To Home We Will Go
Hal and I decided that since this week is Fall Bike Week here in Myrtle Beach that we would be heading out of town for the weekend. No offense to those of you who participate, but my ears can’t handle it and neither can my patience. Most locals avoid the main roads into the beach if at all possible during these weeks, so we figured we could top that by simply leaving for a few days. 
After Hal and I finish up work on Friday we’ll be heading to Greenville. We’ll be staying with Hal’s parents, visiting with mine on Saturday, going to CRCC on Sunday morning, visiting with Hal’s family on Sunday…along with baby showers and visiting with friends. There’s no such thing as relaxing weekends when you’re visiting for only 2 days. But I can say that we are certainly both really excited to head home.
Long story short I won’t likely be blogging this week, so check back with me on Monday for new updates and pics from the weekend. Talk to ya later…
Updated Pics of House
I hope all of you enjoyed my previous “Orphan Annie” post! If you haven’t checked it out you really ought to scroll down and check it out, you’ll get a kick out of it! Anyway, so today Hal and I headed over to our house to see what all has been done and we were thrilled at all the changes. This will be another picture heavy post…
Here we are posing in front of our fireplace
Here is what our countertops look like. We love them!!
The kitchen. Hal is measuring for a refrigerator which we were able to pick out today. We won’t purchase until closing.
View from the kitchen into the living room.
View into the Master Bath. Our toilet will be behind the wall…I find that amusing for some reason. We’re going to paint this bathroom Valspar’s “Prairie Brush”. It’s this really pretty moss green. Very earthy.
The Master Bath shower and garden tub combo. Hal is happy because he gets the shower, and I’m happy because I FINALLY have a tub I can soak in.
This is a view of the Master bedroom. We’re painting the walls Valspar’s Sage Bud, it’s a very calm sea-blue color. In the tray ceiling at the top of the pic we are painting it American Tradition’s Tropical Bay which is a darker slate blue. It should be a really pretty contrast.
View of the foyer, we have that beautiful new tile in the foyer and they have most of our chandelier up.
View from the foyer into the rest of the house.
This is our great fireplace (isn’t the marble pretty), the big hole is for a TV armoir (which we don’t own ), any ideas on what to do with the cutout on the left of the pic? We will also be painting the living room and thru to the foyer Valspar’s “Shoreline” which is a light golden-yellow. It’ll be a nice neutral to draw all the rooms together.
Here’s a better look at our kitchen cabinets and countertops.
As it stands now it looks like they have to install the screen on the porch, add the outlet covers, install the hardware on the doors, connect the garage door opener to the door, paint the front door, install the dishwasher, microwave and oven/stove. I am sure there are other small things like touching up paint, etc. We are getting so excited! The countdown is on until October 24 for closing!
Little Orphan Annie
So the other day I decided that I wanted to curl my hair. The natural curl that I have goes completely limp here in the humidity of Myrtle Beach. A friend told me that she sometimes uses rags as rollers and that I ought to try it. Last night I cut up some strips of an old unused sheet, got my hair wet and began winding my hair around the sheets. Here’s what I looked like after I finished:
This morning I was very excited about how my hair would turn out. Well, have you ever heard the term “Lil Orphan Annie”? That’s how I felt when I saw this. I basically just laughed my head off and yelled at Hal to come see. It was really a great start to my morning.
Needless to say I am not keeping it like this. Eek, what a mess, but funny. Here’s my temporary solution until the house gets cleaned and I can take a shower.
Thought you’d get a good laugh at my expense. Have a great day everyone.
Quick House Post
I’ve been on a blogging roll lately! Just wanted to report some exciting news on our house…the final paperwork for the lender has been approved this morning!!! Talk about a huge weight off my shoulders. We had to have all our paperwork in, our paystubs copied and faxed, proof of insurance, etc. done by September 30 so that we can close on October 24. Beyond receiving confirmation of the completion of our paperwork we also received our official closing letter. The ball is rolling and we’re getting so close to the end! I am so anxious and excited now. Thanks to all of you who have been praying for us during this process.
Waiting Patiently
Psalm 40: 1-3, “I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.”
I’ve been spending a lot of time in the Psalms lately, and have really been meditating on this verse. I think often in life we forget that God wants to be intimately involved in our lives. I think we get so wrapped up in the business of life that we forget that we are often called to stop and wait. To stop spinning our wheels and using up all our reserves and getting no where. Sometimes we forget that these valleys and mountains and struggles we face are only part of the tapestry the Lord is making of our lives. I had forgotten lately that my God is a compassionate God that willingly shows grace and mercy to his children when we are willing to wait patiently for him. That He longs to provide his strength and solidarity to those of us who seek it. It bugs me to realize how often I reject his offerings to me. I feel as though I can handle things in my own strength and by my own power, and yet when I fail I wonder where God was in all that. Or I find myself in a place where I don’t want to burden Him with my issues. How stupid is that?! It’s insane how we humans manage to bungle up that which should be simple. I mean seriously, did He not prove over and over in Scripture how much He loves us completely, how much He desires relationship with us and without conditions.
So I’m now returning back to a position of waiting for the Lord. Waiting on Him to direct my life and my path, waiting for the desires of my heart. I believe that He is greater and bigger than all my fears and concerns. Do you?
I Survived
Well I survived my meeting and the trip. Besides some choppy water on the ferry and a lot of Type A personalities in one room (each with equally big opinions), everyting went really well. And Bald Head is really beautiful. I took a walk during our lunch break and the weather was phenomenal and the island was so quiet. Anyway, thanks for all your prayers….I am home in one piece. Tomorrow I am going to allow myself to sleep in a bit before having to get to work. Much love to you all!
Retreat…Not So Much
Once a year the operators for CFA go out of town for a mini-retreat to go over budget info for the following year, discuss updates on our various activities and events, and discuss opportunities. This year they headed up to Bald Head, NC on Sunday. I get to go on Tuesday (that’ll be tomorrow) to do my part of the presentations. Can I tell you how absolutely stressed out I am?! Even though I have spent a few days here and there to prep I still feel as though I am totally unprepared. Not only that I have been waiting all week for a proposal that I really need for the retreat and so far I haven’t gotten it. Which means I have to hope that she will answer my phone call from either her cell or work number or respond to the email I sent to her…and she needs to respond TODAY! Ugh! I hate having to rely on other people for my job.
But what makes me more nervous and sort of excited is that I get to go on my first ferry ride. The only way to get on the island is to take a ferry over. If you know me at all you know that I get car sick easily, which of course, translates into boat sick unless we’re going really fast. Last time I looked ferries dont go all that fast. But it should be fun and I’m excited to go somewhere new.
So just a few prayer requests: that I would get this proposal ASAP, that I get to NC safely since I will be driving very early by myself in the morning and driving back by myself, that the ferry doesn’t make me sea-sick, that my presentations go well and that I would start being confident in this job (in appearance and reality). Thank you to all of you who continually pray for me. It means a lot to know that I can post my requests and be confident that you are praying.
By the way, I am totally excited about the new holiday flavor milkshake that will be coming out at CFA in November….are you ready for it…..Peppermint Chocolate Chip!!!! I can’t wait!
**UPDATE: On top of what was already going to be a busy day….my computer decides to crash. I was unable to recover most of the stuff I had been working on, and what I was able to recover was only bits and pieces. Ugh. These are the days I just want to crawl in a cave and hibernate like the bears do. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE pray that I don’t seriously lose my mind.
Monopoly Phenom
Well, Hal and I had planned to spend the day at the beach, unfortunately, the weather wasn’t cooperating. It was rather overcast and looked like it was going to rain so we decided to forego those plans. And since it was rather early yet we decided to run by the house and see what’s been done. We weren’t able to get inside because they had installed the garage door and locked all the doors so no pictures. But they had all the painting and all the trim done, and they had cleaned up the flooring so it looks as though they are going to begin laying the tile and carpet this week.
After checking out the house we decided to grab some Chinese food from a local place. Definitely a dive, but it had good food so that was a plus! Then we headed back to the house after deciding to have a Game Date Night. Now I must admit I am definitely not a big game person unless it’s something like Operation, Chutes and Ladders, Sorry, or Candyland. (I haven’t been able to talk Hal into buying those yet). However we do have Monopoly and Clue and this began the competition of the day!
Hal had to reteach me how to play Clue because it has been quite a long time since I last played. Out of the 4 games we played, Hal accused and missed it twice, I accused and missed it once, and I won once!!! So technically I won that tournament! Haha! Then we moved on to Monopoly…
Now I will be the first to admit that I have never been such a big fan of Monopoly. Namely because 9 times out of 10 I lose and lose early. It stinks to have to sit for an hour or two while everyone else is still in the game. So, I didn’t exactly go into this game with high hopes. Well I won the first game and I was pretty sure that was a fluke. Until…
Yes folk….here I am with several thousand dollars, a ton of properties, hotels on all my properties that I could, and my dear husband had no cash and all his properties had to be mortgaged. WOO-HOO! I won again! I feel like a Monopoloy Phenom, and certainly the winner of the Game Date Tournament!!! And in the spirit of good sportsmanship……good job baby.
Thanks
I wanted to say thank you to those of you who have called, emailed, or commented in the last day or two. I truly appreciate all your prayers on my behalf. I have definitely felt them and they are appreciated. Keep ‘em coming. I came across a verse this morning that has set my mind at ease and refocused me.
Isaiah 50:4, “The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue,
to know the word that sustains the weary.
He wakens me morning by morning,
wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.”
I know that the Lord is, once again, using my circumstances to grow me and teach me. I am making a valiant effort at being teachable. So thank you, my brothers and sisters for continuing to do life with me.
Request
I have a request for you. Would you pray for me this week? These last two weeks have been really emotional for me. I’ve experienced yet another physical complication and I’m just so tired of being on that journey. (Sorry I can’t really and don’t really want to go into detail, if you want to know you can call or email) Emotionally I am just so tired and weary. Physically I feel like a shell sometimes…just sort of hollow on the inside. I have gone through some testing with some good news to potentially counterbalance all the bad. There is relief and peace in that. However, it doesn’t eliminate the hurting. It’s especially hard now that Hal is all I have to lean on. I worry that he has so much on his plate already, he’s hurting too, so it makes me less inclined to share all the hurts. Do you know what I mean?
Anyway, I go back in tomorrow for a follow up on all the testing that’s been done and to get started on some corrective procedures. These procedures are, of course, not guaranteed…but I have a promise from the Lord and I am hanging on tight to it. Point being, I need your prayers, I covet your prayers. I know what the power of prayer can do. I have seen answered prayers at work in my life and I have enjoyed the fellowship of communion with God in times of prayer. I also know that the Lord never intended for us to journey on our own and provides saints to fill the voids. I ask that you partner with me in prayer. I ask that you would bridge the gap and intercede for me. I thank you for your partnership in the gospel.
Matthew 11:28-29, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
