Since moving to Texas, I’ve been on the hunt for a job. Almost everyday I search for jobs and send out applications and resumes, receiving little if any response to my inquires. We’ve been praying daily that the Lord would send me a job, but He has not seen fit to grant our request and I sometimes grow discouraged as I wait. Two weeks ago I decided to pray for something else – a pumpkin. I love pumpkins and every fall I wish I had one, but I’m too cheap to go out and actually buy one. So one day as I was driving to the store, I decided that I was going to ask God to send me a pumpkin – I just wanted a reminder that God grants His children’s requests. So I started praying and told only Josh, with strict instructions that he was not allowed to go out and be my answer to prayer.

This week, the Bixbys came to visit and as I was driving to the store to get some last minute things for supper, I asked the Lord to send me a pumpkin and thought that maybe the Bixbys would bring me one. When the Bixbys arrived, I took the kids for the afternoon, and as they were getting in my car, Miriam gave me a little pumpkin. I smiled. God answered my prayer and sent me a pumpkin. At dinner that night, I shared with Tim and Ruth about my answered prayer request. This morning, when Josh and I went out we found a large pumpkin at our front door. Last night, after the Bixbys left us for the evening, they returned and left a pumpkin on our doorstep. So, now I have two pumpkins to remind me that God answers our prayers in His time and in unexpected ways.

This week we had the pleasure of having the Bixby family visit us during their deputation trip out west. Since moving to Texas, we’ve been looking forward to their visit, and I’d been anticipating being able to host and show our home to “family.”

Tim, Ruth, Micaiah, and Miriam arrived at our apartment a little before noon and we went out to Chick-fil-A for lunch. (Unfortunately, Josh could not join us, since he had to be at his 12:30 class.) After lunch I took Micaiah and Miriam back to our apartment, so we could play while the grownups spent some time by themselves. We made brownies, colored, took naps, played Uno, and read. During nap time, I finished getting dinner ready.

Tim and Ruth joined us for dinner and we had a wonderful time of fellowship together. It was a blessing to hear about their deputation travels and what the Lord is doing in their lives. Their visit was a great encouragement to us.

Josh and I started our weekend off with a lesson in phonology. For those of you who don’t know, Josh is preparing to take his diagnostic exams on November 8th – a six-hour test which requires answering four (out of eight possible) questions pertaining to the core courses of his degree. After my first lesson in phonology, I am very thankful that Josh is the one taking the exam instead of me!

Friday night we went out to Mimi’s Cafe for dinner (thanks, David and Caroline). We enjoyed the food and our date together. Our server was extremely busy and did a great job juggling all his customers. When we were ready to leave, the group next to us asked our waiter if there were any booths available where they could move to. He came back saying there was nothing open for them and told them that if something opened up, he’d let them know. When he came by our table, we told him we were ready for our check and would leave so they other group could have our booth. His response, “No hurry – picky people can wait. I’ve been around picky people all day.” He made us laugh.

Saturday night we went to Micah Lutz’s football game. Micah is the son of our pastor, and we enjoyed watching his game with Pastor John and some other family members. Micah scored two touchdowns to help his team win their game. After the game, we joined the Lutz family for pizza and cake to celebrate Micah’s 13th birthday. We ended the night by playing an intense game of Scategories…I never knew that tigers were animals on a farm.

You may be wondering why my husband is smiling while pumping gas…click on this picture to see the price of gas per gallon and you’ll see why.

Last night Rachael, Selah, and I had another girls’ party. Josh has class on Wednesday nights, and I enjoy having the company while he’s away. At 4:45 I went to Rachael’s ballet school and sat with Selah as we waited for the ballet lesson to finish. Selah and I read to each other while we waited for Rachael to get out.

After the lesson was over, we came back to my apartment and had a night consisting of singing, eating dinner, making cookies and birthday cards for Debbie King, and having a flute lesson. On our way home, we stopped by Debbie’s apartment to give her the cookies and cards and to sing happy birthday. Fun times – sorry, Emily…wish you could have joined in on our fun.

Saturday night I performed my first men’s haircut on a very sweet and kind victim. I won’t claim to be an expert or even good…maybe someday, as I guess I’ll get to practice a few more times in the course of my life. Just for the record, no one has made any comments asking who butchered Josh’s hair, but maybe everyone in Texas is just really polite. (I admit it…I miss my curly-haired man.)

In other weekend news…I beat Josh in Jenga for the first time, and Josh creamed me in Othello!

Happy 28th birthday to my big brother!

Friday night we invited Josh’s Thai students from last semester over for food and games. They came and treated us to some Thai soup with rice and a Thai dessert. All four are pursuing graduate degrees in engineering- or science-related fields before returning to Thailand. Lha (“lah,” yellow shirt) is working on a Ph.D.  Dow (red striped shirt) is working on her Ph.D. and is married to a judge in Thailand. This year her mother and 21-month-old son came to Texas to be with her as she studies far away from home. Mook (“moke,” in shorts) is also working on her Ph.D, and Boat is working on his MA and plans to stay for Ph.D. work. Boat came to UTA after being an exchange work/travel student at Six Flags where he did “all sorts of things.”

After we ate and looked at wedding pictures, Josh asked for a short Thai lesson concerning the Thai tones. In short the “word” na can be said five different ways meaning five totally different words, depending on the relative pitch of the vowel. After the lesson, we played a lively game of Jenga. The loser had to scoop the ice cream.

We are very pleased to announce that we have made another addition to our home. Since moving to Texas, Josh and I have been the looking into buying a digital piano. We were all set on buying one from Craigslist a few weeks ago, but the seller decided she couldn’t part with her piano and backed out the afternoon we were going to pick it up. Since then, I’ve continued to search Craigslist for another digital piano with no success. This morning, we returned to Guitar Center – where we had previously looked at digital pianos – and the rest is history….

In other news, today was my first day working for Earhard’s Main Street Music School. The school is less than a mile away from our apartment, and I’m looking forward to getting back into teaching piano. So far, I have one piano student, an adult beginner, scheduled for weekly lessons on Saturdays at 12. When I came back from teaching, my man had assembled our piano and I am enjoying it immensely.

On Sunday we decided to try playing a new game…

the pictures reveal the winner and her husband.

Last night we had dinner with Micah and Anna Martin. Micah and Anna bought a house, gutted it, and are now working on restoring it so they can move in. Our plan was to go over and help them with the work, but Micah got called to a welding job and it was too late to do any work by the time he was finished. So instead of working, we had dinner with Micah, Anna, and one of Anna friends, Meghana, plus the Martin’s two dogs who “patiently” waited for someone to have pity on them.

We were treated to a Texan meal….Anna made delicious guacamole that won me over to being a guacamole fan. Micah grilled meat for our tacos. Let me define meat as beef, pork, chicken, and DOVE, shot by Micah. The tacos were delicious and we enjoyed our Texan meal. (My facial expression is one of mourning for the dove — probably a descendant of Noah’s — rather than of distaste for the meat that Micah cooked.)

We plan to go over some other time to help with the house.

This week we made an addition to our little home. Long before the wedding, Josh requested that we purchase an item to assist him in his studies and in his explaining linguistic concepts to me. So at last, I went to Target and purchased our whiteboard.

As you can see, Josh is already putting it to good use.

Sunday night we played a couple games of Jenga. The competition was stiff and the tension in the air was so thick you could have sliced it with a knife. And then sway…tilt…sway…crash…moan…and the delighted laughter of the lucky man who watched the tower fall on his victim!

This week our photographers sent us our wedding photos.

BJU’s Fall ’08 Music Team came to New Life Bible Church this past Thursday night for a service. Our church enjoyed an evening of music and testimony centered on God’s grace working in lives.

Josh and I had the privilege of housing Jonathan and Phil for the night (our first overnight guests). At first I was afraid that staying in a one-bedroom apartment would be a trial for the guys, but they survived and everything went well. This afternoon, the team went canvassing with our church. We appreciate their willingness to jump in and serve where needed.

Wednesday night, while Josh was at his evening class, I had Rachael and Selah Johnson over for a few hours, so their mom could have some free time before their trip out west next week. The Johnsons attend our church, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know their family. The girls and I had an excting night of Mac & Cheese, Uno, cookie baking, singing, and practicing their ballet to old Disney songs.

I’m finding that deciding what to make for dinner is a lot harder than it used to be. Dinner for me used to be a cheese stick and some crackers, maybe a piece of fruit, or maybe the easiest option – just skip the meal (except when I was eating at the Jensens’ house – one of my weekly meals last year). Now that I’m married, I’m finding that skipping meals is not the way to go.

Tuesday I was trying to figure out what to serve my man for dinner…what can one make with ground beef and potatoes (no – we didn’t have cream of mushroom soup, so beef/potato casserole options were out). Fortunately for me, Deb was online and gave me a great suggestion. After a bit of research, I threw together some ingredients and made dinner. (Don’t ask me for the recipe, because I don’t remember exactly what I did, but Josh gave the meal “two thumbs up.”)

No – this post isn’t an announcement. My grandma Sutter is an amazing woman when it comes to coupons and grocery shopping. Weekly she saves hundreds of dollars by combining coupons with store sales to get incredible deals. She then takes her goodies and gives them to missionaries, church members, families in need, and her family. Our apartment is stocked with free toothbrushes and all sorts of other nonperishable items from Grandma’s basement.

Now that I’m a married woman, I’m trying to continue the heritage that Grandma Sutter has begun. Every Wednesday I pour over the sales ads to find out where we can get the best deal on grocery items. Thanks, Grandma Sutter for your great example of saving money and of generosity to others!