Breathe

Hello everyone! Change has not ceased to come our way. Change is the driving force of life to some and misery that evokes the greatest fear to others, yet it seems like most of us end up somewhere in the middle. That is exactly where Joshua and I have found ourselves in these past months. We have learned to truly appreciate where others are coming from, yet hold firmly to our convictions. It feels as though we have taken that breath you take when you are first learning to scuba dive and the regulator finally feels comfortable. Underwater, no longer on land, in a new environment, learning to breathe the same oxygen, only you have to be directly hooked up to your life supply. Struggling, feeling anxious and uncomfortable while trying to make things work can only cease when one remembers the oxygen will continue to come through the regulator. The Lord is our oxygen and will continue to sustain us.
As far as our daily life, we have had a lot of fun and continue to really love married life. Joshua had a wonderful birthday! We celebrated with pumpkin cheesecake (two of Joshua's favorite things) and a trip to Olive Garden on the following Sunday.

Reading week commenced this week for Joshua. Yale did well in the naming because it is exactly what it sounds and not much like a break. He has made some really good headway on a paper and reviewed the many different paradigms for his languages. Today Joshua has gone hiking with two of his friends to the northwest corner of Connecticut. I was jealous but had work today, which I am thankful for, though I would rather be hiking. :) I started my job last Monday at 20 hrs a week. It has been a lot of learning but I am making my way and slowly understanding the system better. If you have any questions about insurance and physical therapy don't be afraid to ask me because after this job I will be an expert! This Monday I was very blessed to have my work hours increase to 34 hours a week! This is incredible for us and I was not expecting it at all. I was told there would be a chance my hours would go up in the new year but am very grateful it happened so soon. Last week Joshua and I went to a Yale volleyball game. It was a lot of fun and memories of playing came to mind. 

There was an ebola scare here a little over a week ago. A graduate student was helping put together a computer system or something to do with that in Africa and after his return was showing ebola like symptoms. There were emails sent out to all of campus and quite a bit of commotion. The Yale shuttle I take to work each day had to go off-route because of a press conference being conducted at the medical school. The results from the CDC indicated the man did not have ebola, yet they would keep him and his co-worker in isolation for 21 days. We are thankful there was no ebola, yet it was quite a scare.  We are really looking forward to the holiday season and hope that we have the opportunity to see as much family as we can. My quilt is finished, though very small. I am hoping it will be a good size to swaddle a newborn. The temperature is dropping and most days the highs are in the low 60's or high 50's. It is crazy to think that in just a little over a month Joshua will be a quarter of the way through his master's program. He is doing so well! We are thinking about all of you guys and hope you are doing well. Love you guys! Joshua and Alissa

Big Wins!

Hey guys! Good things have been happening around New Haven for the Harris'. To begin with, I got a job! It is a part time receptionist job at a physical therapy office in downtown New Haven. Although it is only part time, I am encouraged that I have some kind of job and happy that I have found something to fill my days. Because it is only part time, I am still searching for something else that will help us out, so your continued prayers for that would be appreciated. Joshua is also working now! He gets to sit at the entrance of the Divinity school and greet guests while answering any questions that may arise. It is a blessing because he can get some homework done while working and the commute is about 300 ft! :) The weather is cooling here as the leaves are beginning to crunch beneath our feet and change before our eyes. Sleeping Giant, a state park just up the road, may be our host this weekend for a fall foliage hike. Last weekend Joshua and I had the opportunity to go to the Yale vs. Army football game. Expecting Yale to get blown out, we prepared our competitive spirits before hand for disappointment and a rather boring game. This year, however, is the 100th anniversary of the construction of the Yale Bowl. Serving as the model after which the Rose Bowl was built, the Yale Bowl has much history. It was because of the "bowl" shape of this stadium that the big games at the end of the football season are called now bowl games and Yale Bowl even serves as the root of the name of the Super Bowl. Even if one remembers that the game of football was greatly formed at and through Yale, this is still a fun surprise. As we entered the stadium, which seats 60,000, we made our way to the student section. Because we were playing the Army (a.k.a. Westpoint, or the Black Knights, or the Academy) and celebrating this anniversary, the game ball was supposed to be delivered by a parachutist. It was very, very cool. If you squinted your eyes just enough and stared into the sun at just the right angle, you might have been able to make out the four parachutists jump from the helicopter and let their parachutes out.

The inexperienced parachutists, like me, had absolutely no idea how each jumper was going to successfully land on the 50 yd line. One by one they circled around the stadium, making their last turn and seemingly racing towards the ground with much speed, yet at the last second gently put their legs straight and walked right towards the 40 yd line.

 It was very spectacular. Josh and I, along with some friends with us, agreed that, even though we were going to get blown out, coming for the parachutists was worth it.  As the game went on, Yale hung on and showed they are a tough team. The end of the fourth quarter brought overtime and although we had to leave at this point,

Yale went on to win the game! Today is Joshua's birthday and we are looking forward to celebrating tonight. We love all of you guys!

Joshua and Alissa