Gulf Shores

On the beach!

Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo

A shy little monkey we met 🙂

2012 in review

(AMBER)

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted on here.  Shame on me! 

Hard to believe that this year is almost done and that I turn 25 on the 31st! It’s crazy to think how fast this year has come and gone.  Here’s a little review of the year 2012 for the Staller’s:

My job:  I graduated about this time last year, and that alone blows my mind.  I started my wjob as a COTA for AEGIS therapies at a nursing home in Tell City.  From Evansville, that’s a good hour drive one way…1 hr and 8 minutes to be exact ;).   I started work there in March and stayed there until August, then got transferred to another AEGIS facility in Evansville.  Although I don’t miss the drive, I really miss the people in Tell City.  I do enjoy my new building as well.  I really love what I do.  I feel like I make a difference.  Working with the elderly can become monotonous, but some days I can see improvements in my patients.  The best compliment that I has received thus far, was from another therapist.  She told me that a patient that I had been working with was bragging to her about how much I had helped him, and that he was seeing improvement in himself that he hadn’t seen before.  What a compliment to get.  I hope and pray that I can continue this work and help others.  I really enjoy working with elderly people,  it can be quite sad at times, but I like knowing that I can make their day better.  That I can maybe put a smile on their face and let them know that they are cared for.  It’s hard to say if I’ll always work with the elderly since there are so many options for OT, but for now, I’d like to stick with long term care setting. 

Duncan the Pug:  What a special little pug.  For those who know, I have ALWAYS wanted a pug.  The movie, “Milo and Otis” is the root cause for my love with pugs.  How can you not love those big eyes and smooshed in faces?!   Duncan can sure be a handful at times!  But Matt and I love him.  Him and Zack the cat don’t always get along, just like typical siblings.  It’s still hard for me to believe that I finally have a pug.  I really never knew that pugs could be so hyper.  Maybe it’s just my pug? Who knows, but I love him to pieces.  He’s my little pug pride and joy and I’m excited to see how he progresses as the years go on. 

2 year Anniversary:  Matt and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary on July 24th.  2 whole years.  Wow.  What an amazing two years it has been.  We’ve learned so much about ourselves and I am so excited to see what the future holds for us.  What a blessed two years it has been.

Small group:  Matt and I joined a small group earlier in the year with other young married couples.  What a blessing it has been.  We have learned so much and have gained some amazing friendships.  It feels so great to have accountability partners and other couples to relate to. 

Twilight:  Ah, the movie series is finally over.  Tear.  I absolutely loved the Twilight Saga and can’t believe that it’s all over!  Such a great series 🙂

Stanley Winston:  My parents’ english cream retriever.  What a cutie he is.  Stanley and Duncan are the best of friends.  They can play for hours!  Stanley had filled the void of our other golden retriever, Buddy, who passed in 2011.  I’m looking forward in seeing Stanley grow up. 

2012 has been a good year.  I’m excited to see what 2013 holds in store for the Staller’s.  I look forward to making more memories with Matt and continuing our journey with Christ, who has blessed us beyond belief.  May God bless all of you.  I’ll do my best to write on here more in 2013!! I love each and every one of you. 

 

Things Are Going Well. Nice To See You All Again.

So it’s been AGES since we last met here. I know. I know. There really isn’t much of an excuse, other than we’ve been busy here and there. Maybe even a tad bit lazy too, but don’t judge me.

Sometimes we need little breaks every now and then from posting things on here. I’ll tell you this, I have been using this break constructively. I have rediscovered my love for drawing whatever is in my head. I have started up a Facebook page dedicated to my works and began using a site called DeviantArt for some of my work as well. I’m really quite blessed for getting some of the feedback I’m getting. I doubt a future in animation is in my cards, but I’m just trying to have fun with it, like I used to.

I really haven’t drawn in years, and quite honestly I was scared about how bad I might be if I tried my hand at it again. Not only is it like riding a bike, but it’s better than that. I picked up a pencil, and went at it one night while at work. I’m not one for tooting my own horn, but it was definitely better than I remember it being. I’ve always been average in my book. Never had enough time back in the day to really work at it and get better. I was playing basketball all the time and only did it at school for art class.I know something is inside me though. I’ve been told from reliable sources that my work has a lot of room for improvement, which I agree with, but that I’m on the right track and that I have something, if only I go for broke.

The two pictures up top are of Duncan, our little, stinkin’ pug. They were earlier works from about a month ago or so, but like I said, I just haven’t had much time to start-up a little comic like I’d prefer. I’m too busy trying to do other sketches and other designs for other things and before I know it, it’s time for work, sleep, eat or something else. I only have a few hours out of the day sometimes to really work on something.

I can’t really complain though because my life is quite blessed. Amber is amazing and our pets might as well be our little children. I have a roof over my head, we’re both employed and we’ve got money to put food on the table. God has truly blessed us. I’m trying not to let life’s special moments pass us by without noticing them. Every day we’re supplied with hope that something is going to be better, that we’ll have better jobs, that we’ll have something more that we don’t have right now. However, what we miss is those little miracles that go right under our noses because we’re too stuck up to see everything going on right beside us.

So even though I haven’t had much time to get better drawing, I’m blessed where it matters. My life. You won’t see me shaking a finger at God in disappointment.

Before I part, I wanna slap this link up that I have been thinking of all day. A friend of mine posted it on Facebook and it’s over a year old. Somehow I have never seen it before, but now that I have, it makes me feel lifted for a better tomorrow.

So don’t give up. Please don’t give up. Whatever your dream may be, go for it. Trust in God’s plan for you and watch what happens next. You might fall, you might stumble, you might fail over and over again, but if God has your back, what’s stopping you?

A great quote that I saw today goes something like this, “Those who have not failed at something cannot be great.” That isn’t the EXACT quote, but regardless, that is the point. How can you be great if you don’t know what failure tastes like? So go for it.

God bless you all and love one another. Life is TOO SHORT to hold any amount of hatred.

Here’s the link below! Please check it out!

“America’s” Hatred with Chicken Sandwiches

(MATT)

I have never been loud or vocal about my beliefs, which is truly unfortunate. What good is it to call myself a Christian and not proclaim it to the masses in a way that shows God’s love and what He’s all about. After all, being a Christian means I’m taking the “I” out of team and letting God take over.

This whole mess behind Chick-Fil-A solidifies my beliefs that our nation and our world is absolutely lost in its own ways. Living on Facebook. as I do, I have seen my closest friends argue both sides of this ridiculous argument. On one end, because I don’t want to consider a gay marriage a marriage at all, is grounds for the LGBT community to call me whatever name they see fit, usually something negative. On the other side, the community I live in, which is the Christian community, we see things a little less rigidly. It’s funny though, because it seems black and white, but it isn’t necessarily.

True, a Christian does not buy into a gay relationship as one of God’s creation, however, not once in the Bible does God ever tell someone to hate the other. Argue about the Bible all you want, but I know it to be true. God’s never let me down. Not once. My life is blessed beyond my wildest dreams.

When someone from the LGBT community calls the views of Chick-Fil-A hate speech, it sickens me. Someone put a microphone/recorder to a Christian man’s mouth and what they got was nothing surprising. His opinions reflected that of the Bible. Of course, anything Bible related will not satisfy a non-believer, so go ahead and stop reading. This isn’t for you.

I have gay friends an straight friends. I have gay family members and straight ones. Guess what. I love them all the same. I want them all happy and I pray they all find God at some point their lives. That goes for ALL of us. I sin on a daily basis. So do you. Remember when you got angry about Chick-Fil-A hating gays and lesbians? You sinned. You were quick to anger over something that should not have been argued about. Angry over something you should not have been angry about. Oh, remember when those Christians lashed out, yeah well, they sinned too. NO ONE should be arguing/fighting with their fellow man. Not a single one. Shame on all of us for acting out in such immature ways. Posting silly and juvenile statuses on Facebook because we’re so mature and smart. Look at us being grownups and acting so childish and out of line.

I have stayed out of all the fighting and bickering because it’s just not worth it, but it’s sad. So sad. God loves you. Remember that. I know my thoughts are incomplete and not fully developed, but I don’t want to spend all night on this computer when I have a wife and two loving animals to be with. I have a life to live and I’m not going to live it for anyone else. Only God.

God is love and if you call yourself a Christian, you’ll fear what he’s capable of and love him every second of every day in ever single way. There’s always the stupid joke, God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. But I’d like to think we’re all above that…hopefully.

I don’t like what killers, burglars, molesters and racists do, but God calls me to love all of them. If I can’t love everyone, how can I possibly love God. After all, God loves all of us, regardless of whether or not you love Him or what you think of Him. God stoops down to make us all great in unique ways. If God just laid everything out in the Bible, then how could we possibly have faith in Him?

There has to be an unknown to truly love someone. You have to be willing to give up what you have in order to fully commit yourself to something/someone else. You’re showing a trust in that person or object that even though you don’t know everything, you’re going to trust them anyway.

Don’t you dare tell me I hate you because I don’t believe in gay marriage. Don’t hate me at all. Hatred is a weapon of the Devil and each of us plays right into his hands when we stop loving one another.

You wanna try walking through those gates with any amount of hatred in your soul? Good luck. I’m not going to be the guy who tries to read between God’s lines, but I’m darn sure going to live my life according to what he has openly laid out to me.

I love you all to no end. Many of you have shaped my life in some way, whether you know it or not. God puts people in our lives that He knows will have certain influences over our lives that will help us move forward, but it’s up to us to see that. It’s up to us to make the right moves. We put our lives into God’s hands and let Him take the wheel, but we still gotta sit in the passenger seat and go wherever He goes. We have to be there to see our lives through.

I’m saddened by both sides of the argument and how terrible everything has become. This whole debate is going to end friendships, relationships and family ties. And for what? Some stupid chicken sandwiches and a Christian man sticking up for God.

Last I checked, God stuck up for us, shouldn’t we do the same? I mean really.

One of my favorite Bible verses:

“I delight in your decrees;
    I will not neglect your word.”

-Psalm 119:16

 

Live your life how you see fit, but remember, would God approve? I’m talking to EVERYONE. Myself included. Love me, hate me, do whatever, but know this, The Lord is my shepherd. You can only do so much to me, but in the end, The Lord promises me an eternity in his kingdom if I obey his word, which I will do with EVERYTHING that I have inside of me.

I love you all.

Hate the SIN, NOT the PERSON.

I ask you to repeat that as often as possible. Maybe it’ll sink in, maybe it won’t. But it’s possible and it there’s nothing grey about it.

Believe what you want to believe, live how you want to live and do as you want to do, but remember why we play this game at all. We’ve tainted everything good that God has eve made and we shall surely answer if we don’t live our lives according to His word.

Again, I apologize for my incomplete thoughts and unfinished work, but I have a life to live outside of Chick-Fil-A.

 

God bless.

 

The Second Year…

(MATT)

I want to first and foremost thanks my Lord Jesus Christ for blessing me with such a beautiful in Amber. She’s been such a precious jewel in my life that without her, I’m VERY curious as to where I’d be. She motivates me, she inspires me, she lifts me up, she makes me laugh, she makes my heart flutter.

Maybe I should get that last part checked out. A fluttering heart is no good.

But you get the point!

Right?

I can still remember our wedding day like it was yesterday. Cliche, I know, but it’s so true. It was SO hot out that day and folks were dying for water. Not really dying, but again, you get the point. At one point, I believe it was somewhere around 100 degrees with the heat index included and everything else. It was muggy, hot, sticky and miserable.

We gave out complimentary bottles of water to all of our guests as they went to get seated for our outdoor extravaganza. I recall being so nervous the whole day because of all the eyes that would be on me. Leading up to the big day, I tried thinking about how cool it was going to be that everyone would be focused on us, but wow, once it actually came time for everything to go down, it was quite scary. I was sweating, of course, I kept casually wiping my nose and forehead to make sure no cliff-hangers were creeping their way out and to make sure no drops of sweat were running down my “beautiful” face.

The Lord was with us though, as always.

Flash forward to July 24, 2012 and things are still going great. It’s said that the honeymoon is over after the first year, but while we’ve had our rough patches, we couldn’t be happier. Job searching and other opportunities have always been an issue for the both of us, but thankfully, we’re both currently employed and simply looking around to see what other opportunities might be out there. Nothing set in stone of course, but window shopping, if that’s what you wanna call it.

No children are in the picture yet, or even on the way for that matter.

By the way, as I type this, our cat Zack has made his way into the room, nearly scaring me out of shorts! He’s a nosy little fella, but we love him regardless.

Not to mention our little dude, Duncan the Pug.

Both have been blessings for the both us, no matter how hard-headed they are, we love them to death and they love us. Those two knuckleheads are definitely our children up to this point and they act every bit of it. Duncan is only about 5 months old, but wants to run around and cause havoc amongst all of us while Zack tried to set him straight, like an older brother should. Zack is only a fluffy cat of course, but he tries his hardest to keep that little puppy from getting into too much trouble…sometimes.

Next year Amber and I will FINALLY look to take a vacation perhaps. We haven’t been able to due to several circumstances that have popped up during these first two years, but both her and I have never vacationed together, which means this experience will truly be a special one.

Marriage is such a sacred thing to the both of us and she is such a complimentary piece to my life’s puzzle. Such a mystery, but I look forward to spending the rest of my earthly existence with her before spending the rest of eternity with The Lord and her in Heaven.

I’m truly blessed and so are you. Each and every one of you out there is blessed. Whether you wanna believe it or not, you are. God doesn’t make duds, it’s us who choose what life we wanna live in the end. Freewill has it’s advantages and pitfalls. You make the choice.

What I know for sure is that my wife is the best thing to ever happen to me on this planet. That smile of hers lights up the entire room and I can’t get enough of it. We argue like brother and sister sometimes, but we’re competitive in nature. It makes us more passionate. We never say “I hate you” and we never make it personal. We love each other too much to hurt the other person.

I’m married to this woman for a reason.

I love her and want her in my life until God says otherwise.

I love you Amber.

And I love all of you who are reading this.

God bless you all and have a beautiful Tuesday!

PEACE!!!

 

The Staller Life

(AMBER)

Well, hello friends!

Once again, it’s been way too long since I’ve written a post, so I’ll just give you all an update on the Staller life and the new happenings.  I’ve been a COTA now for almost four months! Woot woot!  I’ve been at the nursing home in Tell City and I LOVE it!  I love my patients, co-workers, occupational therapy, etc,.  The drive is the only part that I don’t care for.  Driving two hours everyday for work is no fun and no good, especially for Whitey (my white Alero that is now 12 years old)…blah!  But since I enjoy my job, it makes up for the drive.  The patients that I work with are a hoot.  You really never know what they may say.  Ever since I was young, I loved visiting nursing homes and the elderly.  So deep down inside, I always knew that working with the elderly would be something that I would really enjoy.  The sad part about working at a nursing home is that your patients pass away :(…that’s definitely the hardest part.  I really feel that my job is rewarding and that therapy gives the patients a way to feel wanted and loved.  Although, you can work pretty much anywhere with OT, I feel like I’ll be at nursing homes for quite awhile.  So, my job is going well!

Matt is still working the night shift at WFIE, but his schedule works out for us.  When I get off work, he is waking up so I have the whole evening with him. I’m embarrassed to admit that sometimes I go to bed as early as 8:30 :/….I have to since I get up at 5am, right?!  I’m getting old!  I attempted to stay up past 10:30 last night (Friday) and failed miserably.. I ended up falling asleep on the couch with Matt attempting to talk to me around 10:00…pitiful!  We move out of our current apartment next month to a new one with two bedrooms.  You may ask, well is your new apartment closer to your job? Well no, no is isn’t.  It’s about, um, 1 mile down the road.  You see, we looked for apartments closer to Tell City, but had no luck!  So, I’m still going to be driving about two hours everyday. 

Zack and Duncan.  What a pair these two are.  Duncan AKA Punky can be a punk sometimes.  He harasses that cat to no end.  I noticed yesterday that Zack’s tail looks thinner.  I’m pretty sure it’s because Duncan chews and bites at it so much that Zack has now lost hair on his tail.  Poor Zack leaves a trail of clumps of hair behind him when he walks..Duncan stresses him out!  You see, Zack can tolerate Duncan….when Duncan stays away from him.  Duncan is always nipping and biting at him even though Zack gives him some good punches to the face.  It reminds me a lot of the way that my dog (Levi) treated our older dog (Buddy).  Duncan is infatuated with Zack and always wants to know where he is.  We are still trying to potty train Duncan.  He now walks up and down our steps, knows where our apartment is, and knows where to go potty outside.  He just isn’t able to tell us when he has to go out..That is hardest part!  He has discovered that he knows how to bark…which can be cute at times.  He was able to jump off the couch, but refuses to do it now.  I think he is the cutest darn pug that I’ve ever seen!  Ever since I saw the movie “Milo and Otis” when I was a kid, I’ve wanted to have a pug!  I just LOVE them! It’s still funny for me to think that I finally have my own pug. 

Last weekend, Matt, me, and our friend Amanda went to St.Louis to watch two Cardinal games.  Holy smokes, was it flippin’ HOT!  The games were both at 1:15, so in the dead of the day when it is at its hottest.  I made sure to put sunscreen on my nose, since my burns extremely easy.  But there was one problem, I didn’t really put it anywhere else besides my nose.  So yeah, I got sunburned really bad on my forehead and arms.  It literally looked like I had a mask on.  At work, everyone and I mean EVERYONE asked about my sunburn…it was a pretty bad sunburn.  Sorry to gross you all out, but that was the most I have ever sweated in my entire life.  Even worse than when I was in Nicaragua.  Ball park food and drinks are also stupid expensive, but Matt and I didn’t care.  We were desperate!  Other than the heat, we had fun!  The Cardinals won on Saturday and lost on Sunday.  We tried a delicious pizza joint called Pi, and it was scrumptious!  Next time we go to a game, we’ll go to an evening one!

 

Well everyone, that’s a quick little update on the Staller life!  Hope everyone’s summer is going well!  God Bless!

 

Look At Our Boy Now…

(MATT)

Remember when little Duncan used to look like this???

Well he’s growing up slowly, but surely! He’ll be a big boy in no time! Well…hopefully.

Duncan has definitely been a handful and has taught us both a lot about raising a living thing.  During his last vaccination visit, Duncan weighed in at a whopping 3.7lbs! Whew! Watch out people!  He’s got another visit in a few weeks and then he’ll be done!

Duncan is such a little stinker though.  He enjoys little toots in your face while he sits on your lap, causing you to flat-out gasp for air and run the other direction. 

No lie.

Duncan is such a lover though.  If he’s on your lap, which is quite often, expect to get hounded with kiss after kiss until you finally stop him.  He’s got a sloppy wet tongue that doesn’t stop and he just can’t seem to get enough.

He’s using the bathroom outside, but still peeing on his pee pad in his crate.  It’s still not safe for us to leave him out on his own at night, and probably won’t be for a while, but at about 12 weeks old, what do you expect?  I’ve managed to teach him how to go up steps and use the bathroom outside, but also how to go DOWN steps as well.  Believe it or not, going down the steps was something rather scary to him.  He’s taken to the leash REALLy well though.  Such a relief.  His harness is the perfect size for his little frame right now, but we’ll probably need to get another one not too long from now.  He’s growing up so we can’t be cutting off circulation with a small harness!

We’ve officially had Duncan about 6 weeks now and it has really flown by.  We’re definitely going to miss him being little, but we want him to get bigger so he isn’t so fragile. While he is growing fast, it does seem like he is taking his time as well. Not that it’s in his control, but you know what I mean.

Right?

Anyways, he’s got another 12-15 solid pounds to gain before he’s done growing, but he’s still REALLY thin, but muscular, if you can tell by the photos, haha!

He’s in that lovely stage where poop is now on his list of things to eat and cat poop is even better! Had to try and catch him before he found a stray Zack turd, but TOO LATE! Duncan gulped it down and his hot breath was even better the rest of the night.  My eyes were so teary when he tried giving me a lick on the face and I caught a whiff of his lovely breath!

Mmmmmmmm…

Anyways, I’m sure we’ll have MANY more stories to tell, but back to work I go!

Amber and I will be enjoying a weekend away from home to take in the STL Cardinals in all their beautiful glory! It’s gonna be a good time and we’re looking forward to it! I’ve never been to a Cards game before, and they’ve always been my favorite baseball team, so I MIGHT just be a little kid when everything settles in haha!

So goodnight and God bless! Tell your loved ones how much they mean to you and that you love them more than anything!

PEACE!!!

 

Duncan aka Duncan The Pug aka Duncan Donut aka Duncan My Punkin aka Lil Dunk

(MATT)

As you can see by the cute photos above, Amber and I have a brand new addition to our little family! Little Duncan! He’s only about 6 weeks old and 2-3 pounds. He’s a precious little handful but completely worth it. This is the first “baby” Amber and I have taken care of together so it’s a HUGE learning experience! Thank God though for the opportunity though.

Amber was fortunate enough to find a website, EasyStreePugs.com, that dealt with the business of breeding pugs.  The woman who runs it is a very intelligent and smart individual who understands the many ins and outs of raising a pug.  She was very helpful and very kind and was very easy to work with.  We’re so blessed to have found this woman and that we are now in possession of our dear sweet Duncan.

Since he’s so young, he’s got a lot to learn, like peeing outside and…not messing with Zack. I’ll tell you what though, Zack is really trying his hardest to like Duncan, which I think he does, but Duncan doesn’t know how to play nice and be gentle. Instead, you can usually find Duncan biting Zack’s tail or nipping at his butt. Zack will in turn hiss, but walk away, but if it continues, Zack gives a few good whacks with his claw-less paw and sends Duncan walking in the other direction. Does that teach Duncan anything? Of course not! Duncan comes right back for some more shortly after and Zack just has to repeat what he just did!

One major change in the atmosphere at home is one thing however. Zack is a lot more tolerable and less needy. He’s the same cat at heart, but different. He doesn’t follow Amber around like a lost dog anymore and he doesn’t do weird junk as he did before. He’s just more laid back and “wiser”. It’s like he’s matured with the addition of Duncan and I really like the change. I was so concerned that Zack would start having accidents in the house with a dog nipping at him all the time and he wouldn’t know how to adjust, but I was dead wrong and I’m so happy about that!  Zack is very quiet, very laid back and very independent. I really like the subtle changes I have seen in him and I feel like I can really enjoy him more now. He laid on my belly before I went to work last night and I didn’t wanna get up. He looked so comfortable and peaceful. He never lies on me anymore so I didn’t want it to end, but I had to. This guy had a job to go to!  But nevertheless, it looks like Zack is a different cat and I wouldn’t want it any other way. What a family we have now.

Oh and for all 2 of you that read this blog…

Go check out Bahhumpug.blogspot.com. I promise you will be thoroughly amused IF and ONLY IF you love dogs/pugs and/or love comedy. I know it really brightens my day to see how this lovely woman imagines her own dog on a daily basis. What a great little site it is indeed.

So until next time, God bless and be sure to tell those around you that you love them dearly. I recently lost my grandfather after a lengthy battle he was enduring and have yet to REALLY feel his absence since I never saw him in his last years. I do miss him so much and wish I could have seen him one more time to tell him I love him. So please, please, please, don’t let another day, another minute, go by. Just tell your loved ones that you LOVE them!

PEACE!!!

How Could I Have Forgotten? Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally.

(MATT)

Amber’s been working for a few weeks now and it’s been swell around the household. After so many weeks and months of working on my own and supporting her through school, Amber is essentially on the verge of becoming the new bread winner of the family, LOL! But good for her. I know some men would hate the idea of their wife or significant other making more money then them, but I am overly ecstatic. Truth be told, I’m happy that both of us are even working, considering the terrible economy and so many jobs going out the door these days. Sure, Amber is driving an hour to work and an hour back, which is quite strenuous, but we’re keeping our heads up and keeping up the faith that something else will show itself to us in the long or short term.

For those of you who might be wondering, Zack is still doing great! Our little (fat) cat is doing quite well and can’t get enough of Amber. Whenever that cat is in the presence of her, he can’t get enough. He just can’t. When she steps out of the bedroom, Zack is off the couch and following her wherever she goes. She got up and looked out the blinds of the sliding door in our apartment and Zack followed along with her and looked out the window himself. It was amusing, but for whatever reason it just annoys me, lol. That cat is a tripping hazard for sure, but also he does things and acts up when Amber is around. He goes into our bedroom if Amber is around and she leaves the door open, but he won’t even come over to the door if it’s just me standing in there. His hair is ridiculous by the way, so that’s why he isn’t allowed in the bedroom. We learned from that mistake in our former apartment dwelling. Zack climbs all over Amber’s sire and back and face whenever she lies on the couch, but he will simply go to sleep if it’s just me. He just doesn’t know how to act when Amber is around. It’s pretty pathetic.

Outside of all of that, Amber and I are in a great life group geared towards young adult married couples. We have made some great friends in the life group and we’re absolutely loving it. These people have really given us a new crutch for strength and support with their words experience and wisdom. We really appreciate what they are going through in their own lives and how that has helped them become closer to God.

Oh and before I go, I thought I might mention that with Amber working now, who knows? We might be able to finally look into taking a trip somewhere. We’ve been so ready for her to start working that we can finally sit back and enjoy our lives in our twenties and just go with the flow. We’ve both worked our butts off and we won’t stop as things go forward, but with that said, we won’t get complacent and we’ll keep trying to get better. We have really been inspired by both of our own journeys and we’re just so thankful for where The Lord has brought us. We’ve probably got one more big move in us before we’re ready to really say we’re settled, but with our current lease about to end in a short amount of time, we’re getting pretty close to making that move.

We’re both ready for God to take us somewhere else. We just don’t know where exactly.

God bless each and every one of you out there. Keep the faith and keep God close in your hearts. You’re never alone and you’re always loved. Let God be your guide and trust in him instead of yourself. We all get ourselves into messes all the time, but God is there to help us through it. We just need to notice it. God is always with us.

PEACE and LOVE!

God bless!