2 weeks in

I feel like we have been here for 2 months. I don't know why. It is not bad. It is beautiful and most everyone is super friendly and helpful. I have pictures uploaded to my computer (our old family computer) but Chip's work computer is the only one that can get online at the moment. long story. I think it just feels like we left Baton Rouge a long time ago and that we have been here for a lot longer than we have because we have done a lot in the past 2 weeks. We have been to 2 soccer practices, 2 soccer games, a t-ball practice and a t-ball game, 4 different church services, 2 church intro classes, a national park, lunch at a new friends house on Easter, another new friends house for dinner, a bible study, a park playdate, looked at countless houses and eaten out a lot. oh and had a round of the stomach bug that went through all three kids. WHEW! I am tired!

Although we are keeping busy and loving the beautiful scenery, we miss everyone much!!! We still know we are doing the right thing. Oh yea, this is mainly what the kids and I have been doing. Chip too has been extremely busy but loving his new calling.

Fellowship Bible Church

We are in the process of getting to know churches. This church came highly recommended by those we respect in Baton Rouge. Last week was our first time to go. I was emotional from the get go. People are so happy to be there, they are helpful and kind. The kids area is amazing. The lady beside me was in her 60s and belting out praises to a contemporary hymn. People of all ages were there serving and worshipping and taking notes. And then the sermon started. And it was about "Doing Life as a Team". And how the church started by a few couples who were on staff together with a college ministry. Ahhh! And then the flood gates opened. It is a really encouraging story if you have time to watch. If you click on the link below, it will pull up an archive of all the sermons. Once you choose the sermon, you can choose to listen or watch. I would watch.
Fellowship Bible Church - Sermons & Media

here i am

I do not have internet at the apt. So, since chip is home till 7:45 this morning I hopped up and headed to chick-fil-a for breakfast and internet. i am being blessed by christian music playing overhead. i asked the manager if there was always music playing. i am usually only at a chick-fil-a at lunch and you cannot hear a thing. anyway, we started out the week (last wed) with unpacking. we hit the high points and then road around looking at a suburb. This turned into our pattern for the past week. Chip left on Sunday night for a 4 day trip. He is leaving at 7:45 this morning for the day. Gone are the days when he would take the day off after a trip. He is spending the day with a fire fighter and then putting the finishing touches he has on a presentation for a meeting Monday night at a volunteer dept. There is much to say just no time to download pics or say it. Streed is playing soccer and t-ball. We (the kids and I) are going to Community Bible Study on Wed mornings in one of the suburbs. This is where the girls go that I was "getting to know" over email before we moved. People here are very nice. It is the South. There are churches on every corner. There are probably 3 that we will visit. We shall see....

march madness

this was a fire right off the interstate in Birmingham. we made it through just before they shut down the interstate. not to be confused with the Sunbelt Fire field day.
the kids looking at some kind of equipment that pumps water out of ponds in the event of a rural fire.
playing at Hope and Billy's
Visiting The Ayers
the cousins
the baby brothers crashing the party
dying eggs with our buddies
lunching with some sweet ladies from church. they did a lunch for me after bible study and wrote me sweet notes and blessings/prayers for the move
ella with her sweet friends catching loads of beads
a picture of a truck that was hit by a sober 16 year old driver. i think he had his license for 6 days when he hit a PARKED fire truck! chip had to take pictures of the damage.
our new dining room and kitchen. whoo hoo!

i was uploading pictures to the computer today, mostly so we could sell a few things on craigslist. but, as the pictures were loading i realized we did a lot in the month of march and it ain't over yet. there was a trip to cullman, a sunbelt fire field day where new friends were made, a short stop in birmingham to see old friends, trips to mobile, birthday parties, easter parties, going away parties, a fabulous st patrick's day parade, a trip to little rock for chip, a lease signed on an apartment...and that's just what we have documented by photos



next week i will be able to add: packed up a house, closed on a house, said good bye to dear friends, drove an insane distance with three kids, moved to arkansas and moved into an apartment

i am telling myself and others that i am moving but i swear it is not sinking in. i am delusional.

my pretty

here and there and everywhere

Chip has been gone Monday thru Friday for about 6 weeks. He was home a total of 4 days in February. Currently we are in Mobile for my grandmother's 80th birthday party. The kids and I are heading home today. We close on our house on March 30th--a week from Tuesday. "Here and there and everywhere" is how we have been both physically and emotionally (and kind of like this blog post). Because of this crazy training time for Chip I am ready to go ahead and move just so we can be back together as a family. The kids are really struggling with him being gone so much. It is very wierd for me to think about really moving away from Louisiana. This is where we have lived married and where all of our kids were born. I feel really out of touch with reality. For the first time ever we have movers and packers. So, my house is not boxed up yet. This has been challenging for my brain. I know I am moving in a week but it does not look like it at my house. But, there is much organizing yet to be done before the movers show up next weekend. I have been going through closets and making multiple trips to the Goodwill. I have to organize what is going to the apartment and what is going to storage. Off we go. My internet has been down at home. I have had much to say lately but no technological outlet in which to say it.

We sang this today at church. I felt it was appropriate.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness
Drive the dark of doubt away
Giver of immortal gladness
Fill us with the light of day

sick streed

this is why streed was not in the birthday pictures with nate and ella. he was asleep on my bathroom floor. he woke up with a stomach bug and went back to sleep for a few hours cuddled up nicely on a mat with a blanket and pillow. i knew this would work because ella did it last week. (woke up with a bug and then slept on the floor). later in the day when the others were at church he went out for some fresh air. ella just saw this picture. she asked what he was doing. i told her he was sick. with all sincerity she said, Poor Streed.

Well I'll Be Darned

I just realized I had another walk-in closet in my house. How have I not noticed it before...

Today Nate slept until time to take the kids to school. So, in order to dress Streed, I just walked over to the couch and made do. It is not like this is the first time I have had to do that. It was just the first time it made me laugh and think of it like a closet.

little buddy love is 2

He got this hat from Gran and Grand Neil. He loves it! It is a low key day. We may go feed the ducks or something this afternoon. Since he does not know its his birthday AND since we are sucking wind through a straw these days, there is no party. Maybe when he's older he won't feel like the neglected third child.
At least he knows he is SUPER LOVED!

We love you Nate Nate! You bring much joy to our family. We are so glad God gave you to us when He did. He always does know what is best for us.

your hands

I wanted to add this song to my blog but did not know how so here it is. I heard it shortly after we found out we were moving. I just love it. I heard it again yesterday and could not help but think about those around the world who literally had their world shaken. But even then, they are in His Hands.