Yes, dear ones, Matt and I have officially lost our minds. We went and met puppy yesterday night. The drive to the boonies was nice. And as can be read in this title, we have made a decision.

She jumped on us, had etchy potty-training reports, tore through the house like a Tasha at night-time… and yet she captured our hearts and we couldn’t help it. Her beautiful colors, “big dog” standing, redirectable behaviors, cage training (entering the cage on the command of “go to bed”), shot records, and other perks overcame the amount of training that Matt and I may need to reinforce with the 11 month old. Behaviors? Correctable. Now we just hope she doesn’t cause Cheddar to get into too much of a tizzy.

We’re due to pick her up in about a week and 1/2 after our anniversary trip. Matt and I are ECSTATIC about our upcoming road trip. Both of us are more than thrilled about this highly welcomed mission to Niagara Falls.

In other news, yesterday I managed to get some more yard work done on the house, this time in the back yard. All the while Matt enjoyed setting up his fantasy football league, which he appeared to have much delight in doing. And we saw one of Sarah’s first high school soccer games. Talk about a proud brother and sister-in-law as we sat under the bleachers in the shade of the 400 degree day, right at eye-level of the game. Yeah… we definitely found the spot everyone else that was melting in the bleachers was wanting.

Oh, and also… I’m now at 19 weeks for those of you who would like to know. Matt preached a good, hard one today reminding the Body of Christ what we stand upon. I am proud, what can I say. I think I’ll keep him. =) Cheddar just ran off with an old guitar string in his mouth. I think he secretly desires to be a cyclops. Oh and Robin directed me to pandora.com which is a free website where you can set up an individualized radio station based upon enjoying particular genres and styles of music. So I have been enjoying a themed blog entry with Over the Rhine and Sara Groves in the background.

Anyway… enough fun for today. Baby’s hungry and I better get to walking next door (church)here soon.

I’ve gotten the opportunity to hear some interesting commentary as I have begun to stick out a bit. But today I heard the most unique one yet. “Someone’s got a bun in the oven,” a lady commented as we left the eye doctor.

Odd.

I remember us sending them off… the weird ones, the misfits. Plane ticket in hand they stepped onto the platform and into the spotlights. Each one cringed at the lights, squinting to find reality again. Each uncomfort worn on their sleeves revealed potential loosing streaks in poker. They were raw and unfancied. They were dismissed and forgotten. Every once in a while their names would appear in the bulletin, a constant reminder daily forgotten. And then some came back, fire blazing in their eyes. And others didn’t return, they had found a new home. Those who came back tried to re-live here. They tried to find a peace amongst war. Oh but they just stuck out like a sore thumb, an ostrich among pigeons. Some of them left again, they couldn’t take the tension of living in a fake reality of self-indulgence and greed. They pleaded for the hungry, the sick, the lost. And we entertained their pictures and some of their shorter stories. And then we moved on… afterall they were the weird ones, the misfits. They needed to go back to the mission field. It’s the right place for people like them.

Have you ever felt isolated because you saw a Truth no one else seemed to see?
This world is not our home, Christians. We can’t stay here.
We can’t get comfortable here with our matching furniture and 12 pairs of shoes.
The world is not ours.
Where’d the harvesters go? Where’d the obedience go?
Or did we just trade it for radical for the sake of radical?

-a self-reminder-

So a while ago in May to be precise, I got the opportunity to play. Jes in her wonderful ideas decided to make a special gift for her hunny. And while I was trying to still figure out the sweet camera I borrowed from my friend, some neat shots arose from the “to be deleted” category. Thought you might enjoy seeing a few. Cause reader… this is what Monica enjoys. No, I am not any good at it and yes I borrow a friend’s camera. But I really do enjoy taking a picture that captures a thought and an emotion. And just maybe some day I’ll actually get good at it. Ehh… probably not. But it sure won’t keep me from still shooting. =)

Jim on the keys

it actually started raining for us which was pretty cool

(Daddy was even outside holding an umbrella so the camera wouldn’t get wet.

I felt all photographer-y. – Dad’s great!)

this one I think she ended up using on the front cover.

after taking it I wondered “what is she thinking?”

and then this one’s a little blurry, but I still am kind of drawn to it for some reason.