One Long Week Ahead
Hey guys, this is going to be short and sweet (I know, I know…you’ll believe it when you see it). I really need you all to pray for me this week. This will be the busiest week I will have had since I got here.
I have invitations to a sponsor dinner to get out, tickets to create and print for team lunches, raffle information to be printed and posted, trophies to pick up, sponsor boards to pick up, finalize team registrations, and on and on the list goes. I guess I should explain that all this is in relation to Chick-fil-A’s 2nd Annual Charity Softball Tournament which is next Friday and Saturday (November 7 & 8). This is my first big project with them and it’s been kicking my butt! 
It’s going to be a great event, but there is so much left to do. Pray that I stay sane and calm, that things will come together, and that the event will be a success so that I don’t feel like a waste of space in an organization I am growing to love.
A Glimpse
Those of you who know me well would say that I tend to lean on the side on the “type A” personality. After moving 4 times in 2 years I have quickly discovered that the type A tendency always comes out in the unpacking process. I hate living in a mess, I hate boxes of things packed away, I hate feeling temporal. It drives me nuts. I actually made a plan for getting things done during the course of the weekend and fortunately it all seemed to work out. I would say that we are about 99% unpacked and settled at this point. We’re basically down to things like hanging pictures on the walls, taking some stuff to Goodwill, etc. Certainly nothing that had to get done over the weekend. As promised here are a few pictures of the new house with our “stuff” in it. Once we have everything totally done and the walls painted I will post some new pictures. I am sure that paint on the walls will change how everything looks.
Here’s the “living room” area. In all actuality the whole house is very open so we sectioned off the space with our loveseat. All the colors we used were based on the colors of seaglass (aquas, sea greens, corals, etc.)
THis is the other side of the living room looking into the kitchen. The baskets have all our Christmas books and movies.
My favorite room of the house, the dining area! This table and chairs belonged to my great grandfather. My grandfather started to refinish the table before he got ill and passed away. It sat lonely and unfinished in a damp basement for years. When I inherited it, it was my wish to have it restored to the beauty that my Papa envisioned for it. My wish came true…my father in law refinished the table and it is so gorgeous! Hal is now planning to work on the chairs and other pieces. You can’t tell from this picture but in the basket is the seaglass that I used to base my house around. I love this space!
This is our amazing kitchen with the first appliance Hal and I have purchased together (the fridge). Thanks to my mom for spending hours cutting the liner paper and helping me to get it all organized on Friday night.
Here’s one corner of the guest room. It has a full closet, a cream-colored bench for people to “take a load off”, and a vanity dresser on the other side of the room. It’s so nice to have guest rooms in which people can actually move around in.
Guest bath, please ignore the wrinkled shower curtain. I put it up so the parents could shower. I’m going to have to spray starch those suckers…and that’s definitely not high on my priority list.
This is my office. The desk is nestled in between the his and hers closets. This is also easily converted into a guest room since the futon has plenty of room to pull out and there is another dresser in that space.
This is our HUGE master bedroom. I put the fan in the corner for some perspective. This room is seriously bigger than our living room in our old apartment in Greenville. Across from the bed is our vanity dresser and beyond that is our massive walk-in closet. I tell you, I am so spoiled.
And lastly, some perspective. We’re so blessed.
Homeowners
Yes, folks, Hal and I are officially homeowners! After signing away our paychecks for the next 20-30 years we embarked on a moving and unpacking frenzy. We are about 95% unpacked which is such a blessing! Thanks to both our families for coming up to help! I’ll be posting pics of the house once we’re settled.
I think this next picture says it all…
We’re so excited and exhausted all at the same time! Can’t wait to show it off!
Little Miracles
A few weeks ago I was invited to a baby shower for three friends of mine from Spartanburg that are all having babies before the end of the year. I have definitely reached that stage where all my friends are having babies. The shower was wonderful for catching up with old friends and moving beyond my own feelings (I miscarried a week before the shower). I believe it was the Lord’s way to remind me that there are little miracles in the world and that I shouldn’t wallow so much in my own stuff. I need to appreciate and find joy in all that’s around me despite my circumstances.
Here’s all the wonderful ladies who attended the shower. The girls up front are the glowing pregnant ladies: Anna, Ali, and Amanda.
This is my sweet friend, Christine. She’s such a great encourager and has such a sensitive spirit! I totally miss her now that I am 4 hours away. She makes some amazing pottery….and is even doing some for our new house so I can’t wait to have some Christine originals! Go check out her stuff!
Here’s another fabulous friend and courageous prayer warrior, Lauren. She, too, is pregnant with a sweet boy! Hers is truly a story of how the Lord worked a miracle so that she and her husband David could conceive. I hope my story will soon follow.
This is Anna Varakin. She and her husband are expecting a daughter, Kayleigh, by the end of November. She has the cutest little basketball belly. We grew up at FBC Spartanburg together. She’s always been someone I considered to be wise beyond her years.
This is Ali Strickland. She just gave birth to her beautiful daughter, Emma Cate. We starting hanging out in small groups in high school. She has such a vivaciousness about life and it’s so encouraging.
And finally, this is Amanda Bass. She is expecting a son, Rome, by the end of November as well. She, too, has the cutest belly. Amanda’s entrepreneurial spirit is something I greatly admire. She and her husband created Belle Magazine a few years ago and it’s a huge hit in the Upstate!
I just wanted to take a moment today and thank the Lord for these amazing miracles and for friendships that span the test of time.
Pray For Me This Week
Please pray for me this week. There is so much going on and the hours are short. I was put down for most of last week with strep throat and a sinus infection. Lovely, I know. It put a big damper on my being able to work effectively. I was basically only able to make phone calls, send emails, send letters. This isn’t always a bad thing, but it definitely has made this week so much tougher. Here’s a little glimpse into why I am requesting your prayers on my behalf.
I have a ton of follow up to do for my job. We’re having Chick-fil-A’s 2nd Annual Charity Softball Tournament on November 7 & 8 and this week is the “final” week for team registrations. Final is a kind of loose term right now. You can’t really have a softball tournament without teams, right? Because of the economic situation and getting a late start since I came on the job at the end of the summer, I have had some major roadblocks with getting teams together. So I am totally stressing out. Not only that there are just so many little things that have to come together.
Beyond the softball tournament deadlines, I have a meeting for the Myrtle Beach Marathon with the executive director for the marathon as well as a rep from Bi-Lo who hosts the event. CFA of Myrtle Beach is the Presenting Sponsor. Not only have I never participated in a marathon, but I am basically being baptised by fire….again. Anyway so I have lunch with them on Wednesday. I also have to go pick up the mini-moos (6″ CFA plush cows) for Friday.
I also have to our final walk-thru prior to closing (we had a walk thru last week and noted some issues so hopefully those are fixed) on Thursday at 2. I am hoping this will go quickly because immediately after that I have to go pick up my paycheck and get it to the bank before 4.
Then finally, on Friday CFA is participating in “Treats for Special Kids” put on by WBTW and Medieval Times. They invite about 1,000 special needs children to come trick-or-treat in this safe environment. Local businesses provide candy, toys, food, etc. We’re providing little mini-moos. I have to be there from 8-12:30. Then I have to rush across town, grab something to eat, and get to closing at the lawyer’s office by 2 pm.
As you can see I have a hectic week ahead of me! Beyond work stuff I am also attempting to get things packed and ready for the move over the weekend. I feel like I am working 18 hour days so far and it’s only going to get worse. Please pray that the Lord would provide me the strength and energy to push through the fatigue from being sick last week. Pray that He would give me wisdom to manage my time as well as I can, and that I wouldn’t allow the stress of the week to overcome me. Pray that I will remember that I am only a steward of my job, my life, and that I am only required to do my absolute best with no excuses. And I feel that has been what I’ve been doing. Your prayers are so appreciated. Thanks, my friends!
A Little Political
This will be my first and last post concerning anything political. I am extremely disappointed by our “options” for the Presidency. Personally I feel as though I am voting on the lesser of two evils in a couple weeks. Either way, I have tuned in to the debates, read up on the candidates and their positions, and consulted some websites of the person I voted for in the primaries. I found this article interesting and wanted to share. It’s concerning the state of the economy. Quote by Mike Huckabee.
“While there is plenty of blame and fault to go around for both parties, there really is hard evidence that John McCain tried in vain to get attention focused on the totally absurd lending practices of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that are at the heart of the meltdown. Barack Obama is the second highest recipient of political cash from the big bosses of these entities, and his chief economic advisor Franklin Raines took over $90 million in bonuses from Fannie Mae. That’s right—$90 MILLION. Do you really think that Barack Obama will lead “reform” of a system that he has helped grease?
His radical views on when life begins and his priority of protecting abortion rights over the right to life for the unborn are beyond most of even the most extreme leftists. His work with ACORN, a radical political organization is especially noteworthy in light of the fact that ACORN received over $760 million in “fees” from banks to help push people into “N.I.N.J.A. loans.” (These are loans made to people with No Income; No Job; and No Assets, thus NINJA loans.)
Imagine Obama as President and Democrats holding majorities in the House and with a possible 60 vote margin Senate.
Goodbye, 2nd amendment rights.
Goodbye, protection for the unborn.
Goodbye, tax breaks.
Goodbye, diligence against state sponsored terrorism from rogue governments like Iran, North Korea, and others.
Goodbye, parental rights as a fundamental right to not be supplanted by the government.
Goodbye, holding traditional marriage as one man, one woman for life.
I’m not ready to accept that.”
Personally, I’m not willing to accept that either.
What An Amazing Gift
I know some of you may be sick of me talking about the house, but this really is a big milestone for people my age. I wanted to share some amazing news we just received, as well as to start from the beginning of this story.
Back in April Myrtle Beach wasn’t even on my radar and changing careers wasn’t either. Hal was still finishing up grad school and was beginning to search for a school to become employed by. After both of us went through a series of interviews the decision was made that it was time to relocate. Since I arrived in Myrtle Beach (in July) I have truly felt like I am standing on the edge of the ocean and the sand is shifting underneath my feet. We started immediately looking for a home so that we could begin to dig some roots for our family. We put an offer on a home in Socastee and were rejected. I was definitely disappointed. But we started looking again. The last thing we wanted to do was to rent an apartment again. Thank you to Hal’s cousin for allowing us to rent her home in the meantime.
When we came across The Farm we learned pretty quickly that there was no way we could afford a home in that neighborhood. After touring several of the models and the homes for sale we essentially told the sales agent that if anything came in for under $200K to give us a call. Obviously we didn’t anticipate getting a call. Thanks to the hard work of our realtors, Jessi Kelly and Bitsy Farmer with Prudential Burroughs & Chapin, as well as the sales agent, Trisha at The Farm, they were able to negotiate us an amazing deal. I fully believe that the Lord worked this out because honestly what we saved on the house is insane! The odd part was that I had to make the decision to put a contract on the house without Hal ever seeing it. Talk about pressure. Fortunately the next time Hal was able to come to MB he was able to tour the model and loved it.
However, in our previous life in Greenville we had been living paycheck to paycheck and had not had the opportunity to really save a ton of money to put down on the house. Because of the housing market crunch 3% is the required amount to put down on a home. There was no way we could come up with the 6K in time. Basically we had $1,000 we could put up and applied to see if we could get down payment assistance for the rest. In this market the likelihood of that was so slim. However, we continued to believe that this was the home that the Lord had for us and that he would work all the finances and things out. We have saved and penny pinched and hoped and prayed. As of this week we almost had made up the amount we needed to close on the house, but were about $2,000 short if we didnt receive assistance.
To show you how the Lord answers prayer, I received a phone call from our closing lawyer today. She gave me the most amazing gift….our closing is completely paid for!!! We don’t have to bring a single penny to closing!!! All I could do was give out a loud shout and start thanking the Lord for that blessing. So as of next Friday we will have our home without breaking our bank accounts!!! Not only that we can now afford to get some of the things we need for the house. We will soon have the roots that we so desperately need, as well as a home to make together. Praise the Lord for his goodness!
Homeowner Orientation
The homeowner orientation went so well today!!! It was so great to see the house almost complete, it definitely solidified in my mind how real this is becoming. After renting for so long it’s going to be nice to have our own space…even if that means we will be adding a mortgage payment to our monthly bills. We spent about 2.5 hours walking throughout the entire house and checking everything out. We were given green painters tape to stick on places where things needed to be fixed. Needless to say with my Type A personality there was a LOT of green tape throughout the house. Most everything was little stuff like paint touch-ups, caulk touch-ups, drywall touch-ups, etc. We did have a few big things like the vinyl flooring in our guest bath was ripped near the toilet so all that flooring has to be replaced, there is a crack on the mirror in the master bath so the mirror will be replaced, stuff like that. We put together a punch list with the builder and it should all be taken care of by closing on Friday.
Here are some updates of the kitchen now that the appliances are in:
Hal took this of me being anal about the scuffs on the wall. And before you ask, I had a fight with a hot pot lid and it won. My skin looks parboiled underneath the bandage. 
This is the far left corner of the kitchen. Yes, that’s a lazy susan in the bottom corner cabinet! I have some absolutely amazing surprises in the cabinets, little sliding shelves inside the cabinets that come al the way out. I am just so excited about having a kitchen that will be functional and fun all at the same time! Let’s face it, anything is better than the apartment kitchens I have lived with for the last few years.
This is another look at our kitchen. On the far left of the picture is a full pantry closet!!! I’ve always had to take up cabinet space with our groceries, I’m not going to know what to do with all this extra space!
This is the other side of my kitchen that overlooks the living room. I love how open the space is! It’s perfect for entertaining. We have a “quiet” washer, we ran it today and it truly is extremely quiet. I’m so not used to that! And then there’s my wonderful stainless, deep sink. The faucet is great because it’s goose-necked which will be perfect for filling spaghetti pots and washing dishes, and the bottom part of the spout comes out to use as an extender and it changes the spray as well. I have so many fun toys to play with!
As you can tell I cannot wait for this to be ours! Keep praying that we have all the funds we need for closing next week. That would be the only thing to keep us from this wonderful house becoming our home.
National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day
Today (October 15) is the National Day of Remembrance for pregnancy and infant loss. This includes all babies who have died because of miscarriage, stillbirth, SIDS, or any other infant death. Thank you, Angie, for the reminder.
In honor of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day grieving parents all across this nation light a candle at 7 p.m. in their respective time zones to create a wave of light around the world in memory of babies lost to pregnancy and infant loss.I found this rather profound and will be participating myself.
If you have lost a baby (whether by miscarriage or infant death), I want to pray for you. The prayers and support of my family and friends has truly brought me through the grief and the pain. And in turn, I hope this will allow me the opportunity to “pay it forward”. If you have lost a child due to miscarriage or infant death, will you please leave a comment on this post. Whatever information you want to leave is fine, from the detailed to the not so detailed. I just want to know how to pray for you. Also with the hopes that my blog readers would in turn also pray for you.
And to get the ball rolling…. My name is Sarah Weber and I have had 4 miscarriages (all from 4-10 weeks) in the last two years. My husband and I did not name our children as all were surprises . Despite that, I know that all of my children are huddled at my Father’s feet. We are trusting that the Lord has children for us that will be born into this world for us to love and care for, and are confident that we will meet our other children one day in Heaven.
I will thank you for your willingness to share your pain. It is my hope that you will feel the peace of the Lord overflow your soul as people commit to praying for you. Know that you will daily be in my prayers and thoughts. May the Lord bless you and keep you, may his face turn to you and bring you peace.
Last Minute Pics
I have been so so so busy with work lately, so I apologize for the sporadic blogging. I am starting to get really excited and really nervous! Our final walk-thru of the house (prior to closing next Friday) is this Thursday. Yes, 3 days away! I know that I will have a million pictures to show after Thursday but here are a couple extra of the last minute touches to the outside of our house.
“I am grateful for the lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and floors that need waxing because it means I have a home.” ~Author Unknown
“May the Lord bless all who enter here.”
“Bread – So you never go hungry.
Wine – So your life is always sweet.
Salt – So there is always spice in your life.
And a Candle – So you always have light” From Hal’s favorite movie, “It’s A Wonderful Life”.
We’re getting close, very close. It’ll be nice to have a house to make a home in and some roots to grow deep.
