Looking to Rent - St. Joseph, MI

So we found out that finding an apartment to rent in St. Joe for the summer is easier said than done. For one, we are not ideal tenants. True, we don't smoke, we pay rent on time, and we don't play loud music. However, we're finding that we have two significant strikes against us:

1. We only want to live there mid-May to mid-August.
2. Riley is coming with us.

And something I didn't think about: St. Joe is a resort town! EVERYONE wants to be there for the summer. There are tons of vacation rentals, but we certainly don't need a new 2500 sq. ft., 3 bedroom, on-the-beach, with-a-pool, type of place. Not by a long shot. AND we don't want to pay vacation rental prices.

And then there are a couple of complexes that gave me the heeby-jeebies. You know the kind. And I don't mean to be snobby here AT ALL. But I don't want to live in a place that isn't both:

1. Clean
2. Safe

We've simply not found anything in between "way too nice" and "kind of shady." So the search is on! We did drive through a couple normal-looking neighborhoods and found some "for rent" signs around. I'll be making some calls this week. We don't need a large space, but would like to live in a place that doesn't smell in an area where we'd feel comfortable walking Riley around.

So...

If you know of anyone with rental property in Southwest Michigan, LET ME KNOW.

Also, I'm worried that I'm wrong in all of this. Is it being snobby to want a nice-ish place to live? A part of me thinks that white, middle class folks like me tend to insulate ourselves from the problems of poverty and hunger and homelessness by choosing to live in areas where that stuff doesn't happen as much. I think it is awesome when middle/upper class people intentionally live with and serve underprivileged folks. What an awesome way to demonstrate the love of Christ. And when I read about the life of Jesus it seems like he was often intentionally spending time with and serving the poor. Shouldn't I try to be like that?

I don't know what is the right thing to do, honestly.

One More Day!

This week I've been out of town (and yet back in my hometown) for work. I've been able to do some training, learn about some new products, and catch up with coworkers. It has been a time to get re-energized about what I do. And I love doing something I'm passionate about. I'm very thankful for this blessing.

It has also been nice to be back in the home I grew up in. Great to spend time with my parents and Benny. We even went out for sushi as a family last night to celebrate a couple of birthdays - and we had a blast!

Grand Rapids is filled with friends. I got to spend time with Kara and Natalie, am planning to meet up with a high school friend tomorrow afternoon, and tonight I spent a great time with Sarah and her family (more on that later!). Wonderful, encouraging times, and I'm thankful my business trips take me to a place where I get to see all of these people.

And I even got to take Riley with me this time.

But I MISS MY HUBBY. Can't wait to see him... TOMORROW!!

And then we'll spend a fun weekend checking out St. Joe (and hopefully finding somewhere to live all summer!) and dinner with friends we haven't seen in months. *Smiles*

Jesus For President

My Copy Came In Today!

I'd been waiting in anticipation for this book to come out. I really enjoyed Shane's last book and had long looked forward to #2.

And I have read like 2 words and am already very impressed. For one thing, the message of such a book resonates clearly with my feelings and attitudes toward politics and church and Jesus (at least I think it does... I should read it first to make sure!) And just flipping through it here at my desk... I think the amazing color interior will add volumes to the message. It just looks scrumptious. Can't wait to dig in.

In case you're curious, here is part of the Z recap:

"Jesus for President is a radical manifesto to awaken the Christian political imagination, reminding us that our ultimate hope lies not in partisan political options but in Jesus and the incarnation of the peculiar politic of the church as a people “set apart” from this world.

Drawing upon the work of biblical theologians, the lessons of church history, and the examples of modern-day saints and ordinary radicals, Jesus for President stirs the imagination of what the Church could look like if it placed its faith in Jesus instead of Caesar.

A fresh look at Christianity and empire, Jesus for President transcends questions of “Should I vote or not?” and “Which candidate?” by thinking creatively about the fundamental issues of faith and allegiance. It’s written for those who seek to follow Jesus, rediscover the spirit of the early church, and incarnate the kingdom of God. "

Stay tuned for an actual review. This is more of a preview.

IU Flags

Seriously, this is the most excited I've ever seen a big group of people (including Lora) get about cheerleaders running around in circles with flags. SUPER big tradition at IU basketball games. It is a little crazy how much people get into it.

Movie Recommendation: Juno

For those of you who haven't seen it, this movie is terrific. One of the best that I've seen in quite a while.

Pro-life without being judgmental. Quirky without being forced. Unpredictable and HYSTERICAL. The acting and dialog are excellent. I love how the movie depicts teen pregnancy in such an honest way - and fleshes out the messyness and angst and hope and unknown about it all. It isn't overly harsh on the teenagers, but doesn't gloss over the rough aspects of such a situation either. And I have to say that I loved Rainn Wilson's (think Dwight Schrute) cameo (which you can see a portion of in the trailer below).

What To Pack?

So we're getting super excited about our South American adventure - less than three weeks away. 10 days in a foreign country - yay! Our itinerary is filling up with horseback riding, whitewater rafting, city touring, and checking out the beautiful countryside!

(this is a big street in Buenos Aires)

And this week we found out a couple of details about the trip that made me get a little worried.

#1 People in S. America (especially Buenos Aires) don't wear shorts, baseball caps, or really anything overly casual. We'll be in there in temperatures that are similar to August/September for us. End of summer. No shorts? That limits me a bit! And if it is hot out I'm not going to be wanting jeans/pants each day. Hm... maybe I'll have to check out Target for some skirts (not that I REALLY mind an excuse to go shopping).

#2 We can each take only 1 bag. Weight limit? 33 lbs. THIRTY-THREE?!? I have a hard time with the 50 pound limit we have to abide by when we visit my in-laws in Phoenix. This will be a "bare-bones" trip, clothes-wise. Just the basics. For ten days. Hm...

So I'm wondering - if you had the limits that I have for this trip, what would you bring? Is there a "non-negotiable" piece of clothing you'd HAVE to take? Or something that is super versatile? Or that can be easily washed in a hotel room sink? What would you bring?

Valentine's Day, Continued

So after reminising with Josh last night about our first Valentine's Day as a married couple, I realized that I'd left out an important detail. After he saw my disappointment over not receiving flowers, he went to the computer and printed one out. He then traced two others and colored one in red (see above).

You see, he'd gotten me one rose our first V-day (dating), two on our second V-day together, and I figured he'd get me three on our third, which also happened to be our first V-day married. All day at work I was SO looking forward to coming home to them! In his defense, I'd told him "no presents" beforehand and he took that to mean "no flowers" either. Looking back, I can see his point.

But then, in a super sweet, cute gesture, he made me three flowers that evening. And I stuck them to the fridge.

We ended up having a bunch of fun that night, watching a movie and making/decorating cookies. Aren't they cute? We made so many I think we still had V-day cookies in our freezer in June.