Sunday, July 18, 2010

New Chapter

Most of you will think that title means a new baby. Well, it sort of does and sort of doesn't. Life is like a book. Some chapters are long and some are short. Our book has many short chapters so far, but as we get into it more, I am seeing (well hoping) for some longer chapters here in the near future. Let's start at the beginning b/c well let's face it, that really is the best place to start. Josh and I met at The Wilds Christian Camp in Brevard, NC summer of 2000. After that summer I started my Junior year at Bob Jones and Josh was starting his 2nd year for his masters. We dated that year, became engaged and was married by December of 2001. End Chapter 1. Chapter 2 was fun, I finished my Senior year at BJ as a married town student. Hands down the best way to go to college!!!! Josh worked at a Michelin housing facility while I went to school and then that summer I worked at a Day camp. End Chapter 2. Our next Chapter began in August 2002 when we moved to Lafayette, IN. I was to be one of the sixth grade teachers at Faith Christian School and Josh was going to join their pastoral staff as an intern. We stayed in Lafayette for 3 years, lived in 4 different homes/apartments including the house we built and became pregnant and had our first child Noah. We loved our time in Lafayette and made the kind of friends that are like family. We still miss it! After Noah was born in June 2005 we packed up the house and began Chapter 4. After the sale of our (Brand New) home in Indiana, we moved down to Gainesville, FL to the University of FL for Josh to join the coaching staff as a volunteer assistant coach. What an amazing opportunity! It was so great to be a part of the Gator family. We were in Gainesville from Aug. 05-Feb. 06. Chapter 5 begins with a move to Greensboro, NC where we lived with Josh's parents for about a month and a half while Josh commuted to Campbell University in Buies Creek, NC to be there assistant volleyball coach. We moved into a duplex in Angier, NC shortly after. While at Campbell, we became pregnant with our 2nd child Jacob. We were with the camels for two seasons and in February of 2006 we were contacted about a position in Lakeland, FL as an assistant volleyball coach at Florida Southern College. Chapter 6. We literally packed up and moved in two weeks from NC to FL. We moved into a campus house with our two small kids Noah 2, and Jacob 10 months. The house was horrible, had rats, bugs, you name it. Nope not going to stay there! Fall of 2006 I was hired at Lakeland Christian as a fulltime piano teacher and my boys began going to school. We also bought a beautiful home and enjoyed all the perks of living in the sunshine state by swimming in the pool and treking it to the beach occasionally. Josh was at Fl Southern for 2 seasons and I taught piano for two years. In fall of 2009 we became pregnant with our third. A GIRL! Josh was let go from his position as assistant vball coach in December of 09 and began working as a guidance counselor to a alternative school in January of 2010. (how amazing is our God to provide a job so fast!) Noah finished his K4 year at LCS and Jacob finished his K3 class at Word Alive in May. This chapter has not ended quite yet, but it will end in about 2 weeks with the birth of our baby girl and a move.........Here's what you've been waiting for. Our next chapter... The next chapter of our lives is exciting! We are moving to Lynchburg, VA for Josh to become the assistant volleyball coach at Liberty University (see article). Not the best time to be moving (have a baby, sell a house, move, start vball season) but God's timing is perfect and HE has been in ALL of this! I can tell so many stories of how God has answered so many of our prayers in the past 2 weeks. What a mighty God we serve!!!!!! We appreciate your prayers for our little family (well not so little anymore) over the next few weeks. We have alot of transitions taking place. I will be at home with the kids while Josh travels to work each day (thankfully his parents live about 100 miles away from Liberty so we will be living with them for about a month until we "get to know the area" and find a place to live). I will be teaching Noah and Jacob at home and then once we get settled, the plan is to put Noah is a PRE Kindergarten program. So, there you have it. At least we have a plan :-) Like I said before, How GREAT is our God? He has had his PERFECT hand in all of the "chapters" of our lives!! So thankful for His guidance and provision for us over the past 9 (almost) years of our marriage! The story since Chapter 1 is no where NEAR where I thought it would be, but that's what makes it such a great story!
Stay tuned for pictures and the story of the birth of our sweet baby girl, coming Friday, July 23rd!!!!!!!

My Etsy