God's Creation

We got to witness the most amazing event...we watched 104 baby sea turtles come out of their nest and go into the water. It all started Wednesday night when it looked like the turtles would be ready. The 1st picture is Jordan & Abbey (visiting from KY) laying near the nest to hear the turtles under the sand). After determining they would not be ready to hatch on Wednesday, we all went back last night. Cue the 2nd pic....when we got to the beach the 1st turtle was peeking it's head out of the hole to see if the world was safe enough to come out into.

As soon as the other turtles decide to come out, it is mass chaos!! They all pile out of the hole at once...all 104!!! The turtle workers scooped each little one up and put them in a cooler to move them closer to the water to give them a better chance at survival. We (spectators, volunteers) made two lines on either side of the smooth area prepared near the water for the release and watched as each turtle was released into the sand and made it's way to the water. We had to help a few of them that ventured the wrong direction. I held this one ounce little creature that will grow to a 300-400# turtle!! Amazing!!! (BTW...the last pic is from google images. No flash allowed. We worked in the dark so as to not disorient the turtles.) Anyone that says there is no God has not witnessed the majesty of His creation. I held a small part of it in my hands last night.

One Year

So, we've been here a year. It's hard to believe! Life as a pastor's wife is different than I had thought it would be, but it's good...really good. I spend much of my time taking care of our home & Jordan so that Lance is free to be a pastor. I am working 2 part time jobs, which also keep me very busy. We spend our free time at the beach...what could be better? Life is good!!!

Lance is going to do a top ten list tomorrow at church & I thought I would re-post it here:

Top 10 Things I didn’t learn in Seminary:

10. When Joe Nicholson (a church member) says “Do you want a Boat Ride,” it doesn’t matter that there is a 50 mph wind and 4 foot waves, you’re going on a boat ride!
9. All the plants in Florida have thorns and all the fish have teeth!
8. Why are there Bears in Florida?
7. Lizards can get into the house through the smallest openings!
6. Jordan says chasing mom around the house with lizards is fun
5. Why had I never been to a crab boil before moving here?
4. In the North, shrimp cost too much to waste on a sandwich. (Shrimp Po-Boys are awesome!)
3. You really do need an extra room for guests when you move to Florida
2. Do not swim on a red flag day- but the life guards are really nice
1. St. Paul has made my family feel more loved and accepted than we could ever have imagined!

We have been blessed in more ways than we can count since moving here! I am looking forward to what God has in store for us in the years to come!

Vacation

We met my entire family at a condo at PCB for a week long vacation in June. It was a blast!! The kids and their funny "one-liners" kept us laughing all week!! We enjoyed lots of relaxation, pool & beach time, plenty of sun, a ton of good food & most importantly, time together.

My mom & dad then drove back to our part of FL to spend a few days here. It was nice to show them where we live, play and worship.

Some friends from IL were here yesterday & Jordan's friend from KY is coming next weekend. It's fun having friends and loved ones come see us!! We may have a few more guests before beach season is over. Good thing we have a guest room!

Going "home"

We got to take a trip back to Kentucky this weekend. I didn't realize how much I missed the area until we actually got there. It was a comforting, peaceful feeling to be there. The horse farms, the rolling hills of green, the white fences....it was so beautiful! We ate at our favorite restaurant: TWICE! We got to see some friends and missed others that weren't there. Jordan got to spend some quality time with her close friends from our neighborhood. It was a good weekend away.

I was worried about how the transition back to Florida would go, but it has been okay. No tears when we left Kentucky. I was glad to see the water again when we pulled into town. This is slowly becoming home for us and that is good. But we still remember our "Old Kentucky Home".

Mom to many

I realized today that although I have only one child in my home, I am blessed to be a "mom" to other children. I was blessed to be chosen as a sponsor a neat young lady at our church as she was Baptized and Confirmed yesterday. I now have 3 God-daughters. How neat is that?!?! I feel so honored to get to be a part of this special girl's life!!

It was a big day for this pastor's family!! Lance performed his first "dunking" Baptisms and Confirmed EIGHT youth!! Jordan was confirmed and her grandparents & great-grandmother were able to join the celebration! The weather was perfect and the water was calm....almost as if God planned this day just for us!!

Lance said it was one of those good days in the life of a pastor. I'd have to agree!!

Yummy!!!

A year ago I never would have imagined that I'd get fresh crab for my Mother's Day dinner!! Yup! That's one of the perks of living on the coast. We've become quite the "Floridians"!! We made these here at home in a Louisiana Crab Boil style, complete w/ corn & potatoes.

The first thing we did when we found out about my low fat diet was to check out seafood. We were very happy to find out that seafood is low fat!!!

I am officially over the 6 week post-op mark and feeling so much better. Not 100%, but I can handle the few twinges of pain I get now and then. Lance has said I am back to my old self and several church members this past Sunday said they could tell a difference as well. I am just glad it is behind us!!!

I had a great Mother's Day, complete w/ YOLOing, our nice dinner & watching "Phantom of the Opera" with my family. It was a good day!!

It's been awhile...

I didn't realize it had been so long since I posted an update. We came home from St. Louis and I feel like I've been on the go non-stop since we've been back.

So...what am I doing? Working, being a mom and pastor's wife...yup...that about sums it up! I took on another baby, so I'm up to five and had some opportunities for extra medical reviews. It's made for some busy weeks. And then, lent & Easter season. Good stuff, but busy.

I'm still having some residual pain from my ERCP....not yet 100%. But, we just realized that the nausea has disappeared...YEA!!! The doctor said it would take 6-8 weeks to be fully recovered and I am at 3 1/2 weeks post-op. Just praying for a full recovery & I'm glad the discomfort is farther apart than before. We've settled into the low fat diet just fine...sans the occasional gathering (BBQ or baby shower) where it gets tricky. And...I'll be making my own version of a breakfast casserole for Easter Breakfast at church.

Speaking of church... we had live praise music at service this past Sunday for the first time since we've been here (actually, the first time in 2-3 years)!! It was great! Such a change in the feel of the church in only 9 months! I'm proud of how God is working through Lance in this church.

So...life is good.