ACE.

WE GOT A PUPPY!

meet Ace -

he is a pit bull mix. we think he has lab and boxer in him, but we aren't totally sure. he is 5 months old, a biter, pees a lot, very cute, and we LOVE him!

how we got him:

my birthday was on saturday, and chris surprised me with him. chris went to the pound on thursday and he adopted Ace. he had to be neutered, so we add to wait all weekend. finally on tuesday, we were able to go pick him up from the pet hospital.

the first day was a little rough. he peed at least 4-5 times IN the house. by the afternoon we got him on a very strict schedule of going outside every 1/2 hour. this helped a lot. it's the second day and he has only peed 2 in the house - and it was on hard surfaces. PROGRESS!

he likes to bite. we think it is just to play and get our attention. he doesn't seem like he's doing it to be mean, but it still hurts. so we are trying to nip that little issue in the bud.

he seems like a fast learner, but he is still very puppy and is still getting used to us (and vise versa).

we have wanted a puppy for a very long time, and we are so excited to finally have him as a part of our family.

the experience:

adopting a dog is nothing like adopting a child, but there was still this anticipation of another being joining our family. the weekend seemed to drag on FOREVER. we worked on the yard on saturday to get it ready for an inspection (we ended up not needing to be inspected because we are outside of the county), but it felt like we were preparing the house for him. we went shopping (multiple trips) to get a collar, leash, food/water bowls, toys, treats, food, bed, etc. we couldn't wait for this little guy to come home. by monday - we were ready for him to be here.

tuesday we went to get him and it was very exciting! we had a bit of a drive and he sat in my lap in the front seat for about half of it. he just wanted to be with us. :D

it took him awhile to get used to us and to the new place. he is still adjusting, but things are getting better. the first night we had him chris said how crazy it is that he hasn't done anything (except pee on our carpet) and we love him. we just do. we love him because he's him and because he's ours.

like i said - getting a dog is not the same as having or adopting a child, but i think the same principle applies - we love him - and he didn't do a thing to deserve that love. also reminds me of God's love for me - i don't deserve it, but he loves me because i am his. end of story.

so needless to say, this pup is teaching us a lot. he is teaching us love and patience. he is exposing us to what it will be like to have kids. he is so cute and lovable and all you want to do is roll around on the floor with him. it's only been 2 days, but it has been quite an experience.

love -

Lauren, Chris, and Ace

prayer

hi.

this is just a quick post to ask you all for prayer.

i found out from Starbucks yesterday that it doesn't look like they have any job openings. so i am back to looking for a job. i have some applications in around town, but nobody has called yet.

also, chris is still trying to figure out his whole job and how everything works. it's stressful trying to figure things out as you are doing them.

so please pray for us as we continue this new journey and as we seek what the Lord has in store for us.

thanks.

~L

hello...again.

some big things have happened since i blogged last:

1. chris and i graduated from IWU!

2. chris got the assistant/worship pastor at Harvest Church (harvestchurchlive.com) in McCordsville, IN (just outside of Indianapolis)

3. we moved into our new home (we are renting), and we love it! (some pics are on FB)

4. we went to CA for two weeks to visit family and friends before chris started his job

5. June 1 - chris started at Harvest

i am still looking for a job - your prayers would be greatly appreciated for that!

we are loving our new church and the people there. we have already made some great friends, and we are excited to see what God has in store for us in the coming years.

in other news: i think i am going to start a blog just for my photography - i know i have said this before, but i really mean it this time....i think. :D i want this blog to be more a place to share about our lives in general (including pics), but i want the other one to be devoted to photography...we shall see.

things are great, but all of this change has been hard. being away from family has probably been the most difficult. also, me not having a job has been hard. change is good, but i have been feeling very up and down lately. sometimes i feel great and am excited. other times, i feel low and lonely. i don't mean to bring anybody down - i just want to be honest, and ask that you all keep us in your prayers. i hope that my honesty will help you all know better how to pray for us.

seriously, though, things are good. we are just anxious to see what God is going to do.

thanks for your prayers.

love you all.

~L

Spring Break 2010!

a couple of weeks ago was our spring break. we went to New Jersey with out friends, Sam and Sean. we went to Sam's parent's house. it was beautiful, and we had such a great time.

on monday, they took us around Sparta, NJ (where her parent's live). we saw the town, took some pictures, and had lots of fun.

all of us! (ephraim|photography)

love him.

sam and sean (ephraim|photography)

jumping.

there was a lot of snow (those are benches) (e|p)

on tuesday, we relaxed a lot and stayed in our pj's most of the day. in the afternoon, we went sledding...sort of. the guys made a path in their backyard between some trees. so sean slid down. then sam slid down. then i slid down - right into a tree. that was the end of the sledding. i hit my leg so hard, i thought i broke it. i didn't, but i got a big cut, a swollen leg, and a nasty bruise.

on wednesday, i wrapped my leg up good and we headed into New York City. we went and saw Mary Poppins on Broadway - AMAZING! we did some site-seeing, then went to dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. it was such an awesome experience.

the city view from central park at dusk (e|p)

c and i in front of rockefeller center

chris with 3 FDNY guys (we took this for his dad

who is a fire captain) (e|p)

in times square

chris - at the mother-ship :D (e|p)

thursday, we did some homework and relaxed a lot. sam's mom teaches a jazzercize class, so sam and i went to that while the boys stayed home and cooked dinner. it was DELICIOUS!

friday, we headed back to NYC to see everything we didn't get to see on wednesday. we went to the "top of the rock" (the top of the rockefellar center). we went down to wall street, saw ground zero, and went into a little church right next to ground zero.

lady liberty. (ephraim|photography)

the view from "the top of the rock" (e|p)

friends.

"wall st." obviously. (e|p)

empire state building (ephraim|photography)

saturday, sam, sean, chris, and i made the long (and sad) drive back to marion. we had so much fun, though. it was truly a relaxing week (even though we did a lot, too).

hope you enjoyed seeing our adventures.

love,

~L

busy.busy.busy.

happy valentine's day, blog world.

Chris and I both worked last night, so after church we came up to Ft. Wayne (we are currently still there, sitting in Panera Bread doing homework). we went to a yummy italian restaurant that we have been to at least 3 of the 4 v-days that we have been in Indiana. (we can't remember for sure what we did sophomore year. ha). we did some shopping (browsing, really). then we came to panera to get some homework done.

life has been alright. busy. busy. busy. 75 days until graduation! so excited about that! we are busy with school, work, and ministry. a couple of the female youth leaders and i are starting a bible study with some high school girls. we are super excited about that, but that is one more commitment. also, FUSION (IWU youth conference) is picking up pace. pretty much after spring break life will be even crazier! fun, but crazy!

confession: i haven't kept up with my picture everyday of 2010 plan. i was just getting tired of taking virtually the same picture, and i didn't have the time to really put forth the effort to create a good picture. i haven't stopped all together. i am still trying to take pictures consistently, learn more about photography, look at things with a photographer's eye, and practice when i can. plus, it's only february...there will be plenty more pictures taken this year! :D

Chris and i are on the job hunt for after graduation. we have talked to a couple of churches, but nothing is official. please be praying with and for us as we figure out what God wants for us and where he wants us to be. we want to be obedient, but that is SOOO easier said than done. we really appreciate your prayers!

that is all for now.

love,

~L

p.s. sorry, no pics this time...will try to post some in my next post

the beginning of the end

hello blog readers...

i thought it was time to blog again. :D

the last semester of college has begun - and WOW - we really jumped into this semester. chris and i are already starting to feel super busy.

one thing i am very excited about this semester is that i am on the staff for FUSION. FUSION is IWU's conference for high school students. they come to campus, here bands, play games, listen to a speaker, go to seminars, etc. kind of like a mini youth convention. I am in charge of bands and security - and i am super excited because SWITCHFOOT is coming! so life will get crazy as FUSION approaches, but it will be exciting!

also, i know a guy who is a photographer who decided his new year's resolution was to take a picture everyday of 2010. i really liked this idea, so i started to do this, too. i'm not gonna lie - i have missed a couple of days, but it is giving me great practice and is helping me to see things from a photographer's eye.

i started a flickr account, but i haven't had the chance to really develop it - but it is coming. until then...here are some of the pictures i have taken so far this year.

love,

~L

stress

Webster's dictionary defines stress as:

1. a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation; 2. a state resulting from a stress; especially : one of bodily or mental tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existent equilibrium.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stress

I define stress as:

1. an unhealthy mental or emotional state caused by a. a 5-page theory paper, b. a 5-page summary paper, c. a (time consuming) exegesis on the John 17:13-19, d. a 5-page book report, e. one final test (this week), f. one final test (next week)

love,

Lauren