Louisville Slugger Museum

There was a free museum day this weekend so I took the kids to the Louisville Slugger Museum. We saw how all the bats were made- pretty neat really. Luke was thrilled to be given a mini-bat souvenir. I was thankful for a GPS that works!!!

Settling in the the ROUTINE....

Time is on fast forward it seems these days! Keith is getting ready for mid-term exams, the kids are done their 4th week of school and fall is thinking about coming. It turned much cooler the past couple days and what a relief from the humidity- although I've been told that this year was quite mild for that sort of weather. It sure can rain here.

Keith is thoroughly loving his studies and time with fellow students. We continue to meet wonderful people and get to know friends better. It will be hard to say good bye to two families as the dads are graduating December and moving on... I guess that is the way if goes with Seminary. We'll have a full address book when we leave SBTS!

School for the kids is getting more routine, but what a big amount of work goes into every week. I am pleased to see our three loving learning and sharing that around the dinner table every night! I am getting used to pressing uniforms and marking math papers too.

I am almost finished my first Seminary Wives course called Biblical Worldviews. It has certainly challenged my mind as I do not consider myself the "deep thinker" in the family. My teacher is Dr. Mohler- the president of SBTS. Last week all seminary women were invited to Mrs. Mohler's for dessert and a tour of Dr. Mohler's library.... Okay- my husband has many books, but not even close to Dr. Mohler!! I'm hoping Keith will not get a future invite so that he can be inspired to acquire more reading material. Yikes.

This week Keith's mom and dad are coming to get the truck and trailer. The kids (and their parents) are really excited to have them come. It has been exactly 2 months since we left- long enough without a Grandma hug! I'm hoping that we can find a some couches to sit on before they go- the mini van will be tricky for transporting furniture!

I guess that Louisville will feel like home in time. For now we are so busy I don't have time to think about what home really means! We are incredibly thankful for the church we have joined and the friendships here. Last Friday night we had family fun night with the Gordon family- Marsh-mellow guns, chocolate games, Cranium, hide and seek in the dark and mini NZ movies were enjoyed by all. We also had a NZ fish dish cooked by Tania and PAVLOVA... so good.

Say hi to the mountains at home! Enjoy all the colours and changes....

Teresa

We have a "new" van...

After we got our KY drivers' license we could finally buy a vehicle! Craig's list came through again and we found the perfect one... a Honda Odyssey (2002)!! After driving the same van for 10 years we could not come up with a better option when getting another vehicle. I love that I can sit in the van and feel totally comfortable- YAY! The kids all know where their place is to sit and how to work the doors. Not what we planned, but it is great!

As for the GPS- all I can say is that Costco is awesome!! They took the broken GPS back- no questions asked. They gave me money- more than the cost of a new one! So I now have a GPS again and cannot get lost anymore. (Although today I did have to take a lengthy detour on the way to bible study- ooops!)

Megan has joined a Proverbs 31 girls' bible study with several other girls and their moms! We are just thrilled to have such a wonderful community around us. Between SBTS, Dorothy Sayers School and Immanuel Church we are so welcomed and cared for!

Keith and the kids are hard at work with the studies. Most days I can keep up with everything, but there are moments when I wonder how we are going to get everything done! Every week we seem to get more things checked off the list of settling in things to do, but then I remember the some that I've put off.. like orthodontics and piano lessons...

I am thankful for the patience I am learning... mostly! God shows me every day more reasons why we are here and how He is growing us with a purpose in mind. Life is not dull!!

I miss Creston this week. I love the mountains and crisp air!! Love to all at home.

Teresa

SBTS celebrates 150 years...

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is 150 years old this year. Every year there is a welcome students and families event. This year they went all out with rides, food, candy and fireworks! It was a great time at campus and the kids loved it! Once it was dark everyone got glow sticks and watched an AMAZING fireworks display.

We passed the Kentucky Driver's tests....

Now I can relax- a bit! After what was a LONG process Keith and I have our Kentucky State Drivers' License. It was a convoluted 3 step process...

Step 1- Find the downtown office without the GPS. stand in line for 1 hour and pay many quarters for parking to get denied for a Social Security number.

Step 2- go to the BLUE LETTER office with all you paperwork and no husband ... Step 2 (again) go to the Blue Letter office WITH your husband, 3 children and ALL your paperwork to get a BLUE letter to give to the License guys. Megan didn't think the paper was all that blue!

Step 3- FIND the License office without the GPS, take all you paperwork, take the eye test (Teresa almost failed). take the computer test (designed for trained chimps) and book the road test.

Step 4- Borrow a friend's mini van (because Teresa cannot parallel park Dad's F350 Diesel truck), pray like crazy and take the simple road test! Pay all of $20 for the license and smile for the picture.

Am I ever glad that one is behind us. Now we can buy a vehicle and get insurance. My mom said that I should try out my Kentucky accent so that I would sound like a local- that won't work when you are nervous! The kids are proud of their mom and dad.

The kids are now looking forward to getting a vehicle of our own- the truck is a HUGE blessing as we have needed it to get furniture for the house... BUT they are a little tired of walking from the back of every parking lot. We are hoping to see Keith's mom and dad here after corn harvest... the kids can hardly wait! They will take the truck and horse trailer home to Canada when they come. Until then- the truck is a city truck!

The adventures continues.....

BEDS! We all have beds!

After 7 months of sleeping on the floor (well maybe more if you count NZ places) the kids are in BEDS! They are pretty thrilled to have mattresses, say good bye to sleeping bags and have their own space. Luke has a room all to himself and he is a little lonely now. He spends most of his time visiting the girls in their room- with a new lego creation!

We were able to purchase beds and mattresses at a fraction of the cost we would pay at home. After sleeping on 30 year old mattresses in Creston- this is wonderful!!!

The house is gradually getting set up- we still have nothing to sit on in the living room- but the right sofa will show up on Craig's list I'm sure! Besides- there are still 8 boxes in the way right now. All in good time!

The weather still feels like summer around here, but school is in session and the fall decor is out on display in stores....

Take care all at home! Apparently I said y'all to Keith yesterday- this I do not remember, but Ellie now answers "Yes Ma'am." Yikes!

First Day of School!

The kids had their first day of school today! It was a little weird for them to be the new kids, but they all made new friends. The uniforms look great on all 3- Luke liked that fact that ALL the boys had to wear the same thing. Ellie was okay with the skirt and Megan would prefer the skirt! We'll see how all this goes for the rest of the year. It is really nice only buying one thing for the kids and not having the "what do I wear today?" conversation!

Keith is also hard at the studies. He is reading lots and getting some assignments done. He has found the library with good printing services (free!) and still loves his motor bikes rides to SBTS.

I feel like the quarter back for the school team here, BUT I am taking a course with Dr. Mohler on Biblical Worldviews. I guess we'll see how my brain holds out. The biggest challenge for me right now- other than the unpacking, laundry, cooking, cleaning etc- is NOT GETTING LOST! I broke the GPS and I am too cheap to buy a new one. So I pull over ofen, use my trusty map and likley I will get a new GPS soon because then I will save on all the fuel I use trying to find my way around!!!!!!!!!!!

I sure missed the kids while they were at school today, but got lots done around the house. I am hoping that this week we will get the kids into beds and off the floor!

Love you all at home! We will miss all the kids' friends and teachers this fall at home too.....

Teresa