Birthdays!

Jess: Although we technically celebrated Wes' birthday as a married couple, I'm not really counting that because we were on a cruise. He got to choose all of our activities for the day, but there was a limit to what he could choose, and we were still on our honeymoon cruise! So I was extremely excited for the chance to spend some exciting time together.

I chose to go to Scranton, Pennsylvania. For those of you who are not geeks like Wes and me, this is the location where The Office, one of our favorite shows, takes place. I wanted to go to see the sites that are actually in the show, but it turns out that Scranton is smack dab in the middle of some of the most beautiful landscapes I've ever seen.

We landed a beautiful Radison hotel room in a converted train station with sleep number beds (yes, they gave us two beds for some reason) and a nice view of the city. We spent the couple days we were there exploring the "sets" of the Office, the steam engine museum, and Bushkill Falls. We also ate a ton of delicious food and read more than I think we have in months! We had a no computer no cell phone rule so the silence was golden. It was wonderful together time, and a great way to relax before the school year begins.

As far as school goes, I'm starting a class on the Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible) starting on Tuesday and I'm excited to be back in school. It's definitely going to keep my theology brain working while I wait around for Wes to finish school. I've been reading these books already, and I'm excited to learn some more about the Old Testament. And my relaxing vacay has prepared me for it!

Wes: I gotta tell you. Everyone here thought that we were crazy for going to SCRANTON for a weekend getaway (that of course happened over the week since I only work on Sundays... That's a pastor's joke for those of who didn't catch on!). But you know, it was a good deal of fun! Apparently, we weren't the only two people to ever go to Scranton on an Office hunt. The mall was full of Office paraphernalia, and there was even an Office store full of souvenirs for the avid fan... And by store, I mean a small kiosk that we literally walked throughout the entire mall TWICE to find. And then we realized that the NBC store at 30 Rock in NYC had all of that stuff and more for less money. Kinda sad...
My favorite part of Scranton was Poor Richard's Pub--as seen on The Office--where Jess and I bought a koozy with the Michael Scott quote "Ain't no party like a Scranton party cuz a Scranton party don't stop!" Also, the bartender there was really cool and laid back-- the kind of bartender I'd be if I was one, I hope.
I think that my least favorite part was the hotel people... The receptionist was kinda rude, and the bartender/waitress was horrible. No tip was left for her, that's for sure.
The Poconos were amazing! I truly love the mountains, and the waterfalls at Bushkill Falls were beautiful. I will say, though, that if I never have to climb another set of stairs up the side of a mountain, it will be too soon. Jess and I were both drenched in sweat when we were done, and we didn't have any dry clothes to change into afterward, so the ride home was just a little uncomfortable.
I feel relaxed and refreshed, though, and this week has continued to be pretty relaxing as well. Life is good, and God is good. He has blessed us immensely, and we are very lucky.

Well, that's all for now! Thanks for listening!
You stay classy, World Wide Web!