A right-of-passage:  Galen's first Young's Run!  September 18, 2011.

March 12, 2011

We have been busy—but good busy. Kevin has a good job with the DAV (Disabled American Veterans) at the Dayton Veteran’s Association Medical Center. As a service officer, he helps fellow veterans complete and follow up on paper work for claims and such. He really does a good job at it.

I have been teaching at Xenia Christian High School. Last year I taught Spanish at the Xenia Nazarene Christian school in Spanish, but I needed a fulltime job, and Nazarene did not have anything to offer. So now I work at a nearby, larger Christian school working with kids who need tutoring and intervention services. I would never have picked it out myself, but the Lord knew what I needed and He got me the spot via a friend who I’ve worked with in master’s courses at Cedarville University these past few summers. It’s a good fit and I’m learning loads.

Sean is in Afghanistan, while Christina and baby are in Clarksville, TN, at Fort Campbell. Just after Sean was deployed, Christina found a good church that she likes—a Christian Missionary and Alliance church. Plus she has joined a group of women who exercise together, and that helps her along. Please pray for her. I’m sure it’ll be a long year for her.

Katy attends a local college. She’s in her second year and just got a letter stating that she is the top scholar in her class. She will have an award ceremony –along with other honorees—in April. She studies secondary education and literature.

Colleen is a senior and Tara is a junior—both at the school where I teach. Next year will be the last year that my kids tag along to work with me. Man, I’ll miss that. I better enjoy every minute of these last two years. Colleen looks forward to being done, and she’ll probably go on to study teaching like Katy. Tara’s not sure what she’ll do yet, but she’s a good student, and I am sure she will do well in college.

Colleen just began a relationship with a young man in our church. His name is Ben, and we’ll see how this goes.

Both the “little” girls did cheerleading over the winter, and now life has slowed down as that is over. Now Colleen has to focus on getting a job and getting into college. Tara needs to focus on getting her driver’s license and maybe getting a summer job.

At church, Kevin and I are on the missions committee (can’t imagine why they asked us J), and I sing in the choir. I also play the piano for two singing groups at school. I had asked the Lord to find me a place to use the piano playing again, and about a week later, the choir director at school asked if I would help. I love it.

This summer I will take another missions trip to Chile to help work on organizing a Christian school library. The group of library ladies with whom I’ve worked were supposed to go to Cameroon, Africa, to do something similar, but that trip fell through. I prefer going to Spanish-speaking places anyway.

Mid-January 2011

Basketball has been a big part of life these days....

The "little girls" are cheerleaders for Xenia Christian, so Kevin and I try to get to as many of those games as possible. I've recently been trying to go to Kevin wheelchair basketball tournaments whenever possible—and they usually cover a whole weekend in various places (Wright State, Detroit, Louisville, Cleveland, etc.—of those, I’m just doing the first two) 

Everyone’s good. The master’s work is very slow. Hard to get interviews. 

Kevin just got a job down at the VA medical center, working as a service officer for the DAV (Disabled American Veterans). It really seems to be a God-provided fit: he helps veteran’s with the paperwork that he’s been doing for himself these past 20-plus years. Plus he is able to go to all his doctor appointments there without a problem. So far (two weeks), so good.

Yes, I have today off, but I have to do some returns at the Fairfield Commons area, and I have to do some teaching prep. January is a very busy month at XCS; they do a J-Term block scheduling, so the classes I teach are totally different—more challenging and a lot more grading and prep. But I like it.

Galen has celebrated his first birthday. Both the Stanfields and Kevin and I had the privilege of attending.

Sean leaves for Afghanistan in early February. The Lord answered this prayer regarding a mature, reliable roommate, so we are grateful for that. Please pray for Christina as she will be “alone” with toddler Galen for a year.  We’re going to go down to see them at the end of January.