i got a new camera for christmas!!!!!!!! a nikon d5000. i'd learning still...but here is a pictoral glance at our month...
During the storm the past few weeks, we finally let the kids out and let them puddle jump it up...they had sooo much fun!!
The girl cousins all got GC to Disney 365, this store at downtown disney, and got their hair all done and had suuuch a blast getting their hair and makeup done. sooooo fun!!! can they be this big already??!?!
One of the other christmas gifts was a pass to a rock climbing gym. The kids LOVE it.
Our little one lost her first front tooth!!
I turned this dress (below) that I never wore, into the dress (above) courtesy of this awesome website!!
two dear dear dear friends got hitched!! Todd and Beth Tabor. YEAH!!!
Ry got his rock star on at our annual new years eve bash at our church. All of downtown fullerton's streets close down and are filled with bands, bounce houses and food for the community to come and have a safe new years celebration at. Our church opens the gym up and has a band made up of folks from the congregation play cover tunes. This is when Ryan is singing (can't recall the song, maybe dead or alive by bon jovi?)
so...there has been quite a stirring this past month with job hunt and ideas....thus the reason i've been a bit quite. there is quite a lot to sift and pray through and even as i type i think of conversations that were had just yesterday that still tell me, i'm not in charge-the lord is. no matter what ducks i try to put in a row, he is the one who knows the journey to our story and i just need to sit, watch him work and abide. here is the latest that we could use your prayers in:
We have a few things that are before us that we could use clarity on, and just a covering from you dear ones as we sift through where it is we are being led...here is a bit of background and update on some things that Ryan wrote to his peeps, which encouraged me to send it off to you all for prayer as well. Below are both of our hearts right now.
i'm (aly) really praying, considering about possibly applying for PhD programs. Currently i'm looking at Fuller's PhD in Psych and Loma Linda's DMFT program (i'm open to others, this is just what i've look at so far) I'm just having little conversations here and there with folks who are in these programs and their thoughts on them. I'm also trying to really consider if this is something that our family can handle. How much of a PhD program can I handle while being a wife and mother.? What PhD program will let me take things at a slower pace? Are we nuts to think about this, we don't have money to pay for a PhD program! I've not taken math in over 15 years, and I have to take the GRE in order to get into a PhD program...sigh....anyway, I do know the Lord will provide the money and the intellect in order to pass if this is indeed the path he wants me to go. I have really come to love teaching and being with college/post college aged men and women. I'm so thankful for the opportunities i've had through ISF to teach. It's been challenging to say the least, but also there are moments of utter glee like this is just where i've been called to be. I'm just in a season of a lot of discernment and would love / covet you joining me / us in prayer. Ryan is also really considering this as well as he looks as positions...if this is the road for me to take now, or later...he's just so supportive, i'm so thankful. anyway...
Below are Ryan's requests:
Last year we met with a man named Dennis baker. He is basically a professional headhunter for the EV free denomination. This was such a cool meeting and made aly and i very hopeful. since then he went on sabbatical but now he is back. He has tossed our name to three churches. they are listed:
1) A church in san diego area- they dropped me when they found I didn't have an Mdiv 2) church in Santa Maria- the position is a half time worship; half time youth position. I met with them, they called all of my references. I'll talk more on them in a second 3) A church in Tujunga/Sunland; basically a senior pastor position without the teaching. I would be a pastor of the people and leading and developing teams.
so here's where the status is with these positions: 1. Santa maria- Is highly interested in me. But I told them I was out, did not want to be a youth pastor anymore. they told me how disappointed they were but appreciated my honesty. then they told me they were going to re-work the position and get back to me if they could find a situation that fits. Since they I spoke with a friend who had a long conversation with them... My friend told me he thinks they were going to hire me and in possibly 5-10 years, give me the senior pastor role. Crazy... i didn't hear back from them till today. they want to talk, they are willing to explore other options. I think this is a way of saying, we are willing to do some tailoring to make this position fit you... CRAZY!!! (update, ry spoke with them yesterday and man, they just seem like amazing people who really want to nurture ryan in this pastoral role and shepherd him as he learns to and shepherds others. the plan is to go up sometime in february to check out the church ourselves and meet with folks in person. we'll keep you posted)
2. Tujunga- I met with the senior pastor last week. Very cool chap. He's basically their teaching pastor. He lives 40 miles away and commutes in to teach and that's all. They need someone else, someone to be on premises and to lead from there. I really liked what I heard, i also liked his honesty, he seems like a good fit with me. they want me to go to the next step with them. (aly's addition: this church is also a few miles away from Fuller Seminary, which is one place i'm looking)
finally, I just applied to a PhD program at APU. I will be waiting to hear back if I get in. If I do, it makes sense to hang out a couple more years, to be accessible to the college world. Or to look for jobs in another College setting, my preference is Christian.
three options that still need to be teased out. None may come to fruition. i have several prayer requests:
1) Clarity- Oh Lord help me understand the ways you have wired me and what is truly exciting to me!! 2) Please lead my heart 3) Can you show me the next step? 4) give me peace for RIGHT NOW! cuz I am here and here is the only place I am. I must lean into you God and be at peace that you are leading me. I am grateful for your intercession.
Friends, thank you so much, we are so so very thankful you have taken the time to read this (sorry so long!) and to join us in prayer. we'll keep you posted on what transpires. Please feel free to ask questions, offer responses etc...etc...we value you and your voice in our life.
ah...i've been sick all week. all my plans of posting new photos and sharing what's going on is sort of on hold while i get better... i have that poem in my head again "i cannot go to school today, said little peggy ann mckay"... although i don't have a rash or purple bumps (thank GOD) i am congested, foggy, slow, sleepy, coughy and achy. : ( boo...
the kids are fine. congested, but have energy and ry has been a HUGE help in a weekend when he usually can't be of much help. it's opening weekend for the spring term here at biola, so he is usually working out room mate conflicts and ironing out housing issues, but it's been a kinder process this weekend...i'm so thankful. and the kids have been great too. now, if the laundry could just do itself....
I have sort of 'resolved' (in the spirit of the new year) to blog a bit more over at water4thesoul. I have always wanted to post different devotional ideas and musings and so, I have!! go check it out :)
I also got a new camera for christmas so i'll be posting some new pics and video soon of the fam!!
her site is where it got the pattern for the girls christmas dresses...
now, she is giving away a cape she made...so i'm entering the drawing...hope i win (i usually don't win these giveaways...but hey, a girl can dream!) this cape would be soo much fun made small for all the girls!!!
The christmas dresses I made all the girl cousins Here is a link to the pattern/blog that i got this dress from
All the skirts I made for the girls for christmas
Twirling
Hey all!! Well...I am sitting here, post easy bake oven testing (two cookies...took about an hour to cook after going around town searching for the correct light bulb...at least she had fun!) watching the USC/Boston game at my in laws sitting wishing I hadn't eaten so much...Thought it'd be a great time to update y'all
Christmas was awesome this year! It always is...but man...it was really an amazing few days. I have not been shopping really since August and it was such a overload of stuff! I wasn't so sure about going out by myself as gift giving is a HUGE love of mine, so Ry and I went together. That was so much fun! We also only went over budget by about $50...when usually it's more like $500! so...i'm sooo proud of us!!
We also tried to institute some new traditions of our own. We really wanted to figure out a way to bring home the idea/reality of Christ's birth and that we are celebrating his birth, not just opening presents. So, we took about 10% of what we allocated for christmas shopping money and went on www.worldvision.com and the kids got to choose two gifts to give to Jesus. Emily chose two baby chickens to give to a family and William chose two soccer balls to give away.
We spent Christmas Eve with The Lows and Christmas day with my family ending the day at the Lows. Here are some photos of our 24 hrs. I hope and pray you had such a wonderful time with family and friends. Love to you and yours! The Lows
Hello everyone and welcome to our RAD Christmas letter!!!
Why do you call it RAD?Is it not a bit presumptuous to say your letter is RAD?Whose standards do you use to actually make an accurate reading as far as if this is really RAD or not?And by the way: Who uses the word RAD anymore?
These are great questions.Totally!Who uses the word RAD anymore?WE DO!!!We use it in the terms of RAD being short for the word “radical” which is defined by Webster’s dictionary as: marked by a considerable departure from the usual or traditional : extreme b : tending or disposed to make extreme changes in existing views, habits, conditions, or institutions.
So check it out:This letter is truly RAD because it talks about the ways we departed from the norm and, my hope, is that it departs from the norm of Christmas letters out there.Are we presumptuous?Maybe but then again, we do not normally consider ourselves as presumptuous so...We are ALREADY BEING RAD!!!!WooHOO!
Some RAD things that happened this year:
1) RAD Utah Trip:A couple of years ago, Aly and I were stupid enough to buy a timeshare.So we decided we would use it and go to Utah where one of our timeshare locations is.We took the kids (this was the first time we had been to Utah as a family how RAD is that?) and also went with my sister Nikki and her family.On our first day there, William got altitude sickness (He does not normally contract this sickness thus it is out of the norm, thus it is RAD), and threw up several times.He slept the entire night and then woke up as good as new.What did we do in Utah?We hiked to a secluded waterfall, we overlooked Cedar breaks national monument (Huge canyon with red clay rock formations, absolutely breathtaking).My nephew, bro-in-law and myself went fishing on a dingy in the middle of a lake in the mountains and totally owned it.I am not usually a good fishermen.I’m not even good enough to be a bad fisherman.But this day, I caught fish.This is out of the norm.We were so Stinking RAD that day!!!All in all, it was a RAD trip.
2) Alyssa RADically sticks it to the man!!!About six months ago, Alyssa decided she was going to stop shopping for a year.This has been a very challenging exercise for her but it has been so awesome!Have you ever sat down and thought about just what it is you spend money on and why you do?Over these last few years we have come face to face with our ability to spend impulsively (refer to line item #1), feeling so swayed by our desire for something (clothing for Alyssa, Del Taco red burritos for Ryan) that we begin misconstruing our wants for needs.To take a break from spending impulsively has been SO CHALLENGING.Man it’s digging stuff from the corners of our souls that are mostly covered in cobwebs.This has been such a RAD change.
3) RADical beginnings: Kids provide us with the great opportunity to experience “firsts” again in our lives.This year Emily began kindergarten.She is no longer a toddler.She graduated from toddler clothing.William, began preschool this year.He is such a little man!They both played in a soccer league at church.It was an indoor soccer league.It was mostly a frustrating experience.As a parent you want your children to just naturally walk out there and dominate everyone.I thought to myself:“My kids are athletic, they like to run and climb, they should be great!”Hmmmmmm.
Still, after all is said and done, it was a year of firsts, stepping out of the norm.And for that I must say it was RAD.
4) RAD musicians:Now that the children are getting a little older we decided it was time to begin their education.Education in what?Education in music!More precisely:the good stuff.As this year progressed Aly and I began to see just how much our children love music.We decided it was time for their education to begin.I began to put together CDs that were mixes of the important stuff for them to know.Example; the latest CD had “Living on a prayer” by Bon Jovi, and “Sweet Child of mine” by Guns and Roses.We had to.Life without a knowledge of these two songs is like having a diet without dairy, or protein, or in my case, cola.My Children both love Switchfoot and they are beginning to get a working knowledge of one of the most underrated rock bands of all time:“Journey”.I love how my son screams along to “Panama”, By Van Halen and my daughter loves to scream to “put your records on” by Corrinne Bailey Rae.My kids are rockers!!! Yea!So RAD!Just recently we were given four tickets to the Switchfoot new album release concert at the house of blues.We decided to take the kids.I know, this is not a good idea, but we thought, let’s give it a shot.So we put earplugs in their ears, and went to the show.Before the concert my son told us: “I’m so excited I might explode”.The truth?He was pretty much beside himself the whole show, grinning ear to ear, singing along, playing air drums.Yes I have begun instructing them in the sacred art of playing air instruments.Mostly, drums, guitar, bass, and a little bit of keyboard.(Yes there is a difference between air bass and air guitar, it’s all in the placement of the fingers, and hand movements in coordination with musical timing.Hey, this is important stuff).It was our first concert and has cemented in my son’s mind; that he wants to be a rock star.Which isn’t too bad, he’s already deathly pale and wafe-ishly thin.He’s well on his way!!
5) RADical Endings:Alyssa finished grad school.How RAD is that!We were so stoked to celebrate her as she walked forward to get her Master’s degree.Since then she has been working for the university in a variety of roles and basically growing as a group leader, a director, a therapist, and other overall RADness!Sometimes people comment how they are so amazed she got her Bachelor’s and master’s degree all the while being pregnant, giving birth, and raising two children.I am amazed myself.Another RADical ending?I ended my five-year gig as a worship music director at church.It became absolutely clear that I needed to step down and though I have missed leading, I am so certain this was the right choice.It has been so wonderful to have a more simple way of living life.We are so grateful because financially, God has really provided in amazing ways, which serves as more confirmation that this was the path he wanted us to walk.We have really been walking a path of trust and uncertainty in some areas, and yet God has truly been faithful to us.
Some Random RAD things:
-Alyssa has learned to sew, and is a sewing fiend
-I have finally admitted I like strawberry daiquiris more than beer, martinis, or margarita’s.I know, Daiquiri’s are the ultimate “girly” drink, but they’re so good, while drinking beer is just a chore.
-Emily is a Rock Climber!!!We took the kids to a rock climbing gym- Emily tore that place up!
-William starts his career as a barber- by cutting his own hair.Let’s say this career did not have an auspicious beginning.
Well, we truly wish to once again send you our love and appreciation.This has been a very special year for our family and many of you have been part of that.We are so grateful to our Lord Jesus Christ, who has been very actively transforming us as we come to know him more and more.May your holidays and the year to come be filled with RADness.Merry Christmas- The Lows
What has your month looked like?
