Coming Together

All the pieces are coming together now as we prepare for Arkansas. We are much encouraged by our progress over this week. For one, I mentioned the washer wasn't working in my last post. Well, it is working JUST FINE! I didn't know that Adam had turned the WATER OFF while we were gone on our trip last weekend (for whatever reason) and that would be why there was NO WATER when I tried to start it!! Ha! I could have pinched him!!

As for our transition, I am so much encouraged by my job hunt now in Hot Springs. At first, I was discouraged because there were NO postings for RN needed in Rehab and I really wanted to do that because that is what I am most comfortable with for the time. I was considering going back to Home Health and had talked to some places about that, but still wasn't sure if I wanted to be out in the weather driving in the snow and ice when Winter came around and since I didn't know the area, etc. etc. So I was even looking into possibly driving a distance to find a rehab job.. maybe even Little Rock. THEN.... I decided to call the nurse manager on the rehab unit at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital (the big hospital in town) and speak to her directly and just tell her of my experience and see if she is looking at hiring someone part-time or PRN any time soon. (I had only spoke to the nurse recruiter before and she said a RN wasn't needed at the time on that unit). This manager (Tammy) told me that she was actually about to POST A POSITION!! She said she could give me a part-time position or PRN position on DAY SHIFT (YIPPPEEE, not NIGHTS)!!! After talking to her, I decided I wanted to go PRN because if you are part-time you are required to work every other weekend and Adam and I decided that wouldn't be good for a staff person's wife to miss church every other Sunday:) ALSO, I just LOVED this nurse manager after talking to her on the phone!! She was SOOOO down to earth and kept talking about what a great unit and staff she has. She said she drives from Little Rock to work there!! I could just tell... she's great!!! So, she told me to tell the nurse recruiter and consequently, she ended up setting up a INTERVIEW for Wednesday of next week while we are there!!!! I am SUPER excited about this. It is just where I wanted to work and already seems better than I expected!! We are not sure how our schedules are going to work out yet. We are already considering putting Grace in a preschool part-time since she is turning 3. We will see how all that works out.

Adam has a interview with Lifeway Christian Bookstore on Wednesday too while we are there next week. He is going to do this in addition to the church position.

Also, I was really worried about breaking the news to work because it comes at a time that we are "hurting" for help for a combo of reasons. BUT... they were so GREAT and understanding and happy for us!!! I just love them!

Also, our house hunt, is looking a little better. We were not really finding ANY houses for rent that would work for us. (We really need a house with a fenced in yard for the dogs) that we can rent. We finally found the site for the local newspaper and saw quite a few prospective houses that we plan on looking at this next week while we are there. We may just have somewhere to live there, after all!!;)

We started packing up yesterday. It is such a task but we already feel better about what we've accomplished!! We are also all WELL (except my little nagging cough), and Tracey's surgery went GREAT yesterday. Now just praying for a speedy recovery for her and healing!!

As you all know we got our van last week and all of that is taken care of. It is really nice but every time I look back in it, I feel like I am driving a bus! LOL. I feel like I need to have like 5 more kids! Ha! We'll see what the Lord has for us next!:)

Also, Adam turned 32 TODAY! Happy Birthday to my honey:) We have had a great day. Adam took a vacation day to be off today and we went out to lunch at Famous Dave's per his choice and just had a great day with ALL 3 of us!!

It's pretty awesome to see the Lord work out all the details!!!

Our ride... I still can't believe I am driving a van!!! LOL





The birthday boy...

A Lesson in Trust!!!-- It's Official, Arkansas Bound..

The last 2 plus weeks have been a whirlwind for us. As you all know, I totalled our car over 2 weeks ago, so since we got back from our trip we have been searching for a car/van. In the midst of that, Adam and I was really getting worried that we wouldn't be able to accept the position in Arkansas if no one bought or rented our house. So I proactively took the initiative to try to promote our house. We also set up a Open House for this past Sunday for our realtor to have while we were gone. This was one last try to sell our house. I posted a add on Craigslist about renting our house and about selling it and the open house. We have had a great response on the RENTING! None on buying! Our open house consisted of all people coming to look at it to possibly rent. The prospective renter that is a Highview Church Member, that our Realtor knows, (we thought) was not going to rent our house. We waited for almost 2 weeks for a decision from her and then when we had the overwhelming response for renting this past weekend, she suddenly decided she couldn't let it "get away" from her. It is working out for the best to have her rent it and our realtor is going to property manage for a great price since we will be out of town. She is recently divorced and has 2 children. She let us know on Sunday that she is going to rent from us. (More on all of this in a minute)

In the midst of van shopping all week, preparing for a trip to GA, trying to get our house ready for an open house while we were gone, etc. Grace comes down with the STOMACH VIRUS on Wednesday of last week. We had just started test driving our first van at Oxmoor Toyota that evening, and Grace kept saying her stomach hurt, all of the sudden she VOMITED all in the van that we were test driving!! AHHHHHH! We quickly made our way back and that was our cue that God was saying... "chill out about the van and just focus on getting every thing ready for GA and open house, etc."

Grace threw up one other time the next day and was just dragging and wanting to be held all day. This was SO hard because we were trying to clean, pack, etc. in the midst of her needing us!

The next day, on our road trip Grace was tired of the car, obviously because of the recent trip we took and all the running around we had done since then. We also noticed on this trip that Grace wasn't urinating like she should. I ended up paging our Pediatrician from GA about this that night. Thankfully, Grace FINALLY urinated on her own once we got to the hotel! She started having diarrhea too towards the end of our trip down there. Grace still was sluggish that day but was VERY happy to see Nana and Paw Paw and perked up!

The next day, Grace was off and on, acting ok. Still not her self, not very playful. Wanted to just be held a lot all day and whiny. She continue with diarrhea ALL DAY on Saturday, inc. even at the wedding she went a couple of times. So by that night, she was feeling HORRIBLE. All she wanted to do was go out in to the lobby and lay on the couch and go to sleep!! VERY unlike her!

Come Sunday am, she continued to not eat very much (and hadn't since Wed). In the car, all she wanted to do was sleep on the way home. She continued to complain of her stomach hurting and had diarrhea. We were really getting concerned at this point. We thought, she would be better after we got home but she then she VOMITED after we got home. I was shocked that she had not vomited in days.. and now vomiting again! Then vomited again on Monday am.

Thankfully, after talking to the Dr. We decided Grace started getting better during the day on Monday and eating and drinking and the diarrhea stopped. THANKFULLY, she is finally recuperating from this and has had a MUCH better day today:)

While experiencing all of this, we get a call from our Realtor that Lisa is going to rent our house. The only tidbit is that she has to be in our house on MARCH 10th!!! So we ended up spending the rest of our trip home and since then, in almost panic mode. This means we have 16 days now to go to Hot Springs and find a PLACE TO LIVE (rent), look for a job for me, put in our notices at work, pack up our house, find a van, and MOVE!!!

We managed to find a van yesterday and got it today without any problems (We got a 2007 Toyota Sienna- white). But Adam has spent yesterday doing that and part of today signing papers and picking up van. Despite this, yesterday hit me like a ton of bricks. It became real to me that we are leaving this city, (that I love) and people, church, work, etc. and have to find work, and start over again in Hot Springs. Don't get me wrong, I KNOW this is what we are suppose to do and I am excited about this opportunity. The whole finding work, really stresses me, just because I have such a great job here and not sure what I will find there.

We have made the decision for just Adam and I to go to Hot Springs next Tues. and find a place to live. I am flying my Mom up here to watch Grace. We just could not take her on another long trip (and too expensive to fly all of us) and then move the week after. So my Mom is coming to help with all of this and be with us.

Not only that, our washing machine isn't working tonight and we've all been or are sick with a cold and Adam is still busy with school work. AND my step-sister Tracey is having major colon surgery this Friday to remove the cancerous tumor after having rounds of chemo and radiation, and her son is sick right now too!

I tell you all of this because this has all been a REAL LESSON of trust! I really think the Lord is trying to work on us to try to teach us to just trust HIM in all of the details and that every thing will work out and to just focus on HIM. I also don't appreciate all of the every day blessings enough and to turn our "control factor" off and let HIM do the work!! It's pretty awesome to think of his mighty hands on our lives if we just let HIM!!


My theme verse and one of my favorites!!

Proverbs: 3: 5-6

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make your paths straight.

Greg and Kelly's Wedding-- GA

My brother, Greg and Kelly got married this past Saturday in Braselton, GA. Adam took off Thurs, Fri, and Sat. (night shift) and we drove in on Friday. It took us 11 hours to get there due to a wreck in Chattanooga and traffic in Atlanta.

We and many other friends, and family stayed in a nearby hotel, inc. my Mom and step-dad. We got to spend some time with Greg some at the hotel and my Mom and step-dad. On the day of the wedding, we decided to get out that am to let Grace get out of the hotel room because the weather was beautiful!!! We found a nearby FABULOUS park! It was the best park for small, preschool age children! It even had a sand box!

We later went back and started getting ready for the wedding after Grace and Adam caught a nap:) Later, the wedding was at a country club that was beautiful and it was amazing that the weather was so fabulous because they were even able to have the wedding outside. It was very pretty. They had a huge reception party and I even had fun getting out on the dance floor.. complete with Adam:)

It was great that we got to go and that we also got to see family that we haven't seen since 2008 that are from GA. You will see the pic with some of them.. my Aunt Marsha, Kim, and Hannah with my Grandma. Also, Grace was really loving our cousin's Hayden and Hannah! Hannah held Grace a good bit too. Grace also found a little friend at the wedding that she chased around for a little bit.

The next day, we headed back to KY. Thank the Lord, no "boo boo's" on the car this time (as Grace calls it)!

Some pics from the "big day" and weekend..

Valentine's 2011

Grace got a gift in the mail from Nana and Paw Paw for Valentine's. It was a nice surprise for her. We got Grace a new DVD that had some of her favorite Nickelodeon cartoons on it and some Marshmallow candy.

In the midst of Valentine's Day we were actively searching for a van. We spent all of Valentine's Day and that whole week searching. We stopped to have dinner together as a family. We went to Cheddar's... our favorite place to eat in Louisville. Dinner was great and we spent the rest of the night relaxing.

It's News.. The Good With The Bad!

I don't even know where to begin. I guess I will start with the good. Adam has been offered a position in Hot Springs, Arkansas to serve as Family Minister!! This came as a surprise to us. Adam has been searching for a job of and on for a while now (ministry job). The pastor of this church.. Leonard St. Baptist Church, is John Graves, a friend of Adam's from Mid-America when we were in Memphis. John and his later wife, Crystal went to church with us in Olive Branch, MS for a short time before they went to be a pastor of a small church not so very far away. We attended their wedding, etc. etc. Anyways, this church is a small country church that only had John and a music guy on staff. They are at the point that they need to bring another staff person on to help organize, outreach, and teach children, and youth, etc. etc. John and Adam was talking on the phone and Adam was just joking with him a while back about giving him a job and John said "we actually have a position open.. but wasn't sure if you were interested. It is a part-time position so Adam would have to get a 2nd part-time job. Anyways, we prayed about it and started making plans to visit the church "in view of a call" to this church. We felt like this was Adam's opportunity to get paid experience and to work right with a great friend and family.

We didn't tell hardly any one that we were going to Arkansas this past weekend. The church wanted him to preach on Sunday too.. which he did. We drove about 10 hours there and back and I have to say it is the longest drive!! Esp. with snow in the forecast going and coming!

The visit went great! We stayed with John and Crystal and they have a 3 month old.. Zoe, and 21 month old.. Josiah. Grace had so much fun playing with Josiah. We LOVE their family and had such a good time with them! The church was very welcoming to us. A LOT of work needs to be done at this church and they have a long way to go.

So with that said, we have a HUGE set-back in our house here in Louisville. We HAVE to sell it or rent it out before we can make plans to go. We are planning on our real estate agent doing an open house while we are gone to GA next weekend for my Brother and his fiance.. Kelly's wedding. We plan on freqent open house in the next month and if nothing happens to sell it we will have to see about renting it. We are looking at renting through our real-estate agent because he does property management. We are just putting it in the Lord's hands to sell or if meant to be, rent it out, to make it possible for us to go. We feel like if the Lord wants us in Arkansas.. he will work all of this out.

Leonard St. is not in a huge hurry to get someone in the position. They have a month or so for us to try to sell our house and then go from there to see what it is looking like. So please pray!!!

Oh and by the way, On our way to Hot Springs, We have to go through Memphis, TN. It was VERY WEIRD to us to go through all the areas that we used to go through while living there. We honestly NEVER thought we would be any where around that area again! So we stopped on the exit that we used to get off on to go to our house.. Whitten Rd. for a potty break and couldn't resist going by our old house there. I am attaching a pic of it.. they have removed most all of the landscaping we put in.. but besides that, it looks about the same!:) REALLY weird, going back!




At John and Crystal's and around the city..












THE BAD>>>>
On our way to Arkansas we got in a major wreck! We didn't tell ANYONE besides John and Crystal till after we got back because we didn't want every one worrying! Adam had worked the night before we left and so I was trying to let him sleep and occupy Grace at the same time.. quietly. She was in the back seat picking at the DVD player and I was worried she was going to break it. I reached in the back seat to get the DVD player from her and when I turned back around I was going off the Left side of the road (I was in the Left Lane). I immediately over-corrected and jerked my wheel to the right and went across the lanes and hit the gaurd rail on the Right side of the road and then over-corrected AGAIN and ended up going ACROSS THE MEDIAN AND ACROSS TWO LANES OF THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC!! I completely freaked out! I lost control and didn't know what to do! I think I hit the gaurd rail twice. Anyways, I came to a perfect stop on the side of the road facing oncoming traffic. PRAISE THE LORD.. there was NO cars beside me or oncoming when I crossed those lanes. 5 more seconds and there would have been!! THANK GOD we walked a way with not a scratch and I didn't hit any body!!

IT WAS THE SCARIEST SITUATION EVER!!! All I have to say is that I CRIED AND CRIED PRAISING THE LORD for his protection on us that day. I realized the Lord is NOT done with any of us YET! He definitely spared our life and for that I am forever grateful. Now, it makes me wonder what big plans he has for our lives!!:)

I definitely learned my lesson about reaching in the back seat and about driving that day! Since then, Adam drove the car the rest of the way and later ran in to snow in Arkansas on the way. (we were around Jackson, TN when it happened) The snow was scary at one point but we made it there and then drove that car home the whole rest of the way back. It is amazing because after the insurance guy looked at it he said our R passenger tire and wheel was curved in and the seal had been broken between the tire and wheel and there were rocks in there. He couldn't believe that we didn't have a blow-out or at least a flat tire. The Lord was with us!! Our car has been TOTALED out due to so many areas that were affected. NOW.. we are car shopping for a used Van or SUV..

I am attaching pics. I took them while the car was in the garage so I couldn't get really good ones.. but you get the idea!

Winter Days..

As most of you all know, Grace has been terribly sick with the stomach virus. She vomited for 3 days/ nights and had diarrhea. She was getting really weak and we were beginning to worry about dehydration. On Sunday, we were giving Grace pedialyte by the spoonful and she finally started getting better. She is now back to herself!!

In the last week, we have played in the snow (before she got sick) and just had lots of cuddle time, esp. with her being sick. We have had plenty of snow to play in this year but I found Grace a pair of snow boots at my favorite consignment shop for 1 dollar last week. So we had to get some use out of these boots!:)

I am attaching some pics of her drawing and her picture (on the L of the page) that she colored. She has got to be so good at drawing and coloring. She just amazes us. Her drawing is supposed to be Papa Bear and Mama Bear (Bernstein Bears) and she is copying the page beside that. The one on the left is Papa Bear and the one on the right is Mama Bear. On her head, she has a hat!!:)

My Wednesday nights now consist of a women's book study on this book~



It has already been so great! This book really helps me look at marriage in a different way. All the while, Grace just loves her Honeybees class and then I have choir after that! I hate I will miss today because I have a baby shower for a close friend at work tonight, but am excited about her shower.

Loving Wednesdays!!~