A YEAR AGO....

A year ago our family lived in Avon, Ohio. A year ago Jake worked for URS in Cleveland. A year ago Josh and Jamesen started kindergarten. A year ago I was in the thick of Relief Society work at church. A year ago we had no idea where our lives were going. A year ago we knew URS wanted to move us to Chicago. A year ago we were praying hard for answers and direction. We were fasting, praying and acting in faith that we would receive answers. We had been looking for these answers for years. Answers for our future. We were done with URS. We were done with the constant moving and unknown with little financial compensation. So. It was time. Time for a fork in the road. Prayers were answered. Loooooong awaited prayers, answered. By October, Jake gave his notice, turned down a long term opportunity in Chicago and accepted the opportunity to go to graduate school at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. Due south 4 hours from Cleveland. Once the decision to go back to school was made, it was like opening the flood gates. The plan was in motion and fell into place so rapidly, we found ourselves living in Maineville, Ohio without so much as a blink of an eye. It went so fast. Jake's enrolled in the Masters of Education, Athletic (Sports) Administration degree. His hopes are to work in a major university athletic department and eventually run a department as an Athletic Director (AD). Right now: Jake's working on an internship through the University of Cincinnati's Athletic Department. He takes classes at night. He loves what he's learning and the world he's in. He's happy... He's happy, people. Oh, what I would do for him to be happy. To make all this happen, we switched roles in our home. I had worked for a dentist in our ward in Avon, enough to build my confidence to go back full time into the work force. Once we arrived in Maineville, I went to work looking for a job and within 6 weeks I had a job with an endodontist (root canal specialist) doing dental assisting. (Thats a miracle story just in and of itself.) Jake has studied hard and has perfect grades and has been amazing at being Mr. Mom. I always knew he'd be great at it. He's modest, but he's a shining star in his program getting great grades and reviews from his professors on his presentations and projects. I love my job! Hours are perfect. I enjoy the ladies I work with a lot. My boss is great! So many miracles, its as if God signed His name to them personally. We're happy here. This reads so simply, and yet if you look between the lines we were at the end of our rope without answers. We were on the verge of great despair feeling like we would wander aimlessly for the rest of our lives. We felt like we couldn't make ANY decisions for our future. They were made for us. We had felt so discouraged for more than a few years. These decisions involved HUGE LEAPS OF FAITH! We didn't know how or if or when they'd work out and even if they will still work out. We were leaving a paying job in a poor economy to go to school. Neither of us had income when we arrived in Cinci. However. Through the years one thing I have learned; TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL THINE HEART and lean not unto thine own Understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path. So thats where we are in our lives...In case you didn't know.

YMCA KIDS TRIATHALON

We've spent the summer at the YMCA swimming and working out. Jake and the boys mostly. After two rounds of swimming lessons the boys begged us to enter them in the triathalon sponsored by the YMCA in Lebanon, Ohio. (We've heard it said its the largest in the USA...I don't doubt it either.) Here's the boys before the start. Joshua and Jamesen were in earlier heats and Jabrens was among the last. So we ran back and forth to watch as much as we could.