Thankful for a Year of Learning

Wow, nearly a year has passed since my four roommates and I moved into the 'Green House'...which ironically is red:). It is interesting to think back on this past year and all that it held. As I reflect on the last year I realize that there is much to be thankful for.

I am thankful...

• That God provided each Green House Girl with a job! (We all moved to Iowa City in faith that there would be jobs waiting for us...and there were!)
• I am thankful for Schmeck's new super-awesome-sauce-comfy-bed, which held many late night, tearful and laughter-filled conversations.
• For each of my roommates:
• Oliver (Oscie)- Thanks for snuggling with me when Deanna worked overnight or left early for work. Thanks for welcoming me at the door whenever I came home, for alerting us if intruders were at the door. Thanks for taking such good care of Dean...she really loves you a lot:).
• Dean- Thanks for your sweet dance moves, for your encouragement, for being able to empathize with me in the nursing world. Thanks for your fabulous sense of humor...especially on our LONG walks home from work in the mornings:). Thanks for doing snow angels with me on the way home in your giant boots:). Thanks for keeping me company on those days we didn't work and I was trying to figure out what to do without homework assignments. I enjoyed the many times we drank coffee, turned on Pandora and read our Bibles together:).  I think it's safe to say that there will be more laughs and heart to hearts to come:).
• Liz- Thanks for sounding the alarm whenever John was going to come over...especially when the air conditioning stopped working:). Thanks for being patient and  bearing with all of the late night noise and loud laughter. Thanks for your desire to serve in every situation. Thank you for being a great listener. Thanks for being the queen of the dishes and garbage. Thanks for including us in the adventure of dating and becoming engaged to John:). It was so fun to help you get ready for your 'anniversary date' and take pictures like a mom when John picked you up:)!! I am excited for this super fun wedding and Christ-centered Marriage:)!!
• Schmecks- You look very nice in purple:). Thanks for searching for and clinging to truth with me. Thanks for our long chats that never seem to end. Thanks for driving me to work when our chats would go too long:). Thanks for being patient, open-minded and helpful in the house hunt. Thank you for your encouraging words. Thank you for knowing me...I never realized how amazing it is to have people in your life who really know you. I am excited for the adventures the next year will hold for Jess & Jess :).
• Jenny- What a blessing to share a room with this girl...no matter how chaotic our room got...we just continued to laugh, no matter how dangerous our room became to move around in...we toughened up and hopped through! No matter how full of clothes our beds became...we somehow managed to sleep on them anyway:). Thanks Jenny, you are a beautiful, caring, gentle, sweet, JOY of a person and I am so glad that I had the privilege of living in the same room with you for a year:).

On a bit lower note, Jess & Jess will no longer be living in the Green House, but I believe this just means EVEN MORE fun and advneture with TWO houses to laugh, learn, entertain and seek the Lord in. I don't doubt that there will be lots of traveling happening between these two houses...:).

Joann and Ally have NO idea what they're in for....:D!

To anyone and everyone who walked through the blue door of the Green House that isn't green...we hope you felt loved and welcomed! All of you made the Green House what it is! Corey thanks for being a go-to grillin' guy! And thanks to all the guys who put our Christmas lights up!!! That was such a blessing! Court, thanks for being our Pseudo Roomie!! Oh and thanks to Kent for coming to check out that, 'noise' we heard...ha! Lydia! Thank you for being my running buddy, when no one else would;).

If I didn't mention you specifically, know that we love and appreciate you, it's just that it is 4am and I am battling to keep my eyes open and it's taking A LOT of brain power:).

Most of all...thank you, Heavenly Father, for being faithful. We have seen evidence of your faithfulness, please help us not to forget what you have done in this place.

Psalm 145:13

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.

Random News Snippets

It's been a LONG time since anyone has really posted here, so I thought I would give y'all a comprehensive list of some random things going on in the Greenhouse these days. Okay, most of it is what's going on today. Enjoy :)

• There are two boxes of mini-wheats on our kitchen table. One box is pink and the other is orange.
• Aren't you so glad that you now know the above statement?
• I made cookies today. They're oatmeal-craisin-white chocolate-dark chocolate chip cookies. And John says they're delicious.
• I'm going to plant flowers today. And everyone can enjoy them. :)
• I'm checking on taco meat right now.
• John is influencing some of these news snippets and that's why they are extra random. 
• Over spring break, we got a new washing machine, so we no longer need to put 85 pounds of free-weight on our washer to make it work. Yay!! Thanks landlords!
• No one is home except for me. The house is kinda lonely.
• Oliver has gone on two walks in two days. One was a walk, the other was a chase. It's okay though, we got him to come home.

Doin a little laundry...

Yes, this is my first post. Not because I never have anything to say...I always have something to say. Just ask my roommates:). My roommates are HILARIOUS. I wish I had time to write all of the hilarious things that they do and say...but today, I'm going to talk about...the washing machine.

We have had a little trouble with this washing machine. The trouble is, we put clothes in the washer (loads size large or smaller)..in accordance with the small post-it on the washer that reads: "The washer likes load sizes "large" or smaller.."  Anyway...we put clothes in the washer, run upstairs, go about our lives and then head back down to check our laundry. More times than not, when we arrive at the washer, we find that our clothes are soaking in a tub full of water and have not even begun the washing cycle..uuugggh not again! This sets you back 45 minutes in your 'plan for the day/night' and is always frustrating. This actually never happened to me until recently and then Schmecks so sweetly showed me the remedy.

"You have to lean on the lid really hard and then it will go.." Jess explains as she demonstrates. (How she discovered this strange remedy I can only imagine:). She leans on the washer and it begins washing, success!

Well today was a different story! I went down to the cold, creepy basement to do my laundry. (A lot of laundry). Scrubs first. I dropped all my work clothes into the washer, put in the detergent, shut the lid and started the washer. In the back of my head I was hoping it would run smoothly with no disruptions. No such luck. After waiting about 45 minutes, I ran downstairs to check on my clothes. No sound, the dial is still on the 'normal cycle' line and my clothes were, yup you guessed it, soaking in a tub of water, unwashed.

Ok, no big deal! All I need to do is lean on the lid like Schmecks! I lean on the lid...and the washer starts running!! Woo hoo!! Success!! I jump back on the floor (by lean I mean put all my upper body weight and strength onto the washer lid which leaves my feet off the floor a bit)...and the washer stops. Ugh. So I lean again, it starts, I jump off, it stops. (repeat a few times). Now what?? Well, maybe it needs a little more force! I sit on the washer...it starts!! Woo hooo! I jump off...it stops! I jump back on the washer again...it starts! What am I supposed to do now!? Sit on the washer until it's finished!? I might as well go wash my clothes by hand...in the river!

Hmmm...I thought, as I sat on the washer, I need something heavy to put on the washer. I look around the garage outside the laundry room...and see some free weights that you can put on the ends of a lifting bar. That could work! I thought to myself. (Heck, I probably said it out loud..) So I grabbed a 25 pounder and lugged it into the laundry room and carefully set it on the lid of the washing machine, without pinching my fingers. No go. Ok, I'll try the 35 pounder. I lug this one over to the washer and much less gracefully place it on the lid in place of the 25 pounder. No go. Ooook. I add a 25 pounder, no go. Add another 25 pounder, no go. I decided that maybe they weren't in the right spot, so I slide around three weights and..BINGO! The washer starts right up!! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!! I don't have to sit on the washing machine to do my laundry! Woo hoo!! Needless to say, I did some weightlifting between loads today and it was wonderful! Moral of the story: Always be prepared for a workout and never forget to think critically. I know all of you would feel confident in having me as your nurse:) (by 'all' I mean my roommates, since they're probably the only ones that read this)

Peace and Blessings, Peace and Blessings:)