More Pictures from Gran's

I can't tell...do you think he's had fun?

A Week in the Land of Crawfish and Family

I wanted to put together a little photo-journal of how we spent our last week. We took our first double-digits trip with Cole to Louisiana to visit Gilbert's family. Actually, with the exception of Italy, it was our first double-digits trip since we've been married. By double-digits I'm referring to 12 hours. We were nervous and had the idea of stopping to stay somewhere overnight if we needed to, but we made it the whole way without stopping for more than about 45 minutes. And that was only once!

We left at about noon, eastern time, on Tuesday and got there at a few minutes before midnight, central time. With the exception of Cole waking up an hour before arriving at our destination in tears, saying, "Mommy! Hold! Hold!" everything went extremely smoothly. Let me just show you what fun we had...

Happy as a clam in the car. This is almost six hours into the trip and we hadn't stopped one time. We hadn't even busted out the DVD player yet! Check out that "car-seat hair."

Gilbert's also happy as a clam, drumming on the steering wheel to the tune of a little Coldplay.

Wednesday night we had fried catfish, compliments of Gilbert's cousin Ronny, who is a great fish fryer. Cole loved it.

Cole "playing" Playstation with another of Gilbert's cousins, Ty.

Napping on the way to Gilbert's dad's parents (we stayed an hour and a half from there at his mom's parents) on the 4th. And yes, that's a cell phone on one ear and blankie on the other.

Having fun with the water hose.

Cooling off even more in the ice chest.

Getting ready for a boat ride on the lake with Daddy and Paw-paw

"Wheee!"

Waving to fellow boaters.

Four generations of Kerrigan men (plus Mike's mom)

Being spoiled with pure sugar lemonade straight from the can in honor of being in the presence of grandparents and great-grandparents

Ready to hit the road for more spoiling with grandparents. Cole went home with Gilbert's parents to south Alabama.

And I think they're having fun...




The only thing missing from the trip? Zio Randy.

And here's the greeting Gilbert and I got when we re-entered the Hoosier state:

Welcome home!

Thank You!

I just want to thank you again for the prayers you've offered on behalf of my job search. They worked! I got a surprise call from a principal on Wednesday about a job I didn't know about. It was posted as "Communications," so I didn't pay it much mind. The principal had seen my application online and decided to call me about coming in to interview the next day. I didn't post anything about it, frankly because I was sick of posting about this subject, but I'm glad to tell you that I got a call from him today saying that they want me for the job! I still have to do a second interview with the personnel dept. at central office, but he says it is rare for someone not to make it from the principal's recommendation to actual employment. This is an eighth grade position that will require me to teach mostly writing and to work with the eighth grade English teacher in splitting up grammar and vocabulary duties, which is almost exactly what I was doing at Drakes Creek just before we moved. I'll also be working with another teacher as a speech coach there. I am relieved and so grateful for the way you have helped me to petition God to move in this situation. I am so blessed by you all!

An Assortment of Cole-isms

I know you're ready for it--a post that has nothing to do with my job search. As thankful as I am that you're interested (and I wouldn't blame you if you weren't interested anymore), I'm sick of talking about it. So, I thought I'd lighten the mood by sharing with you just how funny my child is these days.


The boy loves "buggies." He loves to look at them, watch them crawl on his hands, carry them to the toilet to flush them, and use his legs to make tunnels for them. When he does this he says, "Tunnel!" In this picture he's discovered bees.


Yes, he's still a paci boy, and I'm not fighting it. He'll only be a baby for a little longer. Maybe I'll start battling that at two, but we've still got two more months until then (sniff, sniff) and I'm going to let him be a baby until then. The last few nights he's wanted to wash his paci before bedtime so that it will squeak when he sucks on it. If it isn't squeaking, he's not satisfied.


This boy loves to play ball. He loves every part of it--the throwing ("Mom, catch!"), the batting ("Hey, batter, batter...swing!"), the running ("Running!"), and the watching. When he sees baseball on t.v., no matter who's playing, he says, "Cubs!" If you ask, "Cole. Who plays baseball?" He'll first say, "Daddy," then "Cubs!"


He prefers his green beans straight out of the can these days. (I know, my mom and others of you are cringing. "He'll cut his hands!") This is the way he likes them though. Cracks me up. Tonight he dumped the juice all down his shirt.

You just can't help but love this boy!

A Quick Response

The school that I interviewed with today has a board meeting tomorrow, so I found out quickly (as in less three hours after the interview concluded) that I didn't get the job. I just keep thinking that if I'm going to be turned down for a job, this is the way I prefer. Month-long waiting, I've discovered, it not my method of choice. So, another one down, and I'm moving ahead. It feels good to know that God's in control.

Another prospect

Just thought you'd like to know, I have another interview on Monday. This is a seventh grade position, which I haven't wanted to do, but I've decided that God may want me to stick with middle school, and I should give him the chance to show me that. Also, I'm working on a Beth Moore study, Jesus, the One and Only, and just yesterday she said (in reference to our need for God to be involved in our jobs, no matter how "secular" they may seem), "Beloved, if your job has grown stale, you may not need a new occupation. You may need a new Partner." My work in the middle school setting had definitely gotten stale just before we moved. So maybe I just need a new outlook! We'll see how this interview goes...

Bummer

Just as I was about to create a post that requested your prayers again as I waited to hear about my most recent interview, I got a phone call from the principal that I interviewed with. It's a "no" for this job too. I'm more disappointed about this one than the other, which I predicted. I really would love to council, but I guess I ought to remind myself of my rationale when the other job didn't work out--it just isn't the one I'm supposed to have. I trust that God is going to present me with the right one, but it's hard when I leave an interview thinking that I'd love to do that job.

What makes it even more difficult, if I'm going to be totally honest, is that we're pretty broke. Okay, so we're not at poverty level or anything, and we're not starving, but being sure that in a couple of months things will be much easier sure would ease our minds. Can I request prayers again? Thank you guys again for checking on me and for being willing to pray for this search. As always, I'll keep you posted.