Oops...

So I didn't plan on neglecting this blog for almost 6 months. Once I realized the length of the writing gap, I considered giving it up altogether. For all I know, everyone else has given up on my updating and stopped checking (which might be good because I was always a little creeped out by some of the people that I found out read it...). But the guilt is strong with this one, so I feel obliged to try to be a decent blogger again. In my defense, I am still writing daily in my other blog, but since no one else can read that, surely I owe society some small portion of my wit and sarcasm... right? Plus, I worked really hard on Ethan's 2nd birthday party theme, so I at least have to write a much-belated picture post on that...

OK, so what have I been up to? A lot, actually. In the past 5 months, I have graduated from grad school with my Master of Divinity. I have gone through three different levels of Boards of Ordained Ministry, written just shy of 100 pages worth of doctrine, theology, and autobiography, and come out "victorious" on the other side. In other words, I have been recommended for commissioning this summer as a deacon in the United Methodist Church. I have applied to the only three Christian education jobs that have been posted in the past 6 months within my search radius. One dismissed me immediately because they wanted someone who was NOT seminary-trained (???). The next garnered me two interviews before I was turned down, possibly because they were nervous about my having a young child (that's the only concern they mentioned in the interview). The third has yet to begin reviewing resumes. However, always ready with a plan B, I have a meeting with the district superintendent in 2 days to discuss another option if these opportunities don't work out so stay tuned! Oh, and this last update is sort of a big one: We found out a week after Thanksgiving that Ethan will have a little brother or sister in early August!

It's sort of funny that after all the waiting, all the temperature taking, all the pill popping that was required to get Ethan, #2 ended up being a surprise. A much wanted and eagerly anticipated surprise, but still. We'd talked about starting trying in December, so I'm thankful this saved us months of potential heartache, even if it does mean having a newborn right at the height of my husband's worst busy season!

So as a result of this piece of news, I've spent much of the past few months sick, tired, and disbelievingly content. I still often forget that I'm pregnant, even though I'm coming up on the 4 month mark. It just still doesn't seem real, and it definitely flies by even moreso the second time. Chasing around a very active preschooler certainly helps that!

All in all, things are going well! All of my updates are positive ones, even the job rejections because if this plan B works out, it will be the best situation possible with a new baby on the way! So what can you expect now that I'm tentatively back to blogging? Well, hopefully I'll finally get that much-belated birthday party post up this week. And I'll of course update if I have any news after Thursday's meeting. Then expect a picture-packed post of Ethan's new big boy room which we're tentatively planning on moving him into this weekend. Sometime next month will be my anatomy scan, and, while we aren't finding out the sex this time (sorry, Mom), it'll still be fun and update worthy. So hopefully now that life has calmed down a bit I'll remember that I have this other blog and perhaps some of my past readers were more loyal than I give them credit for so maybe I won't just be talking to myself here. And if that's the case, I hope you all have had a wonderful past 5 months as well!