A post from Layla

Hi everyone! It's me, Layla! I thought I'd say "hi" to everyone and show you around my new home! So far, I really like it up here on the third floor. And I really like my childcare class...well, after the first few minutes anyway. It's kind of sad for me when my mom drops me off, but after a couple minutes, I forget all about her:) There is so much fun stuff for me to do that I don't even miss her!

Here I am, with my classmates! This is the wagon that we go on walks in. We like to go the gym and play in there. See how they buckle us in? That makes us super safe, because sometimes my friends like to try and stand up!

And this is my favorite time of the morning...snacktime! My teacher, Lanna, reads us stories while we eat.

I looooooove snacktime!

Well, usually by the end of the morning this is how I look. I like to have my blanky sometimes, because I am usually getting tired by the time my mom and dad pick me up!


My grandma came and visited me a couple days ago, so I stayed in the apartment with her instead of going to my childcare class. Good thing she was there, because on that day I happened to be SUPER tired! So I took a nap with Grandma:)

Here I am with my crazy siblings and my awesome daddy! He likes to read us books before bed, and it is so fun. As you can see in this picture, though, sometimes my older sister Halle likes to push my buttons. We usually get along pretty good, though! (by the way, my daddy is wearing shorts in this picture, even though it kind of looks like he only has underwear on!)

Well, that's about it! This week I will have more fun going to my childcare class, and hopefully by the end of the week I will be able to be dropped off without crying! Maybe you could all pray for me:) And make sure you all come up to visit us! We love visitors!!

what we've been up to...

We are gearing up to start classes this week! We registered for classes yesterday (Saturday) and we will have orientation on Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday will be our first day of classes! We are excited to start learning the Bible in depth...this is such an awesome opportunity. I am very pumped about this, because with 4 kids ages 5 and under, it is so hard to find time to study the Bible. So I am glad I will have this chance to study in organized classes!

However, this week will also begin a very busy season of life for us. Just coming from Gateway, we are somewhat used to busyness, because that is definitely life at Gateway, especially in the summer! But we are hearing from upperclassmen that the freshman semester usually involved 5 or 6 hours of studying each day!! We are going to have to really work to figure out ways to balance everything. Prayers for that would be much appreciated!

Other than that, a lot of things haven't changed around the Mueller household.

Daisy is still her adorable, cute self:)

Nathan still enjoys wrestling, throwing, and having lots of fun with our kiddos (and his beautiful niece!)

Kaine still loves to climb. Oh, the joys of having a new bunk bed ladder!

Kaine and Halle still love to dress up:)

Kaine and Halle still love acting silly:)

Layla still has crazy, sometimes uncontrollable, hair:)

However, some things have changed around here! The biggest change is...

Kaine and Halle no longer have only one cousin down the hall! They now have not only Ivy, my sweet niece, but now they have Israel! My newborn nephew, who we are so excited to meet! (For the whole amazing story on Israel, check out my sister Jill's blog:

www.hut-sweet-hut.blogspot.com

What a blessing little Israel is! We are praising God for his faithfulness!)

Something else new...Kaine has a new "perch" that he loves to sit on:)

A slightly bigger change for our kids...life here at NTBI is extremely different than life at Gateway was. At GW, they had a whole campus that was pretty safe for them to be able to roam for hours at a time with their friends. They really loved it! However, here at NTBI, we live in an apartment on the third floor of a college. So they aren't free to run outside anymore like they used to. Plus, Jackson doesn't seem to be the safest town for kids to play:) So anyway, our kids are learning to be more creative on ways to entertain themselves in the school. Which I think is good for them. Here they are, peeking under the curtaint that covers our apartment door. They are "spying" on the students that were moving into the dorms. Kaine and Nathan made a little "spying box" for Kaine to look through. It was so cute:) The third floor is the floor for single ladies, so there are a ton of girls that moved in this weekend! They are all great and they really seem to like our kids a lot:)

So far, we are enjoying life here at NTBI! Although I will admit there is a lot about our previous life at GW that I really miss. But we are adjusting well, I think! I'll try to update this week once we've started classes, to let you all know how that goes:) Have a great week!

we're getting settled!

Well, we arrived on Saturday to our new home in Michigan! We had a lot of great people who helped us move, which was awesome. We are on the third floor of an old school, so it was a very difficult move. At least, for the guys--I was the one who stayed in our apartment and "directed" where things should be put. But thanks to everyone who sweated like crazy bringing all our furniture and belongings up 3 floors!

Aaron and Jill moved up the same day, so all our stuff was loaded into this box truck and another trailer. Aaron is unloading the box truck.

Here is a look at the hall outside our apartment. It was filled with our stuff! All the stuff we didn't know where to put. As of now, though, it is all put away, so the hallway looks much less cluttered.

This is looking waaaaaay down the hallway. You really can't see it, but at the very end of the hallway is Aaron and Jill's apartment. It is so fun living so close to them!

Dad M. is putting the finishing touches on Kaine and Halle's new bunk beds...see the next picture down for another look at this bedroom.

So...my amazingly talented hubby has done it again! He made Kaine and Halle a new bunk bed. But it gets better...it is a twin on top and double on the bottom...AND there is a pullout twin trundle bed! So this way, eventually all 4 of our kids will sleep in the same bed. What a space saver! Good job, honey!

Kaine is having a blast with this long hallway! Hopefully when the other students start arriving they don't mind Kaine zooming down the hall on his scooter:)

Ivy is having a blast army crawling down the hall, too! Although when Jill eventually picked her up, her shirt was filthy! Yuck:)

Hanging out in Aaron and Jill's apartment. This was before the couch made its way in--that was an ordeal:)

During lunch yesterday Ivy kept sticking grape stems in her mouth. She is so funny!

Daisy is drying off after her bath. She is growing so fast! What a good baby, too:)

So far, so good! We are still unpacking and organizing, but it is going well. We will have registration for school on Saturday and orientation early next week. Then I think we start classes on Wednesday. Yikes! I can't believe we are in college!

We love you all!

enjoying our last evening...

...in the area, that is. Tomorrow we are moving to Michigan! It is so hard to believe that it is finally here, after a year and a half of praying about this. Time is flying by, which reminds me just how short this life is. Nathan and I were talking with our good friends Keith and Alisa last night about the future. It is crazy to think that probably in 60 years, I will have already stood before the throne of God and I will be in Heaven. 60 years! That is so short! What a reminder to NOT waste my life! Sigh. It was a very convicting conversation for me.

Anyway........we went out on the town to celebrate our last night here. One last bike ride (although we are taking our bikes to MI with us to hopefully enjoy many more bike rides!) This picture that I took was a little risky...Nathan was kind of worried that I would run into a sign:) Here is Nathan, the superdad! I think if there was any way for him to carry Layla, he would willingly take all 4 of our kids on his bike!

But here is a shot of Layla, on the back of my bike. Another risky picture to take:) I quit taking pictures after this one.

Our last time at Dairy Sweet. What a cute, although kind of tacky, ice cream place! We love going there:) As you can see, so do the kiddos!

Layla loooooves ice cream!

Halle with her lemon "beard"

So tomorrow is the big day! Our start on this new journey! I will try to take pictures so you can all see our new place:)

This is so hard...

Wow, I didn't realize how hard it was going to be to leave Gateway! After living and working at GW for 5 years, we are realizing just how much we love and appreciate this ministry. It has been so amazing for our family--such a great place to raise our kids! I just can't say enough about it. Yes, we have definitely had hard times, stressful situations, even scary situations, but right now I can only think of the good things.

Right now we have a great group of residents. I wish so bad that I could post a picture of them, and their names, but for privacy purposes we are not allowed. Which is understandable. But even though you don't know their names or faces, could you pray for them? They all have a curiosity and hunger for God, and 4 of them have even made commitments to Christ! Praise God for that! But it is always hard for residents once they go back to their communities, friends, and so many temptations. And they are also all kind of sad that Nathan and I are leaving GW. We have lived with most of them for 9-11 months, and we have bonded with them.

Anyway, yesterday our amazing alternate houseparents (and great friends)--Keith and Alisa--and also our amazing assistant houseparent (and great friend)--Lisa, along with our residents, gave us a going away party! It was so great! The most creative going away party I have been to, by far:) Since Nathan and I are headed to a "jungle" setting, they did a Jungle party. It was great! (although very sad to say goodbye to everyone!)

Such a cute sign!!

They made monkey cupcakes and different kinds of smoothies for a snack. And notice the tree? I didn't take pictures of all of it, but they had a lot of trees, leaves, etc decorating the house. It was so cute!

"Pin the tail on the monkey" :) What a creative bunch of kids!

Thank you to all GW staff! We love and appreciate each one of you, and we will miss you all tremendously. We will always continue to pray for Gateway!

Halle's new baby doll

Halle loves her new "baby"...not sure how much Daisy likes it, though:)