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We've Moved to
Wow, a lot has happened since we wrote last time. We decided to write in September so you can get our new address before the busy Christmas season. Then, as we were drafting the words, Sept 11th came along and everything became different. The inset
gives you a overview of the last year and a half. We threw a big party for
Jon in May 2000 for his "ABD"
(all but dissertation) and going "over-the-hill".
[Nah, just "approaching the crest."]
That summer we drove from Columbus Ohio to Oregon, down California & across
to the Grand Canyon, through Texas, and back to Ohio. It was an awesome
vacation. Although Trish was seven months The next big event was the birth of JJ. He radically changed our lives. Trish thought that number 4 would be easy--been there, done that. Au contraire. . .After three years of no diapers, and very independent children, she was not prepared for the constant demands of an infant. With much prayer and help from friends, JJ now fits comfortably in our family, although Trish still needs to do an attitude check occasionally. He will be one soon. Just starting to "pull-up" and crawl rapidly. He is very happy and active. A joy for the whole family (and thankfully, God has protected him from three older siblings who adore him near-to-death). In May 01 Jon finished his dissertation and packed us up to head for Omaha. That simple sentence covers so much. Jon loved his three years at OSU (and Trish loved it more--no TDY's, no long hours, Jon around home alot). |
Events of Importance .............................................................. Jan 2000 -- Y2K and nothing happens July-Aug 2000 -- Huge 7000 mile trip 9 Oct 2000 -- Jon Josiah "JJ" is born...
Jan 2001 -- Official Y2K & still nothing
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But start-to-dissertation defense in 3 years is no mean feat, and he was chomping at the bit to get back to the AF life. Trish was too, but she's never been more "rooted" than in Columbus. Maybe because it's not a military town, and people there don't move often--like our "family" at Smoky Row Brethren Church. So it's been a significant change. Settling in here was probably our easiest transition ever. Jon loves being a squadron commander. It's always been his dream assignment, and the 97th is the best squadron around! (Just ask them) It keeps him busy, but not as much as Trish had feared. He makes about 2 short trips a month, and doesn't get too many calls in the middle of the night. Our base housing is small, but its still 4 bedrooms and we fit comfortably, thanks to Jon's creative building and arranging. We are attending the Saturday night contemporary chapel service. That's an adjustment, but it's nice to have Sunday for a family day. And the service fits us perfectly. We have made many friends, and Trish has been too busy to be lonely. After much prayer and discussion, she has decided to homeschool again. She's very happy with the decision. It's a blast this year. For those of you familiar with the homeschooling "lingo", she finds more and more that she follows Charlotte Mason's principles. She has many field trips planned and is reading tons of books with the kids. She will be doing Bible Study Fellowship again this year, and is teaching aerobics at the YMCA.
We hope to continue to write annually. But only God knows when or where we'll move next. We should be here two years, and then,... But we are continually convinced that the God of the universe has His hand on us, and is directing our every step. Jon, Trish, Bekah, Erin, Riley, JJ |
