Chimney Rock

Back on my birthday in September Joe took me on a day trip to Chimney Rock.

This has been my birthday gift 3x now since we've been married. 

There is something about this particular park and the Lake Lure area that I just love.

Its only a 2 hour drive, making it a really easy day trip. We got to the little town of Chimney Rock around 11am, and walked through the shops, climbed on rocks by the river and found an adorable restaurant overlooking the river and the mountains- just perfect.

After lunch we discovered an awesome mini-golf place. It wasn't part of the plan, but our competitive spirits couldn't resist playing each other (we tied, by the way).

Then we spent the next 4 hours hiking this beautiful park. The lake behind us is Lake Lure.

My favorite thing about this park is that gorgeous views are everywhere! Its not like you have to wait until you reach the peak to have a view. We just love it! And after enjoying the scenic hike on top of the mountain, we hiked down the mountain to a water fall we could walk under! Its the best after a long hike!!

 To top off this already lovely day, we found a lake side cafe where we ate dinner while the sun was setting, before we drove home.  This trip was especially lovely to have a whole day just the two of us! Dates are so wonderful, but there is something so refreshing about an entire day with my boy. I'm ready for another one already!!  

a new house?

well...its been a crazy journey these past few weeks during our house search. I always thought  selling should be the hard part :) Just kidding, we are incredibly grateful to have our house under contract and be in a "buying" position. But it has been harder than we thought. After the first house went under contract before we got to it, we started looking again and ended up finding a home we loved, ready to be built in an amazing neighborhood, on a great lot (next to a little creek), for an amazing deal! Well, four weeks after waiting for a soil test, we found out the builder was leaving the neighborhood! Crazy. This is an amazing builder and its the first time they have ever backed out of an unfinished neighborhood. We considered the model home, but they wouldn't come down to our price. So, where does that leave us? At first a little perplexed, but then realizing the Lord must be taking us in a different direction. We relooked at a previous home and really fell in love with it. Its just as big and has all the features of the house we wanted to build, is close to lots of our friends, has a much bigger yard and is way less expensive. Amazing how we passed over it before. Well, we wrote up an offer for them tonite (to be submitted in the morning). Pray all goes well! I feel like I am just waiting to hear some reason why we can't get that house, but know that lacks a lot of faith in God who is fully in control of all things! He knows what house we'll end up in and there is no place I'd rather be. Thanks for your prayers.

A little life update

Abigail, now 20 months (wow!), has blossomed quite the personality! She is a bundle of smiles and energy. She is non-stop and much more into playing outside or in the cabinets than sitting still and coloring like her big sis (although she will on occasion). She loves riding her bike and playing with her babies. Abigail still doesn't talk much, but every day is coming up with new words in her sweet, girly voice. She calls Alathea "Yey-ya" and loves watching and copying whatever her big sis does.

Alathea is still our girly-girl, into all things girly. Like princesses and doing hair and going shopping. We think her favorite moment in life was the other week when we went shopping as a family at Harris Teeter and she got to push a mini kid-sized shopping cart. She was in total bliss! Alathea also absolutely loves school! She'd work on school constantly if I let her! 

 

The girls are at super fun ages! Two of my favorites!! And I'm so glad they have each other!

We've taken many wagon rides this fall. They are hilarious together :)

I took a last minute trip to MD in September to visit my family

and to make it to one of Julie's college soccer games.

This was my first trip EVER driving to MD by myself. That's crazy to me! For 9 years I've traveled back and forth to MD, but somehow always managed to have a travel buddy or fly. 

Fortunately the girls did great in the car.

Alathea & Abigail LOVE my Dad's house- a big backyard and two awesome dogs!

They also love my Dad & Rachel, and Ju-Ju and Rocky!

This past week, we've all had the flu!! Supposedly its the H1N1, but honestly doctors are calling any flu that right now, so it doesn't mean much. It's been crazy being sick all at the same time. Joe started us off, and I followed a few days later. Alathea and Abi are now both sick too. This has slowed life down a lot!! Lord willing we'll be back to normal next week!

Abigail in her glory

These pictures are from way back (Labor Day) at a friends birthday party.

As I looked at them today, I had to laugh at Abigail in her glory, 

having free reign to decorate cupcakes. Despite being the littlest one to do so, she seemed to have it all figured out!

I'm thinking Abi was saying something like, "No worries, sis, I've got this cupcake stuff under control"

Here is Abi reaching shamelessly across three big kids to get the sprinkles.

She seems rather focused here too.

I only wish I had an "after" picture of Abigail. She was covered in icing, cupcake and sprinkles! This girl LOVES to cupcakes!! This may of been the best hour of her life :)

Waiting

We've been doing a lot of "waiting" around here lately! Things we are waiting to hear about (and praying would go well)... how our home inspection went yesterday (on our current home), hearing that our buyers financing has completely come through, waiting to hear how the soil test went in the neighborhood we'd like to build in so that they can then release the lot (the test is on Thursday), waiting to hopefully write a contract to build a house if the soil test comes back good, waiting to hear if we've found a family to live with for the weeks in between our closing and our new home being built. Whew, I am not good at "waiting". But I think that really means I am not good at trusting the God who is perfectly in control of all those circumstances. It can feel like everything is up in the air, that nothing regarding us moving is for certain. BUT God's faithfulness, love, sovereignty and goodness are certain and I can rest peacefully there! Thanks for your prayers!