We're Here to Stay!!

In more recent news from the Mobleys, David has been awarded tenure at UCI!  We are so thankful to God for providing David with a position here at UCI.  We had thought that God had closed this door six years ago when David was not the candidate chosen for his current position, but then God opened the door again almost two years ago and here we are...PERMANENTLY!  

Many of David's colleagues at UCI have phenomenal credentials: Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Yale, Berkeley.  David's are not quite as impressive.  He transferred to UC Davis from a junior college and completed both his undergraduate and graduate degrees at UC Davis.  He then went on to work as a post-doctoral researcher at UC San Francisco and as an assistant professor at the University of New Orleans. So, why are we here?  God has blessed David abundantly as David sought to glorify God in his work. 

God has been there leading David each step of the way in his career. When he was trying to decide on graduate program (before we were dating), he had a dream that he should read about Zerubbabel.  As he searched the Scriptures for passages about Zerubbabel, he read in Haggai 1, "Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?"  David was a fairly new Christian at the time, and he understood from this, that God wanted him to study at UC Davis so that he could continue to grow as a Christian in the place where he first heard the gospel.  Many may have thought that he was out of his mind to choose UC Davis over his other options, but God has blessed his obedience.  Secretly, I'd like to think that he also was really attracted to a cute, peppy, intelligent blonde, but I know I had nothing to do with his decision.

When David first applied for faculty positions, he had his heart set on the position at UCI (the position he currently holds).  We were disappointed when he did not get the job offer and even more so when the first-choice candidate accepted the offer.  We thought it meant he would work one more year as a postdoc, but then his boss told him about the opening at the University of New Orleans.  My first reaction: "You're NOT going to apply for that job, are you???"  Then, we went to live in New Orleans for four years.  

The plan was to stay there until he went up for tenure and apply for other positions simultaneously.  Again, God gave David wisdom and one day he told me he wanted to "test out the waters".  Next thing I knew, he had gone on three interviews and had been offered three positions!  Interestingly, the position at UCI was the exact same position that he had applied for and interviewed for four years earlier!  And here we are permanently!  

Although David's job has both positive and negative aspects, he is, in one sense, living out his dream.  After becoming a Christian, he has really wanted to be a Christian professor in a research university.  One of his points of contention before turning to Christ was thinking that Christianity and science were at odds.  Meeting and talking with an engineering professor at UC Davis who was also a Christian was incredibly influential in his decision to follow Christ.  We pray that God will also use him to help many others who come to UCI with a similar mindset!        

Back Into the Running World

I know it's been a REALLY long time since I posted anything to this blog. I thought I was about to disappear from the blogosphere entirely until a fellow blogging friend, Sharon, stirred up that competitive spirit in me. She issued a 30-post challenge. I love the thrill of the competition, so I'll be posting more frequently again.

One of my goals for 2014 was to run a 5K. Thanks to the couch25k plan and a really supportive husband, I did it on January 18...almost four months ago!  Since it's been hard for me to get back into running since the birth of Matthew and Jonathan in 2011, my goal was really just to run the whole race.   But, in the back of my mind, I thought it would be really awesome if I could run 9 minute miles.  I tried not to tell anyone that part, though, to avoid bringing shame to the Mobley name.  I was really, really nervous about the race because I was recovering from a cold and was still congested. Plus, it was the first race I was ever in without David by my side.  I even tried to back out of the race the night before, but my running coach insisted I go even if I had to walk the entire way.

I am so glad that I went through with it.  It was definitely a positive experience.  There was no pushing or pulling.  The other runners seemed to be normal runners like me, not the super-fit, super-fast type. The course, although not scenic at all, was perfectly flat. I definitely won the prize for the best cheering squad with David and five kids encouraging me to the finish. Mary even ran the last little way on the sidelines with me! Crossing the finish line, I felt such an incredible satisfaction that I met my goal: I ran the entire race.  Later on, I learned that I even beat my goal of nine-minute miles with a time of 26:20.

So, now what's next? Well, although I'm competitive, I'm not really a race-lover, so I don't have another race scheduled. I would really like to work towards running a half marathon some day.  Realistically, that probably wouldn't happen for another five years, but I'm still trying to stick with a training plan that I found online, which includes two shorter runs, two cross-train workouts, and one distance run.  If I can ever find a triple jogging stroller for a decent price, I also want to help Mary and Maggie train to run a 5K.

Goals For 2014

It's that time of year again--new year, new goals.  Here's my list for 2014:

Run a 5K.  

Sound familiar?  Yep, one of my goals from 2013 that I failed to complete!  I hope to accomplish this goal by running in the New Year's Hustle on January 18.  After seeing David and Mary's amazing performances in their races this past December, I fear that people may accuse me of being fast by association or something. Nope, I am the slowpoke of the family. I just hope to run the entire race and still be breathing after I cross the finish line.

Make Danish pastries.

I love, love, love to bake.  Recently, we made croissants for the first time for a history project.  (I love it when education and food intersect!) They were a lot of work but so worth it.  To make Danish pastries, you start with croissant dough (yum) but add a filling in the middle (double yum).  Maybe a special treat for Valentine's Day?

Complete the chronological Bible reading plan.

I have always been one to read through the books of the Bible in order, but I feel like it's sometimes hard for me to put together the order of events from start to finish.  As I was praying about what to read during my devotional time, I came across this reading plan, which, ideally, I would finish in March. But, seriously, I'm a mom, so I am hoping to finish by the end of April.

Put together a 2013 photo book.

I know this one sounds familiar, too, right?  If I don't include it on my goals list, it won't get done.

Potty train Matthew and Jonathan.

I know I've really been dragging my feet on this one.  I have had the underwear in the drawer for at least six months but have not even let either twin put it on yet.  Not only have I never potty trained a boy, but I have never potty trained twins!  I have visions of two little boys running around the house squirting each other for fun. Gross. On top of that there are three other siblings to use as targets. Double gross. Alas, I know I can't avoid the issue much longer, so I will at least try to potty train these little guys this summer.  

Get caught up on my periodical backlog.

I have pretty much a year's worth of BHG, LHJ, Costco, and AAA magazines to read.  I really enjoy reading them, so I don't know why I haven't.  I hope to get caught up in 2014!

Open our home to someone from church at least once per month.

It is really, really difficult for me to invite people over to our home.  I'm a crummy hostess.  My house is usually messy.  To say my cooking is sub-par is being extremely generous. My kids aren't used to having people over, so they get over-excited and really, really loud and act like they have never heard of "manners" before! Nonetheless, David and I have been convicted that God wants us to fellowship more with the other members of our church family, so no more excuses! 

Learn how to crochet.

I really enjoy doing crafts with my kids.  Mary especially is interested in different crafts she can do with her hands, like weaving potholders, knitting hats, and embroidering towels.  I would like to teach her to crochet, but first I have to learn!  I think I'm just going to get some supplies at the craft store and follow this tutorial.

Build a unit for the laundry room to organize jackets, shoes, and bags.

That was pretty funny, right?  Me, build something?  When David told me how long it would take for him to get to this project, I told him that I could just build it myself.  Suddenly, it moved up in the list of priorities, ha, ha.  Well, I have a design, but I can't figure out how to paste it here, so you'll have to take my word for it that it's an ingenious use of space:)

Learn computer programming in JavaScript faster than Mary.

In December, the Khan Academy had a greeting card project to encourage kids to code during the Hour of Code. Mary really enjoyed learning to code and is eager to learn more.  I signed up for an account at the Khan Academy and am just hoping to keep one step ahead. 

       
Read Life Skills for Kids.
I came across this book when browsing through the Rainbow Resource curriculum catalog this past summer and am really looking forward to reading it, but I have to finish two other books first.

Find out David's answers to Pastor Peter's 39 questions.

Recently, our church had a Christmas party for the couples/families affinity group.  At this party, we teamed up with another couple to find out how much we knew about our spouses.  Each individual chose 15 numbers between 1 and 39 and then answered those specific questions (of a list of 39) on a piece of paper.  Then, we traded papers with the spouse of the opposite sex and tried to answer the way our spouse did. Point values were assigned to each question and awarded for each correct answer. Although David and I have a wonderful marriage, I'm pretty sure we were in the running for the lowest scoring couple with a combined score of 23.  From my calculations, the highest possible score was 65. I plan to find out the answers to all 39 questions in 2014!

Of course, all of this is secondary to keeping my kids alive, fed, and cleansed enough to be socially acceptable! Happy New Year!

Happy Thanksgiving

 

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday! This year, my heart is especially full with gratitude for many special people in my life, one for each day of the month of November:

1. My Savior, Jesus Christ--for suffering in my place on the cross. 
2. My husband, David--for being a loving and faithful husband, who has stuck by me in all kinds of weather, truly he is the best thing that has happened to me apart from trusting in Jesus to be my Lord and Savior! 
3. Mary--for her love for reading and amazing memory. 
4. Maggie--for her cheerfulness at the break of day and eagerness to be my helper. 
5. Matthew--for his love of anything that has a motor. 
6. Jonathan--for being strong and boisterous and soft and cuddly all at the same time. 
7. Josiah--for being the social butterfly of the family. 
8. My mother-in-law Ann--for taking the girls dress shopping regularly. 
9. My father-in-law Bob--for always supplying us with plenty of wine. 
10. My brother-in-law Luke--for taking amazing photos of our kids. 
11. My mom--for showing me by her example how to serve others. 
12. My dad--for teaching me all about football. 
13. My stepmom--for teaching me to send thank you cards. 
14. Pastor Peter--for faithfully preaching God's word every week and being such an approachable authority in my life. 
15. Mama Esther--for always encouraging me to love God, my husband, and my children. 
16. My sister Alicia--for her love for hair, make-up and fashion. 
17. Kelly--for encouraging me to be a more fit Mama. 
18. Lin--for encouraging me to clean my BOB and iron my husband's clothes. 
19. Esther--for being such an amazing hostess even when she has a newborn! 
20. Laura--for being such a support and encouragement to me in my homeschooling endeavors. 
21. Loro--for encouraging me to be more unflappable. 
22. Sharon--for encouraging me to be a more loving and encouraging wife. 
23. SOW Teachers--for faithfully serving week after week and teaching my children about God. 
24. Pastor Chad--for teaching me about forgiveness and loving those who hurt you. 
25. Pastor Matthew--for being the first to proclaim the whole counsel of God to me. 
26. Pastor Mark--for his godly wisdom that surpasses his years. 
27. Elder Joe--for faithfully leading worship every week with substantive praise songs. 
28. Paul--for hysterical threads on Facebook. 
29. Coach Jeff--for being the most patient and encouraging soccer coach ever!
30. Our neighbors, the Mills--for being great friends and playmates.

Miscellaneous Happenings

The end of October was pretty exciting with the Reformation Celebration and our cake pop adventure. That's all small potatoes compared to the new construction going on right across the street!  Diggers. Dumpers. Earth Movers. Bulldozers. We've got it all right outside our front window. I would venture to say that most of our neighbors are less than thrilled to hear construction noise at 7am. Oddballs!  Matthew and Jonathan are ready for them by 6am!

Josiah lost his toothless grin and has already sprouted three teeth! Insert tear here. He is growing up way to fast! More tears.

David submitted his application for tenure and started working as a consultant for a drug software company in addition to his employment at UCI.  With a small part of his first check (most of which will go to paying off our mortgage), we bought a Blendtec!  I never thought I would spend so much money for a blender, but we've gone through four cheap blenders in our twelve years of marriage. Hopefully, this will be the last!  So far, we have used it to make pancake batter, lots of juice, and iced coffee yet we've only scratched the surface of its amazing culinary possibilities!  Matthew especially loves his homemade orange juice! For those of you who are interested, we decided on the Blendtec over the Vitamix because (1) it is cheaper (at least at Costco), (2) fits on the counter under our cabinets, and (3) can blend an iphone!

Lastly, I am grieved to admit that I will not meet my December goal of running a 5K with the family this year. Frankly, I'm just not a spring chicken anymore and cannot bounce back quite as quickly as I would like. I suffered a freak calf sprain earlier in the summer when I tried wearing my vibrams on the elliptical. This is my one and only claim to fame. I don't think I know of anyone else who has been able to injure themselves on an elliptical! I finally recovered from that injury and started training for the 5K, running 3 miles 3 times a week. After the second week, though, my IT band was really sore, so sore it hurt to walk. After maxing out the ibuprofen dosage for a week, a neighbor recommended I roll it out with a foam roller. I was really skeptical that the foam roller would do any good, but it has helped so much! Since I tend to be a teensy bit overambitious, I decided to limit myself to the couch to 5K training plan. If everything goes according to plan, then I should be ready for a 5K in January. I won't be able to run with the rest of the family, but I trust that God is sovereign over every detail of my life and that even what appears to me as a setback He is using for His own glory in ways that at present are mysterious to me!

Happy Reformation Day!

 

Our awesome church, Berean Community Church, held its first ever Reformation Celebration this year. Families were encouraged to come in non-scary costumes and prizes were awarded for best adult, best child, and best family costumes. I really didn't want to spend any money on costumes, so I tried to come up with some costumes for the kids from what we already had.  This year, we are reading through Reformation Heroes and learning about one reformer a week.  About a month ago, we read about Anne of Bohemia, so I thought at least one of the girls could dress up like a princess and be Anne of Bohemia.  Then, I quickly scanned the index to find another female reformer and came across the mother-daughter pair, Queen Marguerite of Narvarre and Queen Jeanne d'Albret of Navarre.  Perfect!  I thought Matthew and Jonathan could just wear our knight costumes.  Then, after reading about the queens of Navarre, the girls dubbed Jonathan the Prince of Conde and Matthew Prince Henry of Navarre.  Ummm...so that was settled I guess the day before the celebration.  But, poor Josiah, I didn't think about him until the day of.  Fortunately, Matthew and Jonathan had these really cute monkey hats when they were his size, so I dug out the monkey hat and dressed him up like a monk (ey)!  I even painted the girls' fingernails and toenails for the occasion.  Of course, they peeled it off in lightning speed.  

We had a wonderful time learning more about the history of the reformation through a skit and a presentation by our pastor.  We also really enjoyed the food and carnival games!  Maggie was the big winner of the evening.  With the closest guess of the money in the coin jar, she came home with a jar's worth of nickels and pennies--$21.97!  That's a lot of money for a five-year old.  She has such a generous heart, though, and agreed to share the prize money with Mary. 

October's Goal: Learn to Make a New Dessert

My goal for the month of October was really vague--learn to make a new dessert. Cake pops are everywhere these days, so I figured it was time I learn how to make them. Plus, I thought Mary and Maggie would have a lot of fun making cake pops. I opted for the easy route and used boxed cake mix and canned frosting. I know, can I really say that I "made" them???  Anyways, I had trouble following the recipe for "easy cake pops" because Albertson's didn't have lollipop sticks or candy melts.  I subbed popsicle craft sticks for the lollipop sticks and dolci frutta for the candy melts. I also didn't buy enough dolci frutta, so I ended up using the remaining frosting for some of the cake pops. They came out looking more mushroom-shaped than round and there were a few casualties, but they received rave reviews!  Next time, I will skip the cake mix and frosting and use lollipop sticks and candy melts.  October's goal is complete!