Year 2, Week 22: Nativity

Another week has passed, my friends, and we are here to update you on ours! It feels like forever ago that all of this happened, but here we go! It was a good week!

Monday I went grocery shopping, which is what happens on my Mondays off. This Monday I also got to finish my Christmas shopping! I stopped at the orchard too...which will be closing here soon, sadly. Our new Enso rings came in the mail, so we were really excited about that. I got Christmas tree decorating stuff while I was shopping too, so we finally got our tree decorated in the evening, I posted a few pictures of our Christmas decorations for your enjoyment. After Jonathan was done working we went to the chiropractor, stopped at Drugmart, then came home and had stuffed shells before we Christmas-ed our tree. 

Tuesday I worked, so Jonathan worked, cleaned the house and talked to Tim on the phone. It was a great day for both of us! Wednesday I was off, so I got milk, visited my mom at work, then came home and did laundry and a few things around the house. In the evening we went to an auction down the road with Mom and Dad then went back to their house for pizza. When we came home, I made cajun pork chops so we could have some food to eat while I was at work the next day.

Thursday was a pretty normal day. We both worked, Jonathan went to Horizon to get a remote for our car, nothing very life changing to report! But it was my weekend off, so that was exciting. Jonathan worked on Friday while I finished my online CPR training. When he was done, we went to Canton to finish our shopping. We had Olive Garden for dinner, then made our way through Canton stopping at different stores and enjoying our little trip.

Saturday was a pretty relaxing day. We were home for most of the day, so I painted, Jonathan worked out, we caught up on some TV shows and just relaxed for most of the day. In the evening, we had calling hours to go to, then we went home for burritos and to watch some Star Wars. 

Sunday we went to church together, which is always something we look forward to. Grandma and Grandpa were there, which was a super fun surprise! Afterwards we went to Classic for lunch as a family, which was delicious, and kept me from having to make lunch! I did come home and make Chicken Cordon Bleu so that we would have food to eat this week, though. I finished painting when we got home and Jonathan worked on his family tree project. We had a live nativity through the church in the evening, so we were Mary and Joseph for a short period of time! It was a ton of fun. So many people came to see us! We were absolutely blown away to see everyone and were so blessed by the turnout. It was a lot of fun and we hope to do it again next year!

This week is not too bad, we are just wrapping up a few things for Christmas...pun intended. Hopefully we will be seeing more of you all throughout the holidays! It is going to be a whirlwind...so bear with the blogging. 

Love you all!

- Alli and Jonathan

Year 2, Week 21: O' Christmas Tree

Well, hello there! It is quite blustery around here - but we are enjoying the lack of rain. Last week was a lot of rain and cold and yuck...neither of us were sad to be working in those conditions. It was a long week last week, but hopefully our last super long one for awhile.

Monday and Tuesday I was at work, so Jonathan kept busy around the house...and running errands for me. They were both really rough days at the pharmacy. Monday we started to run out of one of our fast moving liquid antibiotics, so Jonathan ran to the Carrollton store to pick some up for me after he came and did some grocery shopping for me in my store. It was his first time getting paged back..."Jonathan, to the pharmacy, Jonathan"...just to be asked to run to the next town over for some medications. Thankfully he was more than willing and it lasted us until our truck came in town! After he did that running for me he came back, hung out at home and watched a movie. Tuesday night he went to basketball and my rough work stretch came to an end.

Selftree!

Wednesday I was off, as usual, so I did laundry, meal planned and made a grocery list. I also slept until 11...which is very uncommon. That should tell you how absolutely crazy my two days at work were. I was completely exhausted! After Jonathan finished work we went to get a Christmas tree! It was our first live one and there is a place on the next road east of us. I went there as a little kid, but hadn't been there in awhile. So we went and picked a tree, even through the ice/rain/snow that was happening. We also had to stop at Mom and Dad's for milk and to get some weights for my truck. When we got home I made some John Wayne Casserole while Jonathan got the tree set up and brought inside. Of course, we realized that my tree lights weren't at our house, but thankfully Mom and Dad found them at their house and brought them over for us. We ended up not getting the tree decorated after realizing that we didn't have any tinsel or colored anything to wrap around the tree, we didn't have a tree topper and we only had about 30 small ornaments....so more on the tree decorating next week, for right now, we were just happy to HAVE a tree!

Thursday Jonathan left for Celina, so I spent the day Christmas shopping for him, getting shots and cleaning up the house. In the evening, I went to Mom and Dad's for dinner, then took a trip up the the farm with Dad and we hung out with Grandma and Grandpa for awhile! It was nice to get to spend time with family, especially since Jonathan was gone for the evening!

It was my weekend to work, so Jonathan got home Friday to an empty house. He went on a run and watched the Cavs until I got home. Saturday he went to see the Landis grandparents to talk about his heritage. He is trying to put together a family tree for his side of the family and they have a ton of information about it! It was such a good time. He really enjoyed learning about their history and hearing the fun stories that went along with some of the family heirlooms they have. There are some pictures included below with the stories that go with a few of the things he saw! I ordered pizza and a sub for us and picked it up on my way home. So we got to sit, watch Ralph Breaks the Internet and catch up on life over pizza/sub, Coke and chips and dip. 

Sunday was crazy as usual. I was at work, Jonathan went to church, watched the Browns, cleaned the car and then met me at youth group. The Subway app is changing my Sunday life for sure. I just order my sub, swing in there and pick it up after I change for youth group and then head to the church, eat and hang out with the kids! It is perfect! After youth group we came home, did navigators and sat up talking until about 11, which is super late for us, but we were just enjoying catching up with each other! It had been awhile!

We always love the weeks after the crazy weeks because we get to hang out with each other a lot on these weeks. Now we are just relaxing and getting ready for Christmas! Get ready for Christmas cookies, Christmas presents and Christmas trees here in the next few weeks! I hope everyone is enjoying the cold and being safe in it. We love you all!

Talk to you next week!

- Alli and Jonathan

 Peter Landis' shoes (Civil War time period)

 Civil War uniform buttons (assumed)

 Old money from England

 Old US money

 Great Grandpa Harry Landis' pocket watch in pristine condition!

Indian Head Penny - in circulation from 1859 - 1909 before the Lincoln Head penny. Jonathan's ancestor James Barton Longenecker designed the Indian Head penny.

Year 2, Week 19 and 20: The Last Half of November

Our cute little neighbors!

The last half of November has been crazy! Holidays, work, food, it has been great...but didn't have a lot of time to write, so here we are to catch you guys up with our lives around here!

Two weeks ago (17th-23rd) was a long work week for me and a Celina week for Jonathan. He has had to go on Thursdays recently for a project, so that really cuts into our time together, but it wasn't too bad!

I worked Monday and Tuesday, so my life wasn't very exciting. Jonathan did some shopping on Monday, but he worked late since they were getting ready to finish a project. Once he came and shopped he went on a run and did some dishes to keep the house in a semblance of order. Tuesday he had to go to Dublin for a meeting about his project, then he went to basketball that evening.

Wednesday I was off, so I did laundry, went to the library, orchard, bank and got to do a little bit of relaxing with Jonathan before I went to Vicki's for facials with Mom, Maddie and Vicki. We had Hungarian Goulash before I left, which was really good, and we got to watch some of our shows.

Thursday, Jonathan left for Celina. So he got to hang out with Dillon and catch up with him that evening, but it was a long day of work. I spent the day relaxing, then went and visited a friend with Mom and Dad. It was a fun evening! The next day we both worked, then Jonathan stopped at his parents to see Emily and came back just in time for me to get home!

I worked the weekend, so Jonathan packed his with a bunch of fun stuff! He helped set up the community Christmas tree with the guys at church. Check out the pictures below - it was huge! 9200 pounds, 47 feet, and it was beautiful once they got it decorated. He had a great time getting to know some of the guys who helped too, which is even more important. I took pizza home for dinner, we watched some TV and listened to some music. Sunday Jonathan went to church, did some shooting at Mom and Dad's, then we met at youth group in the evening. I actually got Subway for dinner, which was great, because you can order it online! So I just ordered it, walked in and got to youth group on time!

Game night!

Last Monday I had to work for a few hours in the morning. It was a little bit of a stretch...but we made it. Afterward I went to get groceries, came home, unpacked them and took a nap. Jonathan work, read and then we went to game night since Shem was home! It was a ton of fun, Ashton and Caleb were there also!

Tuesday I worked while Jonathan did some meal prep, went to basketball and did some cleaning. Wednesday was our Haas day. We went over in the morning, I dropped Jonathan and breakfast off and went to my doctor's appointment. When I got back, they had the breakfast burritos and baked oatmeal ready! They were delicious! We played games, hung out, watched a movie and had a great day. For dinner we got Yoder's, which Jonathan and I hadn't had yet, but it was all great!

Thanksgiving work crew!

Thursday I worked in the morning, then met up with Jonathan at Thanksgiving with the Haas fam. We played Bunco, watched football, then got the Christmas stuff out when everyone left!

Landis family!

Friday we hosted our first Landis family gathering. It was a good time! We spent the morning getting ready, making soup and setting the house up. It went really well! We had 13 people here, which is a lot of people for our little apartment! 

Saturday we went shopping, ate Moe's, then went to church and Grinder's in the evening! Sunday we slept in, ate omelettes, watched some TV, wrapped gifts, watched the Browns, decorated the house and relaxed at home! In the evening we had the tree lighting. It was a little different than expected...it was so windy Wednesday that the tree was blown down and damaged beyond repair, so they cut it up and made it into a cross instead. We still lit it, people still came and we handed out over 10 gallons of hot chocolate!!! It was so fun to see the community come out and celebrate Christ.

This week is already off and running, so we can't wait to update you guys on all that we have going on! Enjoy the snow, get excited about the holidays and I hope your Thanksgivings were awesome! We are so thankful for how God has moved in our lives this year. It has been crazy to see all that He has provided for us and we are excited to see what happens next!

Love you all!

- Alli and Jonathan

Year 2, Week 17: Work, Doctors and Organizing

Here we are, actually posting at a reasonable time! I am thinking Wednesdays might be our goal days from here on out. Sundays get a little crazy whether or not I am working, so Wednesdays are the new goal...we will see how that goes!

Sloppy Joe

Monday and Tuesday were long days for both of us. Jonathan went out to Celina to work and I worked two 13 hours days. Last week was insane at work for me. Monday was especially difficult. After I voted on Tuesday, I got to work at 8 and was still behind by the time we opened at 9. I was super exhausted by the time Tuesday came around. Jonathan missed some excitement here at the house...our landlord got a new goat! Not a baby goat, but a new goat and his name is Sloppy Joe. When she brought him in, he and the other goat (Abraham...who we thought was Rusty for the whole time we lived here) were literally butting heads! It looked painful, but was pretty entertaining.

Wednesday and Thursday were my days off and they were a little busy. Jonathan worked and I had a few appointments. Wednesday I was supposed to see the doctor, but ended up just getting some blood work done. On my way home, I stopped at Verizon to pay off my phone bill, then went to Mom and Dad's for milk. We had a new meal for dinner - southwest crispy wraps - which are Jonathan's new favorite Mexican food. They were fantastically delicious. After that we went to small group for our last one of the semester! It was such a good experience to spend time with all of those people and we are excited about the relationships we have been building. 

Thursday I had another doctor's appointment with a new dentist, so that was good. My teeth are all nice and clean now. After that I ran to Canton for shots, then came home and hung out for a little bit. We had chicken pot pie for dinner, put the clocks together and displayed them and watched some TV.

It was my weekend to work, so Jonathan got a lot done while I was gone! Friday he took recycling out, went to the Haas farm to take some stuff back, visit and get a plan for a few things they needed to do Saturday. After that he came home to work on the clock, vacuum, do dishes and watch some of the Cavs. Saturday he went and did most of his Christmas shopping (showing me up this year), stopped at my parents to help cut some wood and run some errands, then came back to get dinner and some shows ready. I didn't get home until a little later since we had someone bring a prescription in at 5:59 (we close at 6) that needed filled. Since it was a crazy weekend...I enjoyed getting to just sit and relax when I got home.

Sunday is always a little crazy for us. This one was especially crazy though. I was gone, of course, at work and Jonathan went to the Browns game with his dad and their friend, Elijah. It was a good day for both of us, I got a little bit caught up and he got to see the Browns win in person! We met at youth group. So, I got him some dinner at McDonalds so he didn't have to stop and get it for himself - saved him a little bit of time and got us both there by the time the whole night started. Youth group was awesome, we came home, did navigators, then went to bed to get ready for the next week. It was, overall, a great week. Just a lot of stuff to do and a rough time for me at work!

We are hoping for a slower week at home and the chance to relax a little bit at home. Hope you all are having great weeks! Enjoy the weather! Love you all!

Love,

Alli and Jonathan

Year 2, Week 15 and 16:

Well, hello there, strangers! Just when you think we might be getting into a routine...WE AREN'T! I will give you a brief recap of the last two weeks - don't want to leave you too much in the dark!

The week of the 21st was a heavy work week for us. I worked Monday and Tuesday. While I was there, Jonathan went to the eye doctor, hung shelves in the garage, got apples, went to game night and got to relax a little bit. Wednesday was our only day home together. Jonathan worked, I cleaned, did my nails, did laundry, made Swedish meatball pasta and enchilada dip then we went to small group.

That Thursday and Friday Jonathan went to work in Celina. I was off on Thursday so I made butter and then went to see Laura Story with my mom! We both read her book "When God Doesn't Fix It" and really enjoyed it (highly recommended for anyone to read) so when Mom saw that she was going to be in Sugarcreek she made sure we could go. It was so awesome to see her in person and the concert was just wonderful. She was a lot of fun and we had a great time just hanging out together!

The weekend was a bit of a blur for me, I worked, so I didn't do anything terribly exciting. Jonathan came home Friday night, then on Saturday he went to the Landis' since his sisters were in town. He and his dad cut wood for a little bit, then they played some games before everyone else went shopping. Afterward he went to his grandparents to catch up with them and to get some information on his ancestry, inspired by our recent Haas family reunion. I have also heard that he put together a spreadsheet of ideas for Christmas gifts for me...so that sounds pretty exciting!

Last week was another great week. I was off on Monday, so I made muffins and butter, went grocery shopping and made ham and cheddar chowder - a new family favorite - and we got to go outside and sit by the fire for a little bit in the evening. Also - Jonathan got to make butter for the first time - he got it done in less than 15 minutes!!! He had fun doing the whole process while I made dinner. There was a scheduling conflict, so I actually ended up working Tuesday AND Wednesday (super odd because Wednesday is my day off), Jonathan mowed, cleaned up the garage and went to basketball and small group while I was at work.

I was off for the rest of the week, so we had a good time. Thursday I spent a lot of time working on the schedule, so we took that in to work. I got our laundry caught up (for the most part), made chicken and smoked sausage alfredo and called insurance in the afternoon, then in the evening we sat down and played some music. It was fun to use the new table as Jonathan decided which songs to play for the youth event on Sunday.

Friday I cleaned the house and did my nails, Jonathan worked and swept the garage out, then we went into town to run some errands and to meet my parents for dinner and the football game. I had never been to the brewery in town, so we went there and it was absolutely delicious!!! The game was not so great...but the company made up for it and we had a great time.

On Saturday we went to the Landis' for breakfast then headed to shop for clocks - our wedding present from them. We went to a cute little store in Amish country and ended up finding TWO clocks that we just loved. More pictures of those to come...we still haven't installed them yet. We also went to Lehman's to get some things we were wanting, we stopped to look at some dining room chairs (ours need replaced at some point) and then we wrapped up our shopping excursion right before it got too chilly. On the way home we stopped to get burritos, then came back, watched Bourne Legacy and enjoyed an evening in.

Sunday was another busy day but a great way to wrap up the weekend. We got to go to church together, which is always a blessing, then we came back, ate a quick lunch and hopped back in the car for the rest of the day. Jonathan dropped me off at the church for Mandi's baby shower and he went over to the Haas farm. He and Dad got ready for the youth group hay ride/bonfire and enjoyed some time outside getting ready for all the kids. After the shower, Mom and I came and helped until everyone got there. We went on a hay ride around the neighborhood, sang some music around the fire and enjoyed all the awesome kids in the youth group. It was a great evening, Jonathan did an awesome job with the music and everyone had a great time...especially considering the fact that we had an extra hour of sleep in us! 

I'm going to work on being more consistent with my posts...but bear with me! Still adjusting to this new normal! Hope everyone is having a great week, love you!

Love,

Alli and Jonathan

Year 2, Week 14: Rest Time

We finally had time for some resting this week! It was much needed after our crazy week before. Lots of time together just doing things we enjoy.

Monday we went to Nana's auction. It was the first auction we went to together and we enjoyed getting to make decisions together and picked up some deals! We got a TV stand (pictured to the side), a crockpot, frier, tomato juicer and some yard tools - a little something for both of us! Afterward we went to DQ with Mom, Dad, Philip and Grandpa Haas.

Tuesday I worked, so Jonathan mowed, went to basketball and then afterwards he met me at work and we took the car to the mechanic. It got new tires on Wednesday and we are REALLY happy with how it rides now! I was off Wednesday, so I went to get my new glasses and did a few things around the house. We had fajitas for dinner, then went to small group. I made a new dip for small group, it had ham and all sorts of cheesy yummy stuff in it, definitely worth trying again! Small group was really good, we are enjoying getting to know our new community and are starting to form some new friendships.

Thursday I worked, so Jonathan had stewmeat and mushrooms in the crockpot over rice for dinner, went and got a haircut, picked up some groceries and did some computer work after he worked. Friday I was off, so after Jonathan finished working we went and completely switched our bank accounts, then visited Kyle on our way to the Lumleys for game night! It was a ton of fun! We had enchilladas, sopapilla cheesecake and played some games with the boys, then we played dominos just the adults. It was such a good time together and we can't wait to do it again some time!

Saturday was our first day off together in a long time, probably about 2 months. We went to Holland's for breakfast, then headed to Canton for the afternoon. First we went to the Restore since they were having a sale. We were looking for chairs, but found a filing cabinet instead! After that we went to the Sketchers store. I got work shoes and Jonathan got some casualish shoes to wear with jeans or khakis. We stopped at Duluth, then went on to the strip to check out Old Navy and Office Max. I got some new clothes and Jonathan got a new office chair! This has been a necessity since he was using my old one from home...which was a hand-me-down to begin with! His new one is much better for his posture and he likes it so much better. Once we got home, Jonathan put his chair together while I made Oktoberfest stew. He made us some cornbread to go with the stew, then we watched some shows while we ate. The stew was delicious. Definitely a keeper recipe and perfectly appropriate for October! 

Sunday I finally got to go to Grace Chapel for the first time in 7 weeks. After church we came home, made chicken pot pie pasta, then headed over to Aunt Chery's for the Haas family reunion. It was nice to meet my dad's family, since I had never really known them well. After that we came home, figured out how we want to organize the garage, then went to youth group. It was a jam packed weekend, but we spent the whole time together and got to do things we loved - that was what mattered!

This week is a lot of work again, but we are excited about our next weekend home together! Hope you are all having a great week! Love you all!

Love,

Alli and Jonathan

Year 2, Week 13: All Work

No fun pictures this week! We spent most of our time working after our super fun weekend. Monday and Tuesday I worked 13s, so Jonathan got to nap, clean, play basketball, eat dinner with Kyle and watch the Browns game while I was at work. It was a good work stretch, but I was pretty exhausted by Wednesday.

Wednesday I cleaned, did laundry, went and got my allergy shots and flu shot, made cereal and got our house caught up. In the evening we had small group, so I made us some Polish hamburgers for dinner, which is a new recipe, absolutely loved it, super delicious and flavorful, then we headed out for our second week with our small group. It was a good time, we are enjoying getting to know all the people there.

Thursday I was off again, so I made ham salad, finished cleaning the house, went to an eye appointment, repainted my toenails and copied down some new recipes we like while Jonathan was at work out in Celina. I had dinner with Kelsey (one of my college roommates) in Alliance and Jonathan went out with Graham and Nick, then they went back and had a game night at Graham's. I went to Mom and Dad's and learned how to make applesauce, then I came home and went to bed so I could go to work the next day.

Friday we both worked at our actual work places, Jonathan stopped by his parents' house on the way back and got to see his family, then we both got home about the same time. It was my weekend to work, so I worked Saturday and Sunday until 6. Saturday was insane and overwhelming, but I got a lot done on Sunday that I needed to get to. Jonathan went to Algonquin on Saturday with my parents and he got some fun stuff, like buckwheat flour and a water buffalo belt, then he came home, napped and made us dinner. When I got home we lounged in front of the TV because that was what I needed to do after my day. We caught up on the Masked Singer and enjoyed spending some time together. Sunday Jonathan went to church, then went over to my parent's house to cut wood with Dad and Kyle since it was a nice day and they all enjoy that type of thing. He came home, watched some of the Browns game and then went to youth group. I was too exhausted to youth group, so I went to Mom and Dad's since they were having a fire, it was a lot of fun, super relaxing and I got to catch up with them after my pretty long week.

This week should be quite a bit slower for us and we are thrilled. Lots of fun meals and relaxation planned for the lil Landis fam! I hope you guys are all having a great start to the week! Love you!

Love,

Alli and Jonathan

Year 2, Weeks 11 and 12: So Much Excitement

I apologize for how long it has taken me to give you guys an update on life! Hopefully this will be a good, quick review of what we have been up to!

Two weeks ago Jonathan went to Celina Monday and Tuesday while I worked. For the first time, I stayed home by myself after being gone all day. It went really well and I was really excited to come home to my own bed. Jonathan enjoyed his visit in Wapak, he had dinner with Graham and got to have good conversation with Dillon. On his way home on Tuesday he stopped and had dinner with Emily in Ada, then he got to chat with the rest of his family on the way home.

I was off Wednesday and Thursday, so we had steaks, tacos, cleaned, had a fire, watched some shows and enjoyed our time together. It was my weekend to work, so Jonathan got to work on the table, watched the Browns game, went to church and worked on some computer stuff. 

Sunday nights we have youth group, so we went to youth group and I was off on Monday, so I relaxed and enjoyed the day. Tuesday I worked, so Jonathan had the day to himself. He finished the table and played basketball in the evening. We moved the table in this Sunday evening and it looks awesome! I already have stuff on it...so we are really using it well!

Yummy apple pancake Jonathan made for breakfast on Saturday!

Wednesday was a crazy day! I went to Mt. Hope flea market with Dad in the morning, we went out to breakfast, enjoyed the market and did some fun shopping! Jonathan had his first meeting at Hillsdale, a new project that he is working on! It went a little bit late, but he ate dinner on the way to small group and we got to meet a lot of fun new people there. We are excited to get involved in our new community!

Thursday I worked and Jonathan packed for our trip to Michigan. I came home, finished packing then went to bed for our super early morning on Friday. We woke up at 5:30 so we could load up and head for Mom and Dad's.

We hit the road a 7 from there - boys car and girls car. I drove Mom, Vicki and Abby in our car, Dad drove Duane, Jonathan, Kyle and Philip in their truck. The travel went well, we stopped at steak and shake for lunch and made it up to the school by 2:30 to pick Shem up and got to Holland around 3:30 or 4. The house was beautiful and we got to play some bocce ball outside, had tacos, got to know some of Shem's friends and enjoyed a nice fire outside.

Saturday was another great day! We had bacon and french toast for breakfast, then headed to downtown Holland for the afternoon to hit the shops. I got a new purse, we got some soup mixes to eat here at home, got cards and a mug for our souvenirs, had some ice cream and got some fudge to bring home! It was a fun and delicious time! Then we went back to the house and got ready to go to the beach at Tunnel Park. Everyone played bocce ball while Mom and I just walked around and enjoyed the beach. We enjoyed our time together, went back, ate chili, watched the Ohio State game and played some games. 

Sunday morning we got up, ate some bagels and headed to Journey church for one of the always-amazing services there. We got to meet a few more of Shem's friends, went to Uccello's for a delicious lunch and headed back home after we dropped Shem off at the school. We had a gas stop, an ice cream stop, then finally made it back to the Haas farm to drop off our extra passengers, then came home, unpacked, moved the table in and relaxed in our own little house!

I do realize it is almost the end of this week, but I will write later about what this week has held! Thank you for keeping up with our lives...I will try to keep up as well! Continue to pray for my adjustment at work. We are hiring and I am doing that for the first time, so there is a lot going on! I am learning, but it isn't a fast process, that's for sure! Keep on keeping on, love you all, talk soon!

Love,

Alli and Jonathan

Year 2, Week 10: Eastern PA

Well, hello! Happy Sunday! It has been a great week for the lil Landis fam, pretty uneventful leading up to our fun weekend away.

Monday I was off, so I got to enjoy home for the first time in a little bit. Jonathan worked and we went to visit the Landis fam in the evening. Jonathan's Uncle Cliff was in from California for a visit so we went over for pizza, made some ice cream and enjoyed some time with family. It was a lot of fun! Tuesday I worked, so Jonathan mowed the grass, ate some dinner and went to play basketball with Kyle at one of the churches near us.

Fish dinner!

Wednesday I was off, but I popped into the pharmacy in the morning to catch up with Amy. Jonathan worked all day and I did my toe nails, read and took a nice, long nap in the afternoon...I fell asleep reading my book, a tell tale sign that I was overly exhausted. Once Jonathan was done with work we went over to Mom and Dad's to eat the fish they caught last Saturday...it was so good! We stayed and chatted for a few hours. I hadn't hung out with them for awhile, so it was nice to catch up.

Thursday I worked while Jonathan relaxed for the evening leading up to a lot of driving on Friday. When I got home I finished packing and we got everything ready for the next morning.

Forever wedding date!

Friday we hopped in the car at 8:30 and headed to the Lancaster area of PA. It was a 6ish hour drive, probably a little longer since we stopped for lunch and took at least one bathroom break. We checked into our hotel and I got ready in the lobby while Jonathan waited in line. We rolled into the wedding just in time...almost missed it, but no worries. Emily, my maid of honor, was getting married. We had a great time, it was absolutely beautiful and completely worth the trip. It was also our second Friday wedding in a row, which was super interesting to me!

Saturday morning we slept in, had breakfast at the hotel and then went to downtown Lancaster to explore. There were some cute shops, but not as much as we really wanted, so we went to Lititz as well, it was everything we wanted. Our shopping was pretty fruitful! We got a pretty good start on our Christmas shopping...never too early to get started! After we were all shopped out, we headed to Gettysburg for the night, checked into our hotel and went to get some Italian food.

This morning was an early morning! We got up, packed up, ate up and headed to the Gettysburg visitor center. It was so awesome. We watched the video, saw the cyclorama, walked the museum, went to the gift shop and walked the history hike. SUCH a great experience. Four hours was not enough time and we are already planning on going back. There is so much more to see! It was really humbling to walk where people fought and died for the unity of our nation. The park ranger who lead our walk was very knowledgeable and taught us a lot as we walked. We are both super interested in learning more.

It was a long trip home, but we are glad to be back. 5.5 hours in the car with bathroom and lunch stops makes for a long trip. We got pizza and are enjoying some football this evening to re-adjust. It is going to be quite a work week for both of us, so it was nice to get away for a few days. 

Work has been going well. It is obviously an adjustment for everyone, but I am learning a lot and am feeling pretty good about where we are at. No one is perfect, but I am trying my best and am trying to be pretty patient. Continue to pray for me to steward this leadership position well, with humility and grace. Pray also for my employees as they are adjusting as well. Jonathan is going to be starting his first project as point person, which is super exciting for him! Pray for patience, clarity and clear communication as he prepares for this new endeavor! We are also jumping into our new community here in Minerva as youth group helpers and as small group members. It is so exciting to get involved and we are really praying for deep friendships to come from both of these opportunities. 

It is such an exciting time with lots of changes and lots of new things. Slightly overwhelming, but an awesome opportunity for growth! We are excited about everything coming and are excited to share it with all of you! Thank you for loving us through it and for keeping up with us. We love you all!

Love,

Alli and Jonathan

Corn-crib gazebo! Super cute!

Lunch at a super cute little diner in Lancaster

Lancaster selfie

Gettysburg selfie

Gettysburg battlefield