A year in review: 2013

A NEWSY POST: reflective posts to follow at later times 

January: The year began with Michael and I fresh in new roles at Vera Lloyd. I was entering my second month as a House Supervisor / Case Manager / Training Coordinator, and Michael was working at the on-campus school in a para-professional role with the at risk youth on our campus. Another post will have to contain all that I have learned through that transition. We were also settling into our new home, which we love, about 20 minutes from Monticello in a small town called Warren.  We were missing the house-parent life at Barton but trusting and finding that God had purposes for His glory and our best. 

March: We hosted some family visiting our new home and seeing Vera Lloyd for themselves throughout the month.  We, along with my sister Molly, saw and met David Crowder in Memphis for my 28th birthday. Besides being our all-time favorite artist, it's always been a dream of mine to have meet and greet tickets for just one of the many shows we have been to of his. We also were able to have a few weekend visits with my sweet grandmother, Mamaw, in Memphis throughout the spring that we did not know would be her last. 

May: May was a huge and exciting month for us. We celebrated my youngest brother, Chandler's high school graduation in Salina and my sister, Molly's doctoral graduation in Bolivar as she became an official physical therapist! Then, we celebrated 5 years of this adventure called marriage (as well as12 years together as a couple) and reflected on all we had been able to experience thus far and all the ways the Lord has been faithful. Michael also had to make the decision of whether to stay at Vera Lloyd school in a para-professional position he was overqualified for yet was happy being in the ministry there and still working together somewhat or look at the public schools for secondary teaching jobs. Since a math position was not open at Vera Lloyd, he decided to apply elsewhere.

June:  We found out that we had unknowingly "prophesied" in 2008 when we told those curiously questioning at the time of our wedding when we would start our family that we wanted to have at least 5 years on our own to dive into ministry and life together before having or adopting our own children.  It was mid-June (immediately following our 5 year anniversary) when we found out we were expecting a little bundle of joy in February 2014. While not strategically planned, it was a welcome blessing that we were incredibly excited about once the shock wore off. (The pregnancy has also been a large part of my absence in the blogosphere, y'all!)  In months prior, we actually had been in process of getting ourselves and home lisenced for foster/adoption as we had come into contact with a case worker of one of our very young girls from Barton who we had connected very well with; she was going to be in need of a home again and we were definitely interested. However, the more steps we took in that direction, the more discouragement and disappointment we encountered working with the state and acquiring information. It was at the time when we found out the placement would not be coming to fruition as we thought that this other "placement" had been divinely interjected into our lives.

July: Michael had been spending his summer volunteering at Vera Lloyd for our various mission trip / camp events and continuing to develop his new woodworking hobby, as well as continuing the job search. After running into many principals who wish he'd applied sooner but their positions were already filled, we began to get a little bit nervous about a job for Michael in the fall. Then one day a school that had never returned his calls surprised us with a last minute interview with a position that had just become available. It is a small country school about 20 minutes from our house that needed a teacher to teach the higher levels of high school math. Very appealing to Michael in many ways. The only catch was the position was only guaranteed for a year to cover a teacher's medical leave; however, a future would be possible. He accepted. 

Two of my bridesmaids and lifetime BFF's, Rachel & Bethany, visited us in Arkansas from Colorado and China for several days, and we were able to have a splendid time together. 

August: Michael started his teaching job and found the environment refreshing and exciting. He has loved working with the higher content level and the high school age students. My sister, Molly, moved to Tupelo, MS (relatively close to us) so we were able to see her more often. I continued to love my new job and learn new things everyday. We also became god parents to a sweet little baby boy, "P", who is the son of one of our former Barton girls who we are still very connected with.  We traveled to Salina for a bittersweet, whirlwind trip celebrating the life of Michael's Aunt Karen who was a very special member of the family who wrote me regularly after we moved.

September: Michael celebrated his 28th birthday, and we had a surprise burger gathering with all of our Vera Lloyd friends who he misses seeing everyday.  We also found out that our bundle of joy was a little princess and not a prince at our second ultrasound.  While I had tried not to hope for a girl, I squealed and cried when I found out and Michael had a pretty big smile on his face.  As part of Michael's birthday weekend, he attended the men's retreat at our church that included skeet shooting, steak dinner, golfing, and football watching.  He was able to connect with a lot of other men, which he was excited about. 

October: I had the opportunity to travel on my own to Memphis to tell my sweet Mamaw good-bye as her health continued to decline and she was in the hospital. I was able to privately tell her the name we had chosen for our little girl (which still remains a surprise to everyone else) and share some sweet moments with her. I also was able to attend the Women's retreat with our church which was a refreshing and beautiful time.

November: We gathered with relatives and family in Memphis to celebrate Mamaw's life and share funny and heart-warming memories together. It was a sad but very special and sweet time together. It was at this time I was presented with two of the sweetest gifts: the first was the  crocheted blanket Mamaw had chosen at the Hospice center to use in her room. She had chosen it for the baby girl colors and asked it be given to me for the baby. The second was a beautiful crocheted baby pink hat for the baby that she had asked my late Papaw's sister, Dorothy, to make and get to me.  Michael and I also hosted our very first Thanksgiving at our house since we could not travel because I was on call for the holiday weekend. My sister, Molly, came to town and our god-baby and his parents joined us, as well. Michael smoked his first turkey which was AMAZING, and we had a great spread of traditional and yummy dishes. 

December: We were very busy in holiday preparations, gatherings, and shopping, all while also preparing for the little bundle steadily growing inside me to be delivered after the new year before Valentine's Day.  We also finally and officially became members of the church here that we have been attending for a year and a half and have grown to love. We were able to travel home to Salina for an entire week the week of Christmas and were blessed with time with all of our families, some friends, and even a baby shower! We were excited to see Michael's brother, Garrett, who now lives in Germnay with his sweetheart, Miriam, who was able to travel with him, as well. We rung in he new year with friends from church playing games and having fun.