Interviews!

Today Kjell had his first interview in town number 1. While he has his interview the kids and I drove all around town and checked it out. There was not much to see it was a very small town, and from the look of it it looked liked a very poor town. We saw not one house for sell or one house for rent. Also at the park there were some young boys who were making fun of Kiah so I wasn't too impressed. It was in a beautiful part of Kansas with rolling hills in something called TREES all over. lol Kjell thought the interview went well and enjoyed the people he met, the school is pretty small he said you could see from one end of the school to the other when you walk in the front door!

We drove through the town Kjell interviews in tomorrow. We didn't stay long because the kids were asleep so we didn't want to wake them up but we found the school and drove down too blocks. This town looked really nice! The school also looked very nice I am excited to explore it more tomorrow. We have found a few houses for sale in this town but none of them our in our size range. One had an inground pool we figured we could drain it roof it and make it into a bedroom. JK! Please keep praying for us. It has been fun to get some calls and if God wants us in one of these towns it will happen or if He has something else in mind I hope we get that call soon. We leave for Sweden in two weeks from today! I have SOOOO much to do.

Honey Bunches of Oats

So  I am taking a break from talking about the family issues going on, because they are totally out of my control now and I don't want to worry about them. So I decided to finally launch my FUN giveaway. Somehow Purex (who I am insider of which means I get to try a lot of their products before they hit the market and then tell my readers about them) teamed up with Post's Honey Bunches of Oats. So I got a free box of cereal so I could try it and several FREE BOX COUPONS four to give away in fact. My family is the cereal house- I was raised on cereal almost every morning so that is what we do at  our house now. I don't know I never am hungry enough for a hot breakfast or maybe awake enough to make one. We often eat Honey Bunches of Oats and really like it- when we were in Wichita a few weeks back we went into a store where they had free samples of two new flavors that are fruit blends I really enjoyed the peach/raspberry one if you want to know more about Honey Bunches of Oats- here is their facebook page they have a dollar coupon on there right now too!
All you have to do is tell me your favorite cereal either in a comment on here or I know a lot of you can't get comments to work so just let me know your favorite cold cereal and I will draw four winners on Sunday. Good luck!

Post provided a free sample of their Honey Bunches of Oats- Honey Roasted so I could review them, all of the opinions expressed here are my own.

What will this day hold?

This is our happy picture. The wow look at us our life is going exactly how we want it to and we are happy picture. This was taken two days before we found out that Kjell had lost his job. It's a picture I love and hate to look at because we had no idea what was coming. But God did. And once again we get to hold His hand as he takes on a new journey/ or perhaps even the same one .

Well today I am just not quite sure what to do. I have been praying a lot, the kids and I went for a walk to do errands and visited a friend. But today is a big day. Kjell is going to go before the school board and ask for his job back. We have heard nothing from the board but plenty of rumors from everyone else to have NO IDEA what is going to happen tonight. I think I should be more nervous but I am just ready to know. And MOVE on no matter what it the result. Of course I don't want to move I live in the same town as my parents I really like my house and I would still like to meet my goal of one day living in a house that is paid off. I don't want to keep finding a good house and then moving away from it. And I know my kids (even though they are young) enjoy the friends they have made.  Last night I thought I slept pretty good and every time I did wake up a praise song or hymn was on my lips. Crazy how sometimes when you are longing for help your subconscious  can focus on Christ for you. Please pray for Kjell tonight at 8PM and whatever happens may God be glorified through it all. I am excited to see where God takes us. I love my husband and know he has shown so much humility in this, and pride has never once been in issue. Including tonight when he will talk to the board to try to keep me where I want to live. When it's all over he has over 50 applications out. Our life is a journey and I only want to be where we can be used by God the most. And He is the only one who knows where that is.

One month

One month from day (as far as the date on the calendar) Kjell and I will be on our way to Sweden. WOW I can't believe it is that close. Sometimes it feels like a dream still that we or maybe just that I am going. After how Justus acted yesterday when I left him for a few hours I am rethinking my plan of having the kids say bye to us at the airport. It is going to be very tough to leave my kids with other people (even if they are some of the people I trust most in the world with my kids) but two weeks is a long time. Please pray for my kids and also those watching them, because it's not easy raising three little ones. Even if it is only for two weeks! I think Kiah will be fine and she sees this as her own adventure as she will get to spend a whole week with her cousin. Justus will probably be fine too, once we are gone- I hope he just always wants me to know that he loves me, loves me most, loves me mostister and loves me loves me... I know this time won't last long so I hope he still feels that way after I leave him for so long. Karis is the wild card. She could do great or she could be the one everyone is glad to see leave when their turn is over. She is doing really well sleeping in her own bed but that is just it it has to be her own bed. It's not a crib any more and I do think the first night will be tough for her but I think after that she will settle down and enjoy herself.

I am just trying to prepare my heart and mind for this trip when there are so many other things on this heart and mind right now with the whole job situation. There is now a petition going to try to get Kjell reinstated. I don't see the school board changing their minds but I am very happy to see people supporting Kjell. Kjell still has about one million applications in and we still haven't heard from anyone. I am nervous for that call though. Kjell has been offered the teaching jobs at 75% of his job interviews.That's pretty good odds that an interview means a job.  He is a great teacher and many schools would be happy to have him. I am just not sure where we will end up. That is always the fun part!

Craziest Year of our Life?

Well this next school year could be REALLY interesting. Or it could be a big move/change who knows yet. But I don't want people to worry about us. Pray for us sure worry, nah. For one reason I do enough of that already and for another reason there really is no reason to worry. We have life figured out. (if you don't sense a slight sense of sarcasm in there and a bit of laughing than you need to get to know me a bit better) Kjell has about forty applications out, yes 40 we are willing to move anywhere in the state of Kansas that will take us. That has always been our motto with finding a teaching job, and it will not change even though in my mind we are in the perfect location. But then there is that question- what if no school calls. See this could happen, parents in their anger over playing time really did make it nearly impossible (humanly speaking) for Kjell to get rehired- frankly it looks bad to move once after three years at one school and once after two- people begin to wonder what is wrong with the teacher. So if there are 50 applicants for one job he is probably thrown out at the beginning. We know this and we are (most of the time- calm cool and collected. Why? Because we have a plan B.

Kjell and I have talked about doing full time ministry before- in fact when we met Kjell was working part time for Youth for Christ in Topeka and I was working full time for Urban Young Life in Kansas City Missouri. We always wondered why God called us together only to call us out of ministry. But perhaps this is all part of His crazy plan for our lives. We have talked about Kjell teaching at a school for missionary kids overseas for the last year. It had been heavy on my heart and I prayed a lot about it. Then after Kjell lost his job we really started looking into it and realized... hummm that is a LOT of fundraising to do for this. For most places we need to raise at LEAST 3000 a month. So that seemed nearly impossible to do in a few short months. That is why if we get no phone calls, no interviews, nothing we will somehow live on pennies for the next year while trying to find the perfect school/country and raise money for the next big adventure in our life. So while I may lose sleep over the fact that Kjell lost his job because some girls didn't get to play enough in a handful of basketball games.. I know my GOD causes all things to work together for HIS good and HIS purpose. Sure I'm scared. It will be tough going from making 42K a year to well nothing- Kjell has been offered one very part time job that he can not say yes to until we know what is going on that would bring in about 6000 for the year. And I make about 150 a month. So it could be exciting.

I have always been very good with our money. This could be the biggest challenge I have had to face. We just refinanced our mortgage  (SP?) so we only have to pay 200 a month there ( and now it will NEVER get paid off that is something I am having to cope with) but it's doable. And we have Kjell's paycheck and insurance through the month of August so we got time.

WHAT A RIDE!!

Well we are three weeks into this whole Kjell doesn't have a job after this school year issue. It has been hard and easy at times. Hard because I don't really want to uproot again- sell a house again- buy/rent a house again- pack a moving van again- say goodbye to friends again- make new friends again- ya get the point. But then it is excited to see what God has in store for us and all the possibilities that are out there. Kjell has over 40 applications out and he makes a map and we can see where it is he has applied. It has been very hard though to not know why he was let go and yesterday it seems we really got some answers even if the facts are not correct by those who think they are we now know more and that gives me relief. Because I just felt we knew nothing. Don't really have more of an update at this time. I just know Kjell has worked really hard to get about a million apps out it's almost like when you are a kid and you spun a globe and put your finger on it and said ok here is where I am going to live. Only we are doing that with the state of Kansas. Here's to hoping we hear something soon!

Purex is at it again. This time I am going to get two free coupons to give away to my readers. They are running a new campaign about our everyday life. I watched one of the short videos and thought it was rather cheesy but that doesn't stop me from wanting to get a free product so check out the website. http://www.purex.com/ you can also enter daily to win a years supply of Purex products that would be super nice right now!