I'm excited that Jesse gets this opportunity. They're going up to a christian camp up near the grapevine and are going to get to do some rock wall climbing, group activities, camp songs around the fire, everything that is right up his alley! Jesse worked at a christian camp up in Arrowhead for years before we got married. I know he missed it last summer. It will be good for him to be able to be around all of that for a little bit again. I know that he'll be singing all of those silly camp songs for months as soon as he gets home! ("Hip-hip-hip-opotamus, hip-hip-hooray God made all of us!"....yes, I definitely leave it all for him!)
Knowing that I would be without him for a week really made me fully appreciate and enjoy being near him for the last couple of weeks. I love laughing with him, playing cards late at night, the way he pulls me to sit on his lap after breakfast, praying together and holding hands, reading a book together in the warmth of candle light, the pure exhilaration of waking up in the middle of the night with his arm strong around me. The last couple nights, I've stayed awake on purpose just to enjoy being near him while he sleeps.
My friend Emily is coming tomorrow to stay with me and keep me company while Jesse is gone. I'm looking forward to having her! We were planning on getting together a few weeks ago, but then we both managed to make trips to the hospital that week and decided it would be best if we both stayed put where we were!
When I came home this afternoon (I had to leave early this morning--before Jesse did--to substitute a 5th grade class), there were two notes in the kitchen: one for me, and one for Emily. What a guy!
Have I told you that I love him? :)
Things are going well for Jesse at Church. Everyone loves him, and although we have not been given the official word, everyone acts as if he will be the DCE there forever. Technically, his internship is up in July, and from there, the church can ask him to stay on or not. We are feeling confident and blessed.
His Jr. High youth group put on a Soup Supper last Wednesday for the whole church. It was quite an ordeal! 20-some 6th-8th graders scuttling around the kitchen trying to cut strawberries with butcher knives and play basketball with bread rolls! It was fun to watch Jesse be in charge of such a crowd and handle it with the ease of a pro. I love watching him with the kids...and they love him!
I don't think I've mentioned my near-death experience (said with a smile!) in our blog, so I'll catch you up.
Two Sundays ago, I went to bed feeling perfectly fine other than a somewhat dry throat. The next morning, my throat was so swollen that I could barely swallow, and it hurt to breathe. Above all of that, I think that what alarmed Jesse the most was that I didn't put up a fight when he said he wanted to take me to the doctor. He packed some gatorade for me, and a deck of cards, and whisked me off to Urgent Care. We spent about an hour playing Gin Rummy (and getting cute looks from older patients there). When they called me in, Jesse came with me and kept me company in the room while we waited for the doctor to enter.
It seems that whatever I had was a mystery. The doctor assumed it was some kind of allergic reaction (to WHAT?) and gave me 3 different prescriptions to help me get over whatever it was. In two days, the swelling was completely down and I was feeling much better. We're not sure what it is, but I guess I'm going to have to go about some sort of allergy testing. I told the doctor that I have done allergy tests before in Ventura and the results hadn't come up with anything. He laughed and said that of course I wouldn't have any allergies in Ventura--according to him, it's the best place to live (I agree!). Apparently, anyone that has allergies has a lot more of them here, living at the foothills and in a valley and all. Phooey.
I'll keep you updated if we ever find anything out!
Substituting has been blooming lately. Since I'm subbing tomorrow, that will mean that I have subbed six of the last seven school days. That's alright by me!
I'm praying that God will keep the sub jobs coming, and help me find a permanent one soon! There is a slight possibility of an opening that would be the most perfect position I could think of. I'm struggling between the negligence of setting my cap for that one and forgetting any other possibility, and "preparing for rain" (as in the parable of the two farmers who prayed for rain. One prayed, and that was all, the other prayed and then went out to his field to prepare it for rain.)
Please keep the whole situation in your prayers!
I've subbed a few times in the last week at our church/school, Hope. 3rd grade last week, and 5th grade today and tomorrow. It's fun to be there with so many of the kids that I know from church and also from the summer program that I worked with last year (that I'm directing this year!). It cracks me up, because most of the kids know me first and foremost as Jesse's wife, Bethany. Others know me as a summer camp leader whom they all called "Miss Bethany." It's funny to watch them stumble over what to call me, because the moment I walk into a classroom, I have to be "Mrs. Brubaker." (Not that that's a bad thing--I love being Jesse's Mrs! It's just funny to go from Beth or Bethany to MRS. BRUBAKER with kids I see casually every other day of the week!)
A couple of the school girls today wanted to know that I'd be ok without Jesse this week. It's sweet that at 8, 11, 13 years old, they seem to understand. I had four of them volunteer to come stay with me!
I'm really looking forward to my time with Emily, though. It's such a blessing to have such a close friend of 17 years! We're looking forward to some shopping, cooking, possibly baking a cheesecake for the first time, and many, many hours of crocheting! It will be a wonderful time :)
