinner on the grounds" so atleast I don't have to worry about cooking!

Farewell to Biscuit

As the title implies, Biscuit has passed on. This weekend she tried to escape from the back of John's truck while still tied down in it. She rests in the backyard of my dear friend Kathleen. She was loved...terrible, but loved. Sadie looks around and says "Bee-kee?" and I am not used to the house being so quiet, the lack of "BISCUIT NOOO!". John has been instructed to never EVER get me another dog. Boudreaux is IT until he dies of a ripe OLD age. I told someone that I will see her again because she is in "doggie heaven", to which John replied "if there is a doggie heaven, then that would mean there is a doggie hell....." Yes, that made me feel better, John.

So many people have been trying to contact us lately, and I want you all to know that I have received your emails and I will definately get to back to you soon (Sorry Don and Amy! You've been trying so long!) I will not give the "life has gone crazy" excuse again. Oh wait, did I just do it?

On a lighter note, today I had a wonderful surprise. While walking to the BCM for the orientation lunch someone whistled at me. My first reaction was "Who the #&%$ would whistle at a pregnant woman?" and then I turned and saw Aubry!!! He was on his way to Destin and stopped for a few minutes to say hello! What a wonderful surprise, we needed to hear someone was thinking and praying for us. ALthough I must say that this blog reminds me of that often. You guys are a wonderful support and I thank you for your prayers! I loved the song lyrics in the comments for the last one, don't you love the way God speaks through music? Thank you for the encouragement and keep the prayers coming. I'll keep updateing when I can!

Am I or the Others Crazy?

The "Others" could be used to represent so many, I will let you decide which ones I mean. It could be Spiritual, religious, familial, oh the possibilities. Anyway, I am losing my mind. Really. I don't know if it's pregnancy, stress from all the "new" going on or both, but I can't seem to think straight at all, or do ANYTHING without getting frustrated, and I cry as if it is as normal as blinking. But, I saw my new doc for the first time today and he said I was normal. I laughed. If only he knew.

So, I must be honest with my blogging community because I know you guys will pray for us. John and I are having a hard time. I told you in the last blog that we feel under attack, and that is exactly what I think it is. We have had nothing but problems since the week BEFORE we left Canada, so it's been a whirlwind for us and it's starting to wear. We keep having to stop and remind ourselves why we are here, it's so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day and forget that God CALLED us here. We have so much to be thankful for, and yet we are both constantly frustrated and tired. But, God has taken care of us so many times in the past and He is reminding us of that over and over. My professor said the other day (when we called to say BLAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!) that the greatest threat to faith is a bad memory and I thought "wow, that is so true". So pray that our hearts are open to the reminders.

When we were in Calgary the song "Blessed Be" was the absolute perfect song for our lives, every time I heard it I was close to tears and it seemed like it came up on the radio, in church, on my "random" cd player at exactly the right moments, and then this morning after my new docs appointment where I had ALL SORTS of issues with insurance and just wanted to kill someone I got in the car and it was on. Okay God, I get it.

Blessed be your name
In the land that is plentiful
Where the streams of abundance flow
Blessed be your name

Blessed be your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be your name

Every blessing you pour out,
I turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your glorious name

Blessed be your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's all as it should be
Blessed be your name

Blessed be your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be your name

Every blessing you pour out,
I turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, Blessed be your name

Wow. Whoever wrote this song is amazing. The best lines to me, and most meaningful in our lives are "Though there's pain in the offering, Blessed be your Name" and "You give and take away, My heart will CHOOSE to say Lord, Blessed be your name". To change the subject for a minute, I think a lot of the "problem" with the "church" today is that little line "my heart will choose to say Lord, blessed be your name. Anyway, that's all I have to say, just say a prayer for us. Oh yes, and also, we put an offer on a house, the offer was accepted and now we are waiting on an inspection on Tuesday to make sure that nothing is wrong with the place. So, prayers are appreciated.