Joel & Tessi

So we’ve been out of the scene for quite some time now - sorry about that.  It’s been very busy with holidays and such.  In the last month, I’ve lost my position as a full time employee at COSTEP (though I’m still doing contract work for them) and have begun working for myself from home full-time.  Mara is crawling around the house like crazy, learning to pull herself up and I’d imagine start walking here before too long.  Tessi has been working on several pretty big projects (to remain unnamed until after Christmas). God has been so incredibly good to us. We got to take a trip to Tennessee in October to visit friends and see a ranch where Tessi used to live (still need to post some photos).  We’re worked into the normal parish life here at St. Stephen’s (we just had some beautiful new icons - written by Fr. Jerome Sanderson - placed in our dome this past week).  We’ll be flying back to the Valley on the 26th and coming back on the 6th of January.  We’re looking forward to seeing our family and friends, as well as being in a warmer climate again!

Oh!  And if you haven’t heard already - we’re pregnant again!  Somewhere around June 4th Mara will have another baby to play with.  :)  Shortly afterward we’re hoping to go to seminary - still trying to decide between St. Vladimir’s and a new Orthodox thing that’s happening at SMU’s Perkins School of Theology in Dallas.  Please pray for us.