IT'S ALL TOO MUCH!

I told you March was a BIG month in the Gaunch household and it's proven true. This week, we've experienced SO MUCH CHANGE, I can hardly take it in. I'm not sure where to start... so I'll do what I do best. I'll make a list! Last weekend began with 4 BIG events all at one! 1. As of last weekend, Louie quit his job at a local independent insurance agency. He's worked there for several years but a recent shift in responsibilities sent him searching for different opportunities. This was a HUGE decision because it took both of us very far outside our level of comfort. 2. As of last weekend, he started his New job... Louie has purchased a 'book of business' (a set of policies) from a local Allstate agent that wanted to sell. Louie will be opening his own Allstate office on June! (To protect the world from "Mayhem"!)We are now small business owners! We have have experienced some emotional ups and downs through this process but we are both confident that this is God's will for our family. Please pray that we will have wisdom and discernment as we continue in this learning process. 3. As of last Friday, Garrett heard from Wheaton College's financial aid office. I actually opened the letter just before he arrived home. They have offered to pay 2/3 of his tuition, room and board with scholarships and grants! I couldn't help but cry- this means he gets to attend the college he loves and we won't be in debt when he graduates. Needless to say, he was excited. (Later, we got an email from his 2nd choice school and they offered a similar package. But since Wheaton is his 1st choice, he chose Wheaton) 4. During last weekend and on the heels of the overwhelming news, my men left town. Louie went with some fiends to watch major league baseball Spring Training in Florida. I was glad he got some time to relax and enjoy. Then, Becca and I drove Garrett to the airport to head out on his Senior Trip!

His senior class is made up of... him and 7 lovely young ladies. A teacher chaperoned and they headed to Orlando to take on the sights for a week. (I think it was post-thesis induced silliness) Being the only male on the trip was rough (truly!) but he survived and they all seemed to have fun.

That left Hannah and Rebecca and I alone in the house to fend for ourselves during a busy week of work and school. Becca's class is preparing for a big Civil War presentation in a few weeks and she's memorizing her lines. We also spent the week deciding on the right dress of the era for her to wear. Turns out, it was right in our closet! Hannah spent the week working on her Junior class thesis. Yep, they publish a "small" 15 pager during their junior year. It's almost complete. It has to do with how teens are affected by media. (Hmmmm...) We even ate out one night and Becca had her favorite chicken soup. Instead of noodles, it's little pasta balls. (it's the little things that make us sooo happy!)

Just when I thought I couldn't take any more... ANOTHER big event. That's #5 for the week!!!Hannah Grace took and passed her driver's test!!!! (Let me just say, its EXPENSIVE to have 2 teenage drivers! Even ones with good grades and driver's ed) We went after school one day and the DMV was hot and stuffy. We reviewed in the parking lot... she had a super sweet instructor...and after she passed, we took a number to pay the $5 fee. The ticket said 'Estimated Wait time 1 hour 29 minutes'. (sigh) It IS the DMV after all. We waited almost an hour and I refused to let the girls out of my sight OR use the nasty bathroom. Finally, we paid the fee, and she got her picture taken. Notice I have no picture for you here... by this time, we were sweaty and dirty and hungry. The mere suggestion of Hannah holding up her new licence to have her picture taken for the family blog was met with eye rolling. But trust me- it was a BIG day!!!

We ended the week with a formal affair- a wedding in my Kindergarten classroom! The Letter Q and the Letter U were married! Ok, it's like this... we teach a different letter each week. Q was the last one we taught. We wanted them to understand that Q and U go together when you are spelling words (Kindergarten words that is, like quilt and queen and quack... not Iraqi!) So we heard of this idea of 'marrying' them and went all out! We taught manners in addition and ended the week with a ceremony, vows, a ring and reception complete with cake! We had about 30 people and it was awesome!

By the end of the week, I must admit, I was exhausted. I looked into all the Wheaton College literature and now had a VERY good idea of our next few months before he left in early August. I did some Allstate paperwork for Louie and tried to picture how things would be by fall. I was SO glad when my men made it home! Garrett and his band Torn in Two have MORE BIG NEWS- #7 for the week! For the next 3 weekends, they have concerts around the area... one at an outreach event in Lincoln County, one is a benefit concert for a mission trip, and the final one is cool. On April 16th (the night of the Covenant School prom- he'll be late!) the band is opening at a state youth event at New Baptist Church in Huntington.... for BIG DADDY WEAVE. They're a nationally known Christian band who are well loved. I hope he has fun. What a cool thing to do!

So with Louie back, he and I had some business to take care of- my phone had somehow gotten 'water damage' and quit working last week. I'm not 'attached' to my phone, but it was really, really inconvenient to be without one. Our contract was up and after researching all week while he was gone, we settled on iphones. Now, I have never had a touch screen and I have never had a phone with apps (neither has Louie). The sweet sales guy (we know through church softball) sat with us for a long time explaining how to use it. That evening, we drove with Garrett to a youth retreat where the girls were because they hadn't seen Louie yet since he'd gotten home. With hours of having the iphone, I was taking pictures and video. And today, heaven help me, I downloaded my first app! (The Bible) It took me a while, but I figured it out- this silly thing doesn't come with a book! So at the retreat, Becca's very 1st youth retreat, our youth praise band played and sang. On one song, Becca played bass guitar for the 1st time! She was awesome!!! Fist bumps from one bass player to another!

This is the same retreat center Louie and I used to come to when we were dating in college (aaaawwwww, how sweet!)

Well, this is our Spring Break week from school and all I can say is... Thank Goodness! I need a week to recover from last week! One major life change (like a new job) is enough for one week... but ALL THIS IS TOO MUCH. (Shoot- sometimes just getting a new phone is enough to send people over the edge!)

But... it's all too much GOOD stuff. I cried when I opened Garrett's letter. Not only because it cemented the fact that he IS going 9 hours away to school. But it struck me. GOD IS KIND. He doesn't just give us what we need- he very often gives us what we want because he's kind and loving.

It reminded me of a scripture. I've probably shared it before but I don't care. King David was a flawed person yet God called him a 'man after his own heart'. Late in life, David was overwhelmed at all God had done for him- an imperfect person- and all God promised he was going to do in the future for his children. He sat down on the floor and looked up to heaven and said, " Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family that you have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough, Sovereign Lord, your have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant. Is this your usual way of dealing with man?" (2 Samuel 7:18,19) These are the times I feel like David. I stand in awe of how far God has brought me and brought our family.

Who am I? What is my family that you've brought us this far???