at the Christmas tree farm

this pic is kinda blurry & it was sunny, but still...good times with good friends at the christmas tree farm.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Saturday, we went to Penland's Tree Farm in York to cut down our Christmas tree. It was a wonderful experience and we even ran into some of our favorite people there--the Schnees! Here are a few pics of our humongous tree (it's 9 1/2 feet)!

thought this was cute

happy thanksgiving!

May your stuffing be tasty,
May your turkey be plump.
May your potatoes 'n gravy have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious,
May your pies take the prize,
May your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off of your thighs!

Happy Thanksgiving to all! We have a lot to be thankful for!

a thankful heart

I feel that lately I have been showered with God's blessings.

My internship has been wonderful. I've loved every minute of it and can't believe that it will be over with in a few more weeks. I am blessed to have the opportunity to continue to work with Lutheran Family Services after I graduate. This is an amazing opportunity for me to learn and grow as a social worker.

I have been blessed with amazing friends and a strong support system. Since Matt and I moved in with Paul & Kelly I havecontinued to realize what amazing people they are. We are so blessed to have them in our lives and even open their home to us. I have also been building other relationships with friends and I feel each one is a blessing to me. When Matt and I got married, my life and friendships changed dramatically. It seemed that all of my single, college friends didn't want to hang out anymore because we were married. Yet, we hadn't been married long enough to have married friends yet. It has been a year since we helped start up the young married sunday school class at church and this class has been an awesome way to meet other young couples that are experiencing the same things we are. We have truly met some great people and formed friendships.

I am also thankful for the opportunity to move to New Orleans. This has been a dream of mine for 3 1/2 years now. I am grateful that God placed a husband in my life that shares my dreams and desires for serving others.

We are having a Thanksgiving dinner tonight at our house. If everyone comes, there will be 18 people here ranging from church friends to work friends to neighbors. I am really excited about this time of fellowship.

I just feel overwhelmed with blessings right now. My life is far from perfect, but I can see God's hand moving in awesome ways and know that He is a good God. God is God and God is good.

i got a job!

So, my internship supervisor told me today that she is planning on hiring me after my internship is over in December! I'm going to be doing recruiting and licensing of foster families in the Catawba area (Lancaster, Rock Hill, & Gaffney) for Lutheran Family Services. I'm thrilled!

an old soul

The other day I was talking to my field instructor about my dreams and desires for my life. We were also talking about my internship and how things were going with that. She made the comment that I have an "old soul". This was the greatest compliment she could give me. She stated that while I am young in years, I am mature, responsible, and caring. I attribute all of this to the experiences of my life. I had different experiences growing up than most kids. For those of you who don't know, my dad is a social worker and my brother and I basically grew up at the children's home he worked at. Only a fence in our backyard seperated us from about 80 children placed at the home ranging from age 5 to 18. These kids were my life--my friends and playmates. I spent countless days playing on the playground, in the gym, and riding bikes with them. When I was young, I saw no difference between them and me. As I grew older and built stronger relationships with these children, I realized the pain and struggles that they were going through. I truly feel blessed that at a young age, I was able to realize that pain and suffering are a part of life. All of my experiences and knowledge helped fuel my passion for helping others. My heart burns to help families and children through hard times. I want to share the hope and joy that God can give them no matter what the situation. This is what excites me about my future. I cannot wait to see what God has in store for me and my family. While I do take pride in being an "old soul"--I know it's only because of my Creator. He has made me who I am today.

Happy Birthday Kerry!

It's Kerry the cat's birthday. He is now three years old. What a precious cat! If you don't know, Kerry is Paul & Kelly's cat, and now kind of ours since we live with them.