Well, it takes awhile to accumulate actual news. I don't know that we've done it yet, but here are some updates, at least.

Work
Steve is essentially working two jobs right now: graphic design and editing for The Bible League and then a roundup of Christian film reviews for www.christianitytoday.com, as well as occasional full-length movie reviews of his own. These are his paying jobs, and then he also maintains his own film site, www.thefilmforum.com. If you would like to pay him for that or know anyone who would, that would be entirely welcome.

Since I'm working just on a measly contract basis, still mostly for The Bible League, I've taken over control of this site. Steve just doesn't have time for a third, I guess. I actually should be working on more freelance work of my own (unpaid as of yet, but that would be the reason to work on it), but procrastination is so much more satisfying.

We're both still working from home, which is still as much fun as it sounds. People keep telling us that it must take a lot of dedication and responsibility, and to do it well, I suppose it would.

Steveandamanda.com Additions
We have updated the news (that's what you're reading, but I thought I'd spell it out for you), the picture gallery (wedding and home), Family & Friends, Just for Fun, and various other portions -- especially on my side, because Steve is hard at work on an article even as we speak.

We have added a few people to our friends and family page, and we'd love to have even more. Drop us a line letting us know it's ok to put your email address up. You can even send news and pictures if you'd like. Do whatever you want to help you keep in touch not just with us but with the whole circle of Caldwells and Lansinghs and various other fine people.

Travel
Christmas in Michigan was fun, and I'll be adding pictures from that soon. Also in the photo galleries in the future will be our week-long trip this month to Georgia. We haven't even developed those pictures yet! We visited Kelly Whittier in Atlanta, who is finishing up her master's degree in sacred music at Emory University. We heard her incredible organ recital, toured the city, and even had a chocolate chip cookie contest, with an unheard of number of male participants (two). Then we drove to Columbus to visit my brother Erik and Kim. They live in such a fun house in the historic district, and it was great to see them. Then we stopped at Six Flags over Georgia before making our 12-and-a-half-hour way back to Indiana.

Home
We are still very involved at Crossroads Church. Steve has stepped down from some of his duties to concentrate on writing, but he still mans the video switcher every other week and takes up other tasks as they fall to him. I'm involved in planning, advertising and graphic design, copy editing and laying out the monthly newsletter, singing, filling in on keyboard occasionally, and leading a praise team. One very fun thing is that we're now apprentice leaders of a small group of people our age. We had planned to start our own, but this is actually much better for now. If the group outgrows a comfortable size, we'll take half and form a new group then. Steve and I have both found teaching a small group rewarding and fun.

The gerbils are doing well, despite being left alone for a week while we traipsed South. We left a honey-coated nut and seed treat stick for them, and they stayed docilely in their cage the whole time. Something about those treat sticks sedates them. They wake up, chew a little on it, then go back to sleep. Sounds like us, actually.

We are planning a move to Seattle next summer when our lease runs out. I'll probably go to seminary there. We haven't worked out all the financial and work details, but we're very excited about the prospects!