I am sitting in the living room with Jeremy.   I'm paying bills while he is reading books for his class.  Our evenings usually end up like this.  The kids go to bed between 7 and 8.  We clean and water the garden, then drink some tea while reading together, talking, or playing a board game.  Then off to bed.  I still feel like I am on an extended vacation.  Yes, sure, there are still children to take care of (and enjoy) and chores and things to do...but I haven't really had very many commitments in the past few months and it has been amazing.  Every day is pretty much the same, with the slight variations of where we go and what we do.  I don't think I've ever lived a time in my life with so few commitments and worries.  Growing up, it was always DO DO DO I didn't even know how to just relax and spend time to just be until fairly recently.  It is healing and liberating and awesome.

Anyway.

I will probably be heading off to bed soon, but I thought I would update on a few things going on.

One thing is that some time in the next month, Jeremy and I will be going in for a second interview for a position we applied for in July.  We had a "pre-interview" with the guy in charge of it, and actually, we left feeling like we did quite poorly.  We were pretty sure we would not hear back.  So, after we had completely discarded any hope or ideas of anything going forward with this, we received an email asking us to come for a second interview.

It is a position for a lead for a church plant (or missional community as they are calling it), in the south seattle area.  We weren't totally sure why we applied for it at first.  We just felt like we really were supposed to, for whatever reason.  After the first interview, we left feeling like it was a really good process and clarified a lot of things for us about what we believed our ministry focus should be.  And we thought that would be that.  It is a unique opportunity in that they have quite a bit of finances available for the plant, and are going to provide training, support, and at least half of the person's salary for three years.  Also, the church model is very different from the traditional model seen and it matches very closely to what we have been thinking about trying to start over here.  It was very encouraging to meet with the guy in charge and hear how the denomination (the same one we were a part of in Port Orchard) is shifting in ways to reach the people they can't possibly reach the way church has been done for so many years.

Anyway, we have no idea why they called us back or what they might see in us that they want to pursue the possibility further.  We feel good about it because we don't really feel like we need to prove anything about ourselves, but you can pray for wisdom and discernment about whether this is the right direction for us.  Honestly, the hard part would be if they DID offer us the position.  We are so happy here.  In some ways, I feel like Indianola can't be our home forever because of our calling and because of the unique situation here with Jeremy's family...but I love it here, and being here has helped and healed me on so many levels...but like I said, I feel like I'm on vacation and I guess vacations don't last forever?  we will see.

Preschool is also starting in two weeks!  BUT I am very excited about the direction it is taking.  I am not going to be paid again, but that is because I am forming (with two other moms) a preschool co-op/mom's group.  Mainly designed for mom's like me who have a preschool age and a younger child, and we want to do more enrichment type stuff with our older child but have a younger child who needs our attention so much too.  So, basically I am still teaching the older kids, but the moms will stay and have a younger child area and help watch Hailey for me.  This way, not only can things be a little more laid back, but I don't have to worry about childcare for Hailey and I get to build better relationships with the moms too!  One thing I am super excited about is helping and equipping them with tools to teach at home during the week, because I know how it gets hard when you don't have a plan or time to prepare anything. It will only be once a week, so that also cuts my planning time down.  I am hoping to still do school with Shea at home at least two other days during the week, so that planning will take a little more time, but I am really excited to start doing that!  I am going to try putting together a preschool art appreciation curriculum this year with him where we go through different famous paintings, learn about it, and copy some sort of aspect about it in our own art. I'm sure something like this exists already, but why buy it when I can do it myself?

OK.  Enough of this random post.  I had some pictures to upload, because we took a random day trip to Port Townsend the other day, but my computer is too slow to put them up right now.  Maybe next time!  I had some super cute ones of Hailey.  She is doing the funniest things lately.

 Hope everyone is doing well - I miss reading about what everyone is up to, but I know how it gets!!  I can't even believe that summer is almost over.  And that I am going to be 26 next month.  I feel like I am getting super old but I still think I'm like 18.  Jeremy is now starting to remind me that I am going to be closer to 30 than 20 now.

Yeah.

Thanks for that.