Thanksgiving

Hey everybody, hope you had a great Thanksgiving. It was sad that I missed our big family gathering back in Michigan, but I still had a pretty good turkey day. I've basically been on vacation for the past week traveling around. Peace Corps volunteers celebrate Thanksgiving together every year with a big gathering in the beautiful mountains of Chiriquí at a really nice resort. So I enjoyed being cold for the first time in a long time, sleeping on a real mattress, and lots of good food. A group of us climbed Volcán Barú, the highest peak in the country, where we had an amazing view of both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Tomorrow I'm headed back home (gotta get back to work).

I realized I'm very thankful for the other volunteers here in Panama, having people around that I can relate to and get energy to keep going here. I'm also thankful for my friends and all the encouragement and love I get from you all. So I just want to say thank you for being my friends, even when I do a terrible job of staying in touch and leave you guys wondering if I'm still alive.

I miss you people

Hey friends!  I don't really have much to update but wanted to say heyyyyy!  When can we do a crew Skype?

Ketchup

Friends. I am sorry I haven't posted in awhile. Being that we now have to souls abroad, I would love if we could use this more often. I thought James had a good idea with treating it like the new Community Locker Journal.

Life for the Ochoa's has been smoothing out. We are in Texas and living off of support which is encouraging to see God's provisions everyday. It also allows us to focus on School and communication with our team and coaches. We are currently enrolled into Intro to Linguistics courses which is kicking our tail. Also, I am learning that to an Linguistic there is no wrong or right just words. So....yeah.

But for real, it is really interesting to be approaching language in such a way. It focuses on observing, rather than critiquing. I think Ben and James would find it interesting since they will be less 1st language speakers around them. James, I assume you might also be going to a remote village that may have a distinct dialect or language than Mexican Spanish?

Anyway, Maria is getting so big. I wish you guys could all come and take time holding her. Seriously, that would help us out greatly. Like, take her off her hands and stuff. Just kidding. We love her and such. But seriously, we miss you all. So having the opportunity for you guys to hold her just implies that you would be close enough for us to share a cup of coffee with. And that sounds good to me.

Cheers

- Tony

Howdy slash adiós from James

Howdy Friends,

Well, it’s only a week now until I leave the country.  I’ve really enjoyed being able to see and spend time with [most of] you over the past few months.

I booked my flight from Kalamazoo to Washington D.C. for Sunday, August 25.  I’m actually going to spend some time with family who live in D.C.  They’re gonna pick me up at the airport and show me the sites and sounds.  They’re daughters actually go to school with Barak’s daughters, nbd.  And then staging begins Monday night, and I'll be in Mexico City by Wednesday afternoon!

I also wanted to make sure you all had the link to my blawwwg.. latravesiadejames.blogspot.com

Not sure how much I'll update it, but it at least has links to pertinent information about my assignment.

Be well, and I'll see you on the interwebs!

James

crewbabies

Hey Friends

So I'm back in Panama. My little adventure to the USA went way too fast. I loved every minute I got to spend with the Crew. You are all a huge blessing and I wish I could've taken you with me. But I don't think you'd want to go to the jungle, and it would be kinda tight in my hut.

I met the newest group of trainees/ future Peace Corps volunteers a few days ago when I was helping to train them. Four of them are strong Christians and were involved with HCJB and eMi, the ministries where I did internships. So that was pretty cool to find out. I hope that I can connect with them more, but I'm afraid they're going to get assigned to somewhere on the other side of the country and I'll never get a chance to talk to them again. But we'll see. Please pray that I will be able to connect with believers here in Panama, since I've had little success with that so far.

My one year medical checkup was today. I had my first cavity ever, which was disappointing. Before I knew it the dentist was drilling away, telling me to raise my hand if it hurt too much. Who needs an anesthetic anyway...

I heard about Heather's accident. That is so terrible. I will be praying for her recovery and peace of mind through this trial.

So friends, even though we're far away again and it seems that some are getting ready to depart for new adventures, let's keep in contact as much as possible. I want to be as much of an encouragement to you that you have been to me.

Prayers needed!

Hi friends!  Some of you know this already but some don't - I thought this would be the easiest way to put it out there for you guys...

My family needs your prayers.  On February 2, Roxy (Eric and Chelsea's dog) jumped out of the car and Eric tried to catch her, hurting his arm in the process.  His arm never felt better so after about two or three months, he finally went and got it checked out at his doctor's office.  The doc suggested physical therapy for a strained muscle.  PT didnt cause any improvements so he went back to the dr. office for an x-ray - they thought maybe it was broken and wasn't healing.  They got a phone call Friday night from the dr saying that the x-ray looked unusual and that it could be osteo sarcoma - bone cancer.  They told my parents and Eric's parents on Friday night and told me on Saturday morning.  We prayed for the next several days that it wasn't cancer but I got a text from Chelsea on Wednesday morning (May 8) confirming that the doctor called and it was in fact cancer.  I took it really hard and got a ride to Kalamazoo and spent the day with my mom distracting each other and praying with each other in cycles.  Wednesday afternoon, Chels and Eric and Eric's parents went to the onocologist for their first appointment.  Me and my parents drove back up to GR and had dinner with them.  Chelsea and Eric are handling this SO well!!  It's really amazing and an answer to prayer!!  So the facts from Wednesday's appointment are as follows: 

- it's treatable and BEATABLE! Praise the LORD
- there are two types of cancer that it could be - Osteosarcoma or Ewing's Sarcoma.  We want it to be Osteosarcoma because it's more treatable.  It looks like Osteosarcoma so we are very hopeful that the final diagnosis will be this "good" news but until we get that news, please pray that it's osteosarcoma!
- this type of cancer is incredibley rare and very aggressive.  There are only 800 cases in the US annually - 1 in 1-2 million people get this cancer.  GR is one of relatively few locations that has doctors who are knowledgeable with this cancer!  AND their oncologist is a Christian!
- Eric's arm isn't broken - this is really a miracle because of the rough PT that he went through.  His bone is really really vulnerable and could easily break.  We do NOT want this to happen because then the cancer would spill out and contaminate the clean tissues in his arm and the only option would be to amputate.  Please pray that his arm will be safe and remain unbroken for the next three months!
- since Roxy hurt Eric, this was caught relatively early. Roxy is our miracle dog becuase there would have been no symptoms for another couple months and it would have been really really bad.  So again, PRAISE the LORD that this was caught early!!
- Eric had an etire body bone scan yesterday to see if the cancer spread anywhere else or if it was contained in his arm.  They heard back from the oncologist this afternoon saying that it looked like a clean scan (contained in the arm)!!!!! The radiologist will have to confirm but I feel like the doc wouldnt have said anything unless he was pretty positive so I am SO HAPPY about this news today!!! 
- he had the biopsy today and it was an actual surgery instead of just a needle because they didnt want to contaminate the healthy tissue when they pulled the needle out.  Please pray for a speedy and relatively painless recovery - the doctor said it would be painful but God has the power to heal quickly!
- they are waiting on the results to all of these tests and then they will be moving forward with chemo - most likely next week or the following week.
- chemo will go on for 3 months to shrink the cancer, then they will schedule surgery and remove that part of his bone and replace it with either a cadaver bone or a bone out of his own leg or a metal rod (least desirable option), then 2-3 months for recovery from the surgery, then another 5 months of chemo. 

Most of these things are self-explanitory when it comes to what kinds of things to pray for but I want to add a few things :)  Please pray for Chelsea - she needs strength and peace and support for the coming year.  Please pray for Eric as he is going to be more than miserable for the next year of his life and he's nervous about the pain and the recovery.  Like I said, they have been doing amazingly well so far but it's going to be so exhausting for them! :( 

That's pretty much my update haha!  I have to go now but thank you in advance for your prayers!! 

invitación

April 30, 2013

James Dykstra
5319 Woodmont Dr.
Portage, Michigan 49002

Dear James,

Congratulations! It is with great pleasure that we invite you to begin training in Mexico for Peace Corps service. You will be joining thousands of Americans who are building stronger communities around the world. This call to action gives you the opportunity to learn new skills and to find the best in yourself.

...




Volunteer Assignment Description
https://trm128.brassring.com/JetStream/500/Presentation/Template/ASP/Candidate/Todo/CandidateProfileDwnld.asp?filename=%4095IL4i2Ju2cLcIPUUcEdyyOb85T5R1L1zvI%2fBWCUg1qVfU%2bO5zKVyoTe5FldGDHRqLNiCCuO%2bY4v%0d%0aGu8wWAr199eVPx5QUCDbZ1yt4WgYM9IYwcNDDduKt0lXFdry%2bRgeGQtu7f%2fmBPXW79KXpldRiykv%0d%0aJ0Hhe%2bc%2fhAdbtBk44S2Hfw0SOjATsHhZ6MyuHoePrqIZWudLGv%2f1J5spWSxCYRrLE%2bjQ7xIGM9jp%0d%0amuUaPrnrZT1EjAXGDjVIUqQXBkvDbKrBxNb3Idt3XDA8VVKgV755ZR00J2qJ%2fuhwE%2bYrmtZCYKjj%0d%0a7OcqkQ%3d%3d&EmailTemplate=true
Core Expectations
http://files.peacecorps.gov/multimedia/pdf/about/pc_core_volunteer_expectations.pdf
Volunteer Handbook
http://multimedia.peacecorps.gov/multimedia/pdf/documents/volunteer_handbook.pdf
On the Home Front
http://files.peacecorps.gov/multimedia/pdf/faf/homefront.pdf
Mexico Welcome Book
http://www.peacecorps.gov/welcomebooks/mxwb510.pdf

What Do I Believe?

Hey, I just thought I'd share this email conversation with a couple other Peace Corps Volunteers here in the Darien area. We don't see each other that often so sometimes it's easier to just use email and check it when we can. I realize it's a lot to read, so don't feel obligated to go through it all, but it's kind of interesting to see some different perspectives. My response is the third one. Maybe you guys can keep me accountable and make sure I'm not going crazy out here and making up weird theology or something.

Fwd: continuing the jesus convo...

Amber Naylor

to Danielle, me, Andrew

Some light reading when you are bored...

I like to share things. I started a Jesus convo with Chelsea last week, and then ended up writing her a follow up email about it. Thought I would share exactly what it is I believe with you guys, since I share everything else with you.

We can talk about it, or not. Que va.

Hey Chelsea.

When we last talked, you told me how you had trouble reconciling the fact that being a Christian means that those who do not accept Christ as their Savior go to hell, no matter how good of a person they are. I didn't have an answer in words to give you at the time, because I agree with you, and after our long days of translating, finding the right words in the right language was very hard. So after thinking about it, here's what I believe, and I hope that it helps you as you try to figure out how this whole religion thing fits into your life.

-I believe that those who preach and act like there is absolutely only one way to get into heaven are cocky, and are probably trying to sell me something. NO ONE KNOWS. No one. It does not matter how old or young you are, what religion or culture you are, or whether you are ordained as a minister or whether you teach evolution to high schoolers. We are all just trying to figure it out before we die.

-I believe there is a God. He or she may have a variety or names and be represented in different forms, but I believe there was one Creator that started this whole thing- whether that beginning was a big explosion or a week of work- and helps guide us still. I find my proof in nature and music, and in those tiny coincidences of life whose ripple effects have huge impacts.

-I believe there is a heaven. I realize it is highly possible nothing happens after we die, but where is the fun in that? I choose to believe that we are all here as a part of something bigger, something greater. That no matter what trials life throws my way there is always something better for me later on. That I never have to say an eternal goodbye to my loved ones because immortality is waiting. It gives me hope.

-I believe that God sent his only son to earth to show us how much he loves us. That he let that son be sacrificed at the hands of other human beings for our sins to let us know that we are worthy of eternal life and that we are valuable human beings. I believe that Jesus was our living example- 'Look, if this lowborn son of a prostitute can do great things, spend his life serving others, AND go to heaven, SO CAN YOU!'

-I believe that a bunch of men wrote the Bible. I believe they wrote it with good intentions, but they, like all others, had cultural biases and language barriers. So to be perfectly blunt, I think a lot of the Bible is crap. And I am perfectly ok saying that.

-I believe there is more than one way to heaven. I know that my Christianity stems from how I was raised and my culture. To me, to say that only Christians get to go to heaven is like saying only people who speak English get to go to heaven. I believe that nearly all religions are just different flavors of the same ice cream. I think heaven is full of Buddhists, Jews, and Muslims too. I think entrance into heaven has more to do with having good sportsmanship and less to do with picking the right sports team. (aka being a good person, and note that being a good person and being sinless are not the same thing) I don't know that aetheists get in, having outwardly proclaimed God doesn't exist, but really, I don't KNOW anything. I think God reserves the right to make that decision on a case by case basis. For the sake of my good friend's fiance who was killed in Iraq saving his friend's life, I hope there are exceptions, because he was a truly great guy that just didn't believe in God.

-I believe there is a hell for those who find joy and pleasure in inflicting pain and anguish on others. I believe that no matter what they say their religion is that God knows who they are. I believe there is a special place in hell for those who use religion as a tool to enslave others, rather than to empower them

-I believe I am just as Christian as the Pope, even though I have some beliefs that are decidedly unorthodox. Because religion is not a science. I find that religion is at its best when it inspires us to better ourselves, to serve others, to love unconditionally, and to try to make the world a little bit better than it was today. Everyone finds their inspiration in different things- artwork, music, nature, stories, etc. Therefore different religions inspire different people, and there is no right answer. Or maybe there is, but no one on earth knows it. So take your best guess and go with what makes you happy.

-I believe that by just having faith in something greater makes me a stronger person, able to accomplish greater tasks. Knowing that, whether or not at the end of the day my faith is in the right place is irrelevant. It gets me through today, and gives me the hope I need to tackle tomorrow.

When I hear people say things like 'Absolute Truth', or 'Every Christian knows the Bible is the Word of God', or 'I need to save this person', it makes me a little crazy. Absolute Truth is crap, because nobody knows anything. That is why it is called faith. That is is the beauty of religion- that even though there are no definite answers, one chooses to believe and trust in higher power. As far as the Bible, lets not even get me started on the examples of ridiculousness. You know what they are. And I am no less of a Christian for my beliefs on that! As far as saving others goes, who says your way is any better than theirs?!

Chelsea, as far as the heaven vs. hell concern, it is totally valid. Believe whatever feels true to you. I choose to believe that God doesn't send good people to hell just because they don't know Jesus. But maybe I am wrong. Maybe Mother Teresa and Gandhi are burning in hell while Hitler sips champagne in heaven. Who knows. But that just doesn't feel right to me. I choose not to believe that.

If you want to call yourself a Christian, call yourself a Christian. No one can prove you wrong!

...

Danielle Renzi

Feb 24

to Amber, me, Andrew

I meant to send this a while ago :) my thoughtss...

Ok so I both agree and disagree. For me, it’s more about the journey and less about the destination. The only way I can reconcile the world in my head is that if you honestly and sincerely search for the Truth, for God, for spiritual guidance, you will find it – whether that’s Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, lo que sea.  That being said, I think there is one correct answer. I mean, if we are assuming that there is life after death and that life after death will be different for Gandhi than for Hitler, then there has to be some type of distinguishing factor (i.e. the way you lived your life). THAT being said, I don’t think humans have found or are capable of finding that one correct answer.

So yes, I believe that all religions are inherently wrong. I mean if you look at every major religion, there are at least a few different sects; there are always different interpretations of the same holy texts. What that means to me is that, even if it is true that God sent his Son to save us and inspired many men over centuries to write the Bible – there are still hundreds of different interpretations and new religions are being invented continuously.

The problem is that being part of a religion can be an extremely positive part of life – it gives you a community, it holds you to a higher standard (let’s be honest, when I have concrete rules to follow, I’m more likely to follow them than if I just “try to be a good person”), and can provide you with resources and opportunities in all facets of your life. So then what it all comes down to for me, is the journey. I will go on mine and everyone else will go on theirs. Whether that means reading the bible or the Koran or peer-reviewed journal articles or maybe even just praying really hard, is irrelevant. The point is that you are sincerely looking.  That you are sincerely and actively trying to make yourself a better person, always.

A religion, for me then, is not what I believe to be 100% correct. It should be an aide to my journey; a group of people that are on the same journey as me, that are there to help and support me.  I respect that others may come to a different conclusion than me and that’s ok. I have to hope that the way I live my life is as close to "right" as possible, and if not, then at least God knows I tried :)

...

Ben Vander Plas
to Danielle, Amber, Andrew

Ever since I read this email it got me thinking. Unfortunately that thinking never got around to forming a coherent response… Until now (hopefully), only a few months later. I appreciated you both sharing on a little bit heavier topic. There are a lot of things you wrote that I agree with. There are also things I disagree with. I think we can disagree and still respect each other’s beliefs.

I believe God exists and is the creator of everyone and everything. I believe that he inspired people to write the Bible, to share their stories of faith, their spiritual journeys. That’s why I read the Bible; it gives me strength and wisdom, and reminds me how God has used ordinary people like me in the past. It also gives me direction in my life wherever I may end up.

In the Bible the first Christians were called that because they were simply following Christ. That was the definition of a Christian. When I read the book of Acts, I strive to be like those Christians. Their way of life was very simple but profound. Now it seems that label can mean a wide variety of things, including someone who goes to church, a “good person,” or someone who is “religious.” I don’t currently attend a church, I’m often not real good, and I don’t consider myself religious. But I say I am a Christian, because those are not things that define my faith. I have a personal relationship with Jesus, not just a religion to be contained by.

I do not believe that our goal in life should be to try and figure out how to get into heaven. To me that’s sort of an egocentric perspective. According to Jesus, life is a lot more about letting go of our own selfish desires and living in community with all of creation. I don’t believe that God just wants us to follow a set of rules and regulations that determine whether or not we earn admission to heaven. I do believe that God wants us to have true life right now, to live in a way that causes positive change in the world through personal relationships with individuals.

I believe that our eternal state of being does not depend on whether or not we are a good person. When I read the Bible I see that eternal life is a gift that we can never earn. We can never be good enough to deserve to live in the presence of God. To me that is what’s so beautiful about salvation. Nobody is good enough, but anybody can receive it. When Jesus walked on earth he ran into a whole lot of people that weren’t supposed to “get in” to heaven – tax collectors, prostitutes, convicts, and people viewed as “sinners.” Ironically those were the people he was drawn to and most accepting of. Having said that, I think that obviously we should be trying our best to do as much good as we can. But that should be a product of God’s love, not an effort to earn salvation.

Lately the idea of universal truth has become increasingly popular, even among religious groups. That is saying that everyone makes their own truth, that truth is relative. I cannot in good conscience agree with that. If I personally believe that I can breathe underwater, it doesn’t mean that I won’t drown if I try. I believe that truth is something that nobody except God knows completely, but it cannot simply change depending on the person. To put it plainly, I don’t believe that the universe revolves around me; therefore I don’t have much say in how things work.

I think sometimes people get frustrated with the North American church, and see it as representing an entire belief system. But that’s just one small part of the church. I have met believers in different parts of the world that have completely different ways to live following Jesus based on their culture and environment. I have listened to songs praising God in languages I didn’t know existed. I have seen people in poverty who have incredible generosity because of their faith in Jesus. It’s amazing to see how people so different still share a faith that crosses all barriers. I agree that religion is flawed, and that many terrible things have come out of religion. Sometimes I hesitate to call myself a Christian, because of all the negative connotations it has and the ways people have been hurt by religion. That’s why I don’t consider my faith a religion but rather a relationship. At the same time I recognize that no matter how flawed the church might be, rather than rejecting it I should be trying to reconcile it for good. Having that faith community is essential to me. Like Danielle said, it’s a group of people on the same journey, to be there when you need help. My church back home is a family that encourages each other in our faith. We are messed up people that are trying to figure out how to live as Jesus would, and making lots of mistakes along the way. But if everyone was perfect then I suppose we wouldn’t need a community around us.

Anyway I agree with Amber that seeing how insignificant we are with our tiny brains in this vast universe, there is no way we can fully comprehend life after death. There is no way we can know or judge the fate of anyone else. I realize that of course I don’t have all the answers. I don’t understand a lot of things. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t answers. My journey is a search for the truth, and at the same time developing a deeper relationship with God and his creation. That is what I believe. I’d be happy to talk about it whenever.

A note from Hil

Last night, I was really upset because I came across 'A Good Crew' blog.  This was the first I knew of its existence!  I sent an angry text to Tony... and then an apologetic text when I found the 'contributor' email he sent back in February... hehe oopsie!  Well my friends, an update on me - I had a tonsillectomy this morning performed by a 90 year old German man who looked like he had 1 foot in the grave.  Even though he looks super old, there's a reason he's still doing it; he does a great job.  But boy does this recovery suck!  Lots of pain but I seem to be keeping my humor in tact.  My mom videoed me right after I woke up:

 Pre-Op / Post-Op

Optimistic about the surgery! / I was trying desperately to keep my eyes open. It was really difficult!

My mom is telling me that you guys don't want to see this but I'm posting it anyway (you're welcome)!

I Miss You!

Thanks Tony for making a new blog, sorry the other one didn't work out. Glad I can contribute now! I'd like to apologize for how poorly I've been keeping up with everyone. It's not that I don't love you guys, I guess I'm just still getting used to living in this country.

Anyway I like this a lot, seeing what's happening in your lives. James I'm sorry to hear about the Peace Corps update. They were always telling me to be flexible and I got really sick of it, but just hang in there. I have much faith in you that you will be a great volunteer. I'll try and pull some strings to get you to Panama!

So I don't have time to write much now, but hopefully next week when I go to internet land I can put something more on here. Nate and Emily are coming to visit on Sunday and I'm super pumped! We're gonna visit some islands in the Caribbean and then head to my town and check out the jungle. I realize some of you will soon have families and obligations, but you should all be on the lookout for cheap flights to Panama. I would love to be your tour guide, and you can't beat my prices.

Oh, just throwing this out there - I may or may not be visiting the good 'ol USA in a few months. No sure plans yet, but the family is requesting that I be there for the week of 4th of July (at the new cottage, which I have yet to see)! So maybe keep that in mind as I will probably be staying an additional week after that. I don't know, maybe we can hang out or something, chat a little bit. That would be nice.

Hope everyone is well, I miss you all very much. Que Dios les bendiga.

Maria's name.

I don't know if we told you guys yet. But our daughter's name will be

Maria Simone Ochoa

I have always liked the name Maria. It is a prevalent hispanic and Italian name which speaks to both Angela and my background. I also really enjoyed the song My Maria by Brooks and Dunn. It is extremely corny but I do look forward to singing it to my daughter. It also holds connection to Angela's all time favorite movie ever ever, The Sound of Music. Maria is the name of the protagonist in the film. Lastly and more importantly, Maria is indirectly named after Angela's mom, Mary. Her mom has played the greatest role in Angela's life in order to teach her godliness, build her faith, and encourage her purity through womanhood.

We joking say that we want to name all our kids after obscure Indie bands. We first became acquainted with the name Simone from the all girl brooklyn pop band called Au Revoir Simone. Maria Simone sounded good together and it was a plus that it has a Hebrew origin meaning "one who hears/listens". This rings very true with my hopes for our children. In this world of relative truth, I so desperately yearn that our children will find logic, hear truth, and ultimately have faith of which to "hear God". Hearing, I hope, implies understanding which can root anyone into any situation.

Her expected due date is May 17.

Baby Assassin

All this talk about babies makes me think of Baby Assassin.. eating his banana.. so young, so innocent.. so murderous.

20 week ultrasound

we had our 20 week ultrasound today

Kendra and I both were pretty anxious to see the baby and how it was growing. Everything appeared to be great but we have a few weeks until our next appointment with our Doctor to review the results. It was amazing to see the baby shaking its head and swinging its arms around. Kendra hasn't felt it moving but it barely was still during the ultrasound.

Peace Corps update..

Dear Peace Corps Applicant,

Thank you for your patience throughout the application process. I am writing to inform you that while we were not able to offer you an invitation to the program to which you were originally nominated, we would like to consider you for similar programs departing between July and September of 2013.

Please be advised that you may be asked to be flexible in terms of skill area and work assignment and/or the region where you might be placed. If you feel you are not willing to serve in other regions or do other work in addition to Agriculture and Environment assignments, you should let me know that now.

Also, if you are not willing to wait for an assignment that would depart between July and September, or you are no longer interested in Peace Corps service, please let me know.

Otherwise, we will be considering you for slightly later programs and we will make an effot to keep you in a similar assignment if possible.

Finally, I will be out of the office between March 1-15, so you will not hear from me again unitl I return. Meanwhile, unless you communicate that you are not flexible or you are no longer interested in Peace Corps service, you can be assured that we are still considering you, and we may have already identified an alternate placement for you.

If you have any questions regarding this communication, please let me know.

Thank you again for your interest in serving overseas and you continued patience.

A New Blog, A New Baby

I made a new blog so that Ben could actually participate. Hopefully this works better for everyone since it works well with you Gmail account.

So, Angela and I are expecting a baby. You guys know this. It still is strange to comprehend the various things we won't be able to do quite so easily. For example. Go on a unexpected and spontaneous bike ride.

Its ok though. I will say that the Mullers expecting makes us not miss these things as much. I am very excited to share this time with them.