Thoughts...

Well, we haven't updated in awhile so we thought it was time to update.  

***First of all, we have the blessed opportunity to travel to Istanbul, Turkey for two weeks in April.  Both of us have been there, and Joe lived there for a semester in 2004, but we are excited to experience one of the world's most amazing and historically significant cities together for the first time.  We are praying about the idea of perhaps living there someday.  Joe will be reunited with many Turkish friends who he has been blessed to keep in touch with since his last visit there in 2006.  

***Last night our student group hosted a Valentine's Weekend Appreciation Dinner for the members of our church, their families, and friends.  All in all, we were able to feed over 125 people from a menu including spaghetti with meatballs and either marinara or alfredo sauce.  We had salad and some tasty breadsticks, along with brownies and cheesecake for dessert.

***Things with our new church family are wonderful, and the students we work with are awesome!  2009 is already shaping up to be a wonderful year.

***Lindsay flew home last weekend to spend a couple of days with her parents in snowy Richmond, Indiana.  Though it warmed up in the 40s while she was there, there was still plenty of snow all around to greet her.  We are consistently in the 70s here in Houston, as winter came and went without so much as a heavy coat needed.  Joe loves being back in Texas!

***Finally, Joe is loving his life right now, though tomorrow is the opening day of spring training for the major leagues and he is missing the day-to-day involvement of the great game in his life.  He is blessed to have the greatest job in the world, but he sometimes misses being on the field.  To add to this longing, right outside the church door is the Lee HS baseball diamond, where young ballplayers are on the field and in the cages hitting every day of the week.  He wouldn't trade his job for any in the world, but boys are always boys and Joe is a lifelong baseball player and coach and that will never change.

Well, that's it for now, but we'll blog again soon...