Back for more.

Greetings one and all.

Believe it or not, but I have returned. I've thought about the blog a few times over the weeks, but there have been so many wild things going on, that it's been tough to check it out.

In the short version, here's an update:

1. I bought a little house in Shelbyville and closed on it Wednesday. It's pretty aged, built in the 20's or 30's, but it's a cool place. There are two bedrooms (all freshly painted), a sun room, a nice little yard for the puppy, a lot of new appliances, and all that. Best of all, though, is that I got a great price! I need to fix up a few parts of the house-- the basement stairs, some lighting, and a few doors, but other than that, it's in great shape. You're all invited down to Shelby sometime to visit. It would be cool to see you all again.

2. I've officially determined Ginny's ring size... by asking her. She knows something is coming, but I'm still looking for the perfect ring and finalizing my plans on how to ask her. It might be as early as April 13 or 14, but might be as late as July 5 or 6. My tentative plan right now is to ask early, but we'll see how the ring shopping goes. Which raises a good question: how high is too high for a ring? The best one I've found is $25-30, but I've found an okay one for $8. What do you all think? I don't want to be stupid, but neither do I want to be cheap.

3. If any guy wants to help with the proposal, I'm up for ideas. Maybe a few of you would be up for travelling to Shelbyville or Chicago to pull off something snazzy. Feel free to offer your ideas.

4. Our church has officially launched here in Shelbyville. Easter was an exciting time, when we first introduced the church to the public, and now we're on our way forward. Church work is interesting-- always challenging and never ending-- so if you get the chance, remember us in prayer.

I'll try to check back more often. Feel free to send some emails my way, too.

joel