Say it ain't so.... I'm 30 years old??????

Oh my.... where does time go?  I can't believe that I am thirty years old.  I feel like I should be about 20.  I guess it is really time to grow up now.  Well, I had a great birthday.  I started my day off with a nervous feeling.  I had to have my first mammogram on my birthday. What a present?? I had my physical and my doctor felt "something".  She told me not to worry, but she still wanted to have it checked especially since my grandfather had breast cancer. Well, I survived and turns out everything was fine.  Thank goodness and it only got better after that.  I spent the evening with my parent's house.  Matt's family and Justin's family all came over to enjoy Low Country Boil.  I got a lot of great presents this year!!  If you know me, you know my love/obsession with platters.  Marcie got me a new Nora Fleming napkin holder.  Then I got a new jacket from Alison. My mom got me some new chargers and burlap bows (silverware holders) for my dining room.  I can't wait for Jillian to monogram them.  Matt's mom got me a new Mark Roberts elf. She also gets me a new ornament each year.  Matt got me a new wallet and a facial (YAY). I got some other little things.  I felt like a kid.  It was fun.  Anyways- I look forward to a great year.  The morning of my birthday, this is the scripture that I read- I love it!!!  "There is wonderful joy ahead even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while".  I am looking forward to that wonderful Joy!

 

 

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas!!!

Well~ I am moving on.  Two posts in one day!!! I'm improving by leaps and bounds!  We had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  As I said earlier, Matt's grandmother passed away the weekend before Thanksgiving so the Charleston crew didn't come back.  So this Thanksgiving, we started our day at Matt's mom and dad's.  We enjoyed a feast, had a little time for that to digest, and then on to the Reid's we went.  WoW~  I shouldn't have eaten for days.  I do love Thanksgiving!!!  We have so much to be thankful for and I wouldn't want to spend it any other way than with BOTH of our families.  It made me a little sad to see people camped out in lines shopping, shopping, and more shopping on Thanksgiving.  I am not into that.  I did go out for a while on black Friday.  I started at about 7:00.  I went to Blossom, my most favorite store.  I don't get to go there often, but when I can get 30% off and my birthday is just days away, I set out to buy something.  Then I met Mama and Marcie.  It was amazing at how normal it was.  I guess everyone was sleeping because the hustle and bustle took place all night.  Anyway- I love to get my decorations up the day after Thanksgiving.  I LOVE decorating for Christmas.  That afternoon, I helped Mama put up her tree.  It turned out really cute.  We used burlap on her tree.  Here is a picture. 

Then I came home to finish my decorating.  Matt and I went to get a tree.  We have one artificial tree and one real one.  I love a real tree!  The tree in my dining room is fancy.  I wanted our tree in the den to be fun and whimsical.  I found the perfect tree topper for it.  I love turning it on, it makes our house SO cozy.  I turn it on first thing in the morning and it is the last thing to be turned off at night.  Did I mention that I LOVE Christmas???  Here are some pictures.  I even decorated my bedroom this year.  Did I mention I LOVE Christmas??



 

 

 

 

 We ended our Thanksgiving with our annual Hanging of the Greens service.  Last year, we were Mary and Joseph!  This year our role was a little easier, Matt and I just had to hang a wreath and position the poinsettias at the front of the church.  The theme this year was Reclaiming Christmas.  It is my prayer that we will reclaim Christmas as the day God sent his son to this Earth to save my life! ~Not presents, Santa, elf on the shelf, decorations, and the list goes on and on. As fun as that stuff is- WOW!!! what a gift we were given that is so undeserving.  Thank you Jesus for leaving glory to face the cross to rescue me! I pray that I will be bold and tell others this season of the wonderful gift that awaits them!!! So for now... Merry CHRISTmas!!! 

My life over the last few months

Well- I've done it again... I have gone way too long without posting.  I guess this is the life of my blog!  I am going all the way back to our fall trip to the mountains.  I love the leaves in the fall and for the last several years I have wanted to go to the mountains and we have never made it.  This year, we took off one Sunday to Chimney Rock. It was beautiful.  I absolutely love being outside during the fall.  We walked up to the "Chimney" and then hiked onto the top of the mountain.  We had such a fun time together.  I love a planned trip or event, but I also love a spur of the moment trip with Matt.  We should take advantage of the ability to just go.... because when we finally get "the call", it won't be that easy. 

Matt and I also got to keep Emma and Evan for their first night away from Marcie and Justin.  Marcie and Justin went to a concert and weren't going to get home until late so I asked her if they could just spend the night with us.  She was worried about them sleeping...... but they did fine.  We went to Connie Maxwell and saw all the animals and played on the swing set.  We saw a "Llamee"  as Evan would say it.  We also saw goats.  They were unsure of the goat when it practically stuck his entire neck through the fence to get to them.  After Connie Maxwell, we went over to the train yard for them to see the trains.  It was getting dark, so we just sat in the car and watched one of the trains leave out.  I'm not sure if Evan or Matt enjoyed it more. Then we went to Chick-fil-a and headed home.  We put them in our room in the pack-n-plays and Emma cried for just a little while.  Evan ended up sleeping with Matt in one bed and Emma slept with me in the other.  They did good and we had fun.  Hope we can have another spend the night party soon!! 

Until we get our own baby- we will spend our days spoiling and loving on these sweet babies (not that we will stop when we get our own baby :)!! They crack me up, I am thankful that God placed them in our lives!!  As far as the baby front... we haven't heard anything.  If you are following our blog, chances are you are a friend of ours!  Please join us in prayer as we wait for God's plan to unfold in our lives.  We know he is working on our behalf.  I pray that we will not grow weary during "the wait".  We have been waiting 8 months now.  The time has flown.  In my bible study over the last several weeks, I have been reminded that God has the perfect timing for everything.  We have been studying John in Sunday School, so I have been in John during my quiet time.  As I read about Jesus' days on Earth and his ministry, it stuck out how many times it said, The leaders tried/wanted to arrest him, but his time had not yet come.  It was just a reminder that God's timing is perfect and who am I to question or want it any other way?  He knows best, I just have to trust that!  So I will leave you with a verse to ponder.  It means so much to me!
"For the vision is yet for an appointed time and it hastens to the end [fulfillment]; it will not deceive or disappoint. Though it tarry, wait [earnestly] for it, because it will surely come; it will not be behindhand on its appointed day." Habakkuk 2: 3

We have so much to look forward to.  As I watched Matt's 95 year old grandmother pass from this life to the next, I was quickly reminded that while there are trials in this life, we have an indescribable inheritance awaiting us in heaven.  Thank goodness for that hope as well!

A Little here, a little there~ projects going on around our house

Not much has been going on around here.  School is keeping me busy.  Reading Recovery is going well.  It is new, therefore, I am questioning everything I'm doing.  Hopefully after this semester, I will be more knowledge on how to help my kiddos.  It is hard to work with struggling readers and trying to figure out what is going on in their little heads.  It is rewarding when I see a shift in their learning though.  I have to go to Lexington one night a week for training.  While, I am not fond of the drive, it is keeping me busy as we wait.  God has a great way of working things.  He knew that I would need something this year to keep my mind occupied.  Well that is what it is.... occupied.  Now, don't get me wrong, I do think about a baby often, but I don't wake up wondering everyday if that day will be the day that we get "the call". I don't go to bed discouraged because we didn't get the call.  I have a feeling that we will be waiting and I am ok with that..... if that is what God sees fit for us (as long as it's not too long).  I think God would not have led us in this direction.... had he not had the perfect child in mind.  So I keep telling myself.... one day it will happen!  Each night we pray for our baby  (whether he/she is conceived or not) and for our birthmother.  I know she is out there and I hope that she will follow God's voice and direction each step of the way.  I can't imagine the decisions she will one day, if not already, have to face. 
     Hunting season has begun, so Matt is often up super early and then sometimes goes for a second hunt on Saturday afternoons.  He loves every minute of it.  Today would have been the same had Emma (my niece) not been sick.  He and Justin (my brother in law) usually go together.  Emma was sick so Justin had to stay at home.  Therefore, Matt ended up not going as well.  That left him with some free time.  Those of you that know Matt know that he can't just sit around.  So we started several projects today and I am super excited.  We are getting ready to paint one of the upstairs bedrooms to convert it into our guest bedroom.  So Matt tore down the wallpaper and started prepping the walls for a fresh coat of paint.  We are moving the guest bedroom so our sweet little one can be downstairs with us.  I am excited to have this project started.  We said we were going to start back in the summer and we just didn't get it done.  Also, Mama and Marcie found an old bedroom suit at a local antique/ consignment store.  I have been wanting it for a while.  It was a dresser and chest of drawers.  Matt finally went to get it today and as he walked in, a lady was walking out with my chest-of-drawers!!!!  Anyway, we got the dresser.  I am excited to paint it for our nursery.  That will be another project in itself.  I will have to keep you posted with pictures on our progress.  I don't have a picture of the dresser because the store had to rearrange and they are going to call us when we can pick it up. For our last project, we are hoping to add a deck onto our house this fall/winter.  Usually Matt does all the projects around here.  I love that he enjoys doing that sort of thing.  A good friend of ours just opened his own wood working/building business, so we are going to let him build our deck.  Matt tore down one of our stoops on the back of the house.  We have a lot going on.  I will keep you updated on our progress.  As for now, we are enjoying the fall days and keeping busy.  If you are reading this, please join us in prayer for our birthmother, our child, and for us.  We know God has something great in store for us. 

 One of back stoops is gone.

 Old wallpaper down. Check.

 This is the upstairs bedroom.  We have a long way to go, but at least we have gotten it started. 

This is the guest room now that will one day be converted into a nursery. 

Happy Fall Y'all

It is my most favorite time of the year!!  I love fall.  I love the food that is enjoyed during cooler weather, coffee, apple cider, the scents of fall, the colors, the weather, pumpkins and pumpkin flavoring, a fall wardrobe (especially scarves and boots) the lists goes on and on!!  To welcome in the new season, I decorated the house for fall. Deer season is in full gear so while Matt was gone, I got to work.  I pulled up all the over grown summer flowers and replaced them with pansies, mums, and other fall plants.  I went to Bath and Body Works and brought some wonderful scents of fall into our home.  I brought out my lighted pumpkin and made chicken tortilla soup for dinner. Did I mention that I love FALL???? I am helping Mama make pear relish tomorrow.  I also love the fruits of the season.  I hope we soon will be enjoying cooler weather and the beauty of the leaves changing.

Yummy Chicken Tortilla Soup~ Thanks Trisha Yearwood

 I brought out my pumpkin that I painted at Paint and Pour and my favorite lighted pumpkin.  It makes our den so warm.

 The boxes will look better when the flowers grow a little. 

 All of our shrubs are blooming.  We have enjoyed our knockout roses all summer and our Azalea's are blooming for the second time this year.  I love my flowers!! 

Our front porch

Until next time, I hope you get excited for the season that is upon us.  As we are waiting for our little one, my prayer is to....

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time
we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
Galatians 6:9  

 

Let me CATCH UP!!.....

Oh my goodness!!!  School is back in full swing and I have failed miserably to update my blog.  So here is an attempt to catch up. I finally got the rest of our anniversary pictures so here they are.  We had such a wonderful time.  We certainly relaxed and enjoyed each others company and the beauty of the mountains.   The cool mountain air was wonderful as well.

Our room

 Lunch in Highlands

 The view at Blue Mountain

 Wrapped up in a blanket in early August.... only in the mountains

 We could see the gorgeous sunrise from our balcony. 

 We found lots of waterfalls tucked away!

 Another view  that I loved at the Bed and Breakfast where we stayed

I have started full swing into my new job as a Reading Recovery teacher. It has taken a lot of time trying to get my feet wet.  I am loving the opportunity to work one on one with my students.  It is so different from what I am used to, but good.  My new school is great and everyone has been so nice!  Everything has really worked out.  I am traveling every Thursday for training.  This will continue for the year. I have already learned so much about how to teach struggling readers.  I am excited to grow as a teacher this year.  My bible study is still going really well. We meet on Monday nights.  I have enjoyed opening my home to the women in my Sunday School class.  We have a great time together.  With the bible study and school my life has been really busy. 

Last weekend, we had a wonderful time with some great friends at the beach.  We went down on Friday.  Everyone else went on Thursday.  We enjoyed time on the beach.  The weather was wonderful.  I highly recommend the beach in September.  Then Saturday evening, we watched football and enjoyed Low Country Boil.  I hated that it was such a quick trip, but so much fun.   I wish we had a group picture, but we didn't think of it!

 Our balcony

 My sweet boy Evan. Emma was probably with Marcie.  Evan will come to me and Emma won't if Marcie is anywhere around.  She is a momma's girl

The guys dug a super deep hole on the beach. When Bennett was down in it....you could hardly see him!