Thursday, August 19, 2010

Enjoying New York City

Hard to believe, I know, but Jeff and I REALLY have been enjoying New York City. I think this past week was the first time I stopped and thought, "wow, this is nice. i like it here."

ok, don't go crazy on me, i still long to be home in detroit...but it's ok here.. for now :)

Last week, I got to meet one of my mom's friends she used to work with, Adrianne, and her family. Adrianne has a beautiful son and it was so refreshing to meet another christian woman living here in new york city.

Now that Jeff and I have two paychecks, we've also felt as though we can financially afford to be "New Yorkers". New York has SO much to offer, but it's NOT cheap. Last week we were able to try some new restaurants together (one of my favorite things to do.) On Saturday we visited Governor's Island (see picture in previous post.) We took a ferry to the island, rented a tandem bike and had a picnic. After, we met my dear friend, Ali, and her family at Riverside park for some relaxing music. It was a perfect "new york" day.

When I had a break between seeing two babies, I started to read some of Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost for His Highest" and I had a moment..

A moment that I didn't want to admit to...

A moment that I SURELY didn't want to tell Jeff about...

A moment I can't believe I'm blogging about...

God changed my heart. I felt peace as He told me, "Laura, you will love Brooklyn, and I need you to trust me with the amount of time I have you and Jeff here."

Gross.

I knew I had to immediately call Jeff and tell him amount my moment with The Lord because if I didn't, I would continue to nag him and try to control our timeline here in New York. I called him, crying, and owned up to what the Lord was teaching me. Jeff's response was so graceful. He immediately said, 'Thank you for calling, but this doesn't change our plan about trying to get back to Detroit next fall. God just wanted you to change your heart - who knows when He will lead us back."

We found a neighborhood (and apartment) that we love in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. It's by a beautiful park and cute downtown area. It's also close to all of the babies that I see for speech therapy. I am really looking forward to more space and making a home here.

Well, we head to Alaska tomorrow with Jeff's family on a cruise! Look forward to pictures when we return!

Much Love.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Governors Island

Jeff and I tandem bike riding on governors island in nyc

Sent from my Verizon Wireless Phone

Thursday, August 5, 2010

"baby rabies"

yes, it's what jeff refers to my obsession with babies and small children..."baby rabies". i am infected. i started babysitting when i was in 6th grade (aunt patty, what where you thinking leaving a 10 year old with two children under 3????!) and have consistently babysat through graduate school. i still have a babysitting job here in NYC that i love to do when i have some free time (they are the coolest people i've met while living here.) my mom told me that when she brought peter home from the hospital (he is 18 months younger than I am) i walked around saying, "where's MY baby?" - trying to feed him, care for him, as if he were my own. it started young, folks.

(this is my cousin kelly - i started babysitting her when I was 10! all grown up:) )

i know jeff was secretly hoping my "baby rabies" would subside once i started working, 8 hours a day, with babies under 3...much to his dismay, and mine, it makes me love them more! seriously, i am such a nerd. when i see people post on facebook about their small infant/toddler and their development (in language OR feeding) i get a little too excited.

(this is a picture of sweet Ava and I a few years ago. I was her nanny during college)

i secretly hope every month that i am pregnant (which is next to impossible), yet there is some rational side of me that knows jeff and i cannot emotionally, spiritually and financially care for a child while living in new york. before we got married i foolishly told jeff, "i want to work for as long as i have been in school - about 6 years with graduate school" and he REALLY wants to stick with that. he wants us to enjoy each other, travel, save (oh jeff, why are you so rational?) i am such an impatient person who wants my desires satisfied RIGHT NOW. the lord is really teaching me to enjoy where we are now (young, living in new york city, working jobs we love) but is it really a sin as a woman to long for a child so deeply?

last week jeff and i were having dinner and he jokingly said, "we're never having babies!" (or something of the sorts) and I STARTED TO CRY! he was completely kidding, but for some reason this comment struck me so deeply i couldn't stop the tears. i think about hannah, sara, rachel...all of these women of the bible that had to WAIT for a child. they remind me of my sweet friend sarah who is only 26 and had to go through so many tests, ultrasounds, and almost surgery before the lord blessed her with a pregnancy. i selfishly think, "eeek, Lord, please don't make me walk through that. i would rather get pregnant on accident TOMORROW than be barren."

and, if i'm really honest with myself, i cannot have a baby when living in a different city than my mom. she is my best friend. i need her by my side as i walk through pregnancy. i can only start praying that my daughter (yes, jeff and i think we will only have daughters, haha) and i will someday have a relationship as precious as my relationship with her.

as you finish reading this you're probably thinking, 'jeff is right. laura is crazy. she has baby rabies'. it's ok. i embrace it.

much love.


Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Getting "FIT" makes me LOVE my job!

It's true. I love my job. I know, hard to believe after the last posts about how exhausting it was. Why is it so much better? Jeff and I purchased a Honda Fit a couple of weekends ago which has made my life so much easier! No more morning panic attacks, no more "roughing it" on brooklyn public transportation to 8 homes a day, no more "stealing" air conditioning on hot, sweaty days from local businesses...Our Fit has blessed me so much.

We had been looking into buying a car for the past month or so but thought we would wait until early September to make a purchase. Two weekends ago we had the opportunity to test drive a Honda Fit and Ford Fiesta and ended up buying the Fit THAT day. This purchase was also a milestone in our marriage: our first grown-up purchase. I am so grateful for a job, and a supportive husband, to be able afford a car. Most New Yorkers don't get this luxury :)

Much Love.