Is He Serious?

Sometimes, from those of you who aren't very well acquainted with Carson, I hear the question, "So is he quiet and serious all the time?" 

The answer is an emphatic no. 

And a little giggle. Are you serious?

I'm not even sure where you got that impression, because he can be serious, and he isn't obnoxious, but he certainly isn't quiet. Or boring. Please don't think he's boring. 

Life is a million times more interesting with Mr. Bay. 

For example: 

For every documentation of him being... not serious... I have 100 other instances of funnier moments not captured. He's not serious all the time, not quiet at all. 

And trust me, life is quite fun that way.

Recipe: Parmesan Chicken

I tried this recipe for two reasons: 1. I had all the ingredients. and 2. It seemed simple. 

It ended up being great! I served it with brown rice and fresh broccoli. Carson was really sad when the leftovers ran out. It's really not what you'd call healthy, but it tastes good and if you have a little bit and load up on green side dishes...

Creamy Parmesan Chicken

Ingredients:

1/4 cup breadcrumbs (mine were seasoned)

4 tbsp. Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp oregano

dash of garlic powder 

dash of pepper

1 frying chicken (2.5-3 lb), cut into pieces 

(I had boneless, skinless chicken breasts which I cut into small pieces and it worked great.)

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tsp. chopped chives

1 can cream of mushroom soup

little bit of paprika (your discretion) 

What to do:

1. Combine breadcrumbs, 2 tbsp. cheese, oregano, garlic powder and pepper in paper or plastic bag. 

2. Add chicken and shake to coat with crumbs (I had more chicken than breadcrumb combo so I kept adding more stuff.) 

3. Arrange in 2 quart baking dish. Bake at 425 degrees for 30- 40 minutes or until nearly done. 

4. Combine soup, milk, sour cream and chives; pour evenly over chicken (This will make it really soupy which may scare you but it's really okay! It will bake to a creamy texture). Sprinkle with rest of Parmesan cheese and the paprika. Bake 10-15 minutes more or until lightly browned. 

credit: The First Baptist Church of Bluffton cookbook

(a wedding gift)

Creativity

While I am less than creative when it comes to titling things,
I have been somewhat creative when it comes to making fun things for our house and for fun.

I've made rosebud earrings from clay (the green pair hadn't been glazed yet), coasters that look cuter in person, a mod-podge covered pen-holding jar for the desk, and a little bit of painting!
I'm not much of a painter but this actually turned out pretty well.
I freehanded the letters so they're not quite perfect.
And I like that. 

Back Where I Didn't Want to Be

[alternately titled: "Guess What? I DON'T Know Best"]

Sometimes you pray for something... and it doesn't happen.

Sometimes you think something is God's will... and it doesn't work out.

What to do? Is God a liar? Should you quit praying?

Obviously, the answer to that is a good sound NO. But sometimes it's easy to get a little upset at the one who made the universe:

"God, I really wanted that! THIS is how I hoped that would go!" (like He didn't know)

This is something I experienced this week. You see, retail and I aren't best buddies. I don't mind it so much, but when it comes to selling something, I'm not so great. Being cheerful and kinda fake and making conversation... well, I use the excuse that I was homeschooled and therefore lack the know-how.

So I went to another interview last week (the day after I started my job). They said they'd call Friday or Monday.

We prayed that God would show where I should be. Because the hours at the other job were better, the schedule was more fitting, and the job wasn't something I was uncomfortable doing, I pretty much expected a call back. When the job I currently have didn't call me with my schedule for the week, I thought "Oh how perfect!"

I called job #2 today. Twice. No answer.

Then the phone rang.

"Lindsay? Hey! So here's your work schedule for the week"

...

Maybe God's plan isn't my ideal. Maybe He doesn't have to say "yes" every single time. Maybe, just maybe, prayer isn't about me getting what I want after all.

Maybe I'm going to be selling clothes for a little while.

Bank Robbers

Nothing like a road trip.

We made a rule that we can only get candy on trips to Olympia.

[because one of us kept buying it. and the other one of us just couldn't resist the gummy candy.]

So we stopped at a gas station for that purpose.

12 hours (there and back) of driving, lots of sugar, and a camera.

Then we got cold and pulled on the hoods of our sweatshirts.

With the sunglasses and the hoods, we decided we looked like we were going to rob a bank.

Cancun, Mexico!

[I have no other wedding or honeymoon pictures (or pictures from anything that happened prior to mid-June) than what I've shared online because my external hard drive died in its sleep. Won't turn on. So I keep going through these pictures, sad because I'm missing the others.]

But I digress.

I'm really here to share honeymoon pictures. Because since I care, you must, right? 

[just say right. And then you may scroll down and be enamored with all the things we did]

First off... details, sights... all that fun stuff. 

Blue water, iguanas everywhere, snorkeling in caves, beach, ocean, ruins, sunsets, "VIP" dolphin swimming, driving around in a golf cart, ring shot, Carson's first passport stamp... my last in that passport, lobby of the Royal Sands

And then the stuff we did...

Before dolphin swimming, at Chichenitza (Mayan ruins), swim-up bar at our resort, "dancing", exploring more ruins, sea lion kiss, tourist shopping, self-timer, ringless so we didn't lose our rings in the water, dancing with dolphins, more sea lion kisses, dressing up for dinner, snorkeling, exploring the resort.

It was such a great time. My only regret is that we didn't get to stay in Cancun for longer. We had an amazing villa with an incredible ocean view and fell asleep to the sound of waves on the shore. It was beautiful, fun, and we really filled up our days - Xcaret (it's a park, but without any rides), a day on the beach and pool (we were so burnt and crispy), a day exploring the Chichenitza ruins, a day on Isla Mujeres with dolphins, sea lions, manatees and driving around the island in a golf cart, and finally a day to relax before heading back to the airport.

and ps - should have put this warning at the top, but I'm not wearing makeup in like any of the pictures, so you may not want to click on it to make it bigger. If you do, don't judge, k thanks!

What's In a Name?

I've framed one of our wedding announcements for display. As I walked by it today, I caught the wording of the first two lines: David and Michele Norman along with Mike and Danita Bay invite you to share in their joy at the marriage of their children...

Weddings are essentially the melding of two families into one. One entirely new one. It's a bit strange to think that our formerly immediate families (i.e. parents and siblings) are now kind of our extended family. Our immediate family is quite small now: just the two of us. 

When we got married, we didn't sever all ties to our families entirely. Obviously, they're still related to us. We call them mom and dad and talk to our siblings as brothers and sisters. But we did lose dependence on them when we became "Mr. and Mrs." Those old selves have changed. 

Contemplating the wording on the wedding announcement, I thought about our selves in Christ. When I became a Christian, I didn't turn green or change my appearance in any other way, but I did become a new person. The old had passed away... the new had come. 

And I love that! I used to be someone before Christ that I'm not anymore. Before my relationship with Jesus began, I could not relate with Him like I can now that I know Him. Before I married Carson, same thing. See the parallel? 

My social security card changed names, not numbers. I still call my parents Mom and Dad. I have the same past behind me on September 15, 2010 as I did a year ago. I've not lost myself entirely, but I have become a new person.

I love this comparison between marriage and Christ. 

Date Night: Pig Out in the Park

Spokane has a lot of community events. One of those is Pig Out In the Park, held the week before Labor Day and ending that weekend. Riverfront Park downtown is filled with booths from local restaurants and caterers offering food.

It's free to walk around, but the food isn't free, and of course with all sorts of yummy smells, the wallet eventually comes out. 

So we went for date night the Thursday before Labor Day.

A huge truck in the parking lot (we live so close to the park that we just walked over)

Carson's first Gyro... so good!

Enjoying.

After the gyro, we enjoyed a lemon-lime Sno-Cone.

[and then an Elephant Ear... but you didn't need to know that]

[yum.]

News

 Carson's doing well, if you're wondering. Studying like crazy, working at Super Supplements part time and several weekly hours as a TA. He took a Psychology CLEP test a couple of weeks ago and aced it (of course!) so he's prepping for more CLEP tests. We're both cleaning the church a total of ten hours a week for our rent.

Anyway, I wanted to let you know that I finally have a job! It's a huge relief to be free from the hunt. I haven't actually started; my first day is Tuesday, but the job is mine. It's at White House Black Market. Retail was the last thing I wanted to do, but not too many places are hiring so I'm glad to get this! It's a smaller environment than the last retail job I worked so I think I'll like it better.
Note: Forgive the name; it's a clothing store. That's why the link is included. I'm not involving myself in criminal anything :)

And the second piece of news... I applied for a Pell Grant! Financial aid, that is. And I have been given a pretty decent sum so if things keep going the way they're going, it looks like I will join Carson in going back to school as early as January! Though I'd really thought about getting my associate's degree in Biblical Studies, I've discovered that I really do enjoy school, and since I'm only three semesters from graduating, I really want that Bachelor's degree (it's in Intercultural Ministry). I'm hoping to finish everything by next Spring, so I'll really only be a year behind my original graduation date.

joy: for a reason.

[Okay, if you know anything about me at all, it's that I love re-reading old journals. Honestly, and not pridefully at all, I'm encouraged and reminded of God's truths when I do read what I've penned before. With that in mind, I thought I'd share something from this past March.

Obviously the last couple of paragraphs are dated, but I included them as I typed this out because I thought it was important to have that illustration. Because I know I need to be reminded of this ALL the time. I probably even struggled with it today.]

The more I've considered it, the more I've realized that we are where we are for a reason. We came to Washington for a year, semester, bachelor's degree, marriage certificate (...). But the thing is, God has us here. Something in our lives made us apply, got us here and got us through the semester. Whatever we did before and whatever will happen when we leave isn't the point.  The point is, I am in Washington.

I came up with a cheesy but workable illustration of a book. Let's go ahead and call God the Author (and perfecter!) of the this story. Anyway, it's organized into chapters. there are seasons. There's childhood, initial faith in Christ, first steps in following Him, high school, different towns and homes - things we've done for a portion or chunk  of our lives - small eras to reminisce about. Far too many of us are trying to read the previous chapter and the current one at the same time. We want to re-read that - but the story goes on. The character in a book does new things, "Finds herself", makes amazing friends at school not better than but just as great as those at home, and actually LIVES her life. 


God has us where we are without accident. He's not even a little bit shocked about it, and has brought us here.  To live vicariously through chapter one when chapter four is going on doesn't work. It doesn't allow God to work the same way. It's selfish.

I'm writing this down partly because we talked through this last night, and partly because it came to mind today. It's March 10th, I'm getting married May 22nd, and I really want it to come. But that's a little over 2 months. And I'm not married right now. I'm in Olympia with Carson's parents, engaged. I am HERE without accident. I know this. 

Knowledge is power. I want to use that power with excellence, wisely. Since I know I'm here on purpose, I ned to live AND think that way. I can prepare for marriage without neglecting my time here. As far as chapters go, this is a short one. I really see God using the short length to test my patience shorter-term and refine my contentedness in Him.
Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and of going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:11-13

old friends, new places (in life)

You remember this friend, don't you? 

First roommate in Spokane, one of my best friends out here...

Molly!

Why, yes, we do see each other occasionally.

We went out to lunch last week, I showed her the new apartment, and we talked all things wedding. 

Because she's getting married in January! 

So fun "catching up" with old friends... who aren't even really old friends. 

It's just that so much has happened in the TWO years we've known each other that it seems like a very long time. 

Bible Study Methods

I've realized that this blog has been remarkably silent on the "What we're learning" front. That ought not to be!

Since we've been married, we read a Proverb a day to correspond with the date. So many things that stick out each time we read that even though we're reading the same verses month by month, we're constantly noticing new things.

We're also reading through the Old Testament, slowly (we're in Numbers).

BUT, we've been feeling a little dis-unified in our devotion times together. We both want to benefit, but to be honest, just reading alone was a little dry for us. We prayed about it, and Carson came up with this idea: Applications.

In Old Testament Survey (the class he's the TA for), the students are required to do "applications". They're 1 page papers that basically compile the basics from a study on a passage. There's an interpretive summary of the passage, a very clear, concise "big idea", and an application based on that.

So we've been doing that for the past two days. We read a passage of Scripture (we're going to start with Numbers, chapter-by-chapter for the OT and 2 Corinthians, passage-by-passage for the NT) and then discuss it, pray about it, understand what it's saying, write a summary, big idea, and personal application.

We've only done this two days so far but it's been really great. I recommend it.

What do you do for Bible study, personally or as a family?

House Pictures!

The chaos... the day we moved in. Boxes, stuff everywhere... kinda junky.

And now for pictures of what the place looks like, tidy, unpacked and mostly organized 

(I think it looks pretty decent - we did move here only 2 days ago!) We had friends over for dinner last night or else it would probably be messy still. 

The hallway, from our apartment door.

The front door itself, from the inside. Carson hung up our bulletin board for keys and things and his old roomie gave us this shoe rack. The baseball bat is there for protection purposes (it was in our house this summer too... don't worry, we'll probably never use it)

The living room. It's seriously about the same size as our house this summer. That's really not saying a lot because if you recall, that place wasn't so big. 

But this big empty room will hopefully be (Goodwill) furnished soon. The chairs were Carson's from way back, and the lamp was in one of our houses before we were married. We bought a bookshelf yesterday to hold some (not even close to ALL) of our books. Carson was studying for Greek here. He probably didn't even know I took a picture. 

I will post pictures of the view outside those windows. We get a great sunset and have a pretty neat view of South Spokane.

The kitchen. Love the kitchen. I already covered the fridge in pictures. It's a happy kitchen now.

The other side of the kitchen - lots of cupboards for storing things! And a stove with a sticker reminding us to stop animal cruelty. And tile counters. And things you'll recognize from our old house.

Our room - with a mattress that is NOT sitting on the floor and is SO comfy. And more cabinets. The folding door goes into the bathroom.

The closet. A real, true closet that is not one rod and one shelf. Bliss. It's small too, but I seriously can't complain.

The bathroom! We're going to put actual stuff on the shelf below the sink (which I proudly assembled myself...) because storage is limited in there. It's on the small side but I still love it. And although I was very happy that we had so many shelves in the bathroom in our last place, I'm glad that this bathroom is being used as ONLY a bathroom, not a place for extra storage.

So, that's our home! The outside is ugly, run down and a little scary looking so unless you're dying to see it, I wasn't planning on including a picture. It's honestly not in the best part of town (not the worst either, fyi) so I guess it will never be pretty. But we don't live on the outside so who cares?

We keep laughing because this apartment is quite tiny, as far as housing goes. But because our house this summer was VERY small, the apartment feels very large. It's really great to have a living room to keep the books and things in and not have to hang out in the bedroom or kitchen all the time. We call it our mansion sometimes. Realistically, I think it's the smallest of the apartments I've lived in. 

Perspective - a great thing :)

Different Stages

I had two conversations recently that were such a contrast that they made me laugh. One was with a recently married friend (all my married friends are in that category so it could be anyone) and a friend I used to live with:

Conversation with married friend: furniture, decorating, babies, prices of things, menus, our weddings, men (husbands)

Conversation with unmarried friend: school, summer, reminisce a bit, future plans, boys, things we should do this semester, roommates

It's funny to me how we talk as we go through different stages of life. I still have so many things in common with people who aren't married, but I associate with people who are on a common level now too. I remember my mom talking about things with her friends that I thought were way boring (furniture set-up? Who cared?) and now I find myself doing the same with my friends. I had an actual exciting conversation about Crock-Pots the other day.

It's kind of fun... I love that I'm not "past" that stage of life but that I can totally appreciate the newly married side of life and the not-married side.

ps- Carson bought our first piece of real furniture yesterday. And yes, I'm much more excited than I would have been a few months ago!