West Texas Holiday!

This weekend we were able to get out of Houston and head out West to Coleman County, Texas. We joined about 100 or so other members of Joe's family to celebrate Joe's father David and his 90th birthday. If you ask Joe, he will tell you that David is the greatest dad anyone has ever had. He is a highly decorated Air Force veteran, great-grandfather, and Fightin' Texas Aggie. Joe is planning to write a book about him in the near future, so we'll let you know when that day comes.

We had a great time at the party and the pictures below will show a few glimpses of the day, although we didn't take many because we were busy trying to catch up with so many beloved family members that we just don't get to visit with that often. After the party we spent a couple more hours with Joe's parents and a few other members of the family at the Rodden hacienda.
Once the evening began to wind down we hopped in the car and drove halfway home to Austin, our favorite little town in Texas!

After a restful night at the Hampton Inn, we visited Soma Austin Community church, where we always feel like family, and Pastor Jacob Vanhorn. Jacob is an old and dear friend of Joe's and was the man who preached the sermon during our wedding. We are always excited to worship with the Soma family, as the praise and worship is awesome and Jacob always brings the word with genuine clarity and practical explanation. After visiting with some of our friends after church, we drove over to the South 1st Trailer Park and had our favorite meal - tacos, chips, and queso at Torchy's! We then drove over to South Congress to get Lindsay a red velvet cupcake - with cream cheese frosting - and then began our trip home. We always love road trips and we plan on taking a couple more of them before Christmas.

Joe is one of four teachers leading a group of students on a mission trip to Puerto Rico beginning Friday, so keep and eye out for some blog posts about his experiences there.

Happy Reformation Day

Reformation Day (October 31) commemorates Luther's posting of his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, 1517. This act triggered the Reformation, as they were immediately translated and distributed across Germany in a matter of weeks. The Protestant Reformation was the rediscovery of the doctrine of justification—salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone—and the protest against the corruption within the Roman Catholic Church. The century before the Reformation was marked by widespread dismay with the venality of the leaders in the Roman Catholic Church and with its false doctrines, biblical illiteracy, superstition, and corruption. Monks, priests, bishops, and popes in Rome taught unbiblical doctrines like the selling of indulgences, the treasury of merit, purgatory, and salvation through good works.


Well, it's been about four months since our last blog post so we figure it's about time. We went for a walk around our neighborhood this morning and were amazed at the amount of hard-earned dollars our neighbors have put into decorating for Halloween. When reflecting on what this day means to so many, I cannot help but recognize why today actually is worth celebrating. Jesus changes everything, even the church. Yesterday we drove an hour north to College Station to join 85,000 other people in cheering the Texas A&M Aggie football team to victory. We took our friends Josh and Shelly and we all had a great time. While I have been to many games at Kyle Field, it was fun to share one of my favorite sports experiences with Lins. She was most impressed with the Fightin' Texas Aggie Marching Band, though, and this isn't surprising since the precision they march with is one of the more impressive things you will ever see on a football field. The weather was gorgeous, with a cloudless blue sky and a high 70s temperature. Kickoff happened around 2:30 PM and we were joined by President Bush (41) and Governor Perry as the Aggies dominated the tortilla tossing Texas Tech Red Raiders. We then drove back to Houston and enjoyed some quality Tex-Mex as the four of us watched the Rangers lock down their first World Series victory in franchise history. It was a good day.

Back to Reformation Day. I often wonder why we don't put more effort into reformation in our own lives. Many of our relationships, homes, workplaces, and lives in general are in need of reform yet most of the people I know decide daily to continue a life that gives them very little joy or sense of purpose. This is hard to understand. I know we all have bad days, as I have them - from time to time, but I just don't understand why anyone spends their life on causes they don't believe in and don't feel a sense of calling in. So many people in Houston, Texas, and the entire U.S. wake up and wish they could stay in bed. So many go to work and wish they could stay home. So many people work at less than their most productive rate and wish they could work somewhere else. So many wish they could work anywhere else. So many people I know leave work and don't want to go home. They live in houses or apartments that are nothing near what a home should be. So many people wish they could live another life. I DON'T GET IT!!!

If this is you, why not seek reform? Your life is worth what you spend it on. If you spend your life on things you feel are worthless, what does that say about your life? Will you be able to look back on your life, at the end, and say that you spent every day living, breathing, fighting, and dying for something you believe in? Will you look back with regret or with laughter and a smile?

We'll be posting more soon, or so we plan to.

Oh yeah, happy Halloween!

Its been a long time

We have not done any roaming in what feels like forever, for us anyways. I mentioned in our last post that we would be staying in Houston for the summer. Well, things have changed and we are leaving for camp tomorrow morning! Joe is the Baseball Director and I will be working in the office at Brookwood Camp in New York. We will be there for about 6 weeks or so which is a little less than we had originally planned. All of the other staff arrived on Friday of last week for orientation. Joe needed to finish up some things around here so we will be driving up over the next 2 days to arrive just a couple of days before the campers. This is a sleep-away sports camp for kids much like the one that Joe worked at for 3 summers before in Massachusetts. We will return to Houston the first week of August for Joe's new teacher orientation which begins on August 6. Anyway, we are packing last minute things and trying to get our new house a little more settled before we head out in the morning but we wanted to make sure that we let everyone know about this change of plans. We are very much looking forward to some cooler temperatures. We saw that the weather up there calls for highs in the mid-80s which sounds like a dream to us at this point. It has been very hot for moving and watching/coaching baseball the last few weeks so we welcome the change. It seems strange to pack jeans and jackets when we wouldn't dream of putting those things on here but we are also ready for less bugs. I never knew that there were so many bugs and other creepy critters in this world until I moved to Texas so it will be freeing to be able to take a walk at night without being attacked by many flying things and coming in with several new bites. Well, we will try to post some pictures and updates once we get settled in at camp. Thanks for the prayers. Keep them coming!

We're...

...moving!! Is anyone REALLY surprised?!? Well, I've asked Joe to post about the life changes that we are in the middle of right now but he has been crazy busy lately and as I have finished school for the year, well, I can do my best to update everyone.

Joe went through a very long process of applying, interviewing, and being named the Head Baseball Coach at Houston Christian High School over the last several months. He applied way back in February along with a full time position teaching Bible at the school. He was told back then that he would not be considered for the Bible position because he has not been to seminary and because of that, he would not be considered for the baseball job even though he was one of their strongest candidates (apparently they wanted someone who could be on campus full time). Anyway, he applied for various positions all over the country and we were preparing ourselves to move to Austin after a summer in New York for camp. Long story short, they interviewed for months and could not find the person that they were looking for. They brought in Joe along with 4 other candidates. With his incredible interviewing skills his "30 minute interview" turned into an hour and a half long interview for the baseball position and the Bible job! They did their research, talked to lots of references, and found mutual friends on Facebook (yeah, seriously!) and offered him both positions! The Lord did some serious work through this whole process and we are so thankful! They quickly called a players meeting and a parent meeting so that everyone could meet the new coach and everyone is excited about the new season. Joe can tell you more details about the school and the program but this is like moving up to the "big leagues". The school is very competitive academically, not to mention very expensive (it looks like a mini college campus - I've never seen anything like it!) and the baseball program is a super big deal (I think they've won state 3 out of the last 10 years and have sent kids to some major universities to play not mention the kids who have been drafted straight out of high school!). Needless to say, I am a very proud coach's wife! This is like a dream job for Joe and we plan on sticking with it for 30 years if that is what the Lord has for us!

Anyway, because of Joe's new teaching position we decided not to go to camp this summer. I will be staying at my school in Baytown. I will be teaching 4th grade ELA (Reading, Writing, and Social Studies) which I am thrilled about. We also decided that since Houston Christian HS is on the other side of Houston (in Spring Branch) we needed to move to the middle so that we could both more easily get to work. We are moving on Monday to the Heights neighborhood which is just north of downtown Houston and much closer to everything that we love. Baytown is great for what it is but isn't really our kind of place. It has been a hard place to be for the last year and a half as the Lord has been working in such amazing ways - bringing us here to work at the church, giving Joe the Bible job at BCA and allowing him to work with the baseball team (who became State and National champs by the way!!!!!!) and Kade Johnson (who I call "Joe's boyfriend" - they are two peas in a pod!), allowing me to work at an amazing school with an awesome team and an incredible class, and now to HCHS! We could never have guessed how the Lord was going to work here and it has been a long and frustrating road at times. But, we are thrilled with what is happening now and we wanted to share it with you. Thanks for all of your prayers. Keep them coming please. We would love for a post soon that could be titled "We're pregnant!" but we are trying to trust the Lord with that as well (me especially!).

Our new address (which you can start using immediately) is:

1007 E. 25th
Houston, TX 77009

Since I have absolutely nothing to do this summer I should be posting pictures of our new house soon. It reminds me so much of the North...hardwood floors that creak, tall trees in the neighborhood, neighbors who know each others names - nothing like Baytown :) Let us know if you want to come visit!! Maybe you can come watch Joe's team play their district rivals who are coached by Craig Biggio :) Just a thought!

Joe in action...

More change ahead...

One thing we have grown accustomed to since we left Richmond in June of 2008 is change. It seems every time we attempt to settle down that the Lord has something else in store for us. On Thursday Joe was informed, along with about half of the staff at his school, that he would not be returning to BCA next year. The school is going through a very rough season financially and the board has cut all electives out of the schedule for next year. Along with Joe, who teaches Bible, the drama, computer technology , business, and many other teachers were let go. Exactly half of the elementary teachers were also let go. In addition, the football, men's basketball, and women's basketball coaches were also informed they did not have positions for next year. Apparently, there are more layoffs to come.

Anyway, we had settled in to a fairly nice life here in Baytown. Joe is really enjoying coaching his team this year. He is working with Kade Johnson, who is a former top draft pick and prospect for the Milwaulkee Brewers who saw his career cut short by injuries and Joe and Kade get along very well. They are like two peas in a pod, and Lindsay often refers to them as boyfriends. The team is 15-7 and ranked in the top 10, and they are only outranked by schools much larger than them. They have beaten some of the best public schools in Houston and are heavy favorites to win a state championship next month. As much fun as the next month should be, it will be bittersweet for Joe as he knows that this team he loves and is so proud of will not be his after this season.

So, once again, Joe is searching for a job. The good thing is that he will be paid, for this year, through August, so there is no immediate need to find something quickly. He has already applied for several coaching jobs at colleges in exotic locales such as Phoenix, AZ, southern Connecticut, and Southeastern Nebraska. He also applied to a job back in Indiana, but Lindsay is really enjoying the weather in Texas and is praying that we can stay in the Southwest! There are also a couple of coaching jobs that Joe has applied for in the Houston area, so that would be nice. We really like the house we are living in and we weren't planning on moving anytime soon, but we will follow the Lord wherever He leads.

Please keep us in your prayers. We are very excited that God has something better and beyond our expectations for us soon, but Lindsay really enjoys her school and the teachers there that have became her good friends. We trust Jesus and know He is always the one directing our steps, so please remember us in your prayers. We desire to stay strong in the Lord and not waiver in our faith, knowing that it is our Father's good pleasure to give us the kingdom. We will write more as we know more...

Hadley Grace Carr is here!

Hello World!!!

Hadley Grace Carr arrived on Saturday, February 13 at 1:51 pm. She weighs 7 pounds, 7 ounces and is 20 inches long. Nichole and Hadley are doing well!

They both had a long day!

Brand new grandparents

A proud daddy

We are so excited for Kevin and Nichole and look forward to meeting Hadley someday. We are thinking it won't be until June when we finish school and head north before our summer at camp. Hopefully, we will continue to get lots and lots of pictures until that day comes! Congrats Kevin and Nichole!

New Address

We have forgotten to mention that we do have a new address. We moved to a new house right after Christmas which is in a much better location and is a much better size for us. We are still renting which is best for us at this point. Anyway, feel free to send us things in the mail! We like that!

The Roddens
1635 Manor Drive
Baytown, TX 77521

The Great Flood of 2010

A couple of weekends ago we were watching a movie in our living room when I decided to finally get up and grade some papers before school the next morning. I thought that it was odd that I was suddenly standing in water so we looked around and apparently the washing machine (that was here when we moved in and had given us no problems until this point) had been spouting water uncontrollably for the better part of an hour! There was about 1/2 inch of water in almost every room in the house! We immediately turned the water off and tried to figure out how to get it cleaned up. To make a long story short, we bought a 1.5 gallon Shop-Vac which we had to empty every minute. We returned to the store and bought the 12 gallon one which was easily filled pretty quickly several times. All of our old towels were ruined and when we finally gave up at about 1:30 a.m., 5 hours after we had begun, we planned for Joe to stay home the following day to get it all figured out.

Since we are renting this house and the washing machine belongs to our landlord, his insurance is paying for everything. All of the flooring in the house, except for our bedroom and the ceramic tile in the entry way and kitchen, was ripped up immediately the next day. For 4 days we had about 20 commercial fans and 3 huge dehumidifiers running constantly. We literally had to yell to talk to each other. Needless to say, we spent each of the next several nights at Starbucks doing work until it was time for bed. The dehumidifiers gave off hot air which meant that our house stayed at a steady 83 degrees! If it hadn't been so loud, I would have been very comfortable! Our bedroom stayed closed off from some of the noise and all of the heat which meant that it was freezing at night (well, freezing for Baytown - 60 degrees or so). Anyway, almost 2 weeks later, we are still living on cement floors. Our stuff is everywhere, stashed wherever we could put it, and it has been hard to clean as we know that the new flooring will be going in eventually - hopefully sooner rather than later.

We have been trying to roll with the punches as we know that things could be a lot worse and we are so thankful for what we have. Please pray for us though as we continue to deal with the unexpected costs, etc.

The scene of the crime - the laundry room.
Isn't that the biggest dehumidifier you have ever seen (the tall machine on the left)?
It was at least 90 degrees in this little room!

Fans were EVERYWHERE!
They were all pointed at walls to try to dry them out. Some of the walls had water 8 inches high!

Our house was a wind tunnel. We are so glad that these are gone.

Baseball season...

We have more to fill you in on about our life, but for now we want to let you know that Joe's team started their season last night with a victory. He has started a blog for the players and their parents to follow along all season, so if you are interested please feel free to check it out!

www.bcabaseball.blogspot.com

Jake and Jenny's Wedding

Jake married Jenny on November 21, 2009. They have been together for a long time and this was a day we have all been looking forward to for years. It was fun to see them become husband and wife but it was also fun just to be reunited as a family. Joe and I hadn't seen Kevin and Nichole for almost 2 years prior to this event!

Rehearsal dinner at Little Sheba's

The bride and her mother getting the full treatment.

I had to do this for all of his dances in high school.
Now he has a wife to fix his hair - maybe he should learn how to do it himself!

Going to the chapel.

Beautiful bride!

My sweet brothers

The future Mrs. Carr

The Carr kids

Unfortunately for him, he has to dress like this every day for school...I love it!

Good picture Joe!
I don't know how I make it through these readings!

We all knew it would be hilarious :)

We all figured this would happen too...

The Carrs

A proud mama

I love this little boy - he will always be a 10-year-old to me :)

Behind as Usual...

Will there ever be a Rodden blog that doesn't begin with an apology for tardiness? Well, not this time anyway. We're sorry.

Anyway, life has been crazy as usual for us since our last post. First of all, we had a desperately LONG drive to and from Indiana (and Michigan) for Christmas in Richmond, a basketball game at IU, and Nichole's baby shower (as I type, Nichole is being induced...baby Hadley Grace Carr will be with us soon!)

Christmas at the Carrs' is always full of excitement. This year included a small fire.
Jake was bummed about the rolls that went up in flames.

The culprit napkin.
Good thing Jenny pays attention to what is happening when none of us do!

Yummy dinner with 3/4 of the Carr family.

Go Hoosiers!

This is the best venue for college basketball anywhere!
...doesn't he look so good in that crimson jacket?!?...

A late night stop or the BEST breadsticks in the WORLD!!

Christmas in Michigan with the McCauleys.
All Joe wanted was a white Christmas...all he got was wet grossness.

They love looking outside and watching the little ones play.
Aren't they adorable?

The whole Carr family together...a rare occurrence these days.

C'mon little Hadley! We are ready for you to be here!