Hello Summer!

Hello summer!! It has arrived here to the desert. 100 degree days and 80 degree nights. We are search of things to keep us cool. We spent that day at one of AZ's many man made lakes the other day. At least its water!! So we have a summer full of indoor plans and trips up north. We are heading to Portland this weekend! I can't tell you just how excited I am to go back for a visit. It has been almost 2yrs since I've been there. I miss my friends so much! I'm so excited to show Chris the Portland piece of my life and introduce him to all my friends. Plus we have a wedding to go to and 2 babies to see! :) This week couldn't go by any slower!! Love you all!

Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day all!! I'm loving having the day off...well that day that is. I do have to work a couple hours tonight. But nice to have a day off for a change. Just dropped off Chris at work. He picked up some hours this weekend at his part-time job. He has been a working fool :) Just started his new job at Wells Fargo! There are places that are hiring. Thank God. So currently we are both working 2 jobs and trying to pay off our debts as aggressively as we can. Life is good and God most certainly has us in his hands. It will be 96 today! Getting hot! My least favorite time of year here in the desert! Makes me homesick for the east coast summers! I so miss them! We will be BBQ-ing by the pool today before I head off to work got some steak, fresh corn and fresh pineapple to throw on the grill...all are welcome :). Love and miss you all!

Poem

So the women's group that I'm apart of I'm the group Chaplin..which I'm loving. Each meeting I share something with the group...inspirational, spiritual is what I shoot for. I love doing it makes me dig deeper into readings to find something to share with others :) So currently I'm reading The Dance of the Dissident Daughter By Susan Monk Kidd. It has been a amazing book for me. One women's story of her emergence from Christian Tradition to the Sacred Feminine. Its is a oh so awesome book and is helping me in my own emergence into my own. So today as I'm searching for something inspirational for tonight's meeting I can across this poem on a Emerging Women website. It hits me cause ther has been the undoing of my own religion over the past couple years. Yes there are lots of things I could say good and bad about Christianity and I myself and guilty of it all too....Finding that walk of grace in the expression that is fit for me is the place I'm at in it all....so I thought I would share....

It was almost enough to make me stop believing
Defacto segregations
Emotional manipulations
Personal salvations
ALL the proclamations
I had taken the bait
Walked through the narrow gate
Learned what to hate
Was certain of my eternal fate
I could spew the roman road, so proud so bold, part of the fold, believed what I was told
I’m in - you’re out - no doubt what I’m talking about
I know - I’m right - I’m the one walking in the light
You lose - I win - come on I’ll point out your sin
Prostituting every opportunity
Wanting to be the supermajority
Working to oppress homosexuality
Don’t forget about being offended by profanity
Let’s hang out in our Christian bubble
Let’s try to stay out of trouble
Don’t wander away from the holy huddle
Forget about conversation - debate for domination - practice your presentation - and talk about eternal damnation
Pick a verse to justify being chauvinistic
Deny it when they say you are legalistic
Preach a gospel that is individualistic
Forget that it seems a little imperialistic
Don’t question the authority, know what’s a priority, don’t worry about the minority, that’s our expository
The Christianization - the dehumanization
The demonstration - the incorporation
made ME start to question
What about the brotherly love - the justice that was spoken of
the one we were in awe of - the mercy they talked of
Didn’t they get the memoranda that we were supposed to love with no agenda
Didn’t they notice the lack of transformation - the absence of civil conversation
Weren’t we supposed to be known by our fruits instead of by our refutes
Weren’t we supposed to make the world a better place full of love and hope and grace
Where was the creativity - the spirit of generosity - the chance for serendipity -
Thank God I broke free
Cause it was almost enough to make me stop believing

Geography Quiz

So to pass the time at my oh so boring day job I've been taking on-line geography quizzes...I know nerd!! I have always had this love of geography and knowing where things are...I swear I have a map brain. All to be most strategic in getting to and fro...and never go back the same way you came. Well any way one of my most recent highlights is I applied to take my Foreign Service exam. What is that? Well its a exam that the US state department gives to qualify you to work in US embassies around the world. It is something I have wanted to do for a long time now. I applied online and got the invite for the exam which will be on June 10Th! I'm excited and now that I'm taking it...kind of not sure if its something I really want to do but its in that direction. Its kind of like I aim for one thing and will bounce to the next but the initial aim got me closer to the place I want to be :) Anyway I'm happy to be taking it and giving it a shot. Just the feeling like I'm setting out to do something I've wanted to do is a good feeling. So for the next month I'm packing in as many geography quizzes, memorization of all the amendments and constitution, and lots of current events. :)

Interview

So Tuesday was the big day. The immigration interview! Yikes I was all nervous till we got in there :) Not know what to expect can kill ya...or make you pee a lot. At least that is what it does to me. We brought every form of documentation with both our names on it ie: lease, bank statements, insurance, etc. Tons of photos everything to prove our real relationship to the officer. Who by the way was this young kid. He had to be 24 years old. But it went smoothly they asked us all our personal info, how we meet, what we like to do together, he looked through our stacks of photos and asked us questions about those. We had a good laugh at the incriminating photos that Chris slipped in there so that broke the ice with him. All in all I'm so happy to be done with it and get our approval. Now its on to the court case. Our lawyer is putting in a motion to move the case here to Phoenix. We really need it here otherwise we will need lots of money to get another lawyer in NY and fly back and forth for court so pray! Here are some photos of us waiting at Starbucks before our interview.

QVC

So I came home from work on Tuesday night. Usually get home around 10:30pm. Chris was watching TV so I sat on the couch for a bit and chatted with him. So out of his mouth pops..."I did something on your behalf" First stumped again by his proper English...then the wheels turning as to what could you possibly have done??? "Tonight I was watching QVC" oh no!!! Not another prayer cloth blessed by some bishop somewhere promising to have healing powers?? hahaha "ummm no a new camera" Knowing we have a outing on sat to a ghost-town and then my friend from home is going to be in town all next week...very sweet...but as my mind goes to the first place of...what else have you been ordering on qvc?? and um you are not to turn that channel on again...do you know how tight our budget is? etc..oh i can go on and on my brain works fast :) So I calmed my thoughts and tried to focus on the good of this..in that yeah we have a new camera!! and I can take more photos and post more photos. And we are going to have lots more talks about joint accounts and our spending. oh the joys of married life ;) and Chris please don't kill me when you read this!!

Waiting Pool is getting cold

Yeah the waiting game...the story of our life! Hate it!! Its OK for a little while but being the planner that I am it gets old really fast. So we still sit here. But there is glimmers at the end of this tunnel. At least resolution is around the corner. Our immigration interview is next Tuesday at 9am so pray :) Then we will at least know if we are allowed to stay in this country :) Chris has been applying for jobs left and right...one company wants to hire him but because of protocols and background checks he must have the green card in hand to work...such a bummer!! It is a great position that he so wants. So sucks :( So God what do you have up your sleeve :) We will keep your posted.