Happenings around the Holland Home

This week, I feel like we have really, really been able to settle in to our new home.  We've only been here three weeks, but I feel like we've lived here for a while, which is a VERY good thing.

So what have we been up to, you might ask?  Well, Monday morning I awoke to the sound of the lawn mower at 7am.  Yep, Caleb decided to cut the grass.  Not because he had to, but because he wanted to.  My husband enjoys cutting grass, the grass needed to be cut, and the rest is history!  Later that day, Jeff's wife Beth, and their girls Mackenzie and Megan came over for lunch with me.  They are all so sweet, and we had a wonderful time together.  They brought us fresh blueberries that they had picked, and Caleb didn't even get to taste them, I gobbled them up so fast in the following days!  Later that night, we went out to eat at a local Japanese steakhouse.  It was so fun to watch them cook the food right in front of us!

Our closets were recently resheetrocked (I'm using this as a word although spell check says it is not a word--you get the idea), but needed to be sanded, painted, and have the shelving put in.  So, I've been working on that.  It's been fun for me since I've not done it before and I enjoy learning new things.  I was able to paint the closets today, and I am so happy with how they turned out!  The last time I painted was in high school.  Wow.  Over a decade ago....

Caleb's days have been filled with meetings, intern orientation, & planning the leadership retreat that's coming up.  It's so neat to see him in his element and so excited!  I was able to spend some time in how office with him today.  I enjoyed decorating it for him!

I've spent a lot of time searching for jobs, filling out job applications, and dropping those off.   The process of job hunting on the internet is actually fun for me when I find something that seems like it might be a good fit, but actually filling out applications and not getting any phone calls from the applications I've filled out is not.  So, I'm trying really hard to trust the Lord in all of this.  Psalm 3:5-6 keeps coming to mind, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight."  I'm going to keep reading the truths of scripture when I'm discouraged, because turning to God and trusting in Him is what most glorifies Him!  God has a plan in all of this, and he does not allow any situation into my life that has not passed through his loving, good hands.  Isn't that what God wants from his people--for them to have faith in Him and His power and His goodness?

Thursday, I began reading The Chronicles of Narnia  for the first time.  I believe I've read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe when I was younger, but not the entire book.  Oh my goodness!  I LOVE IT!  I'm so thankful that Mindy Williams (Women's Ministry Leader at our church in North Carolina) recommended that I read it.  I'm on page 72 now...I can't wait to read the rest!

And yesterday, I had a chance to do a little baking.  I had been thinking about making mini cheesecakes for some time now, but I didn't have all of the ingredients until this week. So, today I made homemade chocolate chip cookies (froze about 1/2 of the batter in wax paper logs (that's a first, too!) to use later)), and the mini cheesecakes.  I asked Caleb what he thought of them, and his response that they needed more cheesecake, haha. So, next time, I'll have to put more filing in each muffin cup :).

And finally,  I'm so glad that I have GPS on my phone.  Valdosta is neat because there are city blocks.  I've never lived anywhere set up like this, and it is fun.  As long as I am going in the right direction, generally, I can find my way to where I am going.  My GPS is not 100% accurate (I found out the hard way....trying to go to Wal-Mart and ended up at Hobby Lobby, which technically was not a bad thing), but that's okay.  I still get lost A LOT, but I've always been able to find my way back home!