Welcome!!!!
Welcome to "In the Refiner's Fire!"
Since I'm 'officially public' now, I thought I'd write a little post introducing myself, my blog and random other things.
So first: Who am I?
I'm a wife of 11 1/2 years of my better half, John. He's a great guy, and an even better husband and Daddy. I love him more today than when I married him 11 1/2 years ago - really and no kidding!
I'm a mommy of a few years to twins - a boy and a girl, who I call Buddy and Missy on this blog. They were full term, no complications, and no c-section and a real miracle in my eyes. I love being a mom and enjoy spending time with these two munchkins. They're pre-schoolers now (where does that time go?) and are happy, bubbly mostly easy going little people. They do have their challenges, but that's par to parenthood, so I'll take it!
I'm a doctoral student. I've been a Physicist since I turned 18 an went off to college what seems like a million years ago now and am now studying for a PhD in a parallel field. I'm determined to finish this darn thing in 2010 after working on it for what seems like my entire adult life. I guess taking 6 years mostly off from school and changing fields does make things take longer but I really ready to be done!
I'm a part-time university faculty. I teach part-time for a couple different colleges in the Twin Cities area - some in person and some on line. It pays my tuition and keeps me in the classroom - which is something I enjoy immensely! The biggest compliment I ever received was someone telling me that they never knew that people could enjoy their jobs until they had a class with me and saw it first hand. I still get tingles every time I think about that!
I love doing things around and for my family and my home. I grew up with an incredible Mom who taught me to do all the things a 'homemaker' does and I consider it one of the many jobs I have. I love to bake, sew, embroider, read and garden. I don't particularly enjoy cooking or ironing/laundry but prefer my own cooking to eating out and know that the laundry does need to get done!
But before those things, I am first and foremost, a daughter of the King of Kings, Lord Jesus Christ. Our Christian faith is a HUGE part of our lives and helps direct us in everything we do on a daily basis. I have spent the better part of my adult life on a journey of refinement through the Lord and it is making me into the person I am today and hope to become in the future.
So, Why this blog?
Over the last year I have had the privilege of being part of an incredible journey and want to share. My faith has been strengthened in amazing ways and I have found that sharing my story with others had been a help and encouragement to them as well. So, I would like to do more of that with this blog.
Second, I often feel like I am the "odd duck out" so to speak, combining my vocation as an instructor and my life in home. I'm hoping to bring some of my perspective as a Christian wife and mom who works outside of my home to this blog as well.
You will notice that I have quite a few posts on this blog before it became "active" to the general public. Since I have a purpose for this blog, I wanted to ensure that I had time to upkeep this blog in the manner that I would like, so I decided to try blogging without interaction first. Please feel free to read these 'older' posts as well. I tried to keep those posts as though I was writing for the readers of this blog so you will see questions at the end of some entries.
Finally, Other Random Stuff!
Since we live a fairly public life, John and Lea Stormhammer are pseudonyms we use in the blogging/youtube/etc. sphere. This is not so much an effort to protect John and I but an effort to protect our children and those we mention (either namelessly or by initials or relationships) during our time in the Internet. It is the same reason you will not see photos of our faces or our children's faces here.
Lastly, this site is still under construction and most likely always will be. I realized that if I didn't put it out there, so to speak, it would never get there! So, if formats change, things move around and buttons get added, don't panic. It's just me hoping to get this thing looking and functioning the way I want it.
Thanks for stopping and I hope you enjoy your visit!
Lea
Since I'm 'officially public' now, I thought I'd write a little post introducing myself, my blog and random other things.
So first: Who am I?
I'm a wife of 11 1/2 years of my better half, John. He's a great guy, and an even better husband and Daddy. I love him more today than when I married him 11 1/2 years ago - really and no kidding!
I'm a mommy of a few years to twins - a boy and a girl, who I call Buddy and Missy on this blog. They were full term, no complications, and no c-section and a real miracle in my eyes. I love being a mom and enjoy spending time with these two munchkins. They're pre-schoolers now (where does that time go?) and are happy, bubbly mostly easy going little people. They do have their challenges, but that's par to parenthood, so I'll take it!
I'm a doctoral student. I've been a Physicist since I turned 18 an went off to college what seems like a million years ago now and am now studying for a PhD in a parallel field. I'm determined to finish this darn thing in 2010 after working on it for what seems like my entire adult life. I guess taking 6 years mostly off from school and changing fields does make things take longer but I really ready to be done!
I'm a part-time university faculty. I teach part-time for a couple different colleges in the Twin Cities area - some in person and some on line. It pays my tuition and keeps me in the classroom - which is something I enjoy immensely! The biggest compliment I ever received was someone telling me that they never knew that people could enjoy their jobs until they had a class with me and saw it first hand. I still get tingles every time I think about that!
I love doing things around and for my family and my home. I grew up with an incredible Mom who taught me to do all the things a 'homemaker' does and I consider it one of the many jobs I have. I love to bake, sew, embroider, read and garden. I don't particularly enjoy cooking or ironing/laundry but prefer my own cooking to eating out and know that the laundry does need to get done!
But before those things, I am first and foremost, a daughter of the King of Kings, Lord Jesus Christ. Our Christian faith is a HUGE part of our lives and helps direct us in everything we do on a daily basis. I have spent the better part of my adult life on a journey of refinement through the Lord and it is making me into the person I am today and hope to become in the future.
So, Why this blog?
Over the last year I have had the privilege of being part of an incredible journey and want to share. My faith has been strengthened in amazing ways and I have found that sharing my story with others had been a help and encouragement to them as well. So, I would like to do more of that with this blog.
Second, I often feel like I am the "odd duck out" so to speak, combining my vocation as an instructor and my life in home. I'm hoping to bring some of my perspective as a Christian wife and mom who works outside of my home to this blog as well.
You will notice that I have quite a few posts on this blog before it became "active" to the general public. Since I have a purpose for this blog, I wanted to ensure that I had time to upkeep this blog in the manner that I would like, so I decided to try blogging without interaction first. Please feel free to read these 'older' posts as well. I tried to keep those posts as though I was writing for the readers of this blog so you will see questions at the end of some entries.
Finally, Other Random Stuff!
Since we live a fairly public life, John and Lea Stormhammer are pseudonyms we use in the blogging/youtube/etc. sphere. This is not so much an effort to protect John and I but an effort to protect our children and those we mention (either namelessly or by initials or relationships) during our time in the Internet. It is the same reason you will not see photos of our faces or our children's faces here.
Lastly, this site is still under construction and most likely always will be. I realized that if I didn't put it out there, so to speak, it would never get there! So, if formats change, things move around and buttons get added, don't panic. It's just me hoping to get this thing looking and functioning the way I want it.
Thanks for stopping and I hope you enjoy your visit!
Lea
