August 2000: Goodbye to CyberCities!

We have been trying, without success, to get help from the place that used to host this website. We have switched to Excelland (whatever that's supposed to mean), and now we can finally update, for the first time since May! I scanned in some pictures back then and haven't been able to put them up till now! (I should mention that this means nothing for you -- you'll still go to the same address. I just wanted to explain why the hiatus.)

As long as we're updating, here's some news.

Work
Steve is still working his two jobs. His first (and best-paying) job is graphic design and editing for The Bible League, for which he just finished the product catalog (his second) — it's very pretty, even if it doesn't have Ethan on the cover. We took a picture of Ethan in Nova Scotia that Steve used for the first one, so we're hoping to get some good material on our trip to Maine with our families later this month. We finished the catalog (yes, I helped — I did copy editing and the index) about an hour too late for the last UPS pickup, so we had a pleasant drive to Grand Rapids, Michigan, to drop it off at the printer! We enjoyed the children's museum there, with an exhibit devoted to Dr. Seuss!

Steve's second paying job is a roundup of Christian film reviews for www.christianitytoday.com, as well as occasional full-length movie reviews of his own. For fun and fame and speaking his mind, he also maintains his own film site, www.thefilmforum.com.

As mentioned, I'm still doing work for The Bible League. Right now I'm in the middle of a horribly long project for a ministry called Gospel Express — editing study materials for a King James New Testament to be used in prisons.

We're both still working from home and enjoying it mightily. I think we're getting spoiled. We're going to try to avoid getting real jobs ever.

Steveandamanda.com Additions
We have updated this very page you're reading and the picture gallery (home and trips). If you haven't visited in awhile, you'll also want to check out Family & Friends, Just for Fun, and various other portions — especially on the Amanda side, because Steve is working on a review even as we speak. Though he promises to write new material soon!

We have added quite a few names 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. Everyone loves it when you keep in touch!

Travel
We've added pictures from Christmas in Michigan and our week-long trip to Georgia in May. 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.

Most recently, we had of course our unplanned Grand Rapids trip. On the heels of that, Sharon (Steve's sister) came to visit for a weekend, and Mom & Dad Lansingh joined in on Sunday. We met at church, went out for lunch, and then gave a grand tour of our apartment (which we'd half-cleaned for the occasion!). Church was an experience: I wasn't singing for once, our pastor was out of town, and the power was out! But, by the light of the generators, we had a good time anyway.

Later in August, we're heading to Bar Harbor, Maine. We'll fly out to Boston and then drive up with my parents and Ethan and spend a week there. Steve's parents will be there at the same time, in Stonington, where Steve & I spent our honeymoon, so we'll get to see them and Greg, Steve's brother. He'll take a break from the Appalachian Trail to visit with the fam. It will be a relaxing week of visiting Acadia National Park, swimming, reading, shopping, and family fun time!

Home
We are still very involved at Crossroads Church. This Sunday, the two of us are doing a drama! And our small group Bible study has grown by one since we joined: Our leaders just had their first baby.

The gerbils are doing well. When Steve's parents visited, they remarked on how big their grandgerbils have gotten. They grow up so fast.

We're still planning a move to Seattle next summer. We don't have any idea what exactly we're going to do there, but we're very excited about the possibilities! We're also excited about moving away from our upstairs neighbors and their appreciation of very loud bass. Less than a year left! Can you believe the summer's almost up?