Life in the Fishbowl

It has become more apparent with each trip back to Wisconsin how different yet the same our life is right now compared to before our seminary journey began.  I know, I know, you can't have something be the same and different all at once.  Yet that is how I can best describe it.  I still do the same things for the most part, but under different circumstances.  Allow me to explain further...

I am still the wife of one amazing guy, and I am still the mother of four amazing children.  But that amazing guy is now following God's call and working his tail off at seminary, leaving me with four children for much of the day.  I'm not complaining (most of the time, although I do have my moments), but it is our new reality.  Steven helps out when he can, but he needs to focus on school. So if doing much of the grocery shopping, menu planning, laundry, housework, and parenting is what I can do to help out, I'm obviously going to do it.  I have a whole new respect for single parents...I don't know how they do it!  Oh, did I mention that we are still homeschooling too?  :)

I also still have a wonderful community surrounding us with love and support.  Actually, now I have two communities!  Our New Heights community in Wisconsin continues to be a source of support for us. We enjoy the emails, the texts, and the facebook updates that keep us in the loop.  We also have moved into a closely-knit community here at Wartburg...yes, the Fishbowl!  Here we have made new friends, as well as some new traditions.  The kids are meeting new friends and trying new things, like hanging out at the youth room (a wonderful place) and cheerleading (Go Runnin' Reformers!).  The seminary students have bonded as a class and are learning how to get schoolwork done while still showing up at home every once in awhile.  And the spouses (my group)...the spouses have come together to support each other through this crazy journey. Together we parent our own children and sometimes each other's children.  We carpool our kids to school.  We pick stuff up at the store for each other.  We listen to each other and we vent (often over smores and beverages).  We keep each other sane!  Whether the spouse is Mom or Dad, it doesn't matter.  We are all in this together!

I guess what I'm getting at is that it's still the same life doing the same things, but I've had to give up some things for the time being...thus, making it different.  I don't spend time on the phone anymore unless it's to call another Fishbowl family to see if my kids are at their house.  And I don't spend a lot of time on facebook anymore unless it's after 10 pm.  Although I do rely on facebook and this blog to keep my friends and family in our loop, or fishbowl.  :)  The majority of my weekday time is spent multitasking between the kids and my "to do" list.  And the weekends are our family time...time to see Steven and spend quality time with him.  It's our time to regroup and reenergize ourselves for another week.  And, for the past few months, it's been a time to empty out that darn storage unit! 

So forgive me if it seems like I'm out of touch or ignoring you...I'm not!  I'm simply doing what I can to support our family's call to do the Lord's work.  Some days it means cleaning the house.  Other days it means watching Brigham play in the sandbox while I lend an ear to another spouse having a rough day. Sometimes it's me who needs the ear.  But please know that while seminary committments may keep us here on campus, our family and friends are always welcome to come and visit the Fishbowl!

Finally settling in...

I am embarrassed to see that it has taken me over 2 months to update the blog, and so much has happened!  Here's the short version to get you up to date...

• The tummy aches turned into a major flu outbreak in the Lindley household.  Steve and I both got it the night before we were supposed to move to Dubuque.  Needless to say, we made it here, just a few days later than planned.
• We also had to put our dog of almost 11 years down a week after we moved.  Bailey was having a really hard time with the transition and was having physical issues.  We took him to the vet and found out he had a tumor around his heart.  With heavy hearts, we all spent one last night and morning with him, loving on him and sitting with him, then we set him free.  We miss him so much, but know it was for the best.
• Emmy and Aiden both learned how to ride bikes.
• Zoe got signed up at a wonderful Christian preschool.
• Steve survived 5.5 weeks of Greek and received an A!!!  The kids and I attempted unpacking and received a C...all in good time.
• Emerson Rose turned 7 and was the first Lindley to celebrate a birthday in Iowa.
• We sold our house in Mt.Horeb and closed on it August 31!  We are no longer home-owners, and that is music to our ears!

We are now a few weeks into the regular school year, and we are finally settling in.  Steve is keeping busy with his reading and studies and is also the "Coach" of the Wartburg basketball team...The Running Reformers.  The season begins the end of October, and we are all very excited!  Emmy is on the cheerleading team, so it's a family affair!  The kids have started Lindley Homeschool and are doing well.  They love having their own "classroom" downstairs to work in.  No more kitchen/dining room school for us!  Zoe has started preschool and loves it, although she keeps calling it Glory Bees (her old school that I worked at).  Brigham is cutting lots of teeth, trying to talk a ton, and is running everywhere and climbing everything.  As for me, I've somehow managed to juggle being mom/wife/chauffeur/chef/laundry/Scentsy lady.  It's a crazy life, but I do love it.

My next entry will be much more thoughtful and not just a laundry list of happenings. :)  Life here is good, better than I ever expected it to be.  We are very blessed to not only have our old family back in WI, but to have new and amazing friends here as well.  God has amazing plans for us, and I can't wait to see where they take us! 

3 Days til Moving Day!

Welcome to my very first entry on my very first blog!  I have no idea what I'm doing, but I will get it figured out!  :)  Please hang in there with me.  I wanted a way to keep all our family and friends updated on what and how we are doing on this seminary journey, so we'll see how this works out.  Once school starts, I may even allow the kiddos to take turns giving you all updates as well.  I'm sure they will be much more entertaining than my posts.  :)

As of this writing, we are still waiting for our house to sell.  We have had many showings, a few interested parties, but no offers.  We've even lowered the price.  It's just around the corner...I can feel it.  I've even dreamed about it.  It will happen.  It has to happen.  Soon preferably!

We are also packing up the remaining things in our WI house...the homeschool books for next year, my sewing stuff, some of the toys and books...we're down to the nitty gritty!  We have one of the trailers sitting in our driveway, waiting to be loaded.  It's really hard to believe that the day is so close.

The last couple days have been strange.  We've said a lot of goodbyes, shed many tears, and had some great get togethers and laughs with friends.  Steve has started to practice his Greek alphabet and even taught Zoe a bit of it.  The kids have begun to think about how they want their rooms set up and who is rooming together.  I've been making seminary friends via Facebook, and the funny thing is...I feel like I've known a few of them forever!  Maybe Iowa isn't going to be so bad after all :).  And to make things a bit more interesting, amidst all the chaos we've been dogsitting my parents' dog.  Oh, and did I mention that Brig has an ear infection and we've had numerous complaints of tummy aches?  He never gives us more than we can handle, right?  I think it's close right now!

I'll end with a few lines from my current fave song..."Keep Your Eyes Open" by Needtobreathe...they just keep speaking to me!

Cus' if you never leave home, never let go

You'll never make it to the great unkown

Open up your eyes, keep your eyes open

So show me your fire, show me your heart

You know I'll never let you fall apart

If you keep your eyes... open love my love

Keep your eyes... (keep your eyes open)