Another day in the life of Jen...

Life is beginning to settle in again, which I am thankful for. It will be really nice to go back to my lovely job of being a barista. I am going through with-drawls. Im craving the people and the milksteamer:) And might I add that I am craving something to do. Mark is crazy busy and dont get me wrong I have plenty to do-our bathroom needs to be cleaned, there is laundry to do, the kitchen floor is indeed dirty- BUT that just isnt that exciting. I would much rather sit at Beaners while Mark works and update my blog:)

Basically, Jen is bored, very very bored. It didnt take long I guess.

My mom is coming to visit on Sunday and I am really excited. I get to show off our new home which is very nicely coming together and even slightly decorated-thanks to our generous friends and family. AND I get to show my mom that I really can cook and that I am in fact beginning to really enjoy it. I feel like such a big kid-I went grocery shopping and have a cooked a complete meal every night this week. I was never really convinced that I was capable of being a real wife:) I still have lots of work though.

I really am beginning to like Grand Rapids. Yesturday I decided that I would do some exploring. It was great-I aimlessly wander the streets and the aisles of stores and I didn't spend a dime. Im not sure that I can make the claim to have self-control because the real reason is that my bank cards havn't come in the mail yet so I currently have no access to money:) But it was fun I went to Target ( which is much bigger than the Target I am used to), Bed Bath and Beyond which is also much larger, Barnes and Noble (I spent over an hour in a comfy chair reading a book:) ) and a store I had never been to called the Fresh Market. It was really a neat store with all fresh food and organic, healthy foods. It had a really neat outdoor market feel even though it was inside and it had fun italian-ish music playing. I very much enjoyed that trip.


So far today all I have done is sit at Beaners for 3 hours while Mark works. I did have to fill out my paper work so I can start working next week and I have done a few productive things but mostly I have just been wasting time. I plan on going home eventually and cleaning :/ Well thats enough aimless talk. Love you all! We miss you!

We are blessed!

So we are home in Grand Rapids which seems not real to me (Jen). For the last month every time I have been here it has been for only a day or two and then I have had to go back to Lansing and now I cant get it through my head that I am here for good.

It has been a little hard for me. I spent all day today unpacking and cleaning and organizing while Mark came and went in between his errands and work. I told him when he came home for dinner that it had been a really lonely and quiet day because my phone didnt ring once. Its weird. I dont know anyone here yet and I have left everyone at home. In a sense I feel out of place right now and am still adjusting to this being home. Its been so wonderful though being married. Eating, sleeping and living with Mark makes things so peaceful.

We truly have been so very blessed. We have spent two day buying things we need with the money people gave us for our wedding and unpacking all of our gifts. I would say we have been in a permanent state of shock and thankfulness at how much God has blessed us through our friends and family. Its been a little nuts though because some of the gift tags came off gifts and we dont know who gave us what and it is a little odd having to ask people what they gave us so we can in return thank them. It makes me laugh how what is socially normal and what isnt can make things so awkward.

So anyways...Im just having on to the comfort in my Lord Jesus and enjoying our new marriage as we try to settle into a life that is going full speed. Launch day is running at us fast but Im way excited for the new body of beleivers God is creating at Journey Church! Yay God!

We Are One!

Hey, all! This is Mark checking in from our classy hotel outside Washington, D.C. on the last full day of our honeymoon. It really has been wonderful. And would you believe it - we ARE indeed big enough to get on a plane, rent a car, and stay at a timeshare AND a classy hotel ALL BY OUR INEXPERIENCED SELVES!

Honestly, none of our destinations were all that great. The timeshare was under PAR, it was cloudy at Virginia Beach, Busch Gardens is nothing compared to Cedar Point or Kings Island, neither Jen nor I are big history buffs (Williamsburg), and it's miserably hot in D.C. The cool part, though, is the taste we got of the rest of our lives together. What I mean is, we were in a position where all we had was each other. If there's one thing I've been taught about marriage in ministry it's that this feeling comes often. It's likely that my wife ;-) and I will soon, and frequently, fall down together on the couch and look into each other's eyes, feeling very alone except for the love we have between the two of us. For the record - I'm ok with that.

I'd say at this point that we're both itching to get back home, get settled, and get to work (am I really saying this???). We're excited about Journey, and we're excited to be travel buddies.

Next time you see us, WE'LL BE MARRIED!!!!!!