Saturday, December 12, 2009

Preparing for Christmas

This year has been a strange yet refreshing year for us as we prepare for Christmas. We had to decide in June what Christmas decoration to bring. Our four Christmas stockings were the only decorations that made the cut. Well, now that we are in NYC and it is December, these four items have not even made the cut to be displayed. We have no fireplace to hang them on. AND we have gone with a different decorating motif......."If we have not made it, then it is not out!!" This attitude seemed to fit our seminary budget best.


With that being said, Addison and Parker have been very busy making decorations. They have made snowflakes for the windows, several modeling clay things (Santa's hat, a Christmas tree, a candy cane, a snowman, etc.), and Advent wreath for our table, and a gingerbread house that has been well than picked over now. The two of them have had an absolute ball doing this. They love it when our friends walk in and comment on the crafts. I have to say that decorating for this Christmas has definitely made it into their memory book.

Along with this change, we have noticed a change in perspective about Christmas. Last Sunday, while lighting our second Advent candle, we went around the table saying what we were looking forward to this season. Both children said that they were looking forward to being with friends and family. I was pleasantly surprised that neither one of them mentioned the word gifts!!! Being away from our family for this extended period has made being with them top the list.

We are anxiously awaiting next Friday. That is when we leave to travel south to "God's country". We have begun to plan where we are going when. It is going to be a crazy two weeks. We can't wait to see HOME....the friendly faces and people we love, grass and trees....sit by a fireplace.....yes, we are excited!!

Friday, December 11, 2009

St. Nicholas Party

Last night, the seminary had the community St. Nicholas party (even though St. Nick's day is Dec. 6th... had to work around schedules). It was a terrific time. A good friend of mine, Isabel, and I are the parent coordinators for this year. This party falls under our umbrella. Not knowing what to plan, we decided to keep this event simple. The tradition is that the Dean of the seminary reads 'Twas the night before Christmas (Clement Moore was a professor at General). Then, we are all surprised by a visit from Santa (aka. St. Nick).

So at lunch yesterday, several questions were being asked. How are you all decorating the Refectory? Are you going to use the blow up snow man? When am I going to read the story? Are there going to be Christmas carols? How was the room going to be arranged? I had this sinking feeling that this would in fact be the Bah-Hum-Bug St. Nick party. Our only planned decoration was the Christmas tree... no inflatable snowman. Isabel had asked James if he would be interested in leading Christmas carols... but had no confirmation. We had no idea of how the evening would flow....would the Dean read first then have Santa visit.... or would it be better the other way around?!?! And to top it off, Isabel and I decided NO GIFTS for the children!!!! We followed the tradition of St. Nick and prepared goody bags containing an orange, a few pieces of chocolate, and a peppermint stick. The evening was not looking good.

Our family arrived at the Refectory around 5:45. You would not believe it!!! A Christmas elf had sprung a surprise on us (his name is John)!!! A dear, dear friend from the communications department had decorated the Refectory! It was beautiful and festive. He has such a gift for bringing a mood to a room. I was blown away! The employees at the TuTu center had the room set up beautifully... even had a special chair for the Dean and Santa.

As people began showing up, in walked James with his guitar, ready to play Christmas carols. He had recruited Jadon to accompany him. As the evening continued, it just flowed. The only hitch was when the Dean was about to the read the story... in walked the Presiding Bishop, Katharine Jefferts Shori. The Dean did have to pause and welcome her to the seminary. So the caroling began until the Dean was able to read 'Twas the night before Christmas. Santa capped off the night. He was wonderful!! Being a spouse of one of the seminarians gave him some insight of each child. He (Owen) was wonderful with the children. And can you believe....not a single tear about not receiving a gift!!!!!
Over all, the evening could not have gone any smoother. The community of GTS is so willing to give. With everyone giving their gift, the result is wonderful. Isabel and I almost feel guilty that people were thanking us for the evening. We had done so little for the night to have gone so well. We are so thankful for such a wonderful community!!

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Oh, the weather outside is frightful....


Yes! The weather is frightful. And we have no fireplace to warm up by!!! But I have to tell you that this past Saturday we had our FIRST snow!!! Well... for us southerners, it was considered a snow! I was walking back from the grocery on Saturday in the nasty ole rain when I looked closer and there it was! SNOW!!! Some may call it a wintry mix, but our family considered it a full blown blizzard. It kept coming too! And about an hour or two later, only snow was falling from the sky. There was enough that it stuck to the roof's of the cars. And yes, it was time to bundle up and go have a snowball fight. I think that everyone else thought we were crazy, but snowballs were flying. It was a great time!

Monday, December 7, 2009

A Message to All Tree Huggers


If tree hugging is your thing, here is a simple message. Approach the tree slowly and with caution or else the tree will win. (Parker is fine...was just running after a soccer ball when the tree jumped out in front of him!)


Sunday, December 6, 2009

It is coming to an end....


Since 1822 every student has been part of a long standing tradition in which we sign our names into the Matriculation Book. I too took part in this tradition at the first of this semester. This book lists all the names of students who have attended General Theological Seminary along with the names of my friends who are now priests and have graduated from GTS. It also holds the names of many theologians who we study today. This was a beautiful service and was one of the high lights of this semester.

As this semester moved past Matriculation, I felt overwhelmed with emotions. The process to get here was finally behind me. Now I had to begin a new journey as a seminarian. I have to say this has been a roller coaster ride of emotions for me. It has been so long since I have been in school. There have been many times I felt a little overwhelmed with all the information, papers, lectures and tests… not to mention all the hours of reading that I have to keep up with.

Eventually, I found out that every new student is feeling the same way. We take a class which helps us realize our emotions. This class gives us advice of how to deal with our apprehensions. One of the first things I realized is everyone is here to help form you.

From the very beginning I realized that there is always going to be something I need to be reading or writing. This semester is over this week and finals start next week. I currently have to work on three papers, have a test tomorrow, have a presentation tomorrow, and have to begin studying for my finals. This does not include the hours of reading which I need to catch up on. I can not tell you how happy I will be once this first semester is all completed. With this being said I have really enjoyed this semester and could not be happier about being in seminary at General.

Thanksgiving

So, it has been a while since I lasted posted. Thanksgiving has come and gone. We are now in the season of Advent.....preparing for the birth of Christ. But first...let's recap Thanksgiving.


We were so fortunate to have Bruce, Kitty, and Stuart come to visit for a week. As we prepared for their visit, there was the unexpected that kept us from being "perfectly" ready. Tuesday morning, the day of the big arrival, we woke up to an email that our friend Brian (a GTS grad) was flying in and going to be on campus. We could not have been more excited....but wait, there were groceries to buy! Oh well, the groceries would be put on hold. We were able to visit with Brian (which I must say was awesome!!!!). He had just returned from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. We were able to hear his stories and see his unbelievable pictures. Plus, we got to laugh a good laugh with a wonderfully crazy friend.



For the next week, the Jones family DID New York City. We walked to Time Square which is a stimulus overload at night, used the Charmin bathrooms (the kid's new favorite), spent the day in Central Park where we saw street performers, walked across the Brooklyn Bridge on one of the coldest days ever, saw Ground Zero and St. Paul's Chapel, worshipped at St. John the Divine, admired Trinity Wall Street, shopped on Canal Street, walked through Little Italy, woke up early to shop on Black Friday, walked down 5th Avenue to Rockefeller Plaza, and went to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade where we saw Santa on his sleigh. With doing all of this, there was still time to be a family even with sore feet and leg aches. It was truly wonderful to have all seven of us living together in 800 square feet for a week.....I know, enough to make any stomach turn. But it was wonderful... just being with family made the space seem so large and comfortable.

Thanksgiving Day begin very relaxed. The Holcomb's came for breakfast. After the parade, Kitty, Brad, and I attended Eucharist in the Chapel. When the service ended, we walked out to the most amazing day. The sky was that clear blue with a breeze that was blowing vibrant yellow leaves off of the trees. Everyone just stopped and admired the site. Truly, we were stunned by the beauty of the day. It was just one of those moments that stop you in your tracks. We ate Thanksgiving dinner with the GTS community. It was a pot luck dinner where everyone brought a dish. About fifty of us gathered for the meal beside a fire that was provided via the Internet on the screen in the lecture hall!!

Sunday brought Advent...the beginning of the Christian calendar. We went to St. John the Divine for church. Going to church there is always an amazing experience. This Sunday proved no different. That afternoon, we gathered once again with the GTS community to make advent wreaths. Kitty and the kids made a terrific wreath out of live greens that decorates our table. After making this, Kitty and Bruce were able to see Addison and Parker acolyte during the family service on campus. At this service, you can always expect the unexpected....even "marching" around the alter while singing. We learned about the Advent wreath and what each candle means. We learned about the season of Advent. We celebrated Eucharist. Between the two services, Advent was now in full swing.

As everything has an end, so did this visit. We all walked to the corner of 9th and 20th and hailed a cab. After loading the luggage and saying goodbye, we stood on the corner waving as the cab pulled away. As we watched it go down 9th Avenue, Addison burst into tears. It did feel empty watching the cab drive away. It was almost like a part of us was in that cab leaving....but it was a part of us. It was our family. Thank goodness Christmas is right around the corner and we will see our family then!!!!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Heart Smiles

Have you ever seen something where there are no words to describe what you see except that it made your heart smile? Well, I walked into Addison's room tonight and saw this......
Yes, when I left, my heart was smiling!!

Monday, November 9, 2009

Wow!!!

This weekend was one beautiful weekend. The weather started off freezing. Friday, I went on a field trip with Addison's class and I truly think I was frozen to the bone. We went to the High Line (an old train track now converted to a "park"....much like the Silver Comet). The wind there went right through you. Even though the weather was chilly, the trip was nice. Here class is a great mix of children.

So Saturday, we woke up (Brad was on a retreat with his classmates in Connecticut) and walked to see the USS New York. What I did not know is that they were commissioning the ship when we arrived. So, there were secret service men everywhere (Ms. Hilary Clinton was the guest speaker). Addison and Parker (esp Parker) loved seeing all of this. I was able to get a few pictures of them in front of the ship. It was actually amazing of how few people (for NYC standards) were there. After we saw the ship, we went to a water park and played. I have a few shots of the kids here too. At 12:00, we saw two Off-Spray helicopter/ planes and four fighter jets fly right up the Hudson River. It was definitely awesome!

Sunday proved to be even better. The temperature reached in the high 60's. We ventured up to Central Park to enjoy the spectacular weather. We saw Belvadeers Castle (the highest point in the park) and played on the Great Lawn (where all the big concerts play). Addison climbed trees and Parker played with his friend. It was great. Being out in the weather and surrounded by grass and trees made us miss home. It smelled and felt like fall. The grass under our feet felt good. It is funny how it is the simple pleasures you miss...things that you don't realize you are going to miss. But how fortunate we are to be able to go to this place in the city and enjoy the great outdoors. It was beautiful!!!!


Thursday, November 5, 2009

Trick- or- Treat


Halloween was such a blast. At the seminary, we had a pizza party and went Tick-or-Treating around the Close on Friday night. It was such a fun community event. Every child had a blast. And I must say how cute they all were! On Saturday, we had the Halloween party. The kids played games, made crafts, and walked down the "Cat Walk". They loved it!!

After all the "hoop-la", our family was tired!!!! So we decided just to walk around 20th through 23rd street to see how a NYC Halloween works. It is amazing. People go all out. They decorate there stoops in the most amazing ways. Smoke machines, strobe lights, spider webs, and even a real coffin on the steps with a zombie looking guy that would jump up and scare the crowd. I have never seen our streets so crowded as they were on Halloween. It was neat because the children saw some of their friends from school during the night.

We ended the night by eating at a place called The Trailer Park. To be honest, it felt sort of like Home Sweet Home. You walk in and it has velvet Elvis on the wall, Dolly Pardon stuff every where, Duke's of Hazard.....you know all the things one might see in a souvenir place on the way to Helen or Gatlinburg. You know what I am talking about.....great stuff that we really appreciated seeing. Plus, they serve tator tots.....the real deal!!

It was a great night... definitely different... but one that we will remember!

Saturday, October 24, 2009

What does a seminarian do when...

What does a seminarian do for laughs when he becomes bored?

You may be asking....WHAT in the world? Here is the real story. Brad's friend Smith called. At some point during the conversation, he made the comment that he and Jay would pay money to see Brad in his music class. Well, one thing lead to another and with the help of Addison, this video was produced. We have laughed and laughed at "off the wall-ness" of this. I hope this gave you a great laugh as well.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Thanks be to God for our parents....





Parents.....what would we do with out them? Well our family would be completely lost. Our parents have been unbelievable! Not only have they supported Brad and our family since the very beginning of this whole process, but they have also been there every step of the way.....eager to take the next step with us.

Both of our parents have filled so many holes emotionally and physically that it is hard to come up with the words of appreciation for everything they have done. Just the other day, Kitty and Bruce were looking in a basement for items that we have misplaced and cannot find. It was a phone conversation about what the box might be marked like and where it might be located in the basement. That same conversation turned into something like this......."and can you go by Smith and Julie's house to get my winter coat I left? If you can bring that up at Thanksgiving that would be wonderful". My mom and dad have renewed a car tag for us that we did not even think about. They have also gone and gotten a replacement birth certificate for me and sent it up (that is one of the items that has been misplaced). Mom has sent up Tony's Creole seasoning and Old El Paso taco seasoning that I have yet to find in the city. These examples do not mention the Barbies that were mailed for Addison and the army men for Parker. But what about the Halloween decorations we received when they learned that we had none? Did I mention the phone calls and the Skype calls that have happened? And to top everything off, both of us have brothers along with their families and aunts and uncles and chosen family and friends who are encouraging us along the way also.

Our family and friends are our cheer leading squad. You all are there for us to lean on when we are down and out. You worry about us. You root for for us. You pray for us. But most of all, you love us even when we may not be the most lovable person. The unconditional love you extend to us is truly awesome! Thanks be to God not only for our parents but also for our family and friends. We miss you all!!

Change in Momentum

What a change in momentum!!! Since the last post, I substituted for a math teacher at a great school called The Brooklyn Friends School for three days. Then, I was called today to see if I could go in. Unfortunately, I had a prior commitment and was unable to go.

After lunch, I received a call from another school on the Upper East Side where I am going for an interview tomorrow!!!! A middle school math teacher is not going to return from maternity leave and the position opens November 2. Things are definitely changing!!! Time does tell all..... we will see what the future holds.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Living by Faith

Today has been a rough day for me……..but let me go back and lay some ground work of one of the reasons why. As many of you know, I am looking for a job. This is something that I was well aware of before we moved up here. AND I have always seemed to find a job somewhere doing something. That is just how it happened. Someone we knew, knew someone, who needed someone……and bam……I had a job.

Well, it is not so simple here in the Big Apple. Seeing that we don’t quite have the connections that we used to AND that the “good ole boy” system of checking into who you are and what is your work ethic…..well….doesn’t exist, finding a job is done through a lot of electronic communication. I send out resumes responding to job post on Craig’s List and Idealist.org or any other job post and wait. I submit resumes to staffing agencies and wait. Job hunting becomes the waiting game. And I have to admit, I have never been that great at the waiting game.

The first lead comes from a math tutor post off of Craig’s List and reads something like this:

“You would be receiving payments drawn on a US Bank. The payment would be made out for the cost of the services you are rendering, for the living expense of my
daughter and the guardian and for the remuneration of the guardian. As regards
this, I hope I can trust you with this payment. All you have to do is deposit
the check at your bank upon receipt. Once it's cleared, deduct your fees which
should be $40 per hour X 8 times a month ($320) and additional $80 for any costs
you might incur for running around and any textbooks/materials you might need.
This amounts to $400, which is what you should deduct from the payment sent.
Whatever the remaining balance is after deducting $400 should be sent via money
gram/western union to the guardian who would be contacting you with further
arrangements and instructions regarding the pickup/drop off of my daughter
to any library/location where you would be teaching her. I hope I can trust
you with my daughters' education. If you are ok with this arrangements, get back
to me with your full contact information (name and mailing address) and mobile
number for correspondence purposes.”
Needless to say, my response was that I was unable to help this POOR child at this time. For some odd reason, I did not think that it would wise for me to get involved in a money laundering scheme while Brad is in seminary.

My next lead was an interview that if it worked would have been teaching young actors and actresses while they were either rehearsing for a production or filming a show or movie. I thought that this would definitely be something out of the ordinary so why not try? When I arrived at the man’s apartment (yes, you just did read apartment) for the interview, I was instructed to “take of my shoes and fill out the paperwork.” I thought to myself, “I am not taking off my shoes!!!” As I began to head for the couch, he said, “Did Jasmine not tell you about the shoes? Take them off by the door.” And on went the interview. This job would be perfect if you were single with absolutely no obligations. Well….seeing that I am not single and I do have some obligations in my life (like two children and a husband who is in school), I am not expecting to hear from this lead any time soon!!

And last but not least, there was the offer from the man at church to be painted. Yes after the service, he approach David (a friend of ours) asking for some contact information….that he was interested in painting me. While talking with my friend Katie about this offer, she did mention that the nude models in her art classes at UGA made good money. I forgot to ask her if that was good money for a college student or good money for a mother of two!!

So, my options so far are money laundering, dealing with the crazy acting world, or posing nude for painters. Welcome to New York City!!!!!

So today, I have to admit, I had a cleansing of the soul. You see, I was at a similar place just two years ago when Brad and I realized that I should go back to work. I can remember fretting over what to do and how to get to what I wanted to do. I thought that I wanted to teach. To get there meant taking test and convincing people that I could teach. It also meant convincing myself that I could in fact teach. I can remember many a tears during this time because of my own lack of confidence and assurance in what I was doing. Thank goodness that there were several people in my life that continuously supported me and encouraged me.

Today, I felt the pouring of tears for a different reason. I now sit in frustration knowing that I can teach. Last year was an amazing learning curve for me that proved to me that among other things, I could teach. I know that teaching is what I enjoy and where I want to be. Once again, I don’t hold the correct papers to be in the classroom. There are more test to take and the possibility of two more years of school before I can get a certification. It is back to square one for me when I know that just last year I had the go ahead and was on my way toward certification.

Today I wrestled with an internal struggle. It seems that my faith struggles with my humanity. My human side is frustrated and a bit mad about having to leave home and start from the beginning again. This side of me is the two year old stomping saying “But I don’t want to do this!!” Then, my faith steps in like a reassuring parent saying, “You knew this was going to part of it. This is just part of the process. This too is going to prepare you for the road ahead. You can do this.”

I do believe that this is part of the journey. Deep within me I believe that it will work out fine. It has in the past and it will again. Embracing the reality that in fact we will make it through this is another chapter in our “Living by Faith” novel. To say the words “living by faith” is different than whole heartedly believing these words and embracing them in our life. Faith did get me through today and will continue to get us through this part of our journey. GJ

Monday, September 14, 2009

What a difference.......

Addison and Parker (and Maggy) on the first day of school.

What a difference a week makes!! Last Wednesday, school began for everyone. Brad left for his day and Addison, Parker, and I left for their school. Drop off……..whoa!!! Things are different here! We walked to school to be met by mass confusion. Parker was to be dropped of in the cafeteria and Addison in the Big Yard (on the playground outside). We had yet to meet their teachers. Parents were everywhere! We dropped off Addison with a teacher who helped her find her way. Parker and I ventured into the cafeteria where you could barely breathe! It was packed! We finally found his class and met his teacher. YEAH!! We did it. It was completely different than driving up to the school, kissing the kids before they got out of the car, and saying “Hope you have a great day! See you this afternoon!” Needles to say, I went for a hard run after I dropped the children off just to relieve some of the stress.

Thursday was spent getting the “routine” of school and homework down. Friday brought on a whole new animal to tackle. RAIN!!! The walk to school was drizzly and wet. But we managed to get there pretty dry. It was the pick up that drenched us!! Right when school was letting out, the bottom let out. Umbrellas are great when the wind isn’t trying to make them a tool used for lifting you off the ground. By the time we made it home, half of our pant legs were soaked and our feet were in the first stages of becoming water logged. Thank goodness we were in for the night. After this experience, rain boots were ordered (via Target) and are on the way. Hopefully, our feet and pants will be drier the next go around. I just am having a hard time imagining this process happening while it is snowing!!!

After a great weekend (which included soccer games for both Addison and Parker), the week ended with the family Eucharist last night. This is a service where the children are the acolytes. It is less formal. Every time I have attended this service I have about lost it half way through it. It is a beautiful thing to see the children (ages three and older) serve during the service. Their faces just say so much. They carry the cross, torches, and gospel in the processional. They assist the celebrating priest with setting the table for communion. The music is more “camp” like music (which I love) and the atmosphere is very forgiving. During the sermon, the children sit on the steps leading to the alter and listen as well as participate. Matt (who did the sermon last night) did an excellent job with involving the kids as a part of the sermon…..as well as entertaining the adults. Then we all gather around the alter for communion.

Addison and Parker were across the circle from us last night as communion started. It was so awesome to watch them during this. Parker was standing by Joseph (a person in Brad’s class). Every time Joseph bowed his head in reverence, so did Parker. It made me think of how much we (meaning the community as a whole) are role models for these young developing minds. I am so thankful that this week ended like this. I once again realized that Addison and Parker are going to be exposed to SO much here. I can’t begin to wrap my mind around it. But I am so thankful for the people (both seminarians and significant others) for embracing the children of the seminary as they do. It is a wonderful thing to watch and feel. I feel fortunate to be a part of this community. GJ

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Everything must change...

On our “stay-cation”, we have been busy……painting, unpacking, exploring, connecting with friends, meeting new people,…..just figuring this place out. We learned a lot about parts of the city but realize that there is SO much left to discover. With the rolling in of September, changes began to roll in too.

Brad began orientation this past Monday. He was up and out every morning for Morning Prayer at 8:00. His days have been spent signing up for classes, meeting with advisors, learning about his new “duties” as a first year seminarian, meeting with the financial aid office and business office, etc.

With him beginning school, the children and I attended the children’s orientation. There are around 12 children here at the seminary ranging from 10 months to 13 years old. They are a great mix of children. And so far, they seem to get along fine. The older ones look out for the younger ones. They seem to give and take appropriately. In the orientation, we had a lunch that ended with a water balloon toss. There was a scavenger hunt that ended with the busting of a piñata. We went to the water park where bucket after bucket of water was thrown on each other.

My personal favorite was going into the chapel with the chief sacristan. The kids were able to ask whatever they wanted to about the chapel. It was great!!! It was fun to see how Joe (the chief sacristan) answered the questions with a humorous reverence that was on the kids’ level. He showed them Jesus in a “disco” move in one of the stained glass windows. They were introduced to the idea of acolyting…..which Addison and Parker are so excited about doing. They were shown the “behind the scenes” of the chapel….where the robes are and where the bell is rung from. They climbed into the pulpit and went behind the alter. They even learned the secret of the floating Mary……this is a small “statue” (about 3-4 inches tall) of Mother Mary that is always in the chapel but never in the same place.

So September brought the “winds of change”. The weather is cooler. Brad is beginning his schooling. The kids are anticipating the start of school next Wednesday. And I am beginning to look for employment. The reality of life is settling in on us. Our “stay-cation” is slowly coming to an end while our school life is beginning.

But as I look at what has happened in these last three weeks, I think we are ready for this change. Change always brings the unknown into focus……but who says the unknown is so bad. It may be a challenge, but don’t we grow from the challenges we face? GJ

Life Lines

This morning at Morning Prayer, I heard a great sermon . It was from my Old Testiment teacher. He was explaining that with every beginning there has to be an end. He described it as the ropes on a tent. Some ropes are just cut loose for this new beginning to happen. Other ropes are pulled up leaving the stake still attached to the end. The ropes with the stakes are the ones that could be used to help set up the tent in a different location.

This really made me think about these last couple of months. During these last few months, I have used both ways to make this move. It has been hard for me to communicate how I have made it to this point. Sometimes it was just the fear of misunderstanding or of non-approval of my decision. In this situation, it seemed easier to pick up and go. This sounds really self centered (which it is) and not the best way to handle the situation. But at the time, it was the most uncomplicated way. For those of you that feel that this is what happened, I would like to ask for your forgiveness.

We feel like we have pulled up the stake in many other places. It has been exciting as well as intimidating. Just the unknown of what is before us is a bit unsettling. However, what I have found is that we are really adjusting well. This I believe is because we have taken our experiences and friendships (like the rope with the stake) an applied them to our daily life here. For those of you who are our stakes I thank you. We would not have made it this far with without you and your support. BJ

Friday, August 21, 2009

Our New Pad

Our days have been spent settling into our home and our new environment. So far we love it. Yes it is a bit different then what we knew, but it is our home. The children are registered for school. It was decided that Parker would go into 2nd grade instead of first. If he went to first, he would be a year older than the other children and would be much taller. The principal sent us home with books for him to practice reading because Parker will be behind the other children in his reading skills. So far, Parker is doing great with these books. Addison will remain in 4th grade. PS 11 (their school) will be a great place for her. It is a school with a focus on writing and arts. If you know Addison……you know that this will be a great fit. The after school program offers anything from soccer to drama to rock-n-roll theater to fencing and much more. Brad and I left feeling great about the school.

Today we hung the curtains in the living/ dining room which put the finishing touches on the room. There is only one small pile to go through and make decisions about where everything goes. Surprisingly enough, this apartment feels larger than I thought it would. I thought that we would be busting out the seams. But everything has managed to fit fine. The people who lived here before us built shelves for storage over bedroom doors and in closets that make it nice. Now we have the bedrooms to paint. I have included pictures for our new place.



So far we have gone on “adventures” through out the city. On Saturday, we went to Time Square and saw the Naked Cowboy (who is now running for the Mayor of NYC!). Then we went to FAO Schwartz where we saw a life sized Lego Batman. Then we began our journey into the true life of the city……Central Park. It began with some incredible break dancers. The deeper we ventured in, the more we realized that you can find your niche in this city. From the dancing roller skaters to the Egyptian playing a violin and singing opera, there is a place for everyone here. Each corner we turned, it just got better. As long as the weather permits, our plan is to go here for the day on the weekend. Such good entertainment!!!!

Besides our adventure to Central Park, we have been to a park on the pier with friends we met from the seminary. Brad and the children went yesterday on a 3 hour walk that took them past 9-11 to Battery Park where they were able to see the Statue of Liberty across the way. The subway system has been an adventure all by itself. The first time we rode it, two men got on and sang gospel to us. I thought that Addison was going to roll over dead by the look on her face. Today, we plan to go north to the aircraft carrier in the Hudson. It matters not where you go, you are going to see something great!

The Flight Up

August 12th, the children and I (Gale) woke up early to prepare for our trip to NYC. Jim Dixon graciously agreed (or was maybe conned) to take us from Rome to the airport which is about an hour and a half drive. Addison and Parker were so excited that there was barely a breathe of air that was wasted. When I uttered the words to Jim that this was going to be a long day, I had no idea of the truth the words held.

We arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare. After grabbing a bagle and muffin, we borded the plane right on time…..10:40 AM. The flight seemed to be moving along fine. Addison and Parker were so excited to be on their first plane trip that they would remember. After taking off they took pictures of the clouds and of the “match box” car set below. We should have landed a little after 12:00 PM. But the flight was taking longer than suspected. Then the announcement over the intercom……”La Guadia has a ground hold due to bad weather. Unfortunately, we are low on fuel and will have to be diverted to Dulles airport in D.C. We will land there, refuel, and service the baths. Then we should be on our way.”

So we land. I am guessing that it is now 1:30 to 2:00 PM. They refuel us and service the restrooms. We go to the end of the runway and sit and sit and sit. Again the pilot comes over the intercom and says that La Guadia is not allowing planes to come in or out, so we are going to have to get off the plane so that everyone can grab something to eat. Now, everyone unloads into a people mover which drives us to a gate where we all run to grab a bite to eat. All I know is that the three of us have had pretzels and other snack things since 9:30 this morning. At 4:00 PM, we got our Five Guys burger and fires and run back to the terminal that we had been called to. This entire time, I am trying to figure out how to get Brad by making collect calls which his cell phone can’t accept!!! Thank goodness I had enough change in my purse to make a four minute call (I know….smoke signals would have worked better!!!) to let him know we where fine.

Again, we load onto the people mover and head back to the plane. This was at 5:00 PM. The plane moves to the end of the runway. Again we sit!!!! And sit!!! And sit!!!! The Italian couple behind begin to argue in Italian. I know in English she kept saying that she was about to make a scene if they did not get the plane moving. Up to the flight attendants they both went…..and back…and up…and back. Of course Addison and Parker’s eyes are as big as saucers. All I could think about was the TV show Lost. I was not real sure that I would be able to live with these folks if we did not get to La Guadia soon!!!

Finally, at 7:00 PM we begin moving. Rumor was that we were going to be able to take off. This actually happened!!! When the plane was off the ground, everyone began to clap. It was such a great feeling. We landed in NYC around 7:45. After one more 4 minute call, we were off to get our bag, hail a taxi, and see our new home. We arrived at 175 9th Avenue around 9:00 PM. And even with our stuff every where, it felt good to be home!!!!! WOW!!!! What an adventure!





Brad's Trip







These last few days have been like riding a tornado. As soon as you get to where you’re going, you are picked up and swished away to another location. Once leaving the bubble of Camp Mikell, we have been on the move. We traveled back and forth from Rome to Marietta and back again. It was bitter sweet seeing all our friends and family. People seemed excited for us. I felt almost numb. There is so much going on that it is hard to attach a feeling to it. This is probably because we have all felt like our emotions are so raw. We now move through them as if we were riding a wave.

It will be good to get settled again. Being gypsies for the last couple of months has been exciting and our family would not change a thing. However, knowing that everything is temporary gets a bit unsettling after a while. I know that I can’t wait to call our new apartment home.

Yesterday, I (Brad) drove thirteen hours. It went by fairly fast. I had two books on tape. This really took my mind off how much longer I had to drive and how many more wiles where ahead. I would catch my mind wandering as I drove. It was as if I were in a dream. I woul d think to myself…..is this really happening? Are we actually moving to New York? ARE YOU CRAZY??? Then the same feeling that I have had for some time now would come over me. I seemed to be reassured by the thought of just take the next step. Don’t try to get ahead of yourself. I could almost feel the apprehension subside. This whole process has seemed to work this way. We now call it our family motto “One step at a time”.

As for our family, I believe that we are all excited and anxious at the same time. I wonder how long it will take us to adjust. There are too many what if’s to mention. However, my main concern is how this change will affect my family. It is my hope that this experience will help mold us and through our experiences we will become even closer and more fulfilled. Hopefully, one day our children will look back at this time in New York and appreciate this experience.

Friday, July 24, 2009

What a long, strange trip its been.......


How were we to know that 2007 would hold what it did? After all, it began like most years.....surrounded by good friends having a good time. There were no clues that would prepare us for the events ahead. I have no idea of when, but suddenly, life as we knew it began to crumble. It seemed like there was no sacred ground. Every part of our life was touched by something. Our finances were being turned up side down. Brad and I were learning things about our children that were hard to hear. We were having to make decisions about the children that we felt less than confident about making. Brad's job left him feeling unfulfilled. My job.....what job. I needed to find one but had a hard time finding the courage to seek one. Then came health issues. It all came crashing in......one problem at a time. To be honest, I can remember the feeling of being so overwhelmed.....of asking myself, "Which file folder do I open today?" or "Where should I file this? I don't know if I have a folder made for this issue." But time does play its role......I can't remember all of the issues at hand now. What I do know is that this time forced us to look at the core of every aspect of ourselves and our family.



There is one distinct day I do remember. It was the Tuesday before Thanksgiving in 2007. Brad's side of the family was coming to our home for the holiday. Brad and I went to the church to borrow some tables and chairs for the big day. After a conversation at the church, Brad got in the car and said, "Have you ever thought about becoming a priest?" He had that look in his eye and that tone in his voice......the one I can't describe. I just know it. With those words and that look, I could feel an end to the chaos in our life.



After some more discussion, Brad applied to the discernment process with the attitude of "one step at a time". This is the motto our family has since taken....."one step at a time". It is too much for us to look out at the future. It all seems so blurry out there......looking the great unknown in the eye. Instead, we do have the ability and the strength to look one step ahead. We may not know where that step is going to land on the path, but God has given us the confidence to take it. And the pieces fall perfectly in line. Not as we would have imagined or thought they should have....but the way in which they were meant to fall. And how beautiful it is.......



.......and thus begins our journey. We are now in July of 2009 with our move 3 weeks away. We are at a calm place along the path knowing that our Creator holds us in the palm of His hand. As the cliche goes......"Let go and let God". This has been a challenge but has brought new definition to our life. This trip began with a major bend in the road but leads us to new uncharted waters.



So yes, as Jerry sings, "What a long, strange trip its been"!! One filled with uncertainty, honesty, chaos, and calm.......one stripping a family to the core of who they were created to be....one filled and lead by the Spirit of God.