Mom, this post is just for you....she's been wanting me to post pictures of our new apartment for a long time and I just never got around to it.  My Dad & Mom flew out here for a whole week and painted and cleaned for us...what lifesavers they were.  We love our new abode.

The Living Room



Bathroom



My kitchen that I'm in the middle of renovating.  I'm almost finished painting the cabinets.  I also want to paint the kitchen a different color.  How do you like that vintage stove...it's a bright yellow spot in my kitchen.



Jackson's room...sorry about the blur.



Our room...I still want to do alot in here but for now things at least have a place to live. =)



Josh and I went to a Hibachi Rest. for our anniversary....if was a fun show but the food was a little to greasy.



How sweet.

The Brooklynites are moving to Queens!  Yeah for us....we found an apartment with a huge back yard, 3 bedrooms, 2 (yes, that's right) bathrooms, a dishwasher and many more accessories.  God has answered my prayers way beyond my wishes. My parents are coming out for a week to help us paint and clean...another answer to prayer.  I will be posting pictures soon hopefully.  It's about a 5-7 minute drive from where we live now so it is a different neighborhood.  When you move to a different neighborhood here in the city it can almost feel like another state or something.  I'm excited but also a little sad.  This is the apartment where Jack n Jill grew up!  I guess I'm just nostalgic like that. 

In other news we are headed to Guatamala City, Guatamala here in about 3 weeks.  Josh's sister and her family moved down there back in November so we are going to pay them a visit.  Jack n Jill have their passports just waiting in the file cabinet.  Honestly, I am a little afraid to get an airplane after this episode here in the Hudson.  Who would have thought a flock of birds could take an airplane down? 

Josh and I have taken up running....of course he's way more serious about it than I am.  As we speak he's out running like the wind and here I sit on the rocking chair.  He has run a 12 miler twice and I have made it a whopping 3 miles (twice....and I almost died both times).  I would like to run a half marathon sometime....inspired by my friend Marilyn.  (She ran an entire one)  Have any of you tried running?  It is HARD!  It's good for your heart. Gives it a good workout.

How about our new President Obama and his family?  All politics aside, I think they are a neat family.  He looks at her so lovingly and it makes me smile. 

Well, my children are waking and the husband is back from his run so here I go to serve.

 

 

 

 

What does lack of sleep do to you?  I get very grumpy and scatterbrained.  My children have been sick with colds now for what seems like forever. That, of course, means long nights sometimes. Poor Jackson coughed so hard this morning he threw up.  God.....please give us good health again. For some reason I get really "down" when my children get sick.  I think maybe one reason is that I can't do anything to make them feel better.  Probably another reason is that I am selfish...they are very needy...always wiping snotty noses etc., takes time. It really takes a toll on my day when Jill is always hanging on my skirt and Jackson needs his nose wiped every other minute. Right now I am trying to do a million other things.  Maybe God allowed this to happen for a reason.  Maybe he wants me to slow down and take time for my children.  Maybe this year it's not important to do all the things that "I" want to do.  Being a mother is really about laying down your life for your children.  If that means no cute little plates of cookies and candy for our friends then I guess I will be OK with that.  Christmas candy and cookies aren't healthy anyways (absolutely not judging anyone)(I have eaten my fair share already). That brings up another subject. Poor children in Haiti have to eat dirt, why should I scramble around buying this and that and baking like there's no tomorrow?  This Holiday Season I have been having a real struggle in my mind about "stuff".  Do you ever look around your house and think about how "nice" we have it. Heat and hot water and a flush toilet are extravagant in most countries.  These are just things we expect.  Where do you think the balance is?  How do we live a simple, modest life?  I don't think we have to be miserly.  I love to buy gifts and give.  I especially like to give things to my husband and children that I know will please them.  The Yoder side of the family are not going to exchange gifts this year.  My Dad's idea was to give all of the money that we would have spent on gifts to some mission or family in need.  When I first heard this idea I didn't really like it because as I said before I really like to give gifts and in turn I really like when someone takes the time to pick out a gift for ME!
I do think it's a good idea.  My husband always reminds me that we need to store up treasures where neither moth nor dust doth corrupt. 
This week I have really been having a hard time with city life again.  I suppose it's partly due to a loss of precious sleep. It also has to do with circumstances (which I know shouldn't affect me the way they do). I have been trying to change my name from Yoder to Good for quite awhile now.  I am a procrasinator to the max!  Don't ask me why I didn't do it when it should have been done....namely 7 years ago right after we got married.  We are flying to Guatamala in February so I am trying to update my passport with my new "Good" name and my drivers license.
I think I have my passport conquered but my license are another story.  The other day I collected all of my CORRECT paperwork and headed to the license branch to become Mrs. Tonya Good on that little piece of paper.  Well, the lady working the desk decided I wasn't going to be Tonya Good that day or any other day until I have a proper marriage license.  Mind you I had it in my hand as legal as legal can be.  Talk about frustrating....I don't know what lessons I am supposed to learn except my husband says I need to be more aggressive.  I obviously was a little aggresive because she told me to calm down and calm my crying child down.....what nerve! 
Anyway, this is turning into way more than I ever intended.  In spite of everything I wrote on here I feel like God has given me the grace to "survive".  Although, I don't think he wants us to just survive.  I am grateful for his unfailing love.  By the way, I hope I didn't offend anyone and it wasn't my intention to be judgemental at all!  Just some things to think about.
Merry Christmas from the Goods!