I spent last week in Cincinnati for the Heartland-Delta conference. This conference takes place every three years to allow the Jesuit universities from the region to come together to discuss Ignatian values and Jesuit education. Overall, it was a great experience. The conference was the perfect blend of information-sharing and reflection. I was able to meet people (from administrative staff to university presidents) from many quality, premiere institutions from around the country.

On my way to the conference, I read a book called "Sarah's Key" about a young Jewish child and her experiences throughout the holocaust. I was already in a reflective state of mind regarding the history of our country and our world. While at the conference, we were able to visit the Underground Railroad Freedom Center. I saw pictures of families who were separated while seeking freedom. I read stories of men and women who would rather die than remain in slavery. I saw pictures of lynchings and gasped at the atrocities of early-America.

It made me think...what will we be gasping at in 30, 40, 50 years? What appalling things are we doing in today's society that will make my future children shake their heads?

Whether we are talking about gay/lesbian rights, a country that takes care of our sick/poor before exhausting our resources on other countries, or equal pay and respect for men and women in the workplace, I pray that my children have the opportunity to someday appreciate how far we have come. It would be a travesty if the next generation still has to fight for these freedoms and rights.

I grew up in a diverse area and I've always embraced diversity in others. I realize that some have not had the opportunity to enjoy the multitude of experiences that I was exposed to as a child. Many people come from small towns with very little exposure to others who were "different" from them. Although I do not believe this is an excuse for ignorance, it helps me to be more patient with those who may take longer to see what is right and what is good.

It is my prayer that our country will continue to work toward increased rights and freedoms for all people.

Change is heading our way...

So, Drew and I have been talking about moving for quite some time. When we built our house four years ago, we thought we were making a good choice. We built a home that we thought would be perfect for entertaining guests. The problem is that our home is simply too far away from everything. We drive an hour to work each morning and an hour home each evening. We spend approximately $125/week in gas and we have put 76,000 miles on our Honda, which we bought brand new 2 years ago.

The house down the street has been for sale for a few months. This morning, I was extremely excited to see a "sold"sign on it. You see...there is an empty lot on our street and they are still building in our subdivision. We just assumed that someone looking for a house would want to build a new one. I called the realtor and she said that she has sold three houses in our neighborhood in the last two months. So, we took the plunge and set up an appointment for her to come over. As of this Thursday, our home will most likely be on the market.

We have no idea where we will go, but we don't mind the adventure of house hunting again. We are really excited about the convenience of living closer to work, closer to our friends, and closer to everything we like to do.

As always, we have a lot going on right now. Drew's surgery is scheduled for June 15th. We are taking our oldest nephew to Washington DC in August, and I am starting my Ph.D. this fall. However, I still find freedom in knowing that we don't HAVE to move right now. We'll just see what comes our way.

We'll take whatever prayers you want to send our way! We are excited to set out on another series of new adventures together.