Hip Hip Hooray!

I have had many people inquire about our house situation. We are pleased to say that we countered the offer we received and they have accepted it! If all goes well, we should be closing sometime in the first part of October. We are praying that everything continues to go smoothly, so we can close on her original date of October 7th. Our realtor told us that not hearing from him meant that things were fine- so I assume that things are great! We are so grateful to all of our friends that have kept this situation in their prayers.

Although I know some people (ahem-Marti) :) were praying for the house not to sell so we would come back "home", we are thankful that we can now begin to plan roots here and get plugged into a church home. This will also help with my state of mind. It has been hard not being able to see friends on a daily basis. I think I have struggled with that the most. Going through bouts of depression and feeling sorry for myself. But our God is a sustaining God, and he has blessed us with being able to re-kindle friendships from college and sending good friends here from other places. I have met many ladies from the Bible studies that he has led me to, and met several women here at our apartment that are becoming fun friendships.


Please continue praying that everything finalizes. We look forward to seeing all of our Little Rock friends in mid October- pumpkin patch anyone?? :)

Boo-Boo

Our first skateboarding accident resulted in a skinned knee. Ian was later proud of it, espically after a Spider Man bandaid!

Boys and Their Toys

Today Daddy took the boys to Toys R Us and bought them skateboards. They have been asking for one since we moved and some before that. We haven't let them go outside yet (we have to get their helmets from Mom and Dads), but they are very eager to ride them. They were doing some tricks in the living room and I got them to hold still long enough to take their pictures. Here begins the era of boy life: skinned knees, elbows, chins and many other bruises, cuts and scrapes. At least I stocked up on Spider Man and Bat Man bandaids! ;)

Praise God!!

We have wonderful news- We recieved an offer on our house today!! We are very happy and are considering it very carefully. We may take it as is or we may counter in some areas. Thanks to all who have been praying for this. God is so good, and he has truly blessed us with wonderful friends and family. Please continue praying that if we choose this offer that it will go through till the end so we can begin planting roots here.

Ahh.. The memories

Recently a good friend had a post on her blog about getting a pink phone. The response was over whelming from all the ChiO gals out there. I think we all have a rather fond place for pink in our hearts. Then in another friends blog (who I am so happy to have found after so many years) asked about a favorite memory from Chi Omega Pi. I have a ton. Sadly, many involve people I have not seen in years, and some that are of friends that I still chat with.


One of my favorite songs has been Be Still and Know, but listening to 75+ ladies singing it brought a whole new dimension to it. I still love singing it and can sometime hear the whole club singing in the back of my mind.

I remember looking at several clubs and trying to figure out where I fit in. The moment I stepped into that mixer, I felt comfortable. Everyone was friendly and really cared about you. One of the first ChiOs that I met (aside from Jen who I already knew) was Leslie. She was so nice and took the time to get to know me in the few short minutes we had. Then on the ride home from induction night, Molly and Sherry had the radio on, we were singing and laughing all the way to the parking lot where they introduced me to the Seminole Stomp. Every-time I hear Sugar Rays "I just wanna Fly" , I think of that time. Seeing Molly and Sherry standing on the car , moving their hips under 2 inches, makes me smile.

I have a pictures of Dee and I in our Reggae shirts and braided hair. I have several of my induction class and many more of our whole club. Photos from functions, retreats and just hanging out. Working at the Sunshine school was one of my favorite things. I think Lisa and I spent the most time together there. We really loved that place. When we distributed presents to the kids, it was a highlight every time. Seeing their shining faces and beautiful smiles was a great experience.

I guess I should use her married name now, but she will always be Hutch to me. Jen and I were able to "re-bond" if you will while in ChiOs. We had known each other since the 4th grade. I broke my arm in her garage, had crazy hairstyles with her, went through many fashion fads (that I don't care to revisit), and went through some trying times and personal growth with her. We had some rough patches in our teen years but became friends again in college. She was a big influence on my spiritual life. She still gives good advise!

Dee and I shared some crazy times through out our years there, but she was my cohort while living in the apartment. We had some good laughs there. She and I could get to laughing about anything and it would be so hard to stop. Who knows why we started laughing the first place. :) And for those of you who don't know- she makes great cal zones! Always a great friend.

And Laura, the lady who really challenged me to be the person God had planned. She was a shoulder to cry on when an engagement went down hill, and a friend to celebrate with when the marriage finally took place. She got me into christian music, and into a consistent prayer life.

I have so many memories with many other wonderful ladies..Christina, Andrea, Kate, Tracy, Kasie, Anna, Heidi, Kate M. and many more. There are too many to blog about here. I wish I could, but I am afraid my hands would fall off! :)

I may try to post more later, but it was such a fun-filled time in my life. I am a better person because of those ladies. I am a better child of God because of their friendships.

If you remember the tune:

I love Chi Omega Pi
There's no other place where I can feel such unity, bonded and yet free
I love Chi Omega Pi
We are true to God and true to self
We are one in Christ.
We know that where every we may go, we are friends for life.
I love Chi Omega Pi
There's no other place where I can feel such unity, bonded and yet free
Faithful I will ever be to you, Chi Omega Pi

Have a wonderful day!!

Correction

Well in the previous post I stated that Riley had one tooth coming in. Well I was mistaken. Her 2 front teeth are coming in at the same time. :( So here soon I will take a picture of the 4 teeth that she now has. She has also started crusing a little. She is way more cautious than the boys ever were. Quite interesting to see the difference between the boys and our little girl.

A new tooth

For sometime now Riley has been a little fussy and just plain old uncomfortable. I thought she was comming down with an ear infection since she has fluid on her ear at the last Drs visit. But last night while were at the play place I realized that an upper tooth is comming through. As soon as she will let me get a picture of it I will show you her now 3 tooth smile!

More to read

Well....it has been a while since I have gotten to post pictures so I thought I would load them all up on here. Along with the following posts, I thought I would give you an update on all of us.

Matt and I are doing well. He is enjoying work and the people he works with. This month is Vanderbilt Employee Appreciation Month so he is getting showered with free food and fun things to do. I am having fun at home with the kids. I am finishing up the Patriarchs study and have started a new bible study entitled Daniel. It is with a group of women at Harpeth Hills c of c. So far it is fun. The kids get to play with other kids their age and they have a blast there.


The kids are doing great. Riley is 9 months old now and she is close to walking. She pulls up on everything and even stands alone for a few seconds. Caleb and Ian are growing so fast and learning so quickly. Caleb thinks he is the big boss around here. Ian just follows his orders unless he is in a daring mood, then we have an uproar around here. They have a wonderful relationship that I am very thankful for.

We are still waiting for our house to sell, but we are praying fervantly that soon we will be house free. Apartment living is not as bad as we thought it would be. There are pros and cons to it, but we are very thankful to have found a place that is safe, clean and near things for the kids.

Hope everyone is safe and happy. Our love and prayers to all..

Learning to....

I have been working with the boys on their fine motor skills (can you tell I'm a teacher!!) and on their letters. We have been practicing our cutting skills and how to write our letters. Caleb is doing well. He knows how to write A, a, B and b. Ian can trace what I have written but we are still working on it (he's 2 so I am not pushing him- it will be a while). But they have fun doing school. Caleb is excited about starting school next year. I haven't been able to find a pre-k program that is not full so far, so I have started looking at the Mothers Day out programs. Hopefully I can find something soon. Untill then we are having fun working at home. I know that boys fine motor skills typically develop later that girls so I am having to try and remember not to push him hard and to be patient for his skills to develop on their own. Anyway, they are having fun which is the most important to me.

Trip to Indiana

This past weekend we went to Indiana to vist with Matts family and for Kaitlyns church dedication. While we were there we hit the Louisville Zoo and a water playground by the river. The kids enjoyed both places. I didn't take too many pictures at the zoo but they loved it. They got to see pigmy hippos and a Komodo dragon. Rileys favorite was the stone statue of a turtle. She enjoyed talking to the animals. The boys loved all the animals as always. The water playground was a blast. The kids were able to run around and play in the water and Riley even joined in on the fun. She was done with in 10 min. but the boys went strong for an hour or so. Kaitlyn slept through it all, but I did get a cute picture of her grumpy face!

Our new pet

From my previous post you know that my dad found a small turtle for the kids. He is at home with us and we are in the process of trying to figure out a name for him. Right now he is just turtle (i know- we are great at coming up with names here!) since the boys haven't decided on one yet.

The indoor playground

There is an indoor playground at the Bellevue Mall that the kids love to go to. I remembered to take the camera to catch them playing. They love to go there and so do Matt and I. We are able to sit and talk while the kids run around and play. Since it is an enclosed area we don't have to worry about them running off, or the possibility of someone taking them. It is great for rainy days too. Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Remembering...

Now I am not one to drudge up past experiences or anything. I hate reliving past events that hurt me, but this being the 5th anniversary of September 11 had me reliving a lot of memories.
I didn't get to watch any of the news coverage till this afternoon since we took Riley to the Dr this morning. I was not prepared for my reaction. I sat and cried like a baby. It was several minutes before I could compose myself and clear my head. Caleb and Ian had no clue what to do and Riley just looked at me with a puzzled look on her sweet face. 5 years ago I was student teaching at Crystal Hill Magnet under Stacey Hodge. We had students, but could tell something was wrong, so I was sent to investigate. After seeing the news and relating it to Ms. Hodge, we continued on with our day like it was any other so the students wouldn't know what was happening. After work, I headed back to the apartment, and really needed gas but there was no way I was going to wait in line for 3 hours. I waited for Matt to get home and we watched the news. Neither of us talked. Neil came over and watched for a while. We ate dinner in silence. I cried but could not tear myself away. I felt anguish and grief for the families and for the first responders who were working fervently to find people trapped in the wreckage. I felt angry and ready to exact revenge. I prayed so hard....so hard.
That is a moment that is implanted in my mind. Will I ever forget-at least I hope not. I hope I continue to live to the best of my ability. I pray that I am able to spread the word of God before my time comes to an end and that I live my life like it was my last day on earth. I won't forget- I hope I will always hold a small hole in my heart for those who were lost. I hope I never watch a memorial for 9/11 and not cry. I hope that we as a nation never forget the moment that the whole country, if only for a moment, hit their knees in prayer and cried out to our God who wrapped His arms around us and reassured us that all will be fine.

Constant Prayers Needed

Please forgive me for not getting this on our blog sooner:


http://julian-family.blogspot.com/



This is a family from Little Rock, AR (many of you there may already know of the Julian family). I knew Kelly from our Special Education classes at Harding, and I can only imagine their daily struggles. Please keep them in your prayers and ask any prayer groups and bible studies that you attend to keep them in your prayers. Pass the website to anyone that you know that way as many prayers as possible can be lifted up for Max, Kelly and John. Our God is an awsome God and I know that He will do wonders in Maxs' life.

The Turtle Hunter

As many of you know there is a Crocodile Hunter (may God grant his family peace in their time of loss), but our family has someone new- The Turtle Hunter. Apparently my dads land is actually a turtle sanctuary. We have found over 10 turtles just in the last 3 months.( In the picture to the left is the second turtle that we found, Mr. Turtle. ) And yesterday was no different. My dad, with his keen turtle senses, sensed the fear of the small tyke, who I am sure thought he would be shot with the rather large arrows that he saw sticking out of the bows quiver. The Turtle Hunter rescued the tyke from most certain doom and gave him to the grandchildren he loved so much.

It is no bigger than the palm of Rileys' hand. And boy is he active. Of course he had a rough start to his Clement family introduction as my parents cat, KC, decided that he would make a great bouncing toy and rolling game. He hid for a while after that traumatic experience. The boys love him though. We are going to get a tank to put him in tonight. He does not have a name yet and I haven't taken any pictures of him and the kids to post so I will get those up later!

A Weekend with no kids

This past weekend Matt and I got to spend a little time alone together. My parents picked up the kids Saturday morning and we were alone for the first time in a while. We actually didn't go too crazy, but relaxed and did some things. We spent a grand total of almost 6 hours in Bass Pro (yes...I love my husband that much!) while Matt got his bow and materials for hunting season. We wandered around deciding on what we still needed and decided to wait so we could eat. We then ate a late dinner after picking up Riley some clothing. On Sunday we slept in (I know- we are heathens- but it really was an accident- HONEST!!) Then we went back to Opry Mills to see Pirates of the Caribbean 2. I liked it but it definitely leaves it open for the third. The special effects were great and there were some funny scenes. Then we headed back to Bass Pro to pick up a target for Monday. Then Monday we went to my parents house for dinner and to pick up the kids. Matt and Dad did some target practice. The kids had a blast and I was glad to have had the time away but very glad to have them back. Next weekend we are heading up to Indiana to spend some time with Matt's folks and attend Kaitlyn's church dedication. Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Quote

I have been reading a book entitled "Praying God's Word" by Beth Moore. If you ever get the chance. it is a good read. It goes through different strongholds and gives you scriptures that you can pray to release those strongholds. The scripture reference is listed and above it is a praphrase of the scripture (or complete scripture) written in a prayer. There are several quotes throughout and I found this one and loved it!



The giant step in the walk of faith is the one we take when we
decide God no longer is a part of our lives. He is our life.