Our home in Tennessee

Our first guest!

Yes, this is in our yard!

He is all boy!

The moving princess

Our second guest!

Yes, this is our back yard!

SNOW!

Sarah just had to get out in the snow

Timothy is trying to help unpack!

We feel so welcomed!!


Well, we are getting settled in our house and church. Things are going really well. It is so hard to believe that we have been in Tennessee for 3 weeks now, going on 4! Our first morning in our house we saw deer while we were eating breakfast. We have a french door in the kitchen right by the table and we looked up and saw a couple of deer. We got to looking and there were 9 deer in our yard. It was so beautiful. We live in the city limits but right next to a huge field which is where they graze. Then on the first Sunday afternoon at our new house we saw 19 turkey! They too were on their way to the grazing field. It is just amazing to see these wild animals in our yard and close enough I got to take pictures. Then the following morning we woke up to snow. It wasn't alot and the only place it stuck was the porch. Sarah just had to get in it so I let her go out for a minute. Bryan, Isaac and Elijah had gone to Alabama so it was just the girls and Timothy. The snow was beautiful. These things just reminded me of how beautiful God's creation is and I felt as if God was reminding me that He is with us as we follow His will for our lives.

We are almost through unpacking and getting settled in. Elijah would rather be outside 24/7 than unpack or putting things away. As you can see in the picture he would even go out with NO shoes on. He did find that stick and had the best time walking around with it. He looks like a traveler, kind of like a man from the Bible with his staff. Sarah can make the best time even out of unpacking. She made the crown out of Timothy's pop beads and grabbed a cooking utensil from one of the kitchen boxes and her and I became Queen and princess of unpacking. She is such a joy and it rubs off on those around her. Timothy wanted to do his share of unpacking, so as I unpacked things to go in the Master closet he thought he would sort out the hangers. Our closet has been a play area as we have went through boxes and the kids will just sit in our closet and go through a box of toys and have the best time. Things are beginning to find their place and we are trying to find a place for everything....we will get there.

As for school...we have yet to be able to get into full swing. I am really excited about trying something new with Isaac and Sarah starting next week. We are going to do a "unit study" and it is on Cowboys. I am really anxious to see how this will go. We have never done a unit study so this will be new to all of us. We will do a few days this week and then get in full swing next week. If you know of any great books or web sites or anything on Cowboys please let me know, I could always use ideas!

As we pulled into the church parking lot on our first Sunday we were greeted with the sign out front that welcomed us. The kids were tickled. Things are going really well at our new church. The kids are adjusting and doing well. Sarah has met a couple of friends at church and Isaac has too but he also has a little boy that lives across the street that he has become real big buddies with. Timothy does fine in the nursery but doesn't want to get down and play yet. Elijah is doing OK in his classes and is coming in with us during worship. The people have been so nice and very welcoming. Already been to our first birthday party and just can't wait to get to know other families better. We feel so blessed with those that God has placed in our path and pray that God would use us to bless and encourage them.

Love from Tennessee!