Sights of D.C.

Well, before Melvin got sick, we did get to see Washington, D.C. Sam had never been, and I had only been once before, so here's a glimpse of what we saw...

Iwo Jima-this is one of my favorites, because as you walk around it, it looks like they are raising the flag. I just think this statue is amazing!

The Pentagon Memorial-dedicated September 11, 2008. They used limestone from the building that they saved from where the plane crashed into the building and wrote the date of the attack on it. The benches have each person's name on them. As you read their name, the way you are facing tells you if they were in the building, or in the airplane. The youngest person that died was 2 years old-her sister and parents were with her. The memorial is beautiful and artistic and a wonderful way to remember those who lost their lives on that terrible day. 
My Parents!!! We got to meet up with them because Dad is contracted to D.C. through December-Mom flew in for a long weekend. It was really nice to see them and have "tour guides" around D.C.
Gardens at Mt. Vernon-apparently our first president was quite the gardener! The acres around his house are beautiful and the gardens are still used today!
Mt. Vernon-what a beautiful house! The "stone" is actually wood painted with sand thrown on it to look like stone-I was impressed. 

I must say, I don't think there is enough time in a year to see everything in D.C. but it is an awesome place to visit and learn more about our country's history.

More to come.....

Melvin

As my husband affectionately calls our car, Melvin is very sick. We went on our trip-to D.C., Delaware, an unexpected trip to Pennsylvania, and to West Virginia. On Friday, as we pulled off the exit in WV to go to my in-law's house, Melvin started chugging (you know, that feeling like you're running out of gas). Except that 100 miles before we had filled up and there was no way our tank was empty. We made it safely to my in-law's and the next day Sam took Melvin to the shop. We extended our stay in WV, I missed a day of class and Sam a day of work, but were optimistic that Melvin would be ready to head back to Tennessee on Monday. Well, that's the thing about mechanics (sorry if you are one), but it is never done when you think it will be. We had to leave Melvin in WV and come back home. 

I must mention here, that there is NO PLACE LIKE HOME! As good as it is to see family and friends, when I walk in my door-there is no other feeling. 

Well, here we are on Wednesday, and we found out that the heads(?) in the car are cracked. Let me remind you that I know nothing about cars and don't really know what that means, but I know it's bad and I know it's expensive. We are so blessed to have such great people around us who have offered to help us out! God is good! Hopefully Melvin will be restored soon, and back in the same state as us! I'm just happy that things are working out!

On Cars and Fall Break

Normally, I don't stress so much about the car being in the shop. I don't know enough about cars, so I usually take them in and say "can you fix it?" Sam, however stresses a LOT about cars. See his blog about that here. Today, as I was on my way home from school, (We are now on Fall Break!!!) I was talking to Sam and he was explaining that even though the car has been in the shop twice in the past two weeks, there is a belt that is making a terrible sound and will probably break soon if it doesn't get fixed. 

First, it's time to change mechanics because they are obviously NOT fixing our car, and second, we are supposed to be going to D.C. to meet up with my parents then to Delaware to see extended family. Can I just tell you how ticked off I was this afternoon! 

Good news is, Sam is currently changing the belt on my car. (Again, I don't really know what this "belt" does, but I know the package said it was a serpentine belt and I acted like I was going to be helping Sam work on the car in front of the guy at the auto parts store.) I also know that it is really important and now I know that it is a little tricky to take off and replace. I am so thankful for our neighbor that had the tool Sam needed to work on the car (he had every tool but the one he needed) and I'm thankful that he is helping Sam, because I look really cute standing over the car, holding the flashlight and reading the book to Sam, but that's about all I'm good for. Plus it's getting chilly outside. 

The other good news is, we are going to leave tomorrow morning (which works out, since I hadn't even started packing!) Our travel plans got a little rearranged, but I think it will work out and we'll get to see a lot of family and I'll actually get to take a vacation for Fall Break!

God is good!

Carving Pumpkins

Sam and I, along with our friends, Sarah and Elliott carved pumpkins today!!! Sarah had never carved a pumpkin before and we thought we should be there for this new experience...The following are our creations:

Elliott helps Sarah start her pumpkin

Elliott, Sarah and Sam, working hard

I was busy taking pictures, 

so it was dark by the time I got finished

Sam's is the one with the moon, mine is the face

Sarah's 1st Pumpkin!!!

Elliott's Creation...yes it's from the Nightmare 

Before Christmas, did I mention Elliott is a 

very talented artist?

Brave

Since I haven't posted in a while, and some friends, (or Hilah) have been bugging me to...here you go:

Let's start with Friday, as Donna and I ventured to Lexington, KY for a women's conference-Brave. We passed a billboard that held Donna's future...it was some kind of "get discovered here" sign at the Entertainment Center and RV Park. I told Donna we should go, but since we already paid our registration, we figured we should keep heading to Lexington. 

The conference was amazing. I cannot put into words what I experienced, but I was reminded once again how awesome our God is. I sang (with no voice, because I had been sick all week and student teaching.) But I stood there singing my heart out, pouring all of myself into worship. Not thinking about how good (or bad) I sounded, but fully worshiping God! What an awesome feeling. I have not done that in a very long time. 

I shared my struggles with women I had known for only a few hours. I poured my heart out without holding back. 

Let me share this...

I am really good at hiding things inside. Wow, I don't tell a lot of people that. It's not that I try to be fake with people, it's just that I am a fixer. I always have been. I like helping other people and being there for them. I am good at giving advice I should give to myself. But when it comes to me, I try to fix it myself. I don't really tell other people, because I think I can do it on my own. Now I know this is a flaw and not healthy at all, but this is what I do. I just take it all in stride and think, "I can do this." Like I have super powers or something.

I am learning (and relearning) that I must rely on God. I am grasping for things in my life I cannot reach, and should not reach just yet. I am so focused on the future that I don't see what I have right here, right now. I am learning to trust God again. To trust Him for who He is. It is that head knowledge that I have known for some time, it's getting it to my heart that takes awhile. 

I wasn't expecting to share all of that, but I am feeling relieved. I am breathing in once again, waiting (not so patiently), but waiting, because I know that God is in control. 

I wanted to share this song (chorus) by Nichole Nordeman, one of my favorite Christian artists. I have loved this song since I first heard it and it was the theme song at the conference (Hence the title)

Brave

So long status quo

I think I just let go

You make me want to be brave

The way it always was,

Is no longer good enough

You make me want to be brave