Happy Family

We're into the second week of classes now, and our family is doing well.

Our schedules are weird. The Seminary operates essentially on a 3-day week (Tues-Thurs), so it has been an exercise in creativity to cram all 16 hours of class and still have time for Jenn to work in the afternoons. Who has ever heard of a 3-day school week? I do have one class on Mondays, Spiritual Formation, from 8:30 to 11:20. It's a required class for new students that is only offered on Mondays in the fall semester. Tuesday through Thursday at 8:30 I have Development of SDA Theology. The 9:30 period I have free. The 10:30 period is reserved for chapel on Tuesdays and other committees and special meetings. At 11:30 I have Issues in New Testament Theology: Matthew. At 12:30, Inspiration, Revelation and Hermeneutics. On Tuesdays from 1:30-3:20 is Issues in Origins. On Thursdays in the same two hour slot is Doctrine of the Sanctuary. So Tuesday and Thursday I have no lunch break. Jenn makes me a lunch and I chow down before my 12:30 class starts.

I am enjoying my classes so far. Many of the lectures and discussions are interesteding, but a lot of it seems to be review of material I already know. Many things I learned in my undergraduate program. Thank you Walla Walla for preparing me well. Now I'm bored in class. I keep wondering, Can't we move on already? This was not something I was suspecting in a graduate level program. I suspect that it will lessen as we get farther into the semester.

Back to the family. I've been enjoying spending my afternoons with Liam, even if it means I can't really get any studying done. Liam has been eating solid food regularly now with most meals except early in the morning and just before bedtime. He's getting the hang of it and it's fun to watch his reactions to new flavors. When he gets too crabby and won't take his naps, we end up going on long walks around campus.

Jenn has been cooking more often recently. It's been really nice to have good breakfast every morning. And good lunch. And good dinner. I think during the past couple weeks she has made every meal except for maybe one or two. We've had things like stew with fresh corn on the cob, vegetable fajitas, pancakes, sandwiches, all kinds of fresh fruit, waffles, mandarin tofu, and pureed peas. (The peas are my personal favorite.) Jenn is pretty much awesome. Liam and I sing her praises when we eat the good things she's left for us in the fridge. Good food makes for a happy family.

But what makes for an even happier family is God's presence. And we've been having a lot of that lately.