Thank goodness for cell phones.

Oh, what a week we have had!

So last Tuesday, I tried a new Starbucks near the hotel for my hour or two of thank-you-note writing. First of all, they were playing very loud Hispanic dancing music. Then my iced caramel latte seemed all caramel, little latte. Mainly due to the music, I decided to leave & go to the Starbucks I had been going to. But when I hauled my Target bag of notes, stamps, wedding cards, etc., out to my car, my car didn't start. Okay. So Josh left work early & saved my stranded self. He jumped it & we went to the hotel to find somewhere to take it to. When we went to take it to the dealership, it wouldn't even jump. So we got it towed. Apparently my alternator had failed, so they replaced it & I picked it up Thursday.

Drove it Thursday during the day. Then Josh & I headed on the beltway toward Jessica & Brandon's place for dinner & my stereo stopped working... then lights on my dash came on... then my windshield wipers started slowing down... at this point we start heading back to the hotel to take his car... my air conditioner stopped blowing cold air... I'm crying, afraid it is going to blow up as we drive down the highway... then we exited the highway & my brakes started jerking. We pulled into some warehouse parking lot & my car died. Fun. We called the dealership again & the towing company & no one could figure out where we were. We eventually got picked up & some fuse linkage box thing in my car had died or whatever. Picked it up on Saturday.

So that was some all week car trouble fun!

Oh ya. Then we realized the highway we had taken when we tried to turn around was a toll-tag only tollway. So we're watching the mail for charges from that!

Poor Josh also got sick with a cold last week, & gave it to me yesterday. What a sharing sweetie.

We also found out where Josh would be his last two weeks of training. Not Austin, like previously planned, but... ALA-STINKIN-BAMA!

So he will be in Alabama for two weeks starting Monday. I'm not sure what I'm going to do, because he is flying so I can't go (unless we paid for it of course but that's not gonna happen)... go to Midland? Stay in San Antonio & try to figure out what to do with my life? We'll see.

I'm not really looking forward to going back to San Antonio. I'll be glad to be back in our home, of course, but I'll only be reminded that I have yet to hear God show me what to do with my time & that we have no close friends or family-figures. I'm having a harder time with this than Josh; he's definitely more patient than I am. We have really enjoyed hanging out with our good friends Jessica & Brandon while we've been here in Houston, & I got to spend time with Paige & Claire, & I'm very thankful for that.

Please do be praying that God will show me what He wants me to do. I'm quite conflicted over it all. Pray for patience & clarity. & please be praying that Josh is safe during his last two weeks of training. It's almost over!!

We miss you all!!

J&C

Starbucks' chicken salad sandwiches are good! Try one!

I love the ability to make coffee here in the hotel room that is fast & free. It's a lot easier than my coffee maker at home, too, so maybe that is part of the excitement.

Two weeks down, four to go. I have decided that I suppose I will tackle those thank you notes this week to keep myself busy. Blah. I am not a fan of thank you notes (don't get me wrong, I am very thankful - but I hardly know some of the people I write them to so I don't have a bundle to say!). Speaking of not being a fan of a means of communication, I really really don't like the phone. I like it if we are REALLY good friends, or maybe if you catch me on a good day, but if I need to find something out or deliver a message & the way to do that is to call someone... I would SO much rather drive to them to ask in person! I'm not sure why I have such a phone-phobia. But yuck. Just can't stand it.

God has really challenged me, through people we have met at our church, in the area of prayer. I don't pray for enough, & my faith is not sure. I'm not sure if I can fully explain. I have found that there are things that I classified as too "superficial" to pray for, because why would God care about that, or just do that because I prayed it, because it's just not very important? I'm definitely not talking about praying that God gives you more money just because you want it or something to that effect, but praying, for instance, that God stops the heavy rain while you are driving. & I don't want you to think that God is One that just wants to give us everything we want or ask for. No. My revelation is a reflection of the fact that I didn't pray enough or about enough. I find myself praying for more people I don't know, more specifically, & more full of faith that God most certainly WILL answer my prayer, but HOW He answers my prayer is based on what glorifies Him most & what He sees as best for me or whoever is involved. But when I really believe, I find myself looking for His answer, which I think is definitely part of the process. (If anything I said can be taken the wrong way, please do not assume, but ask for clarification - I don't want anything I say to be misconstrued.)

On another note, I have decided that Houston can be labeled as a city of bad drivers. They speed, swerve, honk, weave with no regards to anyone. Now, to my friends from Houston, this does not include you... unless, of course, you are indeed a bad driver, then there you go.

I think God uses driving as a serious means of sanctification!!

I am off to buy myself some sushi for lunch, do some reading, & write lots of thank yous over a caramel iced latte...

J&C

(At first I felt like I couldn't call this a FAMILY blog when I will undoubtedly be the only one that writes in it, or sign it from the both of us when he has no input, but I'm gonna play the "we are one" card in this & all future instances.) :-)

Life in Houston

Weird again.

I've never lived in a hotel before. It's not so bad I guess, with free breakfast, a workout facility downstairs, & not having to cook dinner. I have already staked out the nearest Starbucks, Target, Sonic, Barnes & Noble, etc., & found some yummy cheap restaurants for us to try out. We were glad to know they have a Chuy's here... that is our new Mexican spot, I think. It's good... especially the FREE nachos between 4-7 on weekdays!! :-)

Today I went to Central Market. I have never been there before, but oh my. I just had the best time! I got to sample fresh mango & several breads (I could live in the bread section, you know). I bought a bit of strawberry granola, dried fruit, a piece of baklava, & a chicken salad sandwich. I think I'll be going back there soon... & definitely leaving with some of those mangoes!!

Toby the cat is also here with us... we couldn't leave him in SA without us, you know. That makes it more fun for me too, having him here in the room while Josh is at work.

God is teaching me a lot these days, & I can see how He is changing me. That is a good thing... but a long process. He is also refining us as a couple & showing us how to be married & how now our relationships with the Lord are to be shared with each other & how to be unified in that. I'm not sure how to explain it. All I know is that we have a lot to learn & I'm excited to see how our marriage looks next year, in 5 years, in 50 years; God willing.

I get excited about this time of the day... it means it's almost Me&Joshie time! :-)

J&C

P.S. I'm still trying to get used to the fact that I can now do things in Josh's name without him there... like depositing his checks or something. It also still weirds me out when people (like bank tellers or the gym girl) call me Mrs. Roberts. I feel old!

Life is Weird

I wanted to post a picture of my (parents') dog... b/c she's adorable. We can't wait to get a dog.

But yes, life is weird. About as weird as it's ever been. Some parts I like. Some... well, let's just say I've been praying a lot.

It's strange being in a town where you can count on two hands how many people you know. & those relationships are new & not very deep - I really miss my friends that know me & we can have serious conversations or we can have fun or we can sit & not do much of anything. I want that here but I think it's going to take a while.

God is challenging me with contentment. I'm really struggling to be fully satisfied in Him alone... I've definitely realized how important people & relationships are to me. Josh left last night for Houston & this, where I am, will not seem like home again for a month & a half. I don't like being here without him so I'll be in Houston as much as I can... living out of a suitcase. At least we'll have cable! & I guess that will motivate me to write those thank you notes!

Josh is in a wedding this weekend, & his grandmother passed away today (Josh's family would appreciate your prayers), so we will be going to a funeral a day or two before the wedding. Again, life is weird. It's the most inconsistent & unroutine it's ever been. Hmm.

But I know God has something for us in this time. He will grow us & hopefully we will know Him more by the time this period is over.

Pray that our marriage would be strengthened during this time & that we would not let things like money (it costs a lot to drive back & forth & eat out more often than we do here) cause frustrations. We really appreciate your prayers!

J&C