Jenny Wren

Jacob Allen Mealy ~14 years old

2010-12-15T09:40:00.000-05:00

2010-10-28T19:37:00.001-04:00

Jake has been taking an art class at a gallery in Seneca. This is just one of his pictures. I am so proud of what he is doing. I knew he loved to draw. I knew he was pretty good. I had no idea he had this in him!

2010-08-04T21:36:00.000-04:00

2010-08-02T22:16:00.000-04:00

2010-03-09T13:08:00.000-05:00

Spring in the south

2010-03-09T13:05:00.000-05:00

2009-10-29T10:53:00.001-04:00

Barbed Wire

2009-10-29T10:51:00.000-04:00

Fall Colors

2009-10-29T10:47:00.000-04:00

Toad Stool

2009-10-29T10:35:00.002-04:00

Thus Far...

2009-01-02T22:10:00.007-05:00

"Samuel took a stone and...named it Ebenezer, saying, 'thus far has the Lord helped us.' " 1Samuel 7:12

My dad and I have a Christmas tradition that I love; every year he picks out a book for me. We are both book lovers. The books that Dad has picked for me over the years are some of my all time favorite books. In our fire last year, I lost years of books. But as always Dad has begun to replenish my bookshelves with books he knows I will need to have in my personal library.

This years book is a daily devotional book, Look Unto Me The Devotions of Charles Spurgeon. I decided not to wait until January 1 to start reading and began on Christmas day. I thought it would be fun to start and finish next Christmas day when I get my next book from Dad. I was not a spiritual decision, just thought it would be fun. So I started reading Dec. 25th.

Then came Dec 29th, and 1 Samuel 7:12. The end of the year and New Years Eve have been rough days for me since we moved. I miss being with my family on Christmas, and I miss our friends on New Years Eve most of all. We had a tradition, party, food, games, watching the ball, now there is no routine and we haven't had time to build the relationships that make those traditions yet. It just seems sad to sit home and do nothing on the one night that was always much anticipated as a great date night. Anyway, I had already begun to struggle with these feelings before I read the days page.

Spurgeon talks about how this statement looks to the past and all the ways that God has taken care of us in the good and bad of our lives. Then he goes on to say that it also points to the future. It marks a point in time that is not the end. It says there is more to come, more good and bad, more pain and peace. More traditions to be made and more lonely days to come. When those times come to an end there is still old age, illness and death to come, but even that is not the end. God who has led us this far will lead us to eternity with Him. There is no reason to wonder where 2009 will take us, we need just to follow Him though all of life's ups and downs. He will not leave us hopeless.

"O believer, be of good courage and, with grateful confidence, set up your ebenezer stone as Samuel did, for: 'The Lord who 'thus far' has helped you WILL help you all your journey through.' John Newton"

2008-12-31T11:35:00.000-05:00

2008-11-06T23:48:00.004-05:00

Sunday our small group had a spur of the moment lunch in the park. It was such a beautiful day! The kids were cute and the adult conversation was nice too!

Mom's Visit

2008-11-06T23:22:00.005-05:00

Our visit with mom was GREAT! Okay, maybe not great, I got sick Friday night and all day Saturday, but we did have fun. Mom got to spend time with Jake checking out what homeschool is like. They had a team project to do. We did some shopping and enjoyed a few antique stores with Jake, he is a fun kid! We spent a good deal of time doing what we all like best...playing games. Mom got this great new game I highly recommend it! (What's Yours Like?) We spent Sunday in downtown Greenville. It was too short, but it was so great to have her here! Right after mom left I ended up in the hospital with three kidney stones! They were only able to get two of the three stones, one of which was 7mm! It was very painful, and the real bummer is that there is still one stone still rattling around in there so I get to do it all over again at some point.

Sleep over

School Time

Good Eats

Growing...

What a smile

Growing, Growing

Game night

Mom's New Game

going crazy

2008-10-09T17:20:00.002-04:00

I don't really have anything to say. I am just nervously awaiting the arrival of my momma! She is somewhere between Greenville and Central. I have dinner ready, the table is set and I don't have any more cleaning to keep myself busy!

More soon.....check back for pictures of our weekend!

I've Been Tagged

2008-10-07T21:54:00.007-04:00

I don't usually do things like this, but I figured I could just once.:

Meme Rules: Each player answers the question themselves.At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment letting them know that they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve answered the questions on your blog.

10 years ago (1998):
1. I was 32 years old.
2. I had been married 7 years.
3. I had a 2 year old son.
4. We had just bought our first house.
5. We were attending Lakeview Wesleyan Church

5 things on today’s “to do” list:
1. Do laundry.
2. Do a days worth of homeschool in two hours.
3. Go on a field trip to an orchard.
4. Dust.
5. Watch Bones!

5 snacks I enjoy:
1. Lemon Squares (Cathy's are the best!)
2. Popcorn, cheesy is my favorite.
3. Kosher dill pickles.
4. Saltines.
5. DQ Ice cream cakes.

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire:
1. PAy off all our debt.
2. Buy a Jeep Wrangler.
3. Have a savings account.
4. Buy a house.
5. Give to charity.

5 places I have lived:
1. Sturgis, MI
2. Marion, IN
3. Clemson, SC
4. Central, SC
5.

5 jobs I have had:
1. Preschool Teacher
2. Full time volunteer, JC Bodyshop, College Church
3. Office Manager, Youth For Christ
4. Babysitter
5. Pet store clerck, poop slinger, fish tank cleaner, reptile feeder....

Now, I’m supposed to tag 5 others:
1. Marcia Wodard
2. Tasha Quakenbush
3. Kari Terhune
4. Tracey Wesphal
5. Lisa Huber

Funny

2008-10-07T13:28:00.003-04:00

I had to take a break from working around the house today. (I am getting ready for a visit from my momma!) I know other people have known about this site long before me, but I have been having fun at yearbookyourself.com. Here are a few of my favorites.(The last one I actually had.)

One Year

2008-09-22T20:10:00.000-04:00

September 15th is a day that changed my life forever. It is the day I left Fairmount Camp for South Carolina. I can still see myself standing by Bob Vardaman’s truck wondering if I could really drive someone elses truck pulling my car on a flatbed trailor. The answer was yes! I did drive and pull my car and I didn’t even crack up his truck.

I had no idea what lay ahead of us that day. I would never have chosen the path of the fire and the bad school experience for Jake. But I am so glad that we are where we are. I miss friends, family & church. But there is a great deal to be said for being where God wants you.

There have been some rough lessons learned this year. I have tried for so long to keep priorities straight that stuff is stuff and not important. The fire helped cement that idea in my heart. Even those things I thought were irreplacable, the dearest “things” in my possession, they turned out to be just things after all.

Then there was that lesson of worship being a choice. I remember Pastor Chris Williams preaching on worship years ago and telling us that. But so often I let circumstances, emotions, and distractions to keep me from real worship. I hated the thought of having to leave my church, it was home and family to me. It was where God had taught me so much and I was sure that I would never find a place to hear God that way again. Guess what, worship really is a choice. I have found a church family. It will never be the same, but God meets me there when I go looking for him.

And of course, there was the reminder of not needing to see the plan to know to follow it. I had no idea that we would be home schooling again or that I would be at home. I came looking forward to working. I had hoped to be on campus with Mark by now. We have bills to pay, a house payment in Marion and rent in Central, but here I am. God rarely does things the way that I think he should. Than goodness!

It has been a year. I just thank God that we did it his way because facing even part of this without him would be unbearable!

2008-09-10T22:16:00.000-04:00

I am really not a big fan of change. I never have been. I like to have a plan, a system, and work and live within it. After the year that we have had, you would think that I would be much more accustom to change by now.

I had hoped that after a year in Central we would have found our “normal”. But no such thing. If you didn’t already know, I quit my job two weeks ago. I am now a stay at home mom again!!!! I am so happy. Jake and I are getting into a routine with school and chores. We have been getting the house reorganized for school. I have joined a Bible study. Jake joined Civil Air Patrol with Mark. Oh, I also re-upped my Mary Kay so I can try to make a little money for us. Now if we can just keep things going without a change for a month or so it would be great!

In Loving Memory

2008-08-13T16:19:00.002-04:00

Mark's grandpa Mealy (Pops)passed away early yesterday morning. He had been sick for a while, but it came sooner than we expected. He went peacefully in his sleep to be with his Lord. There will be a memorial service next weekend in North Carolina where they lived for the last 17ish years.

There is peace in knowing that he is with Jesus and not in pain, but we miss him. Jake has had a rough day today especially. He has such a tender heart. He and I went to visit with Grandma (GiGi) this afternoon and he cried on the way there. He held it together while we were talking with her, but has struggled this afternoon again.

Pops leaves an amazing legacy of love and prayer and faith. I have noticed a void already and a sense of urgency about the changes this brings to the family. We have big shoes to fill in passing on that legacy to the next generations of Mealy's.

Lilies

2008-06-23T19:55:00.004-04:00

I planted a row of lilies along one end of the house last week. I have two different colors that I just love. My hope is that they will spread and fill in. I t has bee so long since I have wanted to plant flowers. I am really enjoying it. Especially the part where I tell Jake to go weed them, jut like my momma used to do to me!

There are several new posts so keep scrolling!

2008-06-15T22:20:00.001-04:00

Mimosa Blossoms

2008-06-14T19:32:00.001-04:00

I have been seeing these trees all over the place so we did a little research to find out what they are. They are called Mimosa trees or sild trees. They are beautiful to see along the road. I am hoping to find one at a nursery so I can have one in my yard!

From the Mountains to the Valley

2008-06-14T19:14:00.001-04:00

Friday I told Mark that I wanted to go to the mountains. So to the mountains we went! We started at Table Rock State Park. The pictures are beautiful, but the real thing is breathtaking! I was reminded that I am not a good hiker! I am still sore from the little bit of climbing I did do.

After Table Rock we drove around for a while. We found another State Park, Whiteside mountain. Mark and Jake did a little hiking while I wandered and took pictures.

After that we found a local spot for dinner. It was called Carolina Smokehouse in Cashiers, NC. If you ever get to the area be sure to go there! It was by far the best local food we have had since we got here! It was yummy!
Our final stop was Devils Fork State Park. It is on Lake Jocassee. this is where Mark has been diving since coming south. It was nice to cool off by the water for a while at the end of the day.

District Campgorunds

2008-06-14T19:09:00.002-04:00

We decided to check out the district camp grounds while we were out driving. The facilities are smaller that Fairmount, but seem to be more updated. I didn't see any dorm facilities so I can't say about that. But the buildings we did see were nice. And the view has Fairmount beat hands down!

Are all tabernacles named Bethel?

Table Rock Mountains

A Shady Spot

2008-06-14T19:07:00.001-04:00

While we were in Greenville we did a little serious shopping too. We got a really cool umbrella for the yard. We only have one tree in the front yard so we needed a little help in the shade area....

Now if we could just get some chairs to sit in in our new shady spot!

Greenville

2008-06-14T19:00:00.001-04:00

Since Mom and Dad had to leave early and Mark and I had time off at the end of the week we decided to take a couple of day trip vacations just the three of us. On Thursday we headed into Greenville.

We went to Reedy River right down town. These pictures are from Falls Park. The downtown area is built around the natural falls. What a sight!

This is the suspension walkway bridge in the park. It is an amazing sight. It is a little shaky when you walk on it. But very cool!!!

Then we did a little shopping. Mast General store is one of my favorite place in Greenville. They have a big selection of outdoor wear and in the back they have the old barrels with candy-like we used to get as penny candy-that we like to pick from.

O.P. Taylor's is a very unique toy store. They have older toys and new things as well. It is just a fun place to wander around.

Family Time

2008-06-14T13:10:00.004-04:00

Last week Mom, Dad and Aunt Barb came down for a short visit. It was so great to see them again! We hadn't seen Aunt Barb since last August! It was fun to have them here even thought they had to leave early to get back and help take care of Grannie Mo. Jake and I are looking at going to Michigan over July 4th week so maybe we can see more people.

Momma

Dad

Aunt Barb

Local Beauty

2008-06-14T13:03:00.003-04:00

Summer Fun

2008-06-14T13:00:00.002-04:00

We are enjoying our friends pools. This one is thanks to the Williams family! We also like to hang out at Harding's. I am still trying to convince Mark that the cost of the pool is greatly out weighed by the intensity of the heat! We have already had several days with temperature over 90 degrees and it is only June. I will keep working on him!

Another New Beginning

2008-06-02T20:09:00.002-04:00

Last week I found out that I would be losing my three year old class and be helping in the two year old room for the summer. It was a huge disappointment for me. I love my class very much and the thought of leaving them without the ability to graduate them up and celebrate with them was heart-breaking.

Since there was no chance of things not changing I had two choices, stay and make the change with the best attitude I could or quit... I spent my first day in the two year old room today. It was so hard. They are so little compared to my kids. The schedule in the room is very different. It isn't my room. I am just a helper. They are all in the middle of potty training. I hate change!

It was better than I thought in some ways and harder in others. I am trying to go into it with a good attitude, but today I don't think I did very well. My hours changed drastically too. I now work from 7am-12pm. That is soooo early for me! I never really have gotten into a good sleep pattern, so I get very little sleep at night and so that makes early mornings hard.

I came home today and took a nice 2 1/2 hour nap. Thank you Ms. Denise for watching Jake for me!!! Good neighbors are priceless. I am just praying that tomorrow is a little better and the next day is a little better...etc.

On another note, we still have not gotten anywhere with insurance. Mark is going to get with the lawyer this week. We are looking at a long process I am sure. Keep praying please.

Baptism

2008-05-24T21:19:00.003-04:00

Last Saturday our church had it's annual event "Rock the Dock" where they do a baptism service. Jake decided that he wanted to be baptised! We were (are) so proud of him. He had the chance to share why he wanted to be baptised as well. He did such a great job! It was a beautiful evening by the lake.

Field Trip

2008-05-19T21:46:00.006-04:00

Today I had the chance to take my class to the botanical gardens and the pond. We have been learning about the pond this month so it was great to get to actually go to a pond with them. 6 of my 8 kids were there today. It was so fun!

The whole gang!

We just got to walk around and hang out. We caught tadpoles and fed the ducks and turtles and huge fish. The kids were all so cute! And only one fell in the waterfal! I hope these pictures make you smile the way I am as I post them!

This is the spot were Kirsten fell in. It was a pretty spot, but boy is that water cold!

There were so many amazing things to see!

Jackson loved the flowers.

Our sweet wet Kirsten.

Just one of the beatiful flowers we saw.

New Mealy Mobile

2008-05-11T07:33:00.004-04:00

About a month and a half ago my car died. It was so bad that the garage never really figured out all that went wrong. They did know that I blew a hole in the transmission housing and that the transmission was shot. It was deemed more expensive to try to repair than to bury the poor old girl. I have not enjoyed being without a car-not even a little bit! I hated being trapped and needy. I didn't realize just how indendant I like to be. But all that changed last night!Gigi & Pops Mealy (Mark's grandparents) offered to sell us thier car. Before we could get with them to make the deal someone paid for the car for us! Then some friends of thiers came to visit and brought the car down to us! I picked up "Stella" last night. She is a 1988 Chevy Celebrity with 103,000+ miles on her. She handles great and has air conditioning-a must have for a car in the south! So now I'm..."On the road agian. Just so glad to be on the road again..."

A new pet

2008-05-10T18:27:00.004-04:00

Well, ya had to know it wouldn't take long for the Mealy's to start the new petting zoo. We are now the proud owners of a firebelly toad. The idea is that it will spend some time in my classroom, but so far we have just been enjoying him at home. Buckley was less enthused about a new pet than the rest of us. He still isn't all the fond of Hoppin' Harry.

A night of culture

2008-05-10T18:20:00.002-04:00

We got to go to our friends daughter's violin recital last month. Alyssa has only been playing since October. Whe is in a group of four-2 violins, and 2 cellos. They did such a great job! It was really fun to be a part of her special night.

Jake's Birthday

2008-05-10T18:15:00.001-04:00

My baby is 12!

2008-05-10T18:06:00.002-04:00

We took Jake to a great place-Gatti Town-for his birthday. Our friends the Hardings went with us. It was so much fun!!!

A New Do!

2008-05-10T17:42:00.004-04:00

I have been trying to grow out my bangs for some time now and finally I was able to get a hair cut. This is the way it looked the first night after Tori, my new hair dresser, cut it. It doesn't look this way when I do it. But I do really like it!

Anyone know a good lawyer?

2008-04-03T21:59:00.002-04:00

Yep that is where we are headed with the settlement for the fire. The trucking company offered a settlement that was way too low for us to be able to accept. Now our home owners insurance has been taking their own sweet time to get us any information. Yesterday, a month and a half after we gave them the third round of paper work, Mark called and found out that the insurance company didn't take the money from the moving company, they are going after them for the entire claim. We asked for some money since we all need clothes for the new season and they were hesitant to agree to that. That was the point at which Mark finally started getting names of lawyers.

We have no idea what this will do to a time line, but it has sent me reeling. I just feel like it is happening all over again every time we have to redo the lists. I am so tired of feeling like we did something wrong. We just need to get this behind us and all this just keeps it fresh and in your face. It is so painful.

2008-03-23T09:27:00.001-04:00

Okay, I don't know if anyone cares to see pictures of our house in such detail, but I have posted some anyway and I have two more rooms to do, but I don't have ggod pictures right now. Look or don't look that's up to you...but all these pictures do make me feel like I have done a good job in catching up on posting!

Living room

2008-03-23T09:20:00.000-04:00

We have not gotten end tables yet, we have them picked out, we are just waiting for insurance to pay to get them so for now the tv trays are a most helpful gift!

The new tv has been fun! Mom and Dad got us a Wii for Christmas so it is a great set up for family fun!!!

Distance markers

2008-03-23T09:16:00.001-04:00

Standing in Jake's doorway....the walkway to the left is the bathroom... standing in our doorway... as you can tell the distance is short between the rooms.

Master bed room

2008-03-23T09:10:00.001-04:00

We haven't done any painting, the entire house was repainted with white before we moved in, I want to add some accent colors here and there this room really needs it in my opinion. (Jake's does too!)

Bath room

2008-03-23T09:04:00.001-04:00

It isn't a large bathroom by any means, but it really isn't bad either. It was my least favorite room when we first looked at the house, but it is fun and bright now and I actually like the aqua walls now!

Jake's Pirates Room

2008-03-22T22:46:00.000-04:00

Okay, so it's not perfectly clean, but he is doing so much better with his new room!

Mark and Jake are going to build a loft type bed this summer, but for now this is better than the floor!

He does have a chair for his desk, but he doesn't like to do his home work in his room so he uses it other places.

We have more pirate touches but haven't put them all up until we decide where the bed is going to be exactly. Jake is just glad to have a space to line up guns (he has an entire arsonal of dart guns now) and set up eraser wars with his collection of over 400 erasers! I just like that it isn't in the lving room all the time!

The House...after

2008-03-20T22:57:00.000-04:00

The house will be an on going project. But it is so nice to just have a place to call home that really feels like home. I'll have inside pictures to post after I clean house this weekend!

Reconnected

2008-03-19T21:42:00.000-04:00

What a face! It is one that can light up a room, or cause a complete blackout! We have been struggling a bit with Jake and all the changes. It has been an amazing and long adventure for the Mealy family.

It is great to be able to be online with all of you again to let you know what is going on with us. And to have your prayers.

We have not had the the ability to really put the fire, or the sense of loss it brought, behind us. We still DAILY think of yet another item that went "poof". That word will never have the same meaning for the three of us. We have turned in all the mounds of paper work that the insurance company has asked for. and we are still just waiting, and waiting, and waiting for word from them. In the mean time we continue to try to just get past it. We know that God has been in control from the beginning of this move, it is still a very painful loss. We have seen him provide in such amazing ways, and new stuff is great, but there are some things that just can't be replaced! And there are days when I just want my stuff back! I do know that a key word there is "I". I am really trying to stay focused on what God is doing in us through this season of life.

As for Mark he is a rock! I don't know what I would do without him! He has been so great to make sure that I don't have to worry any more than is absolutely necessary. He is taking very good care of us. He hasn't even yelled about my tears or yelling about the stupid insurance mess. He just lets me get it out and then holds me till it doesn't hurt so badly. He too is really making an effort to look for God in the midst of it all.

Then there is Jake. My poor sweet little man. He has been a real trooper through it all. He has taken all of this in stride so well for so long. But we have been seeing signs of the pain in him recently. He has not been happy at public school from the start. It was not my first choice, but it was the only option we had. Two weeks ago we found Jake on a Monday morning hiding in his closet curled up in a ball sobbing and saying "please don't make me go back there, please don't make me go back there." That was the end of a long battle for me. It was his last day at the school.

We are now homeschooling him! It is so much fun to be back in the world of homeschooling! It is very different since I still have to work and 6th grade is WAY more work for us all than 1st-2nd grades! Jake is like a different kid! He is more relaxed, he is getting all A's again, he is taking chances and getting back into youth group and small groups. It is so great to see the change.

We haven't made any long term decisions yet. We need for me to work at least part time since the house in Marion isn't even on the market yet. Jake is open to looking at other public schools in the area, but he really wants to keep homeschooling. If I am being honest that is what I want too. We are all just praying about it.

Mark's job is great-he is so happy. He has found a Civil Air Patrol unit to join here and that has been a great connection for him. We are adjusting to new allergy issues. We love that it is spring in February here. Today it was in the upper 60's. I know, the heat is coming, but for now I will just enjoy the flowering trees and the smell of spring in the air!

Well, there is so much more, but I need to get the last load of laundry in so I can actually get to bed at a decent hour! Tomorrow is movie day at school, but I have to not fall asleep during the show!

Off-line

2007-12-30T21:14:00.000-05:00

Sorry it has been so long-I have much to show and share, but we don't have internet at home right now and I can't take the time at school to post. We are working on getting internet at the house and as soon as I do I will be back to you all!

We miss those of you in Indiana and Michigan, and various other states. We are ready for company now so give us a call to book your vacations here in the warm south!

Changes, changes...

2007-11-28T21:56:00.000-05:00

I haven't has much time this week. I have new pictures and will do my best to get them posted by Friday. I am working now...I am teaching three year olds at the pre-school at our church. It is challenging. I have 12 kids on my list, but average 10 kids a day.

I also have a new cell phone number-I won't just post it-if you want it let me know and I will get it to you.

Hope all is well for all you out there in blog world. I haven't forgotten you!

New house..before

2007-11-04T20:28:00.000-05:00

Okay, so we need a front porch.
The backyard is two big dirt piles at the moment.

New house..before...the bathroom and bed rooms

2007-11-04T20:24:00.000-05:00

My least favorite room at this point...the bathroom.
Master bed room.

Jake's room.

New house..before...the living room

2007-11-04T20:16:00.000-05:00

This is coming in from the kitchen.
The door to the right is the kitchen.
The fron door is on the left side, kind of behind the box.

New house..before...the kitchen

2007-11-04T20:05:00.000-05:00

This is the way it looked as of last saturday.
the fridge and stackable washer/dryer will go in the empty spot in the front right corner.
We will be getting a new stove. I would love to know just how old this one really is.
The door leads to the living room.

On the left is the outside door and straight ahead is one of two doors to what will be Jake's room.

Good news for a change

2007-11-01T06:49:00.000-04:00

Mark is finally home with us! He drove all day yesterday and finally arrived at about 3:30 this morning. It is so good to have him here and the pets and amazingly with all that we have lost he has a truck and trailer full of things that were not with the movers.

I am just beginning to process the events of this week and I have more to tell you all but I will have to do that in a little bit-I am getting Jake off to school and falling back into bed. Keep up the prayers-they are being felt for sure!

Horrible news...

2007-10-29T15:45:00.000-04:00

I got an awful phone call from Mark this morning. It seems that there was a terrible accident with the moving van... there was a fire in the trailer and everything we had on the truck is completely lost. They told Mark not to even bother meeting them to sift through things to see what could be saved because it was so far gone.

There will be some money from insurance to cover things. But there are just so many things that we cannot replace. All the things that were my Daddy's and Uncle Lyle's are just gone forever. I had my scrap books with me so that is good, but it is just so hard to think about all that we have lost.

It will take weeks to get it all organized in a list as to what we actually lost.
Mark is still in Marion at this point in time. He has been talking to the insurance company and trying to finish up the last bit of clean up. We are hoping that he will be able to get on the road yet today. I just need him to be here right now.

Updated Pic's of Mark's office

2007-10-16T10:40:00.000-04:00

Another week in pictures...Georgia on my mind.

2007-10-13T20:20:00.000-04:00

This week has been fall break for SWU. Mark still had to work but Mom Mealy didn't have classes so she and I set off on an over night in Macon, GA with cousin Joy! What a great get away! Macon about 3 hours from here so it isn't too bad of a drive. There are good break spots along the way too. At the one hour mark is Commerce, GA and a huge outlet mall! Then at the 2 hour mark is Atlanta. And then Macon.

Joy works at Hephzibah so I got my first tour of the campus and person run down of all that is happening there. Then we went to Joy's new house and on to shopping! And more shopping, and dinner at O'Charley's, and more shopping!

Joy has only been in here house for a few months so we got to help with some painting and wall paper removal in her kitchen/dinning room area. Mom Mealy was on fire! she tore wall paper off like nothing I have ever seen before!

On the way back home we had a chance to stop in Commerce for a while. Oh come on down ladies-the shopping is amazing! I can't wait for Mom and Dad to be here in November-we are going to Commerce for sure!

Thursday we had a family outing and went to Anderson, SC. On the way we stopped at a little driving range so Mark and Jake could hit a couple buckets of balls. It was fun to watch them. Jake is just learning so it was great to see his improvement.

Mark is gone this weekend for meetings and training. Today he is in Columbia, SC and tomorrow and Monday he will be in Charleston, SC. He is going to get in a round of golf tomorrow so it isn't all work and no play! I told him to just leave me the amount he will be spending to golf in cash so I can go shopping!

Joy in her now office at Hephzibah.
The dinning room before...
...and after.

A Week in Pictures-Mark's first week in SC.

2007-10-13T19:53:00.000-04:00

On Mark's first day of work they already had his name on his office door. They also had a welcome reception for him that morning.
This is what his office looked like the first couple of days. We have done some redecorating, I just don't have new pictures yet.
Jake has been really enjoying his legos. This is his castle.
Tuesday night was volleyball. The team does a fundraiser called dig for the cure. They raised money for the Susan G. Koman foundation. Mom Mealy gave the opening prayer as a cancer survivor. Wednesday night is youth group. And date night for Mark and I! This is Jake's little band of boys: Kevin, Caleb, Jake and Grant.

Mark was glad to be here. But he still feels like he is running to play catch up. We have been taking time on Wednesdays while Jake is at youth group to just go for a drive and check out new places. It has been a great time to just catch our breath and get ready for the rest of the week.

Mark had to work his first weekend putting in a new server. He was gone Saturday and Sunday! He was exhausted at the end of his first full week.

This is for HIS glory!

2007-09-26T15:10:00.000-04:00

I know posting lyrics sometimes is overdone, but I want you to really read this song and then I will explain....

Voice Of Truth
------Casting Crowns

Oh,what I would do
To have the kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown
Where Jesus is,
And he's holding out his hand

But the waves are calling out my name
and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
time and time again
"Boy, you'll never win,
you'll never win."

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
the voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the voice of truth says "this is for my glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

Oh, what I would do
to have the kind of strength it takes
To stand before a giant
with just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound
of a thousand warriors
shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

But the giant's calling out
my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
time and time again
"Boy you'll never win,
you'll never win."

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
the voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the voice of truth says "this is for my glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

but the stone was just the right size
to put the giant on the ground
and the waves they don't seem so high
from on top of them looking down
i will soar with the wings of eagles
when i stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
singing over me

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
The voice of truth says do not be afraid
And the voice of truth says this is for my glory
Out of all the voices calling out to me (calling out to me)
I will choose to listen and believe (I will choose to listen and believe)
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

I will listen and believe
I will listen and believe the voice of truth
I will listen and believe
'Causes Jesus you are the voice of truth
And I will listen to you.. oh you........

Okay- I just need to tell you how the last four weeks have been all for His glory. I am not a person who likes change. In fact many would say that I fight it quite regularly. I am all about traditions and doing things "the way we usually do it". And then Mark and I started talking about this job opportunity for him in South Carolina.

When I was a senior in high school I told God that I would go to school anywhere but Indiana. And when I met Mark and got engaged to a man from Indiana I told him I would be moving home to Michigan as soon as we were finished with school. And then when I got pregnant I told him that before the baby was in school I wanted to be in Michigan. And when my aunt and uncle moved closer to my parents and then my uncle had his first stroke I told Mark it was definitely time to move to Michigan. And when Uncle Lyle died this year I told Mark we should have been there by now and that we needed to be there.

So you see I have first hand knowledge of God's sense of humor and His way of getting you to do just what you have said you would never do. Like when his parents moved to South Carolina and started saying we would love the south. And when Mark's dad got sick and I thought God was going to have us move south. And when Mark's mom got sick and I thought we would be needed.

But somewhere along the way God started to soften my heart about moving farther from home in Michigan...

That song is one that I have sung a thousand times. I am so that person. I have listened to that other voice for so long. I have felt second rate and useless. Afraid to do anything because I am not worthy. But then we talked seriously about moving and when this all happened I never once second guessed that it was the right thing. I have not cried about having to leave, I have not felt abandoned by Mark with him staying in Indiana and me coming down early. I have not felt alone, or out of place once. I have never had a moment of hesitation about this move. I stepped out of the boat big time!

I did not want to leave my church. I was certain I would never find a place to fit in again. And while it is never going to be CWC, I am happy at church. I feel like I can get behind the ministries that are happening and be supportive of the staff. The service is my style of worship and I already have a small group to be a part of

What I want to be sure you are hearing is that this has all been because of the amazing God that I serve and love. God has done a work in me that 18 years in Marion could not have done. He has been more than my strength He is truly my all. God has given us this land. He has provided this job, a house (in two more weeks), friends, peace, family that has been so supportive, peace, excitement for the new adventure, and peace. God is good. And if that day comes, which I doubt, but if the day does come that I feel lonely or wonder why I have to be so far from "home" I will still say this is for His glory! I believe that this job for Mark is his gift from God. And that He has a plan for Jake and I here as well. I will not sway from my stance of giving glory to God for what He has done in our lives!

I know this is long, but I needed to be sure that I said all that. I don't want to miss a chance to give praise to our Father for all HE is and does for me! I want you to know the voice of truth.

They grow 'em big in the south

2007-09-21T08:35:00.000-04:00

Okay if you know me very well you know that I have two huge fears in life--tornadoes and spiders. My mother in law told me they don't really get tornadoes here because of the mountains and the way the storms go north or south of this area because of said mountains.

The first week we were here we had tornado warnings....

Then on Tuesday I found these-one at the back door and one at the front!

I was less than thrilled! Do they have to be so BIG?! The one at the back door Betty killed, but the front door one got away and now he is there just taunting me. I have to run out the door every time I want to get to my car so he can't fall on me.

I really hate spiders.

Flea Market Finds

2007-09-17T07:51:00.000-04:00

We have been to two flea markets now since I've been here. This is my best find so far. They are actual Pampered Chef-used only one time at most. So how good was my deal?....$3.00 each! Yep- I paid $6.00 total! I got roughly $70.00 worth of product for $6.00!!!! That was sooo fun!

2007-09-15T20:23:00.000-04:00

This is the main entrance to the University.

This is the current Fine Arts building that is also our church. You can check out our church with the A.L.I.V.E. link on the right of my page.

This is the center of Campus. There is a circle drive around the fountain. The building is the Rickman library.

Why a picture of my feet you ask? Well my amazing mother-in-love took me for my very first pedicure this afternoon! That is a habit I am addicted too in one sitting! I have to find a job fast to support this new addiction in my life! What a great treat. Thanks Mom!

2007-09-15T20:16:00.000-04:00

Okay so I got to school for my meeting yesterday and this is what I found! An ambulance with lights flashing. It is not a comforting feeling when you are already uneasy about the school. Turns out that there is a student who has seizures and she had one. She is fine and walked out of the building on her own. All is well.

My meeting with the counselor went very well. She was very sweet and apologetic about the first day. I had the chance to finally meet three of Jake's 7 teachers and that was good too. I left feeling much more at ease about the whole school issue. IT turns out that there are like 40 kids who don't have all of the books they need-they didn't order enough and they are just waiting for them to arrive. The math teachers-he has two math classes each day-gave me copies of more of the teaching pages so I can help him better. They were all very friendly.

Thanks for your prayers-they are working!

2007-09-15T20:06:00.000-04:00

This is one of the great sights we pass on the way to school. I only see it occasionally since Jake rides the bus now, but it is pretty. It was cloudy on Friday when I went in to meet with Ms.Doolittle, but it is still pretty.

RC Edwards Middle School

2007-09-13T19:29:00.000-04:00

Well I haven't had a chance to take a picture of the school Jake is attending, but I found this on the website. (I am going to go for a picture taking drive tomorrow while Jake is at school.)

Edwards is a very large school! There are 800+ kids in three grades. Jake has been a bit overwhelmed as he has tried to find his way around and meet people.

I have not been overly impressed so far. It has been a week and he still doesn't have all of his books for his classes, he doesn't have a locker for gym, I haven't met any of the teachers, and they argued about who was going to have to show him around the first day. Not the best start. But I am trying to give them time and to not make a judgement for a few more days. I am going to go in and try to meet with the guidance counselor tomorrow.

Jake is making friends though. He is even going home with one of the kids from the church tomorrow after school. Some of you would know Dan and Kelly Wood. They were in Marion when I was pregnant with Jake. They taught the Sunday school class we attended at CWC. Well they are here in Central and their son Grant is the same age as Jake and they have become fast friends. It is nice!

I will post more tomorrow after I have more pictures!

2007-09-09T15:47:00.000-04:00

Last night we went to our first official SWU event-a soccer game. It was fun, we only stayed till half time, but that was okay-I was soooo tired by that time!

I met some really sweet ladies at the game-Jenny and Monique...
and Lisa. My friend Sherri Peters was great to help me meet some people and make me feel very welcome! Even Jake had a good time and made some new friends playing football. It was a perfect first night in town.

A quick look at my new home

2007-09-09T10:05:00.000-04:00

the dirt here is very red-it is very pretty, but very messy.

My little corner of the world-it's so cozy!

Home is where you put your plants? I brought three of my favorites all in one big pot!

This in my new temporary home here in the south-my in-law's place!

I'm here!

2007-09-08T21:15:00.000-04:00

Jake and I made it to South Carolina this morning, with the help of our good friend Bob Vardaman. We drove, well okay he mainly drove, all night and we got in around 7:30am. I took a nap and a shower and went out to dinner with my in laws (at an amazing little restaurant in Liberty, SC we'll go there when you come to visit!) and then a soccer game on campus. It was a great first day! I just wish my hubby could be here with us now.

I have some pictures and lots to tell you all, but I am so tired I can hardly type tonight. So stories will have to wait till tomorrow. Thank you all for your prayers for our traveling-type to you more soon!

Boxes, Boxes and more Boxes!

2007-08-29T14:10:00.000-04:00

Well, this is half way through my first week of serious packing and pitching and I have all my packing done in the upstairs! Of course that is the easy part of the house the hall and bath room didn't really require much work. Our bed room however was another story. I have taken out 20 bags of "get rid" of stuff and packed 26 boxes!

Today I am going easy. I had lunch with a friend and had to stop in at JC Bodyshop to get online and just check in-i miss this place already! And I have to shop a little, I'm out of trash bags-surprise, surprise- and it is so hot and there is no air at the house, well downstairs there isn't. So I am hoping for a cooler day tomorrow. I also have three loads of laundry calling my name at the camper so I just have different work to do I guess.

The plan is still that Jake and I will leave next weekend, but now we are looking at flying rather than driving so that takes a load off. I was worried about my car making the trip and being without Mark if something did breakdown. So this will be fun. I love to fly!

Jake is moving very slowly in his room. He has inherited the pack rat gene from both parents so he is struggling to let go of his treasures, you know all those dollar store and happy meal kind of treasures. I spent a few hours trying to help direct him yesterday. He is getting better. We are still packing more than I would like of his stuff, but I can always go through just his stuff when we unpack again! He will be in school then-hehehe ;).

I guess that is the news on the move for today. I will try to update at least once more when I know when I am leaving for sure and all that.

Farwell Marion!

2007-08-22T14:21:00.000-04:00

Well, I never thought I would say it but we are moving! And we are not moving "home" to Michigan like I always thought we would one day. We are headed south to the land of red dirt and sunshine-South Carolina!

Mark has accepted a position at Southern Wesleyan University in Central, SC. He will be the new Database Administrator for the university. We first got word of the job about two months ago, but then after Mark sent his application we didn't hear anything for two months really. Then two weeks ago we got a call that they wanted to do a phone interview. That was on Friday and on Monday, after two more interviews, they called and asked how soon we could be there to meet the committee and have another interview. We last Friday and had meetings all day Monday and by Monday night it was a done deal!

Mark's start date is October 1st so we are off and running. We are by no means ready for a move of this magnitude! We do not have a place to live there yet so I cannot give you an address. We will have the same cell phone numbers for a while so you can call us. And of course you can reach me here!

We are all so excited about a new start in a whole new place. We are looking forward to the adventure. Our goal right now is that Jake and I will be doing some major work on packing and cleaning in the next two weeks and then he and I will head south so I can get him enrolled in school before too much time passes. (Classes at his school start tomorrow!)

We have a great church to attend right on campus so that is one issue we don't have to think about. I will be looking for work on campus as well once I get us settled a little. I know that I will not be able to talk to everyone personally before I leave, but know that we will miss you all and will take with us many wonderful memories of times spent together.

Those of you with campers let me just say there are 5 beautiful camp grounds within 15 minutes of us and 22+ waterfalls to be explored. One of our first tasks, once we find a house of course, is to put in a camper hook up for electric and water so you are all able to visit!

So again, if we don't get to personally say goodbye just know we will be thinking of you all this winter when it is 85 degrees outside and snowing here!