New home!

We've found a place to live in Seattle! We are moving out of our little hotel and into an actual apartment. Our new address:

Pretty sweet, huh? You are welcome to come visit and try out our spanking-new air mattress — queen size! For a pauper-size apartment.

No, but really, we're very happy with our new little home. It's on a quiet street in the U district — University of Washington and fun events within walking distance one way, a big shopping center within walking distance another, a beautiful park another; and downtown Seattle an easy bus ride away. We hope to stop driving entirely!

We haven't started taking any classes at Mars Hill Graduate School yet. We've been waiting to get settled, hardly thinking it would take us four months.


Why it took us so long ...

But it's been a busy and fun four months. December was spent trying not to get fired. Since no one from the Bible League has ever telecommuted from out of state, so we wanted to prove it would work. After November was a wee bit hectic with packing and moving, we had to spend December doing some serious catch-up on our many deadline projects.. I laid out four planners and wrote and designed a newsletter, and Steve started work on a series of booklets his boss (also named Steve) is writing about church ministry, beginning with music — how to get worship from the service into people's homes. Very cool.

Speaking of worship in people's homes, Steve & I are going to start our own little group called Green Room. We're still formulating details, but we anticipate a time of worship and Bible study and fun. Pray for our ministry!

In January, my parents invited us back to Pembroke for my Grampy's 80th birthday party. Since we weren't paying rent, why not stay with the 'rents a couple weeks rent-free? :) Off we went and had a wicked mahvelous time, Massachusetts-style. The party was a veritable Russell family reunion; most everyone flew out. We got to go with Kim & Erik into Boston to the New England Aquarium. We spent the remaining time with Steve working and me cleaning out the rest of my room and some of the attic. Unbelievable, I know.

So, as long as we're not settling down, we figured, let's go to California! And so went part of February. We did L.A., including Disneyland & Universal Studios, Venice Beach, a Jeopardy! screening, and meeting fellow film critic Doug Cummings and his girlfriend. We enjoyed palm trees and 80-degree weather in "winter"! Definitely a new experience for us recently relocated Midwesterners.

Then we were off to San Francisco for walks along the waterfront, visiting Steve's uncle Alan and aunt Ia, and seeing Greg Proops from Whose Line Is It Anyway? at a comedy club at the Cannery (which, incidentally, was gutted in a five-alarm fire after we left — we admit nothing).


Back to normal (?)

So, while we decided to take our time and allow ourselves four months to look for an apartment, we ended up picking one in a weekend. It was the third of three we looked at, on the only street we seriously considered. But it seems just right for us! It's a comfy studio with a cute view.

And just in time before taxes and before my driver's license expires! I expect to update the site more once we get unpacked and get pictures developed.

People are already lined up to visit our new little Northwestern paradise, so get your reservations in while you can! (Wonder why no one visited us in Indiana ... hmmm ... . Must not be us they're visiting.)

Amanda & Steve

P.S. Explore the rest of SteveAndAmanda.com — browse photo albums of the trips we've taken, including Europe; find links to many of Steve's and Amanda's projects; and read more news about friends and family. We'll update more as we get settled in to our new home and develop about 12 rolls of film we've been piling up!