wait... April 17th??

Where is the time going? I'm amazed that we're already midway through April.
This past week has been quite busy and tiring for Spencer, and very slow and tiring for me. We're hanging in there and are thoroughly enjoying life together.

As I write, Spencer is dismantling our furnace. It's been making a horrible amount of loud screeching and scraping whenever it's running, so he's been figuring out the cause. I'm so impressed with his ability and patience to deal with such things...

We've been married for 10 months now. Each month we find ourselves increasingly glad and grateful for the privilege of being husband and wife. I am so blessed to have Spencer as my husband. These days of physical discomfort and fatigue have made me incredibly thankful and humbled to have such a godly and compassionate, tender hearted man to care for and lead me. Thanks be to our Lord and Savior for sustaining us and meeting our needs. We've really been made aware lately of just how much God is using this difficult time to grow us and teach us to fully rely on Him. And despite our lack of faith and tendency to get discouraged, He continues to be patient with us. Our situation could be considered bitter (and we certainly have thought it so at times), but we're slowly realizing just how sweet it really is! I have tears in my eyes as I type, considering just how good and merciful our God is, knowing it is HE Who has turned a bitter struggle into something sweet and beautiful.

Thank you so much, dear friends, family, and even people we have never met, for your prayers and sweet words of encouragement. It has meant such a great deal to us.

Last week was quite difficult for me. Rather debilitating fatigue and discomfort. It's been frustrating, when I'm trying SO hard to take care of myself and allow my body what it needs to recover. Even today, I'm really struggling to shake off the cold I caught over two weeks ago, which is disheartening. Ultimately, these frustrating weeks have been a great opportunity to realize just how much I struggle with patience. A desire to wash the dishes, do laundry, contribute to our household income, and cook dinner for my husband is not wrong. However, if I react with anger and despair when I am not physically able to do these good and right things, I am sinning. I shouldn't desire these things so much that I sin if I don't get them. Ever so slowly, with much encouragement from my patient and wise husband, I'm learning to be still and wait. Most days are painfully lonely and very slow, but I'm learning to be content and at peace in this season :) 

Spencer has less than a month left of the spring semester! We are getting SO excited for his summer break... there's been a lot of talk about camping, hiking, and biking. I really hope I have more energy and strength by then, so we can do some adventuring. We've been wanting to go camping since uh, the last time we went with Jennifer and Greg at Hume Lake in 2005. Wow, has it really been that long??

** Oh, and the furnace is now running beautifully. Hooray!