Some good Zydeco...

The beginning of this past week was fairly uneventful...being bored out of our minds in the mornings, then me going to GREASE rehearsal at nights - normally a good time. I hate having to leave Scott three nights a week now and our rehearsals are closed so he can't ever come with me. BUT the fun thing about this week - the WC Handy Blues and BBQ Fest! Always a good time and a Henderson tradition for the past 19 years. Thursday night is Zydeco night - complete with red beans & rice and gator-on-a-stick. As you can see Scott and I enjoyed a good bowl of red beans & rice w/ a little andouille sausage thrown in - YUUMM!!!

The past two years Scott and I have missed the Handy Fest because we were in Poland so we were super stoked to be able to make it this summer. My parents and Scott's parents have made it a tradition each year to go to Zydeco night together. My Father-in-Law, Jim, is cajun (from Crowley, LA) and we all love anything cajun related! :) This year Jim wasn't able to enjoy it with us, but Debbie and Brandon both came down to listen to the Zydeco with us. :)

Dad always enjoys Zydeco night too...and he likes him some soft serve ice cream!

Shea walked over from his place too with his fun new purchase. :)

So, that was the highlight of our week! Our weekend was spent helping out with Cindy's son's wedding. A good time, but WHEW were we tired after that!

Can you believe it?!

(Last night after the Handy Fest - Downtown Henderson)

We're back! So, after thinking about it and spending the better part of the morning re-reading my entire blog through teary eyes...I've decided to give this blogging thing another go! Actually, it's probably due to the fact that Kellie just sent me an email saying "Are you going to start blogging again when you get to school?" Yes! Yes I am! I may re-title my blog to "Grad School Adventures in Chi-Town." :)

(During our grad school search trip to Chicago & Grand Rapids - Navy Pier)

(After looking at a school in Grand Rapids we stopped by the lake.)

AND THE WINNER!! We are SO excited about attending school here!

It really was quite the trip down memory lane reading through everything again...so many things I'd forgotten about. What an amazing time we had. We were so so blessed. I mean, what newlywed couple gets to move to Poland during their first two years of marriage, be missionaries, go to Paris on their one year anniversary, learn to speak another language, and leave that country feeling as though they have a home and a family there? Wow. There are no words.

"So!" you say, "What have the Newman's been up to since their big move home?" Well, here's a run down for you:

So, living at home has been a blessing and a bit difficult - going from completely on your own to totally dependent on your parents again - very humbling. We searched for months to try to find jobs.

As far as jobs go, Scott and I both applied to be substitute teachers...he worked just about every day (bless his heart!) while I opted out and got a job working at Sun Tan City. Whew! It's been a long 10 months.

This gal was the one reason I stayed at STC as long as I did - one of my best girls, Angel. She is something else and Scott and I have become so blessed to have her and her family in our lives. They've become like family to us! A precious precious lady.

At her daughter Jaci's birthday party. I made Jaci that quilt for her birthday. The first quilt I've ever made and it turned out pretty darn cute!

Since we've been home Scott and I have had a rough time staying put in one church because we help out so much...if we weren't moving to Chicago in a month we would make this our home church.

In Owensboro - I have no words to describe how much I adore this church, the people in it, the teaching, the ministries, the music...everything about it. A precious place. We started going there a couple times a month starting in October since then we've started taking Angel and her family with us and occasionally Mom & Dad will go too. My heart is just breaking that we won't be able to be a bigger part of it. :( But we've loved every Sunday we've been able to attend there!

Here are a few other things that we've been up to since we've been home:

This was at the Engage International Conference - We led music during the conference and had a blast getting to know so many international students. :

Scott and I led CROSS at HCC during the school year - these were a few of our faithful guys who always attended meetings. We took them on a weekend mission trip to do some work at this church and had a blast!


We went down to Louisiana with the fam to see our grandparents, aunts & uncles, cousins...and of course to eat some good cajun cookin'! :)

I had the priviledge to be in one of my best friend's weddings! YAY for Kat & Jonny Drew!

Since then we've been hiking with the Drew's and hanging out with Davis's as well. Two of my favorite couples ever.

(L- Hiking at Audubon Park R- Couple's night at the Davis's...once again, the ladies dominated in Cranium!)

All my high school gals at our bud Beth's wedding. YAY for high school flashbacks! :)

We've been able to spend loads of time with the Stanley family - Dad's side. (Unfortunately you can't see the other upteen Stanley's in this picture.)

The dreaded ice storm where we all had to move in with Shea for a week. Scott and I came down with the plague and were quarintined to the back, uppermost secluded spot in Shea's house so no one else would catch it. :) (Below - our beautiful trees destroyed by the ice)

Scott's birthday! He got a Didjeridoo from my Dad. :) Shea got one for his birthday too...they've both been playing them nonstop ever since! hehe

And so there you have it! The past nine months in a nutshell! Currently, we're up to being unemployeed, filling out Grad School papers, trying to spend as little money as possible, Scott's playing softball each week, and yours truly has rehearsals three nights (sometimes four) a week for this summer's Madisonville Community Theater production of GREASE! Yep. I'm going to be in a play. A musical no less! I've never been in a play before. Kellie's going to be in it too! YAY for sisterly bonding! :) It's been a blast! I don't have a huge part, Kellie and I are both in the chorus. I do get to sing a special song during a scene change though...and that's fun! :) Come see it! Tickets are $15 and you can get all the info about the play here: http://www.glemacenter.org/


Have a great week! I promise you'll be hearing from me soon!
Love to you all!