Kitchen Floor

Our kitchen floor was installed today! That means all of our new appliances are in the front room - we can move them back tomorrow. For now we are running back and forth from our dining room in the back to the fridge in the front room for each meal!

Our lower kitchen cabinets also came today. My uncle is coming soon to install those. We'll need counter tops and the sink and the dishwasher set up with plumbing, and our kitchen will be back in business!

Friends have still been bringing us meals twice a week - they have been very helpful!

Mom is looking forward to having the kitchen complete. She is planning to take a break from making any decisions about the house until after Christmas - then she will work on the rest of the house!

Sharing our Interests

When I tell people about Nate, they usually think it's really great that we do stuff together! So many couples just watch movies and hang out, but we each have our hobbies and enjoy doing them together. Here are some of the things we have done together:

• Four Wheeling - The first time I hung out at Nate's house, he had a group from church over for four wheeling. I had only gone four wheeling once before, and he even let me drive for a bit! We've gone in the mud and in the dark, and we've taken it up to see the sunset at this house.
• Running - This is how Nate first asked me to hang out one-on-one. You see, the four wheeling went so well, he decided to show interest in something I enjoy. He found out I was doing a 5K for my work and pretty much became a runner over night! We ran together a few times before the race and have gone a couple of times since.
• Farkle - Something else Nate learned early on is that I love games! He had the dice game, Farkle at his house, and I noticed it after an evening run and four wheeler ride at his house. He got the game for his birthday, but had never even played it! Well, I changed that, I taught him this great game. Now Nate has started asking me if we can play Farkle when we are hanging out!
• Making Food - Nate had no clue how much I like making smoothies, but he suggested we make them that same night we played Farkle for the first time. Since then we have also made pizza, grilled cheese, and some breakfast foods together. I still need to show him some of my crock pot recipes!
• Motorcycle - Nate has a bike and took me for a ride the week before we started dating. We took it out together a few times since then to go hang out with friends and a longer ride to enjoy the fall leaves.
• Hiking - One place we took the motorcycle was to go hiking. We have gone hiking at a few places recently and always enjoy spending time outside together. Of course I bring my camera, and we look for some scenic views. It's usually very peaceful and a fun afternoon activity.
• Shooting - Nate has all the cool toys! He has a number of guns, and a few friends got together one Sunday afternoon to shoot clay birds. I had never shot a gun before, but I did manage to hit a few!
• Hunting - We shot clay birds before deer season, but Nate just took me out hunting! I got to wear orange and we sat in the words for about two and a half hours until the sun set. We saw four deer, but none were close enough to shoot. It was fun keeping an eye on them with the binoculars and spending time together - Nate did let me whisper every so often!

It is fun to share these activities with each other. We are both learning new things and can appreciate what the other enjoys. The time we spend together usually has purpose, and we enjoy getting to know each other through these activities.

Thanksgiving Reflection

• A job that I love with wonderful co-workers.
• Friends' hospitality, love, and support during the flood.
• The time and ability to keep in touch with long distance friends.
• A house with a firm foundation.
• A church family to learn and grow with.
• Grandparents that love me.
• God's creativity.
• Sisters and many years of memories from growing up together.
• Spiritual encouragement from friends.
• Past experiences - pleasant or difficult - that I have grown from.
• Contentment.
• An easy transition to life after college.
• Parents that set an example of a good work ethic and a positive attitude.
• Text messages that make me smile.
• Those days when I realize how much God spoils me.
• Traveling to visit friends and family.
• A boyfriend that seeks to keep God first.
• Time to reflect on God's goodness.
• Events on my calendar to look forward to.
• Joy and peace that comes from God.
• New experiences.
• Having a true desire to read and study God's Word.
• Stars and sunsets.
• Laughter.
• Mentors I have had over the years.
• Knowing we have heaven to look forward to.
• Another year to reflect on the many blessings from God.
  
  Happy Thanksgiving!

A Painted Kitchen and Lots of Laundry

Things are coming along at the Tischer Home! Our kitchen now has a fridge, microwave, stove, upper cabinets, and the latest - paint on the walls! My grandparents came down earlier this week and painted the kitchen and all of the ceilings. We broke in the new stove by baking cookies - oatmeal chocolate chip - a family favorite! We have been making our own meals, and we mostly use paper plates and cups, but what dishes we do have, we have to wash upstairs in the bathtub.

The floor, lower cabinets, and counter top will all come in next week. With the kitchen complete, my mom will take a sigh of relief until after Christmas - then she will begin thinking about the other rooms in the house!

When many of our kitchen appliances came, our new washer and dryer came as well. This was helpful as I had to wash my entire wardrobe! Since my clothes had been sitting in my closet for two months in air the flood had touched, they all smelled and needed a good washing. I did several loads of laundry, and these guys get the job done! The dryer is really quick, and both of them sing to you when your clothes are done.

You'll notice a section of the bathroom wall is missing there on the left. When the sheetrock was hung, a nail went into one of the pipes. We had to open up the wall to fix the water issue, and we are waiting for the sheetrock guy to close it up again. (It's okay though - this gives Mom more time to think about a paint color!)

Julie is off from school and home for the week. This is her first time home since the flood. She went right to work cleaning flood mud off items when she first got here! Amy will be home for Christmas, so we'll see what it looks like at that point. Pictures and my blogging help, but my sisters will never really know what it was like to go through everything with the house. Talking to a neighbor the other day, she did not ever want to look back and remember what it was like. I think it's important to remember the tough times and reflect on what God has brought you though. We are continuing to take small steps in this process, and celebrate little accomplishments along the way - like paint colors and laundry!

A Job I Love

"I really love my job - God is good!" This was my Facebook status yesterday as I realized how much I enjoy my job. Here's a peak at what I get to do at Life Choices Center, the pregnancy center I work for:

• Design Projects - I create posters, door signs, pens, postcards, letterhead, banners, that sweet table covering in the pictures up there, business cards, and other promotional pieces that help to let others know who we are. I love playing around with font, images, and colors, making each piece just right! How it all began: I was the yearbook editor in high school and loved designing pages!
• Communications - My title is Communications Director, and I an responsible for letters, emails, newsletters, and connecting with our donors and supporters. I also do a lot on our Facebook page and website. How it all began: I took the initiative to write our family Christmas letter one year, and my roommate dubbed me Email Queen in college!
• Events - I assist in planning and organizing fundraisers, volunteer fairs, and speaking engagements. The picture above in me and my co-worker, Micaela, at a volunteer fair at Binghamton University. We had students fill out a survey for us, gaining insight into what college students would need if they faced an unplanned pregnancy. How it all began: I led fundraisers all throughout high school and some during college, and I have always loved planning events for friends!
• Pregnancy Tests - Much of my work is focused on our donors and supporters, but sometimes I get a break from that and interact with our clients. Many come in each week for a pregnancy test. A staff member or volunteer talks with them and is there when they take the test. I have been training to do these and did my first one on my own this past week! It's great to be a part of this primary work that we do and to support girls in this way. How it all began: I have always had a heart for people and enjoy being a listening ear.

There is always something new happening at Life Choices Center, and the variety keeps me moving. My co-workers are great, and my schedule is flexible. I have enjoyed reflecting on my past years and seeing how things I have done are now being used in this ministry. I look forward to continuing to allow the Lord to use me in this position, and I'm thanking Him for this job I love!

Settling In

We have been back home for a week now. We are still settling in as we are slowly getting back items that people took home to wash for us. My aunt from Maryland came to visit over the weekend and brought several items with her. We now have a couch, lamp, rugs, puzzles, and some kitchen items! The picture above is our living room where Mom takes naps and Dad reads his book or catches up on Amazing Race (on our new laptop, no TV yet). The patio furniture works well in there!

We saved our upper kitchen cabinets, and my uncle came down last week to install them. They are now filled with paper plates, cups, and bowls that we eat our meals from. Several families have been providing dinners for us as we are still waiting on our stove. We do have a fridge and microwave, so the kitchen is coming together. The floor has been ordered as well as the lower cabinets and counter tops. These will all go in the two weeks after Thanksgiving if all goes as planned. Mom also picked out a kitchen paint color, so my grandparents will be down soon to help with that!

Many of you have provided for our family in so many ways! Love, support, encouragement, gifts, time, prayers, meals, housing, money, gift cards, labor, and interest in our lives. THANK YOU for coming along side us during this time - we appreciate you! You are helping to make this our home again, and we continue to thank God for your part in the process!

Peace Leading to Hope

A song had been in my head lately, and every time it comes on the radio I smile. It's a great reminder of the peace we can have during tough times because we know where our hope is. Check out the song by Aaron Shust here and reflect on some of the lyrics below. (Please ignore the advertisement in the beginning as the video loads.)

My hope is in You, Lord
All the day long
I won't be shaken by drought or storm
A peace that passes understanding is my song
And I sing
My hope is in You, Lord

Whatever situation we are facing, we can have that peace that passes understanding because of the hope we have in the Lord. My parents and I have talked about this - the sense of peace we had during this flood from the very first day. We can't explain it, but we can move forward with hope for the future.

If you didn't listen to the song, you really should! It'll stick in your head too - My Hope is in You.

Homeless No More!

I have been living out of my car for 62 days. I started with just that blue duffel bag, my pillow, and my laptop. I continued to acquire more and more, packing it all into my Honda Accord. Once we were able to get back into the house when the flood waters went down, I grabbed a few more clothes. And then the weather got colder as summer turned to fall - I had to have some sweaters, jackets, and something for my feet besides sandals!

I ended up getting another duffel bag and a suitcase to use from home. I tried organizing these all sorts of ways! A week's worth of clothes in each - then I would only need to bring one bag into the house I was staying at. That became difficult, so I started putting nicer work clothes in one and pajamas and t-shirts in another. I was constantly rearranging all the belongings in my car! My trunk became the place for items I did not need on a regular basis, and I had my core items that I would bring into every house I stayed at. I was surprised at how full my car became in two months time, but then again, I couldn't go two months without a few good shopping trips!

You'll notice bedding in my back seat here. No. I did not bring bedding and a towel everywhere I stayed! Those are the ones from my bed at home. The ones I recently washed that are now back on my own bed, ready for me to fall asleep tonight. Did you catch that? I'm sleeping in my own bed!!

It's Okay to Cry

It has been an emotional week. I had been doing okay with the flood up until a couple weeks ago, and then I cried for the first time since May. I cried again twice this week.

I used to be a crier. I think I get it from my mom. Things hit me pretty hard emotionally. After going into the hospital for mental health issues two years ago, my crying has not been as often. In fact, I started to view crying as a sign that something was wrong. I would call my doctor right away with hopes of straightening things out. That first year after the hospitalization, I think I only cried twice. I didn't like it. Something was missing. Something that used to be so "Laura" was now gone.

I asked my doctor about my lack of tears. Was the medicine preventing me from crying? He was not concerned, and I simply started being thankful for the fact that my life circumstances were going so well that I had nothing to cry about.

These past two years I've seen crying as I huge warning sign, but now I am trying to see it as a normal emotion, understanding that it is healthy if it does not get out of hand. I think crying and those emotions of frustration and sadness that go along with it are okay as you respond to it appropriately. What do you do with all of those emotions? Does it lead to anger? Or do you process through what is really bothering you at the time with hopes of changing something for the better.

Sometimes it takes me coming to tears to realize I need something. I need to talk. I need a hug. I need encouragement. I don't realize how worn out I've become until I reach the point of tears. In that moment, I cannot be afraid to ask for help. Simply expressing those emotions brings others to surround you with the love you need to carry on. How would they ever know you were hurting unless you express it? It's so hard to ask for help, so sometimes our tears will do that work for us.

I cried this week and clued others in that I was hurting. I was met with encouraging messages, helpful conversations on Facebook, texting, and the phone, two unplanned visits with friends, and love that allowed my day to end in laughter, not in tears.

After two years of tears being a sign that something must be wrong, I am slowly coming back to the place where I've realized to appreciate my tears and respond to them appropriately, realizing again that it's okay to cry.