My week in three words:

A few weeks back I posted about my love for the fall. It is by far my favorite season and it is finally here. Summer seems so long in the south, so I’m always very welcoming to cooler temperatures. I try to wait until the first of October and put up a fall flag and a fall wreath and maybe even go purchase a pumpkin or two and if I’m being really fall-spirited I’ll buy a mum. J

This week I’ve been going through the boys things and washing their fall clothes and seeing what needs to be purchased. Kids grow so fast! I have a super start to their wardrobes thanks to the consignment sale I hit a few weeks back. B just needed a couple of pair of pajamas to be done, so I headed to Old Navy.
Old Navy is having a great 1492 sale right now. I got two pair of cute pajamas for the baby for $14.92.

I also got the kids a couple of Halloween tees. They have a lot of cute stuff for either $14.92 or 2 for $14.92 right now.

Anyway, I’m off today to buy a couple of pumpkins and to put up the fall wreath, maybe I’ll take a picture later.

Happy Fall!

Our week in three words:

Every week I like to sum up my week in three words. I love the segment on Good Morning America weekends, where people so creatively tell about their week in three words.

This week, I couldn’t make up my mind which way to go. I don’t want to discuss politics on my blog, so I did not want post about the Awful Financial State of our country. D3′s been super busy this week. He has had book fair, soccer 2 nights and an apple festival this week. I didn’t really want a post of the life of a Very Busy Kindergartener. I’ve already made a post this week about our Unpredictable Internet Connection. Which is back on finally! I will spare you all the three word post about PMS. I figure that is WAY too much information.

So, I’m settling for I’ve Got Nothin’! Semi-typical week. Possible uncreative blog author.

Our week in three words:

This past week was our 8 year anniversary. I can hardly believe it. I really don’t know where the time has gone.

I met Dan in June of 1999. It seems like yesterday, but was over 9 years ago now! So hard to believe. He came to work at the church where I had been working for 4 years. I was so excited to have another young person on staff. I was 21 at the time and Dan was just about to have his 25^th birthday. I can vividly remember him walking by my office when he first started to work.

A group from our church was going on a canoe trip and a friend of mine invited me to go along. I ended up in the canoe with Dan and had an absolute blast. It was so far out of my comfort zone to go on a canoe trip with a bunch of people that I didn’t know, but I got to know such a wonderful man by doing so. Dan was so hyperactive! Oh my goodness, he had energy and confidence galore. He sang songs any and everywhere, he enjoyed life thoroughly.

A small group of us from the canoe trip went to Dan’s apartment that night for dinner. I don’t remember what we ate, but I do remember it involved black eyed peas, sweet tea and country music. What a good southern boy.

Dan and I spent most of our free time together after that point. We didn’t actually start dating until mid-September. After we did started dating, things moved a bit fast. I just knew that Dan was the one. I had no doubts. Whenever he would talk about things in the future, I pictured myself there with him. We both said “I love you” pretty early on as well. The fact that we started talking about marriage early on made Dan a little nervous. Neither one of us thought such a fast courtship would happen to us, but it had! I just truly believe that if you know, you know. He wanted us to be together at least a year before we got married.

So, in May of 2000 Dan took me to dinner at Copeland’s, one of our favorite restaurants at the time. He was all nervous during dinner, so I knew what was coming! After dinner we went to the beach and it was so cold and windy that we ran back to the car and Dan took me to the bay. There, he proposed and I of course said ‘yes!’

Here we are looking extremely young and newly engaged.

We decided we wanted to go on a cruise for our honeymoon, so we began searching and chose the perfect one. After we found our honeymoon, we set the wedding date. Nothing like setting your wedding date around what cruise you want to take!

We were engaged for 4 months and that was plenty of time for me to plan our wedding. Our wedding was very simple and beautiful and we loved every minute of it.

We got married on September 16, 2000.

I had to scan all of our pictures, because no one really had digital cameras then. How old does that make me feel?

Eight years, four moves, two kids, some job changes, some heartache, and lots of love later we are still going strong. We make it a point to remember how our little family began. We try to keep our love for each as the center for our family and a very high priority in our lives. I could not have chosen a better man to share my life with.

Happy Anniversary, Dan!

Our week in three words:

I had a hard time deciding my three words this week. Should I emphasize Dan starting back to seminary? Or the fact that D3 and I had a nasty tummy bug this week? In the end, I decided not to devote an entire post to throwing-up and Pepto Bismol- you’re welcome.

So, “Fall Semester Begins” it is. This is Dan’s second to last semester and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel! He is taking 15 semester hours this Fall with only 6 left in the Spring! We are so excited.

When I first met Dan he was a Recreation Director- I thought I married a Rec. Director and not a pastor. He says I never should have been surprised when he decided he wanted to go to seminary- and in many ways I was not. It took me a little while to get used to the idea and what that meant for our family, but no way could I stand between my husband and a call from God.

He had struggled with his call into the ministry for many years and I am so proud of him for taking that leap and doing what he is led to do. A little over two years ago, we moved our family to the country… in another state…. so that Dan could become the student pastor of a small church while he attends seminary full-time. It was big changes for our family, but they have been positive ones. Our church is very accepting and loving and Dan is in the process of furthering his education and call.

Every semester is different around here. It brings changes in schedules and we see Dan sporadically through the week. He has a lot on his plate and he manages it well- even though at time he feels like he doesn’t. He does an awesome job of balancing family, school, and church. I’m very proud of him! J