First let me apologize to my faithful readers for being so slow getting new updates posted. I know there are many of you who like to be kept up-to-date.
Things are going very well here in Myerstown. We are finally starting to feel like this is home. Jason has started his job & seems to be enjoying it. There are plenty of hours for him to work, so we praise the Lord for that. We just got our new car (new to us), so that has been a big help.
Jason just finished his first summer course on Monday. It was a seminary writing course & he really enjoyed it. It was definitely worth every penny we paid. He learned so much about what his professors will be expecting & how long it should take him to write a paper. We're just waiting for his final score, but he feels pretty confident.
The girls are doing very well. Peyton has been having a rough couple of days. She is getting 3 teeth & she is MISERABLE. We've been trying to be understanding & give her a little extra love & patiece, but when she's clutching your leg, screaming (as she has been for the last 2 hours), & you're trying to make dinner, patience is a little hard to come by!! Other than that, she's great! Two nights ago, she walked from the kitchen sink to the middle of the livingroom all by herself!
Caleigh's doing pretty well. She's been having a little trouble adjusting to being without Livvy. She will mention Livvy every couple of days. At first, she would cry . . . A LOT. But now, we usually just have to say that we miss Livvy & then pray for her. We are checking with someone at the school as to whether we would be able to get Caleigh a hamster for her birthday next week (since we're technically not allowed to have pets). We thought that would help her get over Livvy. Caleigh will also be starting a homeschool pre-school curriculum in September. I've been working on getting some of her lessons ready & am really looking forward to teaching her.
As for me, I'm actually starting to enjoy life here. I've found some markets & some stores that I like to frequent (The Salvation Army is my favorite!), so it's starting to feel more like home. I just got a job working every Friday afternoon as a receptionist at a local chiropractor's office. I start tomorrow & am really looking forward to it! It will be a little extra income for the family & a chance for me to get out of the house & have some adult conversation.
Please keep praying for us. A couple saw our house on Tuesday night. Their realtor said that they really liked it & would like to put in a bid, but their numbers are low. That same realtor was showing our house to another couple last night.
Also pray for our health insurance situation. We applied to get CHIP for the girls & we're told that we were better qualified for Medicaid, so pray that we can get that application processed soon!!!
The Lord continues to faithfully provide for our every need, at just the right moment. We have no doubt that He will continue to do so as we serve Him here at the seminary.
"The LORD will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." Isaiah 58:11
Ahhh, finally . . . a few moments from the crazy busyness of life to update my blog. I know that many of you have been wondering where we've been & what we've been up to. Well, step into the life of the Dickinsons & I'll tell you all about it . . .
We just got back last Saturday night from the most AWESOME vacation EVER!!!!! We headed up to our family cabin in the Poconos for a week of relaxation & recharge before seminary classes started. As a "thanks for everything," we took our wonderful friends, the Nygards & their 3 kids. What a fantastic week!!! We arrived late on Sunday night. It poured most of the day on Monday, but we did get a chance to head out to the world famous American Candle Factory. 
Tuesday was absolutely gorgeous, so we took the kids & a picnic lunch to the beach. The kids had a great time building a sand castle with quite possibly the most elaborate moat I've ever seen.
That night, we built a campfire, roasted marshmallows, & enjoyed partaking in general silliness. Evan was, by far, the expert Marshmallow Roaster!
On Thursday, in celebration of Heather's birthday, we took the kids to Claws 'N Paws Animal Park. The kids had a great time learning about all sorts of different animals. They had the opportunity to feed & pet goats, deer, & sheep, as well as petting tortoises, & feeding the zoo's beautiful giraffe, Twigga.
Other highlights of our week included pizza at Alfredo's, a lesson in pretzel-making at Callie's Pretzel Factory, & a rousing game of Dutch Blitz with Kris, the sloppy Blitz player.We were sad to leave (just ask Isaiah), but are counting the days until we can go back again next year.As for our life at Evangelical, Jason official started his first class this week. It has been one of our most difficult weeks, but also one of our most rewarding. The Lord provided Jason with a part-time job doing estimating work. It does not offer health benefits, but it gives him plenty of hours & pays well. Jason is loving his class & is learning a lot. God also provided a 2nd car for us that Jason is picking up at this very moment. The car was offered to us at only $100!! (It's worth well over than that!) Thank you to the family members who purchased this car for us & got it road worthy! But perhaps the biggest praise came just yesterday . . . I received the bill for Jason's first semester . . . due on the 21st. After student loans were applied, we still owed over $900. We only had about half of that after paying yet another month's mortgage. I went to bed on Thursday night begging the Lord to provide. On Friday afternoon, I received a revised school bill in the mail with $1000 credit added to our account!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We don't have to pay a dime this semester! The Lord is faithful!!But, of course, Satan just can't leave well-enough alone. Please continue praying for us. Jason & I have both been very under the weather this week. Also, we cannot apply for CHIP for the girls until Jason gets his first paycheck. Please pray for God's protection over our girls while we are without health insurance. And, as also, pray that our house will sell soon!!!!
