1003 Park Colony Drive
Norcross, Ga 30093
Looks like we are going to be on the 2nd story. We'll be in great shape when we get back....
Sunday, December 27, 2009
New Address
Our address in Atlanta is:
Christmas at La Quinta
The last few days have been quite eventful! On Wednesday evening, we were able to get most of our belongings packed up in the cars. The boys stayed at Tim's parents for the night so we we were able to be more productive than usual. I could hardly sleep that night...lists were running through my head. I was so scared that I would forget something we "need" for our next 5 months in Atlanta. I finally got up at 5am, did a few things on my list, then crawled back in bed for another hour.
When we woke up, we finished the final pieces of packing and found that we had to eliminate some things in order to fit it all in our cars. We picked up the kids, said good-bye to the family, and headed towards Texas. It started sleeting pretty quickly after we left, but nothing was sticking. As soon as we hit downtown Tulsa, though, all that changed. The roads were covered with ice...not snow...and they were getting pretty slick. We had to drop down to 30-40mph. It just got worse from there. More and more cars started spinning out and sliding off the roads around us. Tim took over driving the minivan with the kids and I drove his car. He handles the stress much better than I do...
Our most amazing miracle took place after dark....Tim was driving behind me when the car next to me lost control and swerved with a foot or two of my driver's side three times. Then all of a sudden he turned and slid right between Tim and me and into the ditch. Neither of our cars were touched. We pulled over at the next gas station, and I just cried my eyes out. I was so thankful that no one was hurt.
We finally crossed over the border into Texas and were immediately stuck in dead stop traffic. For the next 45 minutes we sat there until they cleared an accident up ahead. Once traffic started moving again, the roads were solid ice and we could only go 20mph. By the time we got to Sherman, the minivan's wheels were just spinning on the ice and Tim could no longer drive faster than 15mph. We pulled over and found a hotel for the night. It was so disappointing, but definitely the safest thing to do. After 12 hours of driving (normally only an 8 hour trip total), we still had 60 miles left. At the speeds we were going, it would have taken us 2-3 more hours.
So we spent Christmas Eve and had a delicious Christmas buffet breakfast at the La Quinta.
After breakfast, we got back in the cars to finish the drive. The roads were still icy, but much better than the night before. Tim was ahead of me with the kids when the car in front of him slammed on their brakes and started sliding across a bridge. He quickly switched lanes and the car in the left lane behind him put on their brakes and slid into the back of the minivan. So, we stopped and traded insurance, took pictures, and convinced the driver that it was not worth anybody's time to call the police. Both cars were drive-able and we just wanted to get to my parent's house for Christmas.
Two hours after we left that morning (a 14 hour drive total), we arrived at my parents. One dented minivan, 2 fussy children, 2 exhausted parents, and all our 5 month belongings crammed into the cars.
The rest of the day...and weekend has been wonderful. The kids played with their cousins, took good naps, opened presents, and Tim and I finally got to relax with my family. We are so thankful that no one was hurt and that God is watching over us. We are planning to leave on New Year's Day for Atlanta so please be praying for safety!
When we woke up, we finished the final pieces of packing and found that we had to eliminate some things in order to fit it all in our cars. We picked up the kids, said good-bye to the family, and headed towards Texas. It started sleeting pretty quickly after we left, but nothing was sticking. As soon as we hit downtown Tulsa, though, all that changed. The roads were covered with ice...not snow...and they were getting pretty slick. We had to drop down to 30-40mph. It just got worse from there. More and more cars started spinning out and sliding off the roads around us. Tim took over driving the minivan with the kids and I drove his car. He handles the stress much better than I do...
Our most amazing miracle took place after dark....Tim was driving behind me when the car next to me lost control and swerved with a foot or two of my driver's side three times. Then all of a sudden he turned and slid right between Tim and me and into the ditch. Neither of our cars were touched. We pulled over at the next gas station, and I just cried my eyes out. I was so thankful that no one was hurt.
We finally crossed over the border into Texas and were immediately stuck in dead stop traffic. For the next 45 minutes we sat there until they cleared an accident up ahead. Once traffic started moving again, the roads were solid ice and we could only go 20mph. By the time we got to Sherman, the minivan's wheels were just spinning on the ice and Tim could no longer drive faster than 15mph. We pulled over and found a hotel for the night. It was so disappointing, but definitely the safest thing to do. After 12 hours of driving (normally only an 8 hour trip total), we still had 60 miles left. At the speeds we were going, it would have taken us 2-3 more hours.
So we spent Christmas Eve and had a delicious Christmas buffet breakfast at the La Quinta.
After breakfast, we got back in the cars to finish the drive. The roads were still icy, but much better than the night before. Tim was ahead of me with the kids when the car in front of him slammed on their brakes and started sliding across a bridge. He quickly switched lanes and the car in the left lane behind him put on their brakes and slid into the back of the minivan. So, we stopped and traded insurance, took pictures, and convinced the driver that it was not worth anybody's time to call the police. Both cars were drive-able and we just wanted to get to my parent's house for Christmas.
Two hours after we left that morning (a 14 hour drive total), we arrived at my parents. One dented minivan, 2 fussy children, 2 exhausted parents, and all our 5 month belongings crammed into the cars.
The rest of the day...and weekend has been wonderful. The kids played with their cousins, took good naps, opened presents, and Tim and I finally got to relax with my family. We are so thankful that no one was hurt and that God is watching over us. We are planning to leave on New Year's Day for Atlanta so please be praying for safety!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Baby #3 Photo Shoot
Today I had my 15 week appointment and we got to see our baby once again. (We had an ultrasound at our first appointment, but I put the pictures in such a "safe place" that I have not seen them again....) The baby is doing great - weighs about 4 oz and the growth is on target. It doesn't matter that this is our 3rd, it is always such a miracle. I don't understand how anyone cannot believe in God after seeing a baby. What a work of art!
I am hoping to find a doctor to see temporarily in Atlanta and then come back to KC just in time to have the baby here. Based on the measurements today, they think my due date might be a few days sooner than we originally thought. For once, I wish they were pushing back the date and not expecting it sooner :)
Thursday, December 10, 2009
The Money, The Place, and The Baby
We have three exciting announcements to make in this post!
1. We have raised the entire $5000 for our tuition! Thank you everyone for your support. We could not have done this without your prayers and gifts. If you would still like to financially support us, you can write a check directly to us (which will not be tax-deductible). We will be paying for all other bills, groceries, etc with our savings. Any additional money donated to WFC Missions will still be given to GFM, but it will not be helping us specifically.
2. We have a renter for our home! We have a couple moving in to our home in January and will be staying there at least 3 out of the 5 months. This is a great relief to us knowing our home will be taken care of and that we will have some help with our house expenses while we are gone.
3. If you have not yet heard, we are expecting our 3rd child in June 2010! Yes, you are probably thinking, "Aren't you coming back in June?" We are....and we have about 3 days to spare before we'll meet this little one. :) It will be quite an exciting drive back home. We will not be finding out the sex of this baby (it is now tradition) so you will all have to wait patiently with us. We will be having a sonogram at the end of next week, so I'll post pics as soon as I can!
1. We have raised the entire $5000 for our tuition! Thank you everyone for your support. We could not have done this without your prayers and gifts. If you would still like to financially support us, you can write a check directly to us (which will not be tax-deductible). We will be paying for all other bills, groceries, etc with our savings. Any additional money donated to WFC Missions will still be given to GFM, but it will not be helping us specifically.
2. We have a renter for our home! We have a couple moving in to our home in January and will be staying there at least 3 out of the 5 months. This is a great relief to us knowing our home will be taken care of and that we will have some help with our house expenses while we are gone.
3. If you have not yet heard, we are expecting our 3rd child in June 2010! Yes, you are probably thinking, "Aren't you coming back in June?" We are....and we have about 3 days to spare before we'll meet this little one. :) It will be quite an exciting drive back home. We will not be finding out the sex of this baby (it is now tradition) so you will all have to wait patiently with us. We will be having a sonogram at the end of next week, so I'll post pics as soon as I can!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
More?
We just received a letter in the mail informing us that we were awarded a $500 Ministry Education Grant! That means we have now have $4700 out of $5000 for our tuition/housing costs! I had completely forgotten that we had even filled out the application earlier this summer so this came as a big surprise. And once again, it reminded me of God's grace....
I had a rough afternoon. Joel went to the bathroom in his bed again today during his "quiet time" and he broke two of my things today (including my cell phone) totaling around $100 to replace them. When I told him that he broke my things, he said "Let's go buy a new one." I told him we didn't have the money so he pulled out my FPU cash wallet and told me there was some money in there. I had to explain that money was for groceries and not for replacing things he broke. I failed to see the humor in that moment because I was too busy nursing my anger since I had lost my temper with him and had just about had it.
Times like these make me wonder why God has picked us to go to this school. I am rotten to the core. It all comes down to grace. I am not perfect, but I am willing to follow Him and allow Him to change me. Thank goodness!
I had a rough afternoon. Joel went to the bathroom in his bed again today during his "quiet time" and he broke two of my things today (including my cell phone) totaling around $100 to replace them. When I told him that he broke my things, he said "Let's go buy a new one." I told him we didn't have the money so he pulled out my FPU cash wallet and told me there was some money in there. I had to explain that money was for groceries and not for replacing things he broke. I failed to see the humor in that moment because I was too busy nursing my anger since I had lost my temper with him and had just about had it.
Times like these make me wonder why God has picked us to go to this school. I am rotten to the core. It all comes down to grace. I am not perfect, but I am willing to follow Him and allow Him to change me. Thank goodness!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
6 Weeks Left
It hit me this week how close our move to Atlanta is....6 weeks from today we will be making the long drive to Atlanta from Dallas. We are planning to spend Christmas in Dallas with my family and stay with them for a week before the move, so we actually only have 5 weeks left in KC.
I am in my list making mode. It makes me feel like I'm accomplishing things even when I am not. Lists of what to pack up and put in storage, lists for what we need to take with us, and lists of things we need to do before we leave. My mind is running in a hundred different directions, but the peace is still there.
We continue to have confirmation after confirmation that moving to Atlanta is what God has asked us to do. I am still often asked why we are going and what we are planning to do when we get back. We don't know! We still feel that God has asked us to just be patient and wait for His direction. Maybe we just need to get away from all our current commitments, expectations, and comforts before we can hear Him clearly. Even with the unknowns, it is exciting to be exactly where God wants you to be.
On the family side of things, Tim's mother finished her last round of chemo last week! We are very excited and are looking forward to her having her strength back. We are spending Thanksgiving in Nashville with Tim's ENTIRE family. Our boys have become quite the travelers this year, and we have figured out how to share tight quarters. It means less sleep for everyone but it is doable. :) I don't know how families that all live in one room do it!
I am in my list making mode. It makes me feel like I'm accomplishing things even when I am not. Lists of what to pack up and put in storage, lists for what we need to take with us, and lists of things we need to do before we leave. My mind is running in a hundred different directions, but the peace is still there.
We continue to have confirmation after confirmation that moving to Atlanta is what God has asked us to do. I am still often asked why we are going and what we are planning to do when we get back. We don't know! We still feel that God has asked us to just be patient and wait for His direction. Maybe we just need to get away from all our current commitments, expectations, and comforts before we can hear Him clearly. Even with the unknowns, it is exciting to be exactly where God wants you to be.
On the family side of things, Tim's mother finished her last round of chemo last week! We are very excited and are looking forward to her having her strength back. We are spending Thanksgiving in Nashville with Tim's ENTIRE family. Our boys have become quite the travelers this year, and we have figured out how to share tight quarters. It means less sleep for everyone but it is doable. :) I don't know how families that all live in one room do it!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Financial Update
God has blessed us through many of you. We have already raised $3100 out of $5000 for the GFM tuition/housing! Thank you for supporting us financially and through prayer. Seeing everything fall into place has given us confirmation that this is what God has called us to do.
We have yet to find a housesitter for our home, but we have a good back-up option. Either way, we know that we will not have to go into debt for this. That is such a relief!
We have yet to find a housesitter for our home, but we have a good back-up option. Either way, we know that we will not have to go into debt for this. That is such a relief!
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