No ladies and gentlemen, it's not Dean Martin with glasses

Ted's last concert with Mountlake Terrace High School Band was tonight. He conducted half the pieces played. He did such a good job but did look like Dan Martin with that bow tie. The kids whooped and cheered for him, which I think means they like him, right? So our adventure with student teaching comes to end tomorrow.

And honestly, I'm crabby. Being in the midst of waiting for direction and provision, isn't really fun for me. Job leads are scarce, some opportunities are cut or someone else gets hired. It's just plain sucks.

We are moving in with my mom at the end of this month to put the house up for sale. But who knows if the house will sell. Frustration.

But then a friend emails and her husband has lymphoma. They have 2 young kids and I have my health. I have a place to move to when our house sells. I have a great husband and fabulous kids and not matter what, we'll be together (unless Ted needs to teach in China, a joke people - I hope). We have food on the table (more than most of the world). We have good friends and a couple of good churches that we are involved in. We have it good.

The Lord will provide in his timing not mine. I have to remember that. He's always taken care of me. I need to remember the bounty of God's grace and extend some to my unemployed husband who doesn't necessarily go after jobs like I do.

Our weekend

We had a fun weekend. The kids started their next round of swim lessons. Lucas was super nervous and worked himself into a fit and held back some. But by the end he was all smiles and proud of himself. Nora blossomed and did well on her own in her own class.

Later that day we got to have Coco stay with us for the evening and boy, did the kids love that. Today (Sunday) Ted sang with an ensemble at church since he had left his job there. He like singing with the group but not getting up early and biking there in the rain. It's soooo nice to go to church together. LOVE IT!

Tonight, we had some other friends with their girls over. I love have Matthew and Erica over. They have a strong willed 4 year girl and I feel vindicated when chatting with Erica because I don't feel like I'm the only mom out there with a strong willed child. I feel like I'm not the bad guy (mom), that I'm not just imagining her fits and daily struggles liking my daughter. In the end I feel encouraged.

We had a good weekend and now onto another week of craziness with Ted and his internship. We are half way through. Most of his classmates will be done way before him but his mentor teacher is having him work through the end of the school year. Can't wait for June 21st!

The worry has set in...

It's the end of April. I know- a long time since my last blog. It seems so much busier now that Ted is working a full work week instead of his patchwork work schedule at the church. I feel like I'm taking care of much more of the household stuff just because he needs to focus much more on this internship. Not a poor reflection on Ted because this high school band stuff is time consuming. And I feel like I'm supporting him more by doing that stuff.

My worry level is increasing as April ends and May nears with news of layoffs and cuts in education, usually in the Arts. I think about what can be cut out of our budget so that we can save and I admit my spending has been silly at times in the last couple of months and I need to really get serious about this budget stuff.

We've decided not to put the house on the market. We just feel that God told us to wait or hold off. I feel better when both of feel that way instead of just me. So God must be up to something, right? I don't know if it's a job though. It might be a time of want and uncertainty instead of a job and stability.

So we will see what the Lord has in the game plan. Ted is definitely trying his hardest. He has a lot of afterschool on the weekend events that he has to do beside all the teaching during the day stuff. I know he will make a great teacher!

Happy 3rd Birthday Nora!

Today starts off our birthday week here at the Triggs. Nora is today, I'm tomorrow and then Ted's is on Friday. Always fun this week. Today Nora had her first really party. Just some little girlfriends and their mommies. It was nice and small. Loved it!
Nora loves this party dress!

I can definitely say I fall in love with Nora more and more over the years. We had a rough start and it's been hard for me not having an adoring relationship like I had with Lucas but Nora and I are definitely developing a deeper relationship. She is quite the mommy's girl so that might be some of it too. We will definitely bump heads in the future. But I'm really enjoying her giggles and funny sayings like "Nut know" for "I don't know". And "Where you are" for Where are you".

Nora's new birthday bike!

Ted and I are noticing that our kids are somewhat innocent compared to other kids their age, which we like. They will have the rest of their lives to grow up and it's nice to just be a kid for a while (for as long as you can I say).

Nora loves to be with her friends. Both of our kids do. We have been blessed with good friends that have good kids.



Thanks to all our friends that shower our kids with love!

It starts tomorrow....

Tomorrow, Ted starts his internship. He's nervous. I know he will do great at it. No doubt about it. I'm more nervous about the finding a job part. But God is good and will give us what we need. I did end up buying a couple of sleepers for Nora in the beginning of February from the Goodwill but then right after that was given sleepers and nighties for her by a faithful friend. (See I didn't need to BUY anything).

Lucas with his godsister, Paula, before going on Thunder Mountain.
Nora with her godmother, Holly, on the Tea Cups.

We got back from Disneyland last night and had a great time. It was nice to get away for a bit before the internship begins. I think about the summer and doing trips with no funds to fund them and God has already provided 2 small get aways. Our friends invited us to the beach for a few days and then our other friends always encourage us to stay at their cabin on a lake for a few days every summer. How great is that. He's already planning our summer vacation.

Letting God provide is hard for me because I want to control when and what he gives. But it's always so much better receiving his gifts instead of dictating what I want. He usually wins anyways. Receiving is hard for me and trusting that God will provide. Which is strange since I've had a life of constant blessing.

So here we go, our house goes on the market in April/May. We are on a very limited income and have some home improvements to do before the house goes on sale. We trust He will provide and He will.

It's February!

We have a busy February. Ted job is done on February 17th and life of really minimizing begins. We are blessed to go on one last hurrah! before Ted's student teaching begins. We are going to Disneyland and will be joined by the kids' godparents and godsister. We looking forward to it.
I did make it through the month of January without buying clothes for our family. And I asked some girlfriends for some hand-me-downs for Nora and received bags and bags. Nora was so cute with every bagful she just would go through all of them and try them all on. She defintiely loves clothes.
We start our very tight budget the end of this month and I'm really trying to decide about our tithing. We are reducing it some due to the lack of Ted's income but Ted wants to keep the same amounts going to our "charities". I want to because I don't want to reduce those that depend on it but nervous about having less money to depend on. Ted just said "Let's just see God provide." I know we aren't suppose to talk about our tithing with others but I just want to share so that others can see what God will do. A little nervous but we will see!
2 stories: When my dad had his stroke in 1997 he was forced to retire but one of his joys out of all of it was that he could still support all his missionaries and organizations that he could before, even though his salary went down. What a testamony to me to see how excited he was that he could still do that.
The other story is about George Muller, a english missionary who opened many orphanages without asking for a thing. He just let God supply all his needs. I acutally only know a little about him through Veggie Tales. I really need to read his biography.
So I'm going to keep our giving the same...and see what happens.

The Provision Project

Tonight I put a sign above our kitchen door that states: Abundant Blessings. My life has really been one blessing after another. I cried all my 25th birthday because I was one of my only friends that wasn't married and then the Lord gave me Ted and I was married by 30 and two kids by 35 ( I know you can't believe I'm that old, me either for that fact). But I got to travel with a wonderful friend between 25 and 30 to places I probably wouldn't have gone otherwise. Again and again God blesses me. I hope you can say the same.
This year is going to be crazy. Ted has a month left at his job of 8 years. He quit (yes, in a recession he quit) and will be doing student teaching and then a summer as a stay at home dad. So no greater income for at least 6 month. Praying for a job for him right now as a music teacher. I decided before the new year that I wouldn't buy clothes for any of us for the whole year, which I promptly broke and bought slippers for Ted on New Years Day, but nothing since - Promise. But my idea grew into a bigger project if you will and I decided to watch God's provision this year with so many things to come.
Have you seen the movie Julie and Julia? About a woman who does a blog about cooking through Julia Child's cookbook (the first one). It was cute and based on a true story. It made me want to do a blog on something bigger than just our day to day life so I'm doing our blog on The Provision Project. Hope you will join me and see what the Lord blesses us with this year. (Hoping for a big tax return)!
We really aren't in need of anything. But this last week I was depressed and quite blue. My job is changing from serving members to sales (hate it) and the stress is making me make errors which causes stress which makes me make more errors. So I emailed out to some friends for prayer and got it. I loooovvvee girlfriends. They are so faithful. I feel so much better know. And trusting God with my job. God provided me with great friends all over the country. I love it. Thank you God for women who I know I can count on and I didn't even e-mail all that I could. See blessings and blessings. They never stop.
Ok, enough for the first blog of the year. Oh, I thought of something I need...I need to stop eating these great cookies I made. I mean really, my eating is a little crazy lately so you could pray for that.
Here's to a wonderful year!