Change

I've discovered that I am quite a creature of habit. I thrive on routine and love knowing what to expect from my day, my week, my future. That's why the most recent change in our lives is such a biggie for us.

As of the beginning of October S will be resigning from his position at LCC and will go to work for Brad Neal, a financial planner here in town. Six months ago we set up an appointment to have him take a look at our retirement, life insurance, etc. Apparently from that meeting S made such a good impression on Brad that he began pursuing him to come work for him.

S will be assisting Brad with various duties and tasks involved in the business and will begin working on further education to get the licenses he needs for the job. S really liked what he did at LCC and we've always said if he were to leave there, God would have to drop something in his lap. I never imagined that would actually happen!

It has been a mix of fear, sadness and excitement as we've made this decision. I love lists so here we go:

What excites us about this opportunity:

-Brad is a Christian and views his work as a ministry. He serves a lot of ministers and missionaries and provides affordable services for people like us who live on a tight budget. S is excited to be able to help people stretch what God has given them and save for their future.

-We've heard nothing but positive things about Brad. I've been amazed at how many unsolicited comments we've heard from people lately about what a man of integrity he is.

-It fits so well with S's giftedness. He has such a business mind and is so good with all things finance. And yet his gentle, genuine, patient spirit is so beneficial when working with people so it's a perfect blend for this type of job.

-The sky's the limit! There is so much potential for professional and personal growth as he continues learning and developing.

-God has affirmed every step of this process. We kept praying that He would send up red flags or close doors if this was not supposed to happen. Every time we prayed that, He just kept opening one more door until finally we felt like He was pushing us through it!

-Brad has been so specific in relieving our fears and worries. We've had several candid conversations with he, his wife and his secretary and all our concerns have been answered and put to rest.

Of course we are sad about not being quite as connected to the community at LCC as we have been. Sometimes I wonder why it seems that God is separating us from so many of our friends right now. But we feel confident that this is the new journey God has marked for us and it's time for us to embark.

Keep us in mind if you ever need some insurance or financial planning!

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The Case of the Missing Underwear

W is two and a half, recently potty trained and a boy. All those factors combined means that I have long ago quit battling trying to get him to wear clothing on the bottom half of his body when he doesn't want to. It destroys my serenity and I never win anyway.

So yesterday after lunch was no different than most days when he ran screaming from the bathroom after going potty but before putting his underwear back on. Knowing the futility of engaging in the chase, I half-heartedly threw his underwear at him as I walked through the living room and returned to the kitchen to finish my lunch.

A few minutes later after a noticeably mysterious silence he entered the kitchen (still pant-less) saying, "Mommy? More pants? Mommy? More pants?" Figuring he was finally ready to cover his derrière I went searching for the underwear only to discover them completely out of sight.

After checking all the usual hiding spots: under the couches, behind the pillows, in the toilet, I began wondering if now we had added a new twist to our daily ritual. However, as I continued searching, it was not snickering and giggling I heard from W (as I'd expected to hear) but instead an increasingly feverish, "Mommy? Where pants go? MOMMY?! WHERE PANTS GO?!" The poor kid really didn't know what he had done with his underwear and in typical toddler fashion, because he COULDN'T have
them, he wanted them NOW!

I finally convinced him that a new pair of Lightning McQueen pants would just have to do until the mystery pair decided to show themselves. A few minutes later Super Sleuth Detective Daddy sauntered into the living room and casually said, "What's that lump under the carpet?"

Under the area rug in our living room, smack dab in the middle, lay a little lump of toddler undies.

Don't ask me how they got there.

Don't ask me how he could not have known where they had gone.

But let me tell you...you would have thought we had just found a million dollars under our carpet from the way that little boy reacted.

So we have officially decided...no more presents at birthday or Christmas. All we need to bring excitement to our child is an area rug and a long lost pair of underpants.

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