A Blogger? Never!

So I swore to many that I would never blog... yet here I am. So many people have lovingly inquired as to what Joe & I are up to. The same people have "lovingly" suggested that a blog would be "so much easier" - so I said I would try it. We'll see...

Let's see... I will try to summarize what's been going on with us:

We got married in April of 2005 and have been on an amazing journey since then.  We have been in ministry the entire time, though it's shifted back and forth from vocational.  We have a cute little house and two dogs, our kids, Asher & Cali.

Here's Asher, our black lab/dalmatian mix - she just turned 5 :)

Here's Cali, our boxer/shepherd mix - she's 2 1/2 :)

We never thought we would be living in Kansas... but God has us here - at least for now. :) We're very close to my parents, and thankful that they live only 2 minutes away.  They are always willing to watch the "granddogs" when we're out of town.  My sister, Cassy (who goes by her middle name "Sage" now) and her husband Aaron live only 5 minutes from us.  They are having their first baby in December - Malachi James - and I can't wait to be an aunt!!  So we're thankful that we're around here.

Let's see - Joe's been on staff at a couple different churches, but switched to a secular job so he'd have more time to focus on school.  He's in seminary at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia.  It's all distance, but he flies there once each semester for a week of modular lecture.  He's working on TWO masters degrees (I know, crazy) and will be done with both in December - YEA!!  He had to quit his job because of all the traveling we did this summer, so he's currently looking for a part-time job just to finish out the year.

We've started a house church in our home, which Joe facilitates.  We feel called to making disciples, which calls us into a community and meeting one-on-one with people.  It's been wonderful to learn what living in a community of believers truly looks like... and we're still learning. :)

I have been working at the Sedgwick County Jail for about 2 1/2 years now as the Chaplain's Assistant.  I'm actually employed by Christian Ministries to Offenders, a non-profit organization that ministers to the spiritual and physical needs of inmates in the jail.  I enjoy my job, and appreciate the flexibility.  Joe and I tend to travel a lot (mostly ministry: speaking at camps, retreats, etc.), so I'm incredibly thankful for a job that allows me to do that.

Though that is my full-time job, my passion is photography, and I do that on the side.  I would love to transition to full-time at some point, but I'm thankful to do it as much as I am.  I love shooting newborns and children the most, though I also enjoy couples and families.  I have done just a handful of weddings, so I'm still learning in that area. :) I am honored to be friends with Gina Dreher, who is an incredibly talented photographer.  She has recently offered to train me (in the event that she can't make a wedding, I would be able to cover for her).  I am beyond excited and so thankful for the opportunity.  Not only will I get to learn more about shooting weddings, but I'll get to spend more time with Gina! :)

I have recently put together a small website just to show some of my work.  I'm just now learning the ins and outs of photoshop, so that's opened a whole new wonderful world for me!  I love it! :)

I think that's about all that's going on with us... let's see if I can keep this updated! :)

-Ginger