pumpkins, pancakes, and pool

We had the very special treat of being visited by my whole family this past weekend! It was so fun to have them here and get to spend time all together.

On Saturday night we went to the Highwood Pumpkin Fest. There were 38,000 carved pumpkins. Pretty impressive. There were also 38,000 people (slight exaggeration) so we didn't stay long. But, we were there long enough to get a few good pictures!

At the festival, there were two bands playing at once and lot of vendors and food. But, it was way too crowded to enjoy any of that. I really did enjoy seeing this cutie! He melts my heart!

Nephew Ethan - 9 months

Sunday morning we got together for breakfast. Ethan loves to put his feet up and relax.

Then it was off to the pool. The water was so warm. I had a great time swimming around with Ethan. He is so much fun to be around. As is the rest of the family :)

It was so great to have a visit from family. Dave felt so refreshed after having some down time. Thanks everyone for coming and enduring the long car ride with an infant. It meant so much to us.

Now, we get to look forward to another visit from family this week....so stay tuned!

nascar

We are so blessed to have been gifted some really fun things. First, we got the Cubs tickets, then Dave's good friend from school offered to work at a NASCAR race in order to get 4 tickets! As you know, Dave loves car racing so this was a real treat!

Chicagoland Motor Speedway

We had beautiful weather and great seats. But the best part was spending time with our friends, James and Lauren.

Sorry about no shirt...it is NASCAR :)

When we moved here, we found it hard having to start over making friends. I think that you want to have instant friendships, when really they take time to develop. Over the last several months, those relationships have begun to develop into great friendships. We are so happy to be making friends with great people, that will be sure to last a very long time.

Thank you James for getting up early and working at the race so we could go. And more importantly, thank you for serving our country. Lauren, thanks for coming along with a good attitude and putting up with the Jayma-tude. :)

We are blessed!

labor day weekend

Dave and I were able to get away again this weekend for some time with my family. Of course we wanted to spend the weekend on the pontoon boat, but with the rain on its way from Isaac we thought that probably wouldn't happen.  My mom decided to make alternate plans that included going to Indy and racing at the indoor go-kart place. Who doesn't want to race 40 mph go-karts? No one in our family :) Unfortunately, when we got there, they were having a private party and we couldn't do it! So, we went rock climbing instead!

Or, we might have hung out at REI. :) Then we went downtown to Iaria's Italian Restaurant.

It was very tasty. My favorite part was the garlic cheese bread. We had such a fun time as a family. We all took turns walking Ethan around so he wouldn't get bored.

How is Ethan you ask? Well, he is cute as ever. I just love any opportunity to love on him. I'm sure that he was sick of his Aunt Jayma's kisses after spending a couple of days around me! I just can't help myself! I just love to love on him! He is pulling himself up and seems like he will be ready to walk soon. We all kept saying how fast he is getting around! Can't look away for a minute or he'll be into something!

Ethan - 7 months 2 1/2 weeks

redeemed

I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. 
Isaiah 43:1 NKJV

I have been redeemed. Sometimes I wish I could forget my past and never think about certain situations, but that doesn't happen. It amazes me how often I'm reminded of the past.  I think the reminders can be good because I never want to forget where I came from and how I have been redeemed.

A few weeks ago I got this very thoughtful gift in the mail. I was so surprised because it was not a special occasion, just a friend who was thinking of me. This beautiful necklace, from my beautiful selfless friend, is a great reminder to me that I am redeemed. The Lord rescued me and I don't ever want to forget that.

While I don't want to forget, I also know that I'm not who I used to be. The same week I got this necklace, I heard the Big Daddy Weave song, Redeemed, for the first time. The lyrics are powerful to me.  And, a powerful message for every single person. We all can be redeemed from whatever chains and stains we have.

"I am redeemed, You set me free

So I'll shake off these heavy chains

Wipe away every stain, now I'm not who I used to be

I am redeemed, I'm redeemed"

Take a few minutes and go listen to the song here. Thank God, redeemed.

surprise getaway

A few weeks into summer Greek, I starting thinking of something I could do for Dave as a reward for finishing Greek. There was only one week between the end of Greek and the beginning of the semester so I thought a small getaway would be nice. I was able to get a couple of days off work during the week which worked out perfectly.

After a quick trip to Indiana, I told Dave what his surprise was. We hopped on the "L" and headed downtown for the night.

I used Priceline to get us a great deal on a hotel room.  It was so nice!

We were on the 30th floor overlooking the river and Michigan Avenue. What a great view!

Even though we got there late, the whole city does not shut down at 9 p.m. like other places we have lived. ;) It was so strange to be out so late, and to see so many other people out too! We found a great Mexican restaurant and enjoyed a late dinner.

On the walk back, we found Sprinkles Cupcakes. Dave had heard before that they had a vending machine for cupcakes! We just had to try it and enjoyed a yummy red velvet cupcake when we got back to the hotel. It was very, very good!  

We slept in the next morning and that was great! We both were in need of some serious sleep with no alarm!

One of Dave's lifelong dreams (well maybe not) has been to go to the Billy Goat Tavern, made famous by the SNL skit back in the 70s. Last time we went downtown he was determined to find it. He knew it was under Michigan avenue but had no idea where. We never ended up finding it that day. But, when we were walking back to the hotel the night before, we saw the sign for it and he just HAD to see it! :) 

Since our Mexican food from the night before had finally digested, we decided to go in for lunch. I'm not one for looking like a tourist, but we managed okay. They seem pretty used to it in there and they were very nice. And, the cheeseburgers were really good!

After a nutritious lunch, we walked to Millennium Park and rented a couple of bikes. This was a great way to cover a lot of the city without as much walking.

We rode out to Buckingham fountain, the planetarium, Soldier Field, Navy Pier, and back to Millennium Park. It was such a fun way to be around the city. 

After we turned in our bikes, we went to The Cheesecake Factory. Apparently, I was too tired at that point to remember to take a picture. It was so delicious and a great way to top off our adventure in the city.

We really enjoyed our time together. It was so good for us after his rigorous summer class. Now we are on to the regular semester.  

I'm thankful for women around me who are going through the same thing as I am and can offer encouragement to me when I'm having a hard time. I'm thankful for moments of goofy laughter that I have with my husband. I'm thankful for the opportunity to get away, and for the growth that has come and will continue to come throughout this experience.

take me out to the ball game

Ever since we moved, Dave has had a list of things he would like to do. On that list was going to a Cubs game. We hadn't actively pursued going to a game since the season started and I wasn't too sure we would make it, but then it happened.

My boss is a huge Cubs fan. I actually got one strike once I was hired because I don't LOVE baseball! (And another strike for not loving coffee...I'm on thin ice!) One day, a little over a week ago, he asked if Dave and I would like to have a couple of his season tickets to the next afternoons game. Of course we accepted! Dave needed a break from his Greek studies and we were excited to spend some quality time together!

We took the "L" into the city. It was great to come up on the field and catch a glimpse of the excitement between buildings.

We enjoyed walking around and seeing the field from all different viewpoints. It was a windy and chilly afternoon!

We feel so blessed to be given the opportunity to go to the game. We had such a great time! After the game, we ate dinner across the street from the stadium. It was fun to watch all the fans walk down the streets. We walked around a little more before we went home. A great afternoon in the city!

it's all greek to me

For my new job, I've traveled 2 out of the last 3 weeks. While I have been traveling about the countryside, Dave has been studying Greek. He is taking a 5 1/2 week course that covers 2 semesters worth of Greek. It is a very intense class. I'm so proud of him for sticking with it and persevering through the past 3 1/2 weeks. I can't imagine what it takes to learn this language, but Dave does. And I know that he can see this through.

Greek Study Zone

Can you read this? I sure can't!

Will you please join me in praying for Dave as he finishes out these last two weeks of Greek? He will have a one week break before the fall semester beings. It will be challenging as well so your continued prayer support would be greatly appreciated.

One of the great things about traveling 2 of the last 3 weeks is that it has made it easier for Dave to focus completely on studying and not feel like he is ignoring me. It has also helped me get through this time where he needs to devote nearly all of his time to studying. The Lord always has a plan!

Here are a few pictures from Minneapolis last week.

The Mighty Mississippi

Pillsbury 

Gold Medal Flour

The last evening in Minneapolis we got to take a dinner cruise on the Mississippi.

I even got to wheel the yacht! Must have been my fabulous resume of boat driving skills.

Finished the evening with a beautiful sunset. I had a great time at the conference. Met some really great people. And got to enjoy a beautiful city.