it's coming along

I must say our apartment is coming along. This weekend we spent a lot of time getting things into a livable condition. We are still working on it but it is coming. We now have a couch to sit on, a vacuum cleaner for our carpets along with a shower curtain. I know these aren't spectacular things but they are great for us. We made some makeshift curtains to block out the light both at night and during the day in our bedroom as well as cover the exposed windows. They aren't perfect but they were cheap and work just fine. It's amazing what fabric, safety pins and a water pipe can do for a room. Tonight our task is to finish a makeshift cabinet that Ryan made in MI that will be used as storage for some things we don't have room for in our kitchen. Then once that is done we will be able to make room for a television. We will have to buy a table/place to put it, then our living room will almost be complete minus a few finishing touches like a table cloth, throw pillows and pictures on the walls. Ryan doesn't think they are necessary but I am going to nest, even if its just for a short time. My tasks ahead of me are my looming closet, going through what fits and what doesn't. The what doesn't pile is quite large. I will be expanding my fall/winter wardrobe soon but the house comes first. Once things are the way I want them I will post pics for you to see our humble abode.
Pregnancy alert: My feet are now to big for my shoes both in width and length. My flip flops will soon be out of season. And I am swelling a lot in my legs and feet. So I do some things, then put them up... We may ask my doc for compression socks if it doesn't get any better. Ryan promised he would help me put them on everyday before he went to work, as he giggled to himself thinking about what a task that will be. We are also looking for a photographer in the area to take some maternity photos of us. Hopefully that will be soon.
In other news we seem to have been planted into an unlikely ministry on Sunday afternoons. Ryan was playing tennis with his dad in a local park when his strings broke, and they couldn't play any longer. There was a softball game going on and they were ushered into the game. These players are all members of a 12 step program for drugs and know each other through meetings. Some neighborhood kids come down to play as well. They meet for fun and play ball for a few hours. They love Ryan because he hits homers over the fence. Each team fights for who gets him. They are open and told us about who they are. I sit and watch while they play. We are hoping to share Christ with these people, through our actions. A little salt and light could go a long way. We hope to build relationships with a few people on the teams and maybe have their families over for dinner some time. It is our prayer that we will foster these relationships before the weather stops the games. It is becoming fall here with hints of summer lingering but they are just blips in the weather. Another ministry we have is eating at an Indian Restaurant. They just opened up about 3 miles away from home. They are so friendly and we talk about India. They love having customers who have been there. Last night we went for dinner and realized it was a new ministry. We will go every couple of weeks and talk about India, my missions work there and anything else. It doesn't seem like much but it is an open door for us. Also next week starts our church activities that we are hoping will bring us friends. Hope things are well with you all. Feel free to post something. Not sure who reads or follows our blog. But I will be more faithful in posting. Three in a week is something for me. I do believe I am now out posting my sister if I continue at this rate. Let the battle of the blogs begin, dear Cari