Hola!

We are fully moved into our new apartment. The couch and mattress/box springs came on Tuesday! Thankfully! It's wonderful to not just exist on the floor. This week I've finished hanging all of the pictures and finished all of the decorating. Tuesday, after the furniture came, I built the tv stand -- quite the accomplishment! :)

Mark goes to Johnson County Jail tomorrow to take his lie detector test. He knows what they are going to ask and said that he should be fine. So...after that we'll just have to wait and see.

Other than that, I've spent my days getting the apartment done, cooking (just a little), and applying for jobs. I am anxious for Sunday to come so we can try a new church. I miss having friends. I had imagined becoming friends with our neighbors -- however, they are all Hispanic and my Spanish is pitiful making it difficult to form a conversation, much less a friendship. And after last night's failed attempt to talk to the kids downstairs about their Cheetos I've just resorted to "Hola!"

Wedding, Honeymoon, Moving

Whew! What a hectic couple of weeks!

Our wedding was absolutely wonderful! Thank you to everyone who sent warm wishes, came to help move things, and came to celebrate! It was exactly what I had imagined marrying my best friend would be like.

We left before 8 am the day after our wedding to drive to Madeira Beach, FL for our honeymoon. Tom and Debbie Steinmetz were kind enough to let us use their condo there for the week. It was such a wonderful blessing to have a free place to stay so that we could save our pennies! The week was wonderful and I am already wishing to be back at the beach again.

We came home the 30th and then we moved to Greenwood. We are all the way unpacked but the furniture will not be delivered until next week so we are sleeping on an air mattress and eating dinner on lawn chairs. I have a feeling it's something we'll laugh about for many years!

We are also thankful for God's humor and timing. The day after moving in, Mark received not just one but TWO phone calls for job interviews! He interviewed at the Johnson County Jail (the job he wants most) yesterday and will also interview in Edinburgh next Tuesday. Johnson County will have him back next week to complete stage two of the application process. It is definitely a week of celebration at the Riley House!

God's Time is NOW!

For months and months we've been patiently praying and waiting for God to reveal His plan to us. The time has come! Last Saturday, Mark found a job, he will be working through a temp. agency while we look for other jobs. The blessing of Saturday's job meant finding a place to live because the job is in Greenwood. So Saturday we toured an apartment and filled out the application. Today we received the good news that we have been approved and we have a place to live! I do have our new address so just message me if you'd like it for snail mail. We move June 1st. I am so thankful to have a plan for our post-wedding day life!! Thank you God for taking care of us!

Where It All Runs Together

I've found that sometimes too many things hit at once and all of my emotions run together. This is one of those weeks.

Mark and I are both still applying for mad people like jobs -- no news. The stress is nearly killing him and I'm not doing much better. Pray for us please.

Wedding adjustments have overtaken my life due to my previous guest miscount. Today I'm fixing the cake and then hopefully I've resolved those issues.

Mark and I are going 13 days without seeing each other and then we will just briefly in the two before the wedding. It may seem ridiculous to be this upset, obviously we'll see each other everyday after we're married...but if you've never been in a long distance relationship you cannot begin to understand. I dream of the day when we can actually have discussions, solve problems, and pray together - face to face.

I am also struggling, more than I ever knew I would, with the prospect of not being at camp this summer. After my second summer on staff, I was so sure that I was finished I could never think of going back, and then one day God put it in my heart to work again last summer. I did and I loved it. This year I know that I'm not meant to be there but it's the most difficult thing I have ever let go of. I am praying for peace in my heart and for the joy of those who are spending their summer there.

Life's Still a ?

For our friends and family who are following this blog in the hopes of staying up to date with the Kuhn/Riley family, my apologies for not updating enough.

We are down to 18 days until the wedding and still praying for jobs. It is amazing the peace that God has placed in our lives despite the complete and utter uncertainty of our lives. We have each sent out lots of applications and we are still waiting for those "yes!es" But as we have been saying for months, we know that our lives our in God's hands and that He will provide for us in His time. My prayer is that some kind of answer (preferably in the form of a job offer) comes in the next 18 days and if not I will continue to pray for patience and peace.

23

No less panicked than in my last post BUT I am excited because today is April 23. I woke up this morning thrilled with the thought that when I wake up a month from now, May 23, it will be our wedding day!

Trying Not to Panic

We are 6 weeks and 5 days away from "THE BIG DAY"

We have been counting down the days since we got engaged on June 30, 2007 and while it feels like it has taken forever...time suddenly feels like it's going to fast. With just a month and a half left to figure things out it's become overwhelming.

Mark is waiting to hear back on all of the applications that he has turned in. He's heard quite a few "No's" but we are still confident because we know that in His time God will give us the "Yes" that He wants us to have. In the meantime, we're trying not to panic.