Dollywood

Well, we believe it's official. As a kid, we would go to Pigeon Forge and Dollywood routinely. It's only about 2 hours away so we'd jump in the car on Saturdays and drive down. One of the things about it was getting your season pass to Dollywood! So now Tosh and I feel like we've officially moved back 'home' since we broke down and bought season passes to Dollywood for 2009! I'm so excited! I love going there and we have such a great time. The first picture is of us with my sister and her husband. Can you tell it was COLD? Only in the 30's all day but that didn't matter. We bundled up and enjoyed ourselves. There weren't many people there so it was a good day. We got to do the 4-D Polar Express Ride. It was pretty neat! I didn't get to sit in a motion seat but that was OK. They make the smell of hot chocolate blow out in your face when they are serving the hot chocolate on the train in the movie.

We had doughnuts and we bought very little except food. The cinnamon bread is always the best! And now we have tickets to 'Bring a Friend' for free -- so if anyone is coming this way, let us know! We'll go to Dollywood for a day!

Today is 26 weeks for the baby and myself! My belly is REALLY growing now. I've even started bumping into things with it. I've been sick the last 4 days with a bad cold though and have been sleeping in the recliner to be able to breathe. Gotta love Tylenol -- doesn't do much huh? My parents had bought us a countdown clock for our wedding day and I found it last night. Apparently it's 97 days until the little guy/gal gets here!

Tosh and I are heading up to his Dad's for Christmas this evening. His brother Nick is driving in from Ohio with his girlfriend and we are doing Thanksgiving/Christmas/and Nick's birthday all in one shot tonight. It should be a good time for all.

And now, shouldn't every Game Warden have his picture taken with reindeer and an elf?

Of Birthdays, Thanksgivings, and the unexpected

Let me begin by posting a picture from Deck the Halls that Brinn took. I'm 24 weeks pregnant in this picture. She'll be sending another of me and my Mom soon.


We had a lovely time but I really thought it was much better last year than this year. Now for Thanksgiving. This year was a little more special since Tosh was able to come with us to my Dad's side of the family. Here are some pictures:



My mom got some better ones but I don't have them on this computer. I'll try to post them later. We do things sort of simple at my Grandad's house.

Now onto Birthdays! My birthday was Friday the 28th and it was a great one! I got up at 4:30am and went shopping for Christmas presents until around 2:00. Once I got back home, I helped Mom cook since we were doing our own "Thanksgiving/Birthday" dinner that night. Tosh's dad and brother Matt came down and we enjoyed eating and spending time together. And both my brothers showed up a bit later too! My sister bought me this beautiful square cabin/rustic plate and matching dipping bowl from Kohl's. She had the most beautiful card that went with it too. It made me want to cry. I"ll try to post pictures later from the birthday. Mom is the only one that took pictures so I don't have any on here of those either.

Tosh bought me the three book set of Eragon, Eldest, and Brisingr. Too bad I didn't know it was going to have a fourth book or I'd have waited until it came out and bought the set then! Oh well. :-) He also made me a homemade card, which I loved! Coy and Matt (Tosh's dad and brother) gave me some birthday money to use how I want. My mom made me a homemade double dark chocolate fudge cake with homemade chocolate icing! YUM! It was super rich and went perfect with whole milk!

Now for the unexpected part. My mom and I decided to make a quick trip to do some shopping at Hallmark and Wal-mart last night to pick up a couple of things. The Hallmark was great! It had TONS of new stuff that I'd never seen before and I will definitely go back to it again. After we got out of Wal-Mart we ordered a pizza and went to pick it up. Then we got a phone call from my Dad telling us we needed to come home. . . my uncle had passed away sometime yesterday from a heart attack and his daughter had just found him. Needless to say it's been a whirlwind of emotions. Dad had got a call and couldn't understand what was being said because they were screaming. All he could make out was "He's dead - he's dead!" and then the phone cut off. My uncle lives right down the road from us and Dad went outside and could hear my cousin (his daughter) screaming and crying in the yard.

This was my Mom's brother. Her only brother. She has 5 sisters and this 1 brother. For some reason, I thought my Mom's siblings would never die. I mean, realistically I guess if I'd thought about it, I knew they would. But they've always been around and I just never thought about them passing on some day. He would've been 64 next week. He was a Christian and I wish I had known him better. He loved me very much I know and he would always give me a big hug when I came home and saw him at church.

So I've been thinking a lot about life in general and God and how small I am and how big He is. I've been reading all this stuff about how you should be so careful with your emotional state while pregnant and how it could affect the baby (low birth weight, premature, etc.)... and you know what I think? It's so ridiculous. Life has seemed like such a roller coaster the last 6 months. Up and down and up and down. Slovakia, pregnancy, moving, adjusting, new job, moving in with my parents, making ends meet, my body changing and hormones surging, birthdays, thanksgiving, and now a death -- a death that was very unexpected.

I was talking to Tosh last night and telling him how life suddenly seems so crazy and it never felt this way in Lexington. It felt like we at least were on solid footing in Lexington and nothing was too drastic one way or the other. We had an even keel going and things were "normal" and "steady". And Tosh said no. He said it was crazy in Lexington. It was -- and this is just Life and part of living here on earth. Things happened in Lexington and we handled it then. Sometimes it seems more intense but I think it's because of all these crazy hormones raging through my body. Things seem multiple times as emotional than they "normally" would.

And through all this, I felt like God gave me some great epiphany. How in the world do you keep all your emotions "in-check" when Life is this crazy going on around you? How do you keep yourself from getting over-emotional or stressing out with the things life throws at you? I keep wondering what I'm "doing" to this baby because of my emotional state. And I've determined that I can't worry about that anymore. How can I? This baby is in God's hands and He knows exactly what He's doing in our life right now. I have to trust Him that He has control of my body and this baby and He will take care of us through it all.

I'm not certain any of that made sense, but I am trying to explain how silly it is to think that I have control over what happens around me. That I am the "master" of my life and I can keep things in-check. I felt very small and stupid when I realized this. And yet I also realized that God was trying to show me, "Hello! I'm the One in Charge here! I have control over everything in the universe." And He loves me and cares about me and this baby.

Please pray for my Mom and her sisters. Thanks.

Thanksgiving

GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE!!!

Tosh and I have much to be thankful for this year. It is the first year since he started this Game Warden job that he'll be able to drop by and eat a meal with family! (THANKS goes to Danny and Sandy for providing him a place to eat for the past several years in Lexington!!)

He is pretty happy about it and I am too. Today we'll get to spend the "lunch" part with my Dad's family at my Granddad's house. Then tonight we are just relaxing at home and enjoying some light snacks.

Then Friday we are having a feast with Tosh's family and my brothers and sister and their families. I'm looking forward to that! It's also my birthday on Friday. I'm not sure I'll do a lot of shopping but maybe some. I did some yesterday online.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! We should be especially thankful for the gift of salvation that God sent his one and only Son to die for our sins so that we might go free.

Rain or Snow?

I thought I would take a moment and just post something. Lots of things have been going through my head lately. For those of you back in Lexington -- do not take lightly the Pastor that stands before you on Sundays. He is more valuable than you know. Since moving back, it's amazing how I took for granted the style and heart that Pastor Michael puts into each sermon. We have yet to find a Pastor here that preaches in that same manner. And yet - it's not exactly preaching, he teaches. He takes the time to bring in those little history lessons that you never knew about or things that were going on at that time that you'd never know about unless he told you. We haven't found that here yet. It's so discouraging when you want to learn about the scriptures and yet all you hear is a message on a particular passage with no depth. So I tell you again, appreciate his preaching style and teaching techniques. They are valuable beyond camparision and I am so thankful that he puts so much into it to give back to God.

I'm thinking we might be on a snow schedule tomorrow. It's supposed to be a nasty-rainysnow mix tonight and the kids get out for Thanksgiving on Wednesday. It'd be nice to be off, but of course that also means no paycheck for me. That's been a bit difficult to get used to as well. Not a salary but hourly paycheck.

Mom and I stayed at our old house in Lexington this past weekend while we were there for DTH, and it was so strange. It felt like home, but so empty and cold. I can't wait until we have another house to serve the Lord through and welcome new people into our home here in Lee County. This morning I was thinking of things I miss about Lexington. I thought I'd make a list and I'm certain there are probably more than this:

• Lunch and the variety of places to eat for lunch
• Meeting Corey and spending time chatting with a girlfriend
• Downtown - the shops and the feel of Lexington
• Cadets - strange, I thought I wouldn't miss them, but they have a place in my heart
• VMI Theatre - esp. Joellen
• WOL and the youth at LBC (Man I love those kids)
• The Dorsey girls
• Eating lunch with my husband (we don't get to do that here)
• House Mountain views

I'm sure there are more, but that's just a few. But at the same time, the other night I was able to pick up my sister, go to Wal-Mart and get dinner and then go back and help her make it and eat with her and her husband. Not something I could've done in Lexington. And when we had a snow day on Friday, I got to spend the day running around with my Mom and Dad doing errands and just enjoying each other. Family things that could not easily have been done in Lexington.
Tosh told me about getting an email and realizing the guy was someone he went to High School with. He got back in touch with him again. Plus, no offense, but the Wal-Mart here is TONS better than the Wal-Mart in Lexington for some odd reason. You wouldn't think that would be possible since it's SWVA but it sure is!

I think I've been back to Lexington more in the last two months than I ever made it home to Lee Co in the same period of time. And I'll be back up there in December to attend a conference at the Homestead for a week.

The baby is moving a lot now a days. I can't seem to feel it on the left side but more in the middle and the right side. Tosh has felt it move and so has my Mom now. Brinn took some pictures of me and my Mom the other night at DTH and my belly so when she sends them to me I'll post them. It's weird to think I'm 6 months. Everyone says I still look so small. I'm contemplating buying a body pillow of sorts. Sleep is not easy to come by and I toss and turn all night from one side to the other. Plus, my butt and hips have been killing me lately. Not sure if it's from all the driving and sitting, but I just about can't stand it. I know it must be from my body changing and doing what it's supposed to as far as preparation goes, but wow -- lots sure does happen to your body when you're pregnant!

Fun stuff

Here are some pictures that my great friend Brinn took for me. More to come soon! THANKS BRINN! You ROCK (as always) :-)

Cool Website

So I was enjoying a Snow Day today with my Mom and Dad and during their doctor visit I was perusing a magazine (Parenting Magazine) and read about this cool website!

It's called LookyBook. Check it out!

You can look through the entire book before buying it all for free!

Fall is here!

Gosh I don't see how an entire month has almost passed since I last updated! It only feels like a few days or something. We had a Doctor's appointment this past week and I met with the midwife again. I've gained a pound since last time and my BP is still fine. She said I'll start gaining more weight now that I'm 22 weeks and the baby will start picking up weight. She told us to get ready and get our sleep now because the baby is really active. I totally believe her because all this week he/she has been moving, kicking, punching! I can't seem to sit down for one moment and it starts going nuts in there! Tosh also felt the baby move for the first time this past week.

The next appointment I go back to in December is the one they want to do the glucose test for. Well, I think it's like the initial screening. Hopefully I'll pass that one and I won't have to do the second one! I hear that's not much fun!

The job is a bit stressful. Since I work alone most of the time, I dont' know if I'm doing things correctly or not. I feel like I just don't get it some days and a couple of my schools I've yet to do anything with any students. It's hard to figure out when you can go pull a student out of class and when you can't. I haven't got it just yet and I'm a bit stressed over it.

As usual, Tosh has been very busy with work. Today is opening day of rifle so he's busy today too. I hope he doesn't have to work a Hunting Incident. That would really stink! He's starting to learn some more of the county and the back country roads.

Mom and Dad put up the Christmas lights outside yesterday. They figured it'd be one of the only warmer days to do it before it turns really cold. We built a fire the other night and that was so cozy too! Punkin had never seen a fire before or a fire place so he wasn't sure what it was or what to do. He kept checking it out and sniffing things.

I think Angie's baby shower went well. It was a great time in Lexington with "family". I had the best room in all of Lexington -- right underneath a huge deer haha! Corey took good care of me. I even got to ride in Beauty when we went to see Madagascar 2. I drove a bit too fast on the way back and made three stops and still got here in 4 hours. (Walt, if you see this just let it glaze over.) I was so tired and ready to be home.

Here's a picture of our driveway this morning. I said it looked like the leaves had camo'd everything outside. We've blown the leaves out of the driveway three times already and now we'll have to do it again!

Here's a picture of Punkin the other night. He decided to try and fit into this paper bag.

Ultrasound and Life in General

Hi Everyone! Yes we are still alive -- Life has just been very busy lately! I finally have time tonight to post some ultrasound photos from Tuesday and update you on what's been happening since the last post.

First things first -- here are the first glimpses of Baby Barnette! (Cause I know that's really what you want to see!):


You kind of have to have a knack for looking at ultrasound pictures. It's amazing how much clearer things look on the actual screen than in the photos they give you. We still don't know what it is (which is what we want) and it was interesting b/c the ultrasound tech was kind of surprised we didn't even ask her after it was over. She told us that everything looked normal and ok for now. Baby (insert name here) weighs 12 oz. and from ear to ear measures 2 inches! I was glued to the monitor and could not help but keep looking at the tiny little thing. It is so amazing what we can do with technology and to get a glimpse of life for my baby while it's still inside me was absolutely facinating. The only thing that's changed is our due date. They think it's going to be around March 13th instead of 15th but still -- it's around that date.

I think Tosh was surprised. He said he didn't think it would be as clear as it was. I wish it could've lasted much longer -- I wanted to keep watching it squirming around. She/he was butt down and you can see in the last 4 shot photo (bottom left) the baby was pointing it's finger. My mom said it was saying "That's my mommy!" but I said it was saying "Just wait'll I get outta here"!

I haven't felt a whole lot of movement and the technician said it was because my placenta is in the front and is acting like a cushion of sorts so I can't feel a whole lot. She said the placenta could be anywhere (front, back, top, etc.) and that it was normal. My belly is beginning to explode! Which leads me to the next photos! These were taken at 20 weeks 1 day. I've been trying to do belly shots once every month.



OK, so I know it's not very drastic in the photos but it sure is to me!! Tosh and I were laughing about the fact that my belly button has suddenly become an "outtie" instead of an "innie" and it's really FREAKY!!! I know there are lots of books out there for us preggies to read, but I've just decided to forego it. It's sort of an adventure that I have no control over and just seem to notice the changes as they come. For example, I feel like I'm suddenly carrying around a dumbell in my midsection even though the baby isn't huge. I feel sluggish and it's hard to bend over. So many people keep telling me I look like I'm carrying a boy and most of my family seems to think it's going to be a boy. Who knows for sure right!? Until it comes out!!

Life in general is going OK. It's very interesting how quickly you can fall into the routine of "not going to church" regularly. I thought I'd think about it all the time since we were at LBC so much during the week, but I haven't. We are trying another church on Sunday so we'll see where that one goes. We are still praying for God to send us to the church He'd have us at.

I've been working now for two weeks at the Career Coach position and this week was my first week to be alone. It's been kind of difficult. You sort of have to "wing-it" at first until you get the hang of it. Once I get access to the seniors I think it'll be fine but it's the "getting into the classroom" part that's hard. My boss is super great and she's willing to work with me when the baby comes. I've also prepped all my schools in case I go into labor and I'm over an hour away that they'd need to take me to the nearest hospital. So I think I'm covered.

Some of the nice things about being back are the fact that it's only a half hour between our families houses. We're able to go up and see Tosh's dad and still see my family too. Living with my parents of course has it's problems, but we are adjusting and they have been more than kind in providing us the space we need to be here. Mom said she doesn't see us as a burden so much as it makes her feel needed again.

They were both there for the ultrasound (Mom and Dad) and they'd never seen one before b/c at the time mom was pregnant they didn't do them. So Dad and her both thought it was really amazing.

I'll be back in Lexington on November the 9th for Angie's baby shower at the church so hopefully I can catch up with everyone a bit. I'll be by myself since Tosh must work every Saturday in November. Then I'll be back up again for Deck the Halls on November 22nd.

We celebrated my dad's birthday on the 28th this month. He had a little accident and got that cut on his nose. Here's a picture:


Tosh is doing well and enjoying the job here I think. He's working a lot of long hours and has already had to do a Hunting Fatality. He is planning on taking off when the baby comes for several weeks so we can share the experience.

I am having a lot of trouble coming to grips with the fact that we might still be here at my parents when this baby arrives. I have this grand nursery planned out in my head and it's difficult to think about the fact we don't have a home to put it in yet. The Lord has a plan though and we must just keep trusting Him and His timing -- not ours.

Midnight and Punkin have adjusted very well. They have become very vocal since we moved in. I think it's b/c there are some other dogs and cats around here and they think they should talk too. I don't know though. It's weird how much the dog barks now when he never used to and the cat meows all the time. Especially for food! They are spoiled rotten.

Okay, enough blogging for now! Enjoy the photos and I hope everyone is well. Love to you all!

Of Preaching Styles and Churches

It is so interesting to travel to Southwest Virginia and hear the change of preaching style. Tosh and I attended a church service this morning and the gentleman was OK but he just took each part of the verses and went over them. He didn't bring anything out of it really and we found ourselves longing for more "teaching" and "practical" life application. So for those of you at LBC -- be THANKFUL for the teaching/preaching style of Pastor Michael.

The other thing the guy said that bothered me was that God took revenge upon Pharoah and his people by drowning them in the Red Sea. It just sat wrong with me. Mainly because God doesn't exact revenge on anyone-- only His righteous judgement and justice according to His great plan and purpose.

All through the service we never saw the pastor and when they said they had a guest speaker we thought the Pastor was just out of town. In the last five minutes of the service the guest speaker was encouraging the congregation not to worry that God would send them a new Shepherd soon -- then we realized they didn't HAVE a pastor. So we are kind of unsure about the church. Initially I felt right at home and they even had the same welcome packet and cards that LBC has. But the not having a pastor thing sort of made it feel uncertain.

There is still a few other churches we want to attend too. Thankfully Tosh is off every Sunday except one in November so we can continue to pray and visit around the area for a church.

Presidential Boredom and Happy Birthday MOM!

I don't know why but I really dislike listening to the Presidential run-arounds that these people come up with! So I'm going to come and blog instead!

I should probably start with the update from Monday. I went to MECC to visit with the Career Coach Director and fill out some paperwork. Everything went OK. The only down-side is that they only have a $125 pot of money for gas per month. Soooo that's not so great, but maybe I can make something work. The Director seems great and I think she'll work with me once she realizes I'm preggers. She's got tons of energy and that makes things a lot better.

Now for the CNM....I went to the Doctor on Tuesday to meet my new Certified Nurse Midwife. She is awesome! Tosh and I both felt like between the office staff and her we are set. The nicest nurse came and got us and then when Donna came in she saw my list of questions and she automatically said, "Let's go over those." So she was super patient and kind -- she felt like she really was intune with what I was asking/saying and she ended up saying at the end that prayer is powerful. She said she doesn't say that to many of her patients but I had mentioned something earlier about praying about her and this new move.

The downsides to the hospital birthing center here is that they don't have birthing balls or a room that you'll stay in after the L&D (but I can bring my own birthing ball). They end up moving you to a "clean room" after the birth. I forgot to ask about in-room stay for the baby but I hope they do that. We got to hear the heart beat again and she seemed to think it might be a boy based on several things. Which I've thought since the beginning that it was a boy -- mainly b/c the only dreams I've had have been about little boys. BUT -- it could be a girl! We don't know and we don't want to know. We go back on the 28th of this month for an OB Interview (not sure about what this is exactly) and the Ultrasound. So I'll hopefully have some pictures to share soon!! I'm really excited about seeing this little baby inside me.

Today was my first day on the job. I'm not sure about some things -- still feeling out the people and the process of this position. I've got training all day tomorrow and Friday and start full swing next week- job-shadowing, going to my schools, etc. It was so odd being back in my old High School today and seeing people that my Mom worked with for years and years. They all recognized me and it was nice to see them again, but kind of weird too. I've been gone from there since 2001 so it felt strange to be back on campus again. One neat thing was that we took this Career Assessment test and I was kind of wondering if mine would actually come out anywhere close to what I went to VT for. Surprisingly, my first career choice was Human Services -- exactly what my degree was at VT! Second was something to do with Art/Drama, which isn't surprising. The program we use is called KUDOR and it's very neat! I can't believe we didn't use this when I was in high school! It has tons of great information and career paths.

Friday is Football night! I finally get to go see my nephew, Ross, play football. He's a senior this year and he's playing quite a bit so I'm excited to share in a few more of his games before the season ends.

My mom called in some of her "favors" and found out a bit more on that full time Purchasing Clerk position I applied for. Looks like it's a dud. They probably won't hire someone before December and they don't think it'll pay more than $8.00/hr if that. There are more pressing positions they need filled right now in the County so this one isn't top of the list. Soo, I plan on just sticking with this Career Coach thing and seeing how that goes. Long drives to some of the schools -- one is about an hour or so away. That won't be the most fun but at least I can work in the schools and meet some new people and gain some different experience.

The leaves are falling here and it's so peaceful. At night and during the day most of the windows are open. Tosh and I heard some great horned owls about a week ago hooting back and forth at each other in the early morning hours and last night Tosh heard screech owls. It was such a neat blessing! We don't hear those kinds of birds unless we're camping, and the fact we can hear them in my parents back yard is just amazing! We've also got some flying squirrels around here that we keep hearing at night.

Midnight is spoiled rotten. He's become best buds with my parents two Huskie mixes, Star and Jake. They are ten times the size of him, but he just loves getting around them and trying to play. He goes outside all the time and he's found lots of sunny spots in the dining room on the hardwood floor to doze in during the day. Punkin's favorite spots seem to be the back of the couch and the back of the recliner. He's doing really well here too.

Not sure about all of you but we are being bombarded by ladybugs!!! It's that time of year I guess -- right? I sure do hate those little beatles though. They are annoying. I'm going to try out a new church on Sunday that's across the mountain from here -- about 20 minutes. I'm looking forward to it.

I hope to post some pictures soon of my Mom's birthday today that we celebrated. It was a great time and I got to help make the cake at my sister's house last night. That was kind of weird. I haven't gotten to spend time at her house or do something like that in years and it was special for us to share that time. Well, I'm off to bed -- I have to be up early for *gasp* work. :-)

Homecoming 2008

Here are some pictures from Lexington Baptist Church's Homecoming. Enjoy!



Tosh and I had a wonderful time with friends and it was very bittersweet. Corey's car ROCKS! Enjoy your ride, girl!

Tomorrow I go to my new Certified Nurse Midwife in TN. I'm really excited because I keep hearing lots of great things about her and I hope that all I've heard is true. I'll update once I have a better idea.

I got a job!

The Lord is so good! I got a call today from MECC and they offered me the position of College Career Coach. I went and signed the papers today and I will start next week! Yah!

I'm excited and I think it'll work out really well to have some days off during the week to be able to go to Dr's appointments and such.

The other great thing she told me was that it was advertised at $11.00/hr but they increased it to $14.00/hr! So it's even a little more money for us to have for the future.

2 Years Today

Happy Anniversary to us!

It's very hard to believe that two years have gone by. Last year we were celebrating by camping out at Grayson Highlands where Tosh proposed to me. It was COLD! We slept in coats but it was a great time. Here's a picture from last year:

It's sort of odd that this year we are at my parents house in Lee County. All we plan to do tonight is go to Kingsport, TN to The Chop House and have dinner. Tosh had to work today and he's off tomorrow so we'll at least get to spend some time together tomorrow -- but no trips are planned, sadly. I'm a bit bummed out over it because I wanted to get away for our anniversary this year since we have Baby Barnette on the way. But we are broke and homeless and can't really get away right now.
I'm having a bit of a yucky day today too. I feel pretty bad today for some reason. Stomach is achy and my head is achy and I don't feel well at all. Not sure what's up with that but hopefully I'll feel better this afternoon and we can enjoy dinner together.
The position here in Lee County is much more in-depth and demanding than the CPO position Tosh had in Rockbridge. He's been under tons of pressure and working very long hours so please pray for him. He is struggling to meet all the demands and still stay sane but he is very exhausted and emotionally drained.

I talked to my new OB yesterday (well the office person) and I go to the Dr. on the 14th. I wanted to know if they'd do an ultrasound that day but she said no. She said they'd ask me to come back in two weeks (20 weeks) and do one then. So just a couple more weeks and we'll finally get a glimpse of this tiny little baby inside me. I've been feeling some interesting things lately and I think it must be the baby. No hard kicks or anything, but some sort of movement that doesn't feel like it could be anything else.

I turned in my application for the Purchasing Position yesterday (sorry Corey- I need the money!). I hope I have a good shot since my parents know the boss and the Board who is hiring the person for the position.

Oh I wanted to update on the church thing. Churches are so different back here. Let me tell you -- I went to a new one on Sunday morning and I'd just like to say that the way LBC handles visitors is so much less invasive and embarassing than how it is handled back here. I was the sole visitor for this particular church and they made it a point to announce it and my name to the entire congregation. I'm glad at LBC they do visitor cards. If I hadn't already been a Chrisitian and comfortable in church I'd never have went back to that church because of that. They also did communion kind of funny. Instead of passing out the bread and cups, they waited for you to drink your cup in front of the deacon person and put your cup back in the tray before moving to the next person. I couldn't reverence or reflect at all because I was trying to hurry and finish my cup. Kind of invasive. On the positive side they did play a Third Day song before they did communion and they have an awesome Awanas program there.

On Sunday evening I traveled to a church about 40 minutes away to where a friend of mine from college is the Youth Pastor now. I felt more at ease with the 16 or so juniors and seniors there. They have a KICKIN' Youth room. Pastor Michael, they had just built a gymnasium two years ago and it was amazing: snack bar, 7-10 stall bathrooms, bleachers, basketball nets, the works. It was perfect for them to do outreach (which they are). They are doing a 5th quarter Lock-In coming up after one of the local football games there. Their Youth Room had a pool table, ping-pong table, massive space, huge flat panel TV for them to play Wii on and a small kitchen/fridge space. The sad part is that my Youth Pastor friend is the only one working with them. He told me he'd have about 50 kids total if they all came at once. But they don't do music or games really -- just lots of hanging out and then trips around VA and TN as a group. They are on the verge of something great. I was of course plugging WOL and our awesome program back at Lexington.

Well for now I'm heading out. I have errands to run and a dentist appt. today. Yay. I'll keep you posted on new news as it becomes available. Miss everyone in Lexington -- a LOT.

Belly Shot

Okay, here is the belly shot at 17 weeks. I think I felt the baby move yesterday but I can't be for sure. It's so hard to know -- but the movement I felt didn't seem like it could possibly be anything else. (You can check out my new maternity pants too!)

Lee County, VA

Just so you know -- Lee County does exist. Even though it's very far down in Southwest VA, it is here. Let's see, we've settled into my old bedroom and Midnight and Punkin' have done very well getting used to the new location too. Things are a little odd. Every time I go out into the county I see people I graduated high school with or went to school with. I feel kind of strange since I've been gone for 5 years and don't really know or remember them very well. My mom and dad are very happy to have us back. Dad set up a great work station for Tosh in the basement so he has a new "Game Warden" room to work in. It's not the greatest but it's definitely a cozy spot and Tosh is happy.
Today was Tosh's first day on the job and as of right now I haven't heard from him all day long. So I'm a bit concerned but certain that he's fine. I'm sure we have lots to share once he gets here.
I had a job interview on Monday at the local Community College that I attended. It was for a Community College Career Coach and it was a panel of 5 people that interviewed me. I felt it was successful and not too stressful. I think I answered all their questions fairly well but I haven't heard anything from them so that makes me a bit concerned.
I also picked up another application today for a Purchasing position in the County Administrator's Office (I'll probably be calling you Corey if I get this one!). Don't know much about it but I think I could do it no problem. I'd like to get something going -- we need the money.
On a sad note, our horse here, Pokey, is down. He got his front foot caught in some fencing and he's sure suffering right now. Cut it all the way to the bone so yesterday was a bit of a stressor. We weren't sure if he was going to make it because his opposite back leg is also a bit of a concern due to some pulled muscles or something. We're doctoring him the best we can and the local vet came over and checked him out. We have three weeks and if he's not much better we might have to go a different route. He's a pretty old horse but it's sad to see him so down and out right now.
Below is a picture of a Cookie Cake from the place in Kingsport, TN that we always get them from. I used to get these cakes almost every year for my birthday-- they are my favorite. Mom and I decided we should have a minor celebration of sorts since we are back "home".


I also got a call from Stonewall and they are showing our house tomorrow at 1:30 so I hope that goes well. I think we left it pretty clean and neat so I hope it is a success. Speaking of houses, Tosh and I went and looked at a house in a place called Poor Valley. It was on 19 acres back up in the woods - perfect spot, but the inside wasn't so great. We'd looked at it about a week ago on the outside and went back to see the inside. Once inside with the realtor, (the door just fell in) we realized that something wasn't quite right. Someone had stolen all the copper out of the house. Flipped the kitchen stove over, ripped up the ceiling where the washer/dryer was, tore out the breaker box -- it was ridiculous. They ended up calling the local Sheriff's office and Tosh got to meet one of the deputies. Needless to say, we are kind of glad we went to see the house so we could help these people catch this theft. What a mess!
My mom and I have been looking at every single baby selection in all the stores we've been to. I got a few pairs of maternity pants recently and we found this cute bib that says, "Baby's First Thanksgiving" with a turkey and acorn on it. Mom is extremely excited about Baby Barnette/Sidni/etc... the list goes on with the names.
I've been feeling some weird things down there. I can definitely tell I'm getting thicker around the middle and I'm starting to get a slight belly. Probably it'll explode in about two weeks or so I think. I feel pretty good -- only feel kind of sick when I don't have something on my tummy all the time. Seems like when I get hungry is when I feel the worst. Mom is of course, feeding us very well.
Tosh's brother is going to be moving to Ohio. He is pretty serious about this new girlfriend he has and he's wanting to get started on a better paying job up there.
We are still looking for churches and praying about where the Lord wants us to be. I'll hopefully post some belly shots soon (like in a couple days). Love to everyone!

Keep yer eyes peeled!

COMING SOON!
A real update and new pictures! Check back later!

Things have been really hectic with moving and I want to get a real picture of me and the belly and the Lee County sign -- I'm doing that today so be prepared!

THE MOVE!

Okay, well I guess it's time to recap the move and how it went for all our friends. If you were at our house in Lexington, you know how quickly the truck was packed. But let me start at the beginning. Tosh and I did our best to pack up everything we had -but man! It's amazing how much STUFF you accumulate in such a short period of time. On Thursday my parents came up to help us finish packing and then load up the truck. Once my mom and Dad arrived, we were packed in no time -- but of course there is a lot of stuff that I don't know where is or where it went to. I'm sure I'll find it in time when we unpack somewhere in a new house.

So we got most of everything packed up on Thursday and then Friday we finished packing up some things. Needless to say, Punkin did not do well. He was freaking out because he has only known that house with what was in it. Not much else. Let me tell you about God's provision through all this. The Uhaul moving truck was hopefully going to be in Lexington but the guy didn't get a 26 foot truck in so I got a text message saying we'd have to drive to Lynchburg to get the truck at 9am on Saturday morning. (Did I mention everyone was coming to pack the truck at 8:30am on Saturday morning?) Yeah, so that didn't work so well. I started calling around and trying to find out if we could find an alternate location that was closer than Lynchburg and it worked out there was a place in Waynesboro. They even gave us free extra milage to get up there and get the truck. And we could pick it up on Friday at 3:00. When Dad and Tosh got there, the two fellows were really great. They had Christian music playing in the background and one guy had on a Christian T-shirt. They also gave us about 100 blankets for FREE because they had too many and needed to get some to a different location. Oh and did I mention the Uhaul truck only had 3300 miles on it? Brand new truck. It was all part of God's plan!!

Friday evening we spent some time with the VMI Theatre folk over at Joellen's house for a lovely get together and then it was back to the grind of packing. Tosh's Dad and brother, Matt, showed up later on Friday evening and we played musical beds. It was the first time Tosh and I had slept in the kitchen! It was the only place the air mattress would fit since the living room was packed up. And it got COLD that night too.

Early rising on Saturday morning we all headed to Berky's for breakfast. It was good and then we got back and people started showing up. It took us about 5 hours to load the truck and we were done around 1:30 or so. I've never been in so much chaos. Trying to move the cat from room to room where more boxes were and he wasn't. Throwing last minute items into boxes and marking them STUFF. I've never moved like this before so it was definintely an experience! Let me tell you who showed up: Jeremy and Sidni, Tim Nicely, Jeff Matteson, Walt Baker, Glen was there for awhile, and I feel like I'm missing someone else. It was a ton of people carrying stuff and moving boxes like you wouldn't believe. My Dad, Coy and Tosh were loading the truck as fast as they could. I was inside trying to get last minute things together and telling people where to go and what to get, etc.

Once loaded, we had to take a break. We had sandwiches and chips for lunch and that was a nice time. Then the very last thing was getting the fish tank and fish out and coordinating where and when we were stopping. We hit the road and weren't together at all. We all eventually caught up in Christiansburg.

Once we got to the back country part of VA we had to go a bit slower. Tosh did great driving the moving truck. I had the cat and was driving his truck. Mom had the dog and was driving my car. Dad was driving their vehicle and Coy was in his vehicle. Quite a caravan! We stopped a lot and God blessed in another way too -- the cat never cried hardly at all on the trip. He usually howls like a maniac and pants and pees all over the place-- none of that. He did so good. God's grace once again. The drive back was exhausting. I thought we'd NEVER get here. A trip that we can do easily in 4 hours took well over 6 and 1/2. It wasn't easy but we did it and it was overwhelming how much I felt the love of God from all our friends and family. I literally had my cup running over with God's blessing and provision.

On to Sunday-- while you guys were probably in church, we were having my Mom's biscuits and gravy and unloading the truck. Let me tell you, the piano came off much easier than it went on. I'll post some pictures on the loading portion. My Dad and Mom and cleaned out the basement and we had tons of help here too. My brother, uncle, brother-in-law, Matt, Coy, Tosh, nephews, it was great. They unloaded that truck in about 2 and 1/2 hours. The tough part was trying to stack and put things in locations that you'd be able to find again (should you need them- like clothes). But we got it all to fit and have a walkway thru to boot!

After that we got to stand around and chat and just enjoy being with family. I have to say -- it's good to be home. I feel like my sister does -- she said she felt like she should be on some sort of holiday break because I'm home. I feel like I should be leaving in a couple days (which I am technically) to go back to Lexington. But I know we'll be staying for good after the 29th. It's an odd feeling. It's great to be here but you keep wondering, "Was this the right choice? Are we ready for this? What next?" I believe that God wants us to continue serving in some capacity here. I am praying He leads us to the church He wants us at so we can fill that hole. We will surely miss WOL and LBC. I think that's the toughest part.

It's now a little after 7pm here and I've enjoyed an evening with my parents and husband. I was very sad when Tosh left to go back to lexington and considered going with him. But what would I have done for two days in an empty house? Not much. I'll be heading back on Wednesday to meet up with him in Wythville to go back for the weekend. The next couple days I'm going to spend making some arrangements here.

And that is the move. Now on with the rest of our adventure from here on out!

Moving

This will be short -- we got the moving truck today and we'll be loading it up tomorrow. It's amazing how you get to the "end" of packing and notice all these little things you missed and end up throwing together in a box marked "STUFF". Oh well -- it'll eventually get sorted out I'm sure.

I have an interview for the Career Coach on the 29th at MECC. I'm excited about it -- I hope I get the position. I think it'd be a lot of fun.

Packing Day 1

So today we've spent all day packing packing packing! I've almost gotten the guest bedroom ready to go and we have boxes all over our house! What a mess... I just keep looking to the future and remembering that each box brings me closer to "home" again.

Tonight we have to attend the JAKES event meeting. Should be interesting...

Last Day at Project Horizon

Today was my last day at PH. I've been training the new person for a few days now and I do believe she's going to be great at taking over. She and I have a lot in common too so that is kind of neat. It was bittersweet-- because I've absolutely loved working there with everyone else. It's such a close knit group and I've gained SOOO much more training and experience in the Human Services field. But I'm glad to move on and move closer to family and look to something new and exciting in my future.

Tomorrow starts the Crazy Week of Pack-Everything-You-Own-And-Have-It-Ready-By-Saturday week. The moving truck will be here next Saturday and then we drive down, unload, and come back to spend a week in a pretty bare house on an air mattress. Adventurous right? Actually I think moving in with my parents is going to be more adventurous! Who knows?!

Tosh busted out a ton of stuff in the "Game Warden" room today so I'm really proud of him and what he did. He boxed up 9 boxes of books and cleaned up his desk space. Huge accomplishment. First thing we do tomorrow is go to Applebee's for a Pancake Breakfast to support RCHS Band Boosters though! Gotta have fuel to pack this place, right??

I keep looking around at the dog and cat and thinking, "Man, they have no clue what's about to happen in a week." I'm sure the cat is going to go bullistic and start shedding like crazy due to stress. Hopefully not-- but he probably will.

I honestly don't think we can get this place packed in a solid week. Truly and honestly don't. I hope I'm wrong. Cause we don't have much choice. If you are in Lexington and are reading this -- if you're free next Saturday morning/mid-day to help move boxes, furniture, etc. onto the moving truck -- COME ON BY and help! We'd love to have you!

The picture above was taken at 8 weeks 2 days. Not much really to show but that'll change soon I'm sure! The picture below was taken at 12 weeks 4 days. I'm starting to get a bit "thicker" around my middle. Yah!

This will be the first post to our new blog! I'm excited to be able to share our life with so many wonderful people. The purpose of this blog is to keep up the news of what's going on in our life as we transfer to Lee County and the new baby that's on the way!

I have one more week of work left before crunch time. After next Friday, I'm finished and it will be exactly one year to the day that I started with Project Horizon. I will miss it, but in a way, I'm glad to be leaving the DV/SV field. I've decided this just isn't the Human Services field I'd like to continue working in. It's very draining at times.

Our plans look something like this: Pack during the last two weeks of September, move to Lee County, move in with my parents (a bit awkward) until our house sells up here, then buy our own place back there! I hope we can sell the house here and I hope I get a good job when I get back. Not sure how many people would want to hire me now that I'm expecting... I'm sure that's something I'll have to deal with.

Hopefully we'll move our entire stuff on the 25th and then we have to finish up with the JAKES event here the 26-28th. Monday the 29th we'll travel to Lee County for good.

But of course, I'll be back to spend time w/friends and loved ones in Lexington. I have handbells to finish up!

Keep checking back-- more news will be coming soon!