It is always so hard to write after a long hiatus.  Where to start? Should I catch you up or just write about the immediate things now?

We are still in a time of transition. I think Paul figured out once that we have been in transition since 2007.   One big long continuous season of unsettled uncertainty.  Work is still busy in the day to day routine, but we are once again living in the tension of not knowing what the next year will bring.  (As many others are doing so with the economy the way it is). Hopefully in the next month we should have official numbers and a timeline for switching status. Switching status will do two things: 1)we will become subsidized for what we already do there (in some way to be determined) and 2) we raise a smaller amount of support to add to that. There has been a lot of talk about how we can do this, now comes the hard part of putting legs to the vision.

So we thought this would be a great time to buy a house. Well, we thought, for what we are paying in rent, we could buy a house now that the bubble has popped (almost wrote pooped there) and save money instead of living right at our expenses/income line. We also are kind of stepping out in faith that we will stop being evaluated every blinking year to see if we are a go / no go ministry and will start putting down roots, both investing into the fellowship and into our community of friends out here in Denver.

You have to remember, we thought we were leaving the country up until 4 months ago. So we've left larger purchase go (like cars) because we were just going to sell them in a few months anyway, right?  We've also are renting a place in a good location for the top of what we can afford because it wasn't going to be more than a year right? And so many other little battles of will over what to spend and what to live without. Once we can lower our housing payment while stilling getting the size of space we need (at least 1200 sq ft) as our family grows, we can start saving for cars, car maintenance, retirement, and college for the kiddos. Most of this has gone by the way side as we have been trying to keep our costs down since we were about to leave. We are hoping to either find something by Thanksgiving OR wait until after  Leap makes his/her appearance in Feb. next year. We are struggling now because most of the best houses we are finding are 30 minutes drive away from the rest of our life (work, church, babysitters, activities, etc.) So do we settle for crummy and close or nice and a commute?

  

Yes, a good portion of this has to do with me needing to nest. We are right around week 18 (week 19 on Tuesday next week). We go for another ultrasound then too, so hopefully baby Leap will give us some idea as to what to expect. We're going to go as a family, so Tobo will get a chance to see a visual of this baby he keeps talking to. For the most part I have not had your normal pregnancy issues. My stuff is I'm a tired, hungry beach ball. I also wear out faster after social stuff...and then take longer to recover. That plus 2 bouts of sickness for Tobo has meant we are having a tough time getting all the work hours in AND our current M/T/S social schedule.  I feel something is going to give. And it can't be work. So more unpleasant decisions about what social stuff I need to start backing away from, a lot sooner than I thought I would need to.  I enjoy it while I'm there, but I pay for it the next day.  I had hoped to make it to Christmas. Now I'm hoping to hold on until Thanksgiving.

Tobo is doing well. Other than being sick for part of September, he's cheerful and happy. He's not doing preschool this fall but will start next year. He is not potty trained and is showing signs of being strong willed about it. He's figured out that potty treats are a form of manipulation and wants no part of them. He is going to the sitters 2 days a week and then has a day off with Paul (which is how I get my 3 work days in).  We don't know if that flex time will go away for Paul with the new status change, but that sure is possible).  Tobo is loving numbers. Often is counting and reading them off on signs. He has no time to color or write on paper. He'd rather be building rockets that are going to Pluto. Telling stories about how the numbers are lost and then found and become friends.  He had a really great first dentist visit. He is also still using a pacifier at night. Fortunately the dentist says we still have time to get him weened off of it before it does permanent  damage to his teeth.  He is still small for  his age (hanging out at the 10% for weight) but he also doesn't eat unless he is hungry and knows when he's finished.  He's now 3.5 years old.

Anyway, If you are still reading, cool. Hope to updated again after we learn more on Tuesday.