I know most people jump all over this thing as soon as something happens in their life. I prefer the procrastinator's way of doing things...

Its been over a week now since we packed up our life in the desert and headed towards the Pacific oasis. It was quite the lonely drive as I followed Ryan and Bella (now known as Izzy) in the UHaul but I guess I couldn't complain about "Felipe" in the new Mazda! We were greeted with a warm welcome and tons of Calvary people moving everything out of the huge truck and into our apartment in about 20 minutes! Some of our new students even decorated our door with posters representing California specific icons. I also got to attend Ryan's first staff meeting where we were introduced to everyone. The staff is great and so so sweet. So far, our experience with Calvary and the people here has been refreshing. I love seeing Ryan just so excited about his job and role here and experience a kind of freedom that he so deserves. I can't wait to see what else is in store for us here because its evident that great things are happening and we're honored to be a part of it all.

Here are some pictures of our first week in California:



P.S. Bella is now Izzy because we couldn't keep her in our apartment so Eric, who works with Ryan, and his wife and two little girls adopted her from us. One of their girls' name is Ella so this ended up being quite confusing for both dog and baby. We were super excited about this adoption as Izzy's new family is so great and they have an awesome backyard for her to play in. We know they will take excellent care of her and love her as much as we do. I'm sure she will do the same for them :) Plus, she is only a mile away and we get to see her whenever we want and they have built-in dog sitters!!

So, a lot has changed in my life this past month. I have become an aunt, said good-bye to my family and new nephew after only 2 days, packed up my 3 bedroom 2 bathroom house in AZ, said goodbye to friends and family there, traveled 7 hours to move our stuff into a 1 bedroom 1 bathroom apartment, and say hello to new friends. Whew, who needs Disneyland when you can just live my rollercoaster of a life?!?! One thing remains the same though and that is that God is good and so much of this change is because of our obedience to Him. Like I said, we're excited for this adventure and starting fresh with people we already love!

Long overdue

Wow....where do I even begin to update you on my life the past month?? First things first, I am an AUNT!! On Friday, June 13, 2008 my big sister gave birth to her baby boy, Eli Ryan Stumpf. I'm not sure I will be able to find the words to describe what this has done to me. I already have tears forming in my eyes as I think about this little person who stole all of our hearts before he was even the size of a pea. You see, this baby was prayed for and prayed for for over 2 years as Kari and Aaron waited patiently to become pregnant. The months of tearful phone calls from my sister began to wear me down as I took on her pain and burden. Now, 9 months after the call we had all been waiting for, we stare at this miracle and my heart feels like it could burst. I don't know if I am just an overly emotional person or if its because there is just something special about sisters, but watching Kari become a mother has brought so much joy! I'm excited to see how Kari and Aaron grow together now as a little family with their son. Basically, what I am trying to say is Eli has already brought so much to our family and we are all absolutely nuts about him!! I can't even imagine what its going to be like to love my own children :)

Californiaaaa...Californiaaaa...here we cooooooomeeee!

I spent all day Friday in California apartment hunting, as Ryan and I are moving to "Cali" in two weeks (sorry Calvary peeps, its just easier to say). The hunt was successful and I found us an apartment to move into on June 18th!!! Crazy!! Only bummer...we can't have Bella there. I'm going to lose it again if I think about it so thats enough for now. Anyways, just wanted to give the update.

P.S. We are 7 miles from the beach so all you AZ folk, COME VISIT!