Good-bye Computer

My computer died on me the other night. I had been doing some things online when it started to feel hot on my lap. I closed what I was doing and set it aside to cool, but soon noticed it was smelling funny. I quickly turned the computer off and Daniel went to unplug it from the power. The funny smell turned out to be the plug melting inside! The rubber around the plug began to melt and it wouldn't come out of the computer. When Daniel finally got it out, the tip of the plug broke off. Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do to fix my computer. It was, however, five years old. The guy at Best Buy told me he'd never seen anything like it. So, it's officially dead and for now we're using Mom and Dad K's old computer they gave to us. Thanks, also, Aunt Karen for bringing it out to us earlier this year! It works just fine and I can still use the internet. And thankfully we have an external hard drive and backed everything up on my computer a couple of months ago. I've lost a few photos, but nothing like what it would have been like if we hadn't done the backup. I could have lost hundreds of files and photos!

Yard Work

We had nice weather this past weekend to get some yard work done. We had some raking to finish as well as trimming bushes and redoing the garden. The family that lives on the first floor, the Baker's, joined Daniel and me out in the yard on Saturday and we spent the afternoon transplanting plants and clearing away the overgrown areas. We spent Sunday afternoon out in the yard with our landlords, burning sticks and branches. When we were done burning, the Baker's kids, Hailey and Haddon, wanted to help put water on the embers. I don't know who had more fun, the kids or Daniel! It was a fun weekend for us, as this was our first chance to work out in the yard. We may not own our home, but we finally have a yard space to take care of!

Photo of the Day

"Nature"

Tomatoes and Peppers

I decided that I'd like to try my hand at growing plants this summer. We have a deck on the front of our house that gets lots of sun so I finally have a place to put some plants. I started my tomatoes and peppers from seeds a couple of weeks ago and have been taking good care of them, watering them and making sure they get good sunlight. Last week the tomatoes sprouted! They are now about 2 inches high. The peppers have yet to sprout, but they take longer than the tomatoes. I can't wait to see them come through the soil. I also found a strawberry pot last week and will try to grow strawberries as well. I've never done well with plants. They always seemed to die on me. Maybe this year I'll have success! I'll keep you posted!

Happy Easter!

Daniel and I had a wonderful Easter! We began the day with a phone call from Daniel's parents in Sudan! It was great to talk with them for a little while and catch up on everything that has been happening. Then we made our way to church. I had to be at church by 7:30 this morning as I've joined the choir and we needed to warm up and practice before singing in the first service. Following the second service we gathered with friends from church to celebrate Easter with a delicious ham dinner and great fellowship. It's been really great to be able to celebrate holidays with friends as we are away from our families. I hope you had a blessed day!

Photo of the Day

"Hello Spring"

One Year Ago...

Today marks one year that Daniel and I have lived in Beverly. A year ago today, we arrived on the north shore of Boston from Minnesota, unsure of what our future here would hold. I can definitely say that this has been an adventure filled year. I never would have imagined that I would move across the country from family and friends. This past year was more challenging for me than for Daniel. He started his new job right away and was busy learning his role and meeting new people. I, on the other hand, was jobless and didn't really have a chance to meet anyone. It was hard to be home all day without much to do. Daniel enjoyed all the home cooked meals and baking, though! Thankfully we found a great church and joined a fantastic young couples small group. It was a lifesaver for me as it gave me the chance to make new friends. I began doing child care for the MOPs group that meets at our church and recently began subbing at Beacon Christian Academy. It has taken a while, but Beverly is becoming more and more like home. I definitely understand now when people say it takes a year to really get settled in a new environment.