Our Journey Together

What I'm Thankful For!

2011-11-24T09:35:00.000-05:00

Ok, so it's been a little while since I have blogged. There has been so much that has happened! I will try to get better at keeping this up-to-date.

Just wanted to take a moment this morning and share with you all what I am thankful for.

Thanksgiving! (It gives us an excuse to get with family!)
My beautiful wife, who is beautiful in the true sense of the word. She makes everyday beautiful in her own special way because she is such a special woman. Gifted and beautiful. She still makes my heart beat faster.
My kids. Each one makes me smile! Where would I be without my incredible family!
Parents
Brothers
Grandparents
Cousins, uncles, and aunts
Friends - those who are close, and those who are new!
Strangers who offer their campers for us to use so we can sleep at Maw Maw and Paw Paw's and have a new adventure!
The maker of heaven and earth who gets infinite pleasure out of his children delighting in his world!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Overwhelmed

2011-07-19T21:59:00.003-04:00

The dust covers me and makes me feel as though I am suffocating under the weight.
The pain is almost too much to bear...alas, it is too much for me.
I breathe my last as the darkness sets in. The last dim light fades.
Gasping again for one last hope I realize that it must all end.
Life on earth is over now. The darkness has overwhelmed me.

Then bursting forth, I shoot through the crust of the earth's mantle.
The warmth and the light nourish the days and weeks and months and years of rain and storm.
I feel myself growing higher and higher in the light.
A sense of newness surrounds me. This is unfamiliar to me.
My life under the earth was so dark and bleak.
This new sensation is fresh and wonderful. Too wonderful for words.

In one final push, I am thrust into what seems like the final stage of this uprising.
I dazzle the earth with radiant colors. Colors unmatched by anything man-made.
Life has ended, but life has also begun.
Life where there is no more pain. Life in the midst of death.
The earth and dust and darkness that overwhelmed me lost. Something bigger won.
And here I stand in full bloom. In the glory of light like I have never seen.
I sense that I will never leave this light.
I felt the end coming when I was in the darkness,
But now that I am in the light I have no sense of any sort of end.
It is as though this is what I was supposed to be all along.
And somehow who I was in the darkness under the earth was only temporary.
It is too amazing for words.
So amazing that I am completely overwhelmed.

inspired by 1 Corinthians 15

Our Day Off

2011-07-15T16:00:00.002-04:00

We have declared as a family that we shall have at least one day every week where we do nothing but rest and enjoy our family!

And today we did just that! It began with trip to Blue Jay Point County Park. We hiked on the Falls Lake Trail and spent some time skipping rocks and collecting nature items. We had a great time. The weather was absolutely beautiful. It couldn't have been over 85 degrees out there. There was no humidity either. Noting but blue skies and fresh air!

In case you were wondering, yes, that is Caleb. My baby carrier was also used as a baby holder when we took breaks. He looks like he is in pain in this picture, but I promise there was no baby harmed in this trip. In fact, he was carried along and spoiled a good bit. He even slept for most of the hike.

Men have marveled for centuries at the wonders of God's creation. This hike was no exception. I saw five things that caused me to take pause and thank God for his splendor. And one of them even stopped to let me take the above picture!

What can you say? I have got the best family in the world!

We had to have a picnic lunch with our hike to make it authentic. So we let Sonic take care of the food. We used their tables for our picnic. It was much better than packing a lunch and trying to feed these little animals. These big cups you see everyone holding are Sonic's Route 44 sized drinks. We split two of them. They were enormous.

What a day indeed!

Tennessee Vacation (5)

2011-07-14T12:43:00.001-04:00

The Ferris Wheel was Nate and Micah's first "big boy" ride. They had been on other rides, but this one was very high! They both loved it. In fact, I think they were more calm than the adults were!

Abigail and Nate were both given some money by their grandparents to use as they pleased. That was a real treat for both of them! We let them pick out whatever they wanted, take it to the check out, and pay all by themselves. We somehow convinced Abigail to use her money on a souvenir rather than cotton candy. And the first souvenir she had was a shot glass to go with her tea set. So we showed her a small coffee cup that might be better for her tea set. Her dolls might appreciate that a little more than the shot glass...maybe.

Nathaniel had his mind set on the same gift the whole time we were there...a new Thomas the Tank Engine. He has a wooden Thomas train set at home and Thomas has been lost for some time now. So Nate bought a new one and just about hasn't let it out of his sight since! Micah's purchase isn't shown because his toy is in hiding. He bought a new gun that makes a lot of loud noise and lights up. So we are not quite sure where that toy is...and it might just stay like that!

The below attraction was a unique on for sure. It was one Ashley was so excited about. It was a huge challenge course. It was about three stories of nothing but challenges and obstacles. Ashley had a blast on it!

Well....all's well that ends well they say. We sure hated to see it come to an end. We'll be back tho' for sure. Here's Ashley's folks wishin' us a mountain farewell.

"Ya'll come back now! Y'hear!"

Tennessee Vacation (4)

2011-07-14T12:29:00.001-04:00

Here are some classic Dollywood photos. We had a blast at the antique cars. Grammy and Pappy really fit the part. (You notice who's driving, right?)

This water ride below was Abigail's first "big girl" ride. It got a little intense at times, but she did such a good job. Ashley was the first to get soaked. It look like she was going to be the only wet one for the whole ride. But that simply wasn't the case. I got absolutely soaked at the end.

Tennessee Vacation (3)

2011-07-14T12:24:00.001-04:00

When we think about this vacation, DOLLYWOOD is certainly the most memorable part of the trip. We spent two days at Dollywood. Not sure if that was the smartest thing, but it was still fun anyway.

The 5-mile journey on Dollywood's real steam locomotive, Cinder-ella, was probably everyone's favorite attraction. The kids loved it for sure. This was quite a treat for Daddy as well! I haven't ridden on a big train like this since I was a wee sprig in the hills of Carolina. (Tweetsie RR!)

I think Micah was so convinced his horse was real that he thought he was going to get bucked off! So he made sure he held on for dear life!

Nate the Navigator! It was amazing how good four-year-old Nate was with the Dollywood map. He was pretty accurate with his directions! He always had his copy on hand. (The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree for sure!)

There were points were I certainly envied Caleb. Oh to be carried around the park, never have to walk, and be fed when you get hungry. And when it's all over everyone said what a hard day he had. Really?

Micah is on the train closing his ears from the loud whistle. When we got off the train Micah was holding his eye and rubbing it. We wondered if he got a cinder in his eye. Ashley took him to the first aid station and they were able to get it out. It was a cinder from the train. They took good care of him. He was a good patient, too!

One thing Dollywood does better than any other theme park I've been to is move people around from the parking lot to the gate. There really wasn't a bad parking spot in the whole park (and there were a lot of them!) They had tram stops all along the parking lots to get people to the gate. It's especially great if you travel in a herd like we do!

At the same time, it would have been nice if they had something like that actually inside the park. They give you a ride to the gate, but once you're in it's nothing but walking...everywhere you go! Two days of walking was a bit much!

Tennessee Vacation (2)

2011-07-14T11:55:00.001-04:00

Here are more shots from just our hanging out around the cabin. You honestly could have just locked me in and I would have been just fine.

Ahhhh....marshmallow goodness. Sometimes good taste comes at a high price. For example...see Abigail below. She was a sticky mess, but if you ask her she'll tell you it was well-worth it! Her face says it all!

Tennessee Vacation

2011-07-14T11:52:00.000-04:00

Last week found us hanging out with Ashley's family in a beautiful cabin in Tennessee. The mountains were so majestic! The weather was perfect. We got pretty tired by the end of the week, but still had a good time. I hope to upload pictures a few pics at time and try to explain what we were doing and why that pic was significant. We had so many pictures it will be hard not to upload every one of them. I'll pick out the best ones and share them.

We spent the first two or three days just hanging around this beautiful cabin. It was the perfect size for the family.

There was plenty of entertainment around the cabin. We didn't have to go very far to find something fun to do.

This was a first for our kids. S'MORES! We roasted hot dogs and had smores for dessert. I think I ate like 5 hot dogs. There's nothing in the world like a fire-roasted hot dog.

Caleb at his best!

2011-06-24T23:20:00.000-04:00

All My Boys!

2011-06-24T23:15:00.001-04:00

I don't really think there are words to add to this amazing picture. I think it pretty much speaks for itself. What can I say? These are some fine young men...look out world!

Abigail's First Dance Recital

2011-06-24T23:01:00.002-04:00

After many hours of practicing, Abigail was able to demonstrate for dozens of parents all she had learned from her Pre-Dance class. All those Friday evenings were so worth it to see her up there in front of everyone. She did such a great job! She shined so bright! I apologize for the fuzzy pictures, but the camera was acting up, and these were some of the best action shots I had. The lighting was pretty bad in the place. But that didn't matter really...I was the proudest Daddy in the room!

Beach Getaway!

2011-06-24T15:06:00.000-04:00

We took advantage of a family gathering to get away as a family! Ben was graduating from Coastal, and since we were right there at Myrtle Beach we decided to hang out well past the graduation. We got a great rate on a place in Myrtle called Captain's Quarters. We had a blast! It was also our 8TH ANNIVERSARY! So, Ashley and I got to do one thing we enjoy doing, and haven't done for a while. We ate Japanese take-out. It was great!

We had such a good time.

Happy Birthday, Nathaniel!

2011-04-20T09:42:00.000-04:00

I know I'm a little late on this post. Forgive me for that! But we had another birthday boy recently and I wanted to share it with the world! My Nathaniel just turned 4!!!

Now in our home, birthdays tend to stretch out over a few days. When the actual day comes it is certainly special. But for the whole week, we are doing special things together, and the birthday boy/girl gets to choose the special things we do.

Nate really enjoyed his race car birthday cake. Mommy did a very professional job with it! We got to share it with some friends of ours, and it was a very memorable time.

Then we took a day and went to Monkey Joe's in Raleigh. It was a blast! Micah sure was in his element. Nathaniel absolutely loved it. Well, I guess we all did! I think I had as much fun as the kids did. It wasn't very crowded, so it was very enjoyable. We stayed for hours!

Happy Birthday, Nathaniel! I can't believe you're four years old already. Your growing up to be such a handsome young man. You certainly are one of a kind, that's for sure! I love you, little buddy!

A Gospel Perspective on Motherhood

2011-03-24T09:36:00.002-04:00

Read these words and see how the Joyners challenge us regularly by their example.

http://nothing2bring.blogspot.com/2011/03/here-we-go-again.html

An Evening on the Town

2011-03-23T10:16:00.000-04:00

Ashley and I got to have an evening out on the town last night. It was just the two of us! It was great! When my warehouse hosted its Christmas dinner party for all the managers last December we were unable to make it because we were at the hospital with Caleb being born! So my boss let us have a rain check, which we cashed in last night at probably the fanciest restaurant we've ever been to. We had a great time. Ashley looked absolutely amazing!! The pictures turned out well, but none of them did her elegance justice. I wish I had a quarter for every time someone almost broke their neck trying to get a look at her last night! We considered this an early anniversary dinner since we probably will not be able to afford to eat a nice place like this for our real anniversary. Hey, we got a free dessert out of it!

At the Car Wash!

2011-03-23T09:52:00.000-04:00

I guess you can say Spring has sprung! We are loving this 80 degree weather! Abigail and Micah decided to do a little spring cleaning and get their stylish coup back into mint condition.

Snapshot Arguments

2011-02-18T20:09:00.000-05:00

When we don't like someone or something, we pick at them. We use hyperbole and any other fancy argumentation to make sure they know how much we do not like them. "You always do that." "I never do that." Humility is not even on the radar when we find ourselves here....

I am struck as I see another one of those bumper stickers that was taking a cheap shot at religion. (I hate political and religious bumper stickers of any kind by the way - we can't share the gospel with those closest to us, yet we have a soapbox bumper sticker for perfect strangers to read and not respond....lame!) I know the bumper sticker that says "Abortion stops a beating heart." Well, the sticker I saw today read, "Religion stops a thinking mind." Rather than react in anger (which was certainly the desired result of the driver), I thought about it for a second. And to be perfectly honest with you, I think I can see why someone would think that. They have had a snapshot of "religion" where they have witnessed someone doing something they think is irrational, and have concluded that only those without any sort of ability to reason or "think" as they put it, would follow any sort of religion. I disagree with them, since only the dead lack thinking minds. But here's my point...

We do the same thing as Christians. We take a snapshot of our "enemies" at their worst and make that the poster image for why we are glad we are not like them. Why does this sadden me???

Because when we were at our worst, Christ wasn't taking pictures.

Instead, He pursued us with His love, even when we put him on the cross. We need to think past the sinful images we have of our neighbors and co-workers and view them as Jesus does....a soul desperately in need of His truth - THE truth of His unending love. When we are tempted to remember someone at their worst - our neighbors, co-workers, friends, family - spouses...we need to be reminded that we are no different, and therefore no better. We need to listen to the profound truth of the gospel yet again - humility, grace, forgiveness. Then and only then, can we love like Christ.....and that is the smartest bit of reason and most rational thing I can think of.

Abigail is 5!!! Wow!

2011-02-18T19:33:00.001-05:00

There are two celebrations that our kids are going to think last for days and days....Christmas and Birthdays. Even though the day of Christmas is Dec. 25th, we managed to celebrate it many times over the course of two weeks. The same has been true for birthdays. Even though Abigail's birthday was on Feb. 8th, we celebrated it over and over again. We celebrated it as a family, then with friends, and then with even more family. We had a great time. There is on thing for sure, our kids know how much we love them and how special each one of them is.

I just can't belive my little girl is 5 years old. As you might be able to see from the pictures, she already is missing a tooth. Another one is already growing back, too. She will start school this year. Boy....time is just flying by for Abigail. She is so advanced, it's crazy. She's already spelling and writing. She can write the name of everyone in our family all by herself. And the letters are very good! No scribble scrabble.

I'm one proud Daddy...but sad one too. I miss her little pink dresses, but I guess I love the big ones, too. Guess I can't slow her down...just hope my memory can keep up!

Happy Birthday, my Abigail!

Happy Birthday, Micah!

2011-01-28T13:53:00.000-05:00

I can't believe how fast the time has gone by. Micah is two years old today! And boy is he every bit of two. He has given Mommy and Daddy quite a fit here lately. But we love him still. Every one of our children is so unique. Micah is certainly no exception. He is definitely the scrappiest one of the bunch, ready to man-handle anything that comes his way. I'm already praying for both his future teachers and his spouse.

Well, Happy Birthday my Micah! You are special indeed! God has some incredible things in store for you! That is...if you live to see three! At this rate, you might just make it, but may not have all your teeth. You've already chipped one - twice! You certainly are one of a kind!

God's Handiwork!

2010-12-28T23:35:00.000-05:00

This photo absolutely takes my breath away every time I look at it. God has made my life so beautiful!
WOW.

New WebCam Experiment

2010-12-28T21:14:00.001-05:00

We wanted to test out our new WebCam. Here's a few of the results.
Click here! These sent us rolling!

Enjoy!

Ashley Had a Birthday!

2010-12-27T15:23:00.000-05:00

Because of all of the baby and Christmas festivities, I was unable to announce to the world that my bride had her 30th birthday the other day! December the 19th to be exact!

We decided to attempt to make it to church for the first time since Caleb was born. After church we took Mommy out for lunch to Applebee's. The restaurant was at Brier Creek were they were doing horse-drawn carriage rides. It was a little chilly, but we had a great time! It was amazing how different it is to attempt "going out" with the whole family now. Life will never be the same that is for sure.

Thirty years ago, God did an absolutely amazing thing when he brought my Ashley Dawn into the world. I am so grateful to him for giving me the incredible opportunity to share life with her. She is the love of my life, and I adore her so much. I only wish we could have done something really big for her birthday to show her how special she is. I guess you could say we gave her a new baby for her birthday. That's a pretty big deal. She got round-the-clock room service and two nights away from home. But we decided to take her to Kirkland's while we were at Brier Creek. I think she had a really good birthday.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T13:56:00.000-05:00

This is the first Christmas where we spent Christmas Eve/Morning with just us. We sure missed everyone, though! Georgia came our way this past week and West Virginia is coming this week. In the meantime we are enjoying the family time. Ashley is baking cookies while the kids play with their new train table. I'm under my new quilt my mom made for me for my birthday/Christmas/new baby gift. Life is good.

We were at our church last night for a Christmas program. Abigail was in the first group that sang.

After the program we came home and got in our PJs. Then we talked about the story of Jesus' birth. The kids really got into it. They wanted to reenact the story so we dressed them up.

One Thing I Never Get Tired Of

2010-12-15T20:31:00.001-05:00

As a Dad there are a lot of things that make me tired. But there is one thing that I certainly will never get tired of, and that is being a Dad!

Nanny and Grandpa

2010-12-13T11:27:00.000-05:00

Nanny and Grandpa came to help us for the weekend. The kids loved all their adventures with Grandpa!

Grandpa introduced the kids to a taste of mountain culture by reading Possum Come Aknockin'.

Wrestle mania! I told Grandpa that the kids were meaner than they looked!

This was a rare moment! Micah actually sat still long enough for Grandpa to read him a bedtime story.

Yes, that is pink hair on Abigail's head. She's going for a new look.

We introduced Grandpa to Wake Forest's little taste of heaven on earth - Krispie Kreme! Check out the hats! Thank you guys so much for helping us this weekend! We had a great time!

Welcome Home Mommy and Baby Caleb!

2010-12-12T15:00:00.000-05:00

Ashley and Caleb came home yesterday afternoon! It was a cold and rainy day, but it was so warm and inviting in our house. Mrs. Debbie was with the kids all day and had some great adventures. Ashley's Mom and Dad were able to be here for the homecoming and stayed until this afternoon. They were all such big helpers. Thank you everyone for all that you have done for us!

Uncle Noah and Aunt Stephanie got to spend some time with us last night, too. They weren't sure if they should come because they wanted us to spend time with family. To which I immediately responded, "But you ARE family!" Love you guys!

Caleb Joshua Erdman

2010-12-11T11:50:00.000-05:00

Caleb didn't have a middle name for the first couple of days of his life. We finally decided on Joshua. How fitting for the names Caleb and Joshua to be together in one name. Caleb has always been one of Ashley's favorites, and I have always liked the name Joshua. Caleb means "heart" and Joshua means "God is my salvation." So, the two make a great combination. As far as the biblical characters who bore those names are concerned, Caleb and Joshua are tremendous examples of faith.

When Israel was standing on the edge of the promised land, the elders sent 12 spies (one from each tribe) to explore the land and check out its inhabitants. Of the 12 spies, ten of them came back with their tails between their legs in fear. They were sure that Israel didn't stand a chance against the vast armies and giants that inhabited the land. Caleb and Joshua on the other hand, came back bold and sure that God would bring them into the land and surely wipe out the inhabitants. When everyone else lacked faith, it was Caleb and Joshua who demonstrated great faith. Because of Israel's lack of faith no one who came out of Egypt was going to live to see the promised land. No one except Caleb and Joshua! For they served the Lord "wholeheartedly" as Numbers 32:12 puts it.

That is a great legacy! And our Caleb will be taught all about what his name means. My heart will absolutely explode with joy should he choose to follow the same path.

Welcome Baby Caleb!!!

2010-12-10T15:35:00.001-05:00

Join us in welcoming the newest addition to our family! Baby Caleb!

Born: December 9, 2010, 7:01 am

9 lbs, 12 oz!!!!

22 in. long

Ready or not here he comes....okay maybe not.

2010-12-03T18:18:00.001-05:00

There aren't too many things that make me anxious as much as waiting for a baby to be born. There have been a few times now where Ashley will be having contractions about 10 mins apart. This will go on for several hours, and then just stop. It will continue long enough for us to get our hopes up and then just stop. I have to make a conscious effort to not think about it. It's driving us both bonkers.

There have been some great things about not having a baby yet, though. Yesterday every one of us took a two-hour afternoon nap. Mommy, Daddy, kids, everyone! It was glorious! Even the cat was sleeping! Well, okay, that's nothing new for him. That's all he really does. I told him to get a job, but he just rolled over and acted like he didn't even hear me. But this nap was certainly something that probably will not happen once little guy arrives.

Ashley's beat. She is so spent from carrying around the baby in her belly and going through the normal daily routine. Fortunately there hasn't been much going on, so we've been able to take things pretty easy as we wait. If the baby doesn't come before Friday the 10th, they will induce that day. Who knows...maybe he'll be here by then.

For those innovative types out there, I thought of the next great invention if you're up for it. You know those pop-up timers on turkeys you buy from the store? They pop-up to indicate when the turkey is fully cooked and okay to pull out of the oven. Someone needs to invent a pop-up timer for pregnant ladies. They should pop-out when it's time to go to the hospital. That would eliminate all this guess work and waiting.

Then again...I think God likes it when we wait. Our true colors tend to come out when we wait. Wouldn't you agree?

So Much to be Thankful For!

2010-11-23T22:29:00.000-05:00

As Thanksgiving Day continues its approach, I can't stop recounting all the ways God has blessed me. To list them all here would take more space and probably be too long for you to read. Suffice it to say that I am truly blessed by God in two major areas of my life - my family life, and my personal heart and soul.

How many people out there have a stable family life like ours shares? So many people will be torn as they have to choose which home to celebrate Thanksgiving with, Mom's or Dad's. Fortunately for us, our decision is only difficult because we can't decide where we should all get together at the same time. In my estimation, that is a good problem. My wife would be a great image of love and blessing in my life. Her tender, steadfast love has been an anchor for me for the past 7 years of my life. Her grace and forgiveness is crazy! Why would she/should she remain with me after all I put her through??? Nothing but her unending love for me. That's incredible!

My kids bless me daily with laughs, frustrations, and wonder as we attempt to lead them through these early years of their lives. They truly are a blessing, and this new baby will be no exception for sure.

And as I sit here right now, I have a clean and clear conscience before my God. That's a great and peaceful spot to be. Believe me, I've tried hiding and running from the truth, but that ends in ruin and demise. To sit in my home and know that I am forgiven and freed from the sins that so easily entangle me is nothing short of overwhelming.

I am content. I need nothing more. Everything else is just icing on the cake.

Is it Busy-ness or Business?

2010-11-17T00:28:00.000-05:00

How do you write that anyway? Is it even a word? Well, whatever you call it...we're busy. We have a sort of list of things we'd like to have in place prior to baby's arrival. (I feel like we are awaiting a special guest or something. I guess we are!) Ashley calls it nesting. I call it good common sense. Amidst all of that Ashley was able to put in some time at work to help us out a little. Yes, I did say that. Ashley, who is 3 cm dilated at this point, is working this week. Now, she does get paid to sit most of the day as she works up new patients, but still, she has been so incredibly un-selfish! She really ministers to me by her incredible example!

I've been spending time with the kids and have continued to explore the new territory of publishing web articles. It seems to be a slow-going process. It certainly is not a get-rich quick type of work. See my most recent articles on Helium.com. Not sure yet how to get a link to my list of articles, but here is one of the articles. http://www.helium.com/items/2010615-child-driveway-safety-tips

If you look at the titles I wrote for, you may think it is kind of random. Helium gives cash prizes for contests and all the articles I've written so far are for the contest. They supply the titles, writers write the articles, and the best one wins.

Still trying to figure it all out.

An Emerging Freelancer?

2010-11-12T08:28:00.000-05:00

So I've decided to try my hand at freelance writing. I've joined a couple of reputable websites that pay you for writing articles. It's not a ton of money, but every bit helps, right? I've already posted a couple of articles on helium.com. I've also applied for a paid writer's position on factoidz.com. We'll see what happens. I've enjoyed it so far. The best part about the sites is you write whatever you like about practically anything. I love that freedom! They can suggest a title, or you can choose one. It's great! I've always enjoyed writing and would love to use it to encourage others and would love to consider it as a part time job. Check out those websites and see if you can find me out there! I've already posted two articles on Helium. I haven't been published yet on Factoidz. Yet!

How Do Clouds Stay in the Sky?

2010-11-10T23:45:00.001-05:00

Nathaniel asked me this question today. Classic childhood question, wasn't it. Not sure exactly what spawned the idea in his head since it was a clear and cloudless day today. He was still in his pj's playing in the living room. Without looking up at me or skipping a beat, he nonchalantly asked, "Dad, how do clouds stay in the sky?"

I've heard of these moments, but I think this is the first I've experienced as a Dad. I'm sure there will be many good questions in the years ahead, but this one is classic. Right up there with "where do babies come from?"

I know at this point you want to know how I responded. I honestly wasn't quite sure, so I said basically there are two answers to that question. One answer was simply, God keeps them in the sky. This would have sufficed, but I wanted to take advantage of this "creation" moment. Basically a moment to describe something really neat about the world God created. So the other answer I gave was that clouds are basically teeny tiny drops of water that are so small they float in the air. And when you get a bunch of those drops of water together they form clouds. Sometimes the water drops get bigger and get real heavy, though, and the cloud begins to fall. We call that rain. And sometimes the drops of water are kind of heavy, but don't fall like rain, we call that fog. I think he got it. He must have because there was no follow-up question. Either that or he decided Daddy's answer was way over his head and not to ask questions if he didn't want a science lesson.

It was humbling to hear him ask me that question. Being a Dad is a big responsibility - kids think you have all the answers, and that you can fix anything. I only hope and pray that I can shepherd their hearts by being humble enough to admit when I do not have the answer, or cannot fix something. Admitting that might be hard for my Daddy pride, but will go a long way in the kids' hearts for sure.

"Daddy may not be superman, but that's okay...he's my Dad!"

(above image courtesy of Fir0002/Flagstaffotos)

He could be here any day now!

2010-11-10T10:30:00.002-05:00

Ashley went to the doctor yesterday, and we got some very very exciting news! I'll spare you the details, but let me just say that baby is on the way and could be here very soon! She is not in labor. Yet. But that won't be long now. There has been a lot of progress and activity in the pre-labor department, so we are quickly knocking out all the last minute stuff we want to get done before he comes. We have a name picked out already, but we'll have to save that for the big day. We'll let that one stay a surprise. We've gone back and forth, but we've finally found one that we both really like and the meaning is incredible! Ashley is still having a lot of activity and is quite miserable at this point, so it probably won't be long now.

One of the items on our to-do list was to get our 2010 family pictures done. We had our pictures taken yesterday evening on the seminary campus. It was beautiful. Can't wait to see the pictures!

And, of course, we would need to do some car repairs while baby is about to come. The power steering is having some issues in our van, so it is down until further notice. Fortunately we still have the truck. Ashley says she feels weird driving that big thing, but I think secretly she really gets a kick out of it. (BTW - a little known fact about my wife is that while in high school she wanted to have a motorcycle when she was married and out of the house. Yes, the same Ashley! So we're probably just going to wait until we're old and get some of those old-people motorcycles, and cruise the highways in style!)

We'll keep you all posted on the new baby once the big day comes!

Life with Her is so Wonderful!

2010-11-04T15:10:00.000-04:00

"She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs with no fear of the future. When she speaks, her words are wise, and kindness is the rule when she gives instructions. She carefully watches all that goes on in her household and does not have to bear the consequences of laziness. Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all! Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised. Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise."

Proverbs 31:25-31

Watching Airplanes

2010-11-04T14:43:00.000-04:00

I'll never get tired of going to one of my favorite parks in Raleigh - the RDU Observation Park. This is one of the best kept secrets of Raleigh. The Observation Park is a park that is located right next to the general aviation terminal, and you can see planes of all sizes take off and land on the runway. There's a big sand box with a climbing thing for kids, some picnic tables, and restrooms. The observation deck has a couple of speakers under it for visitors to hear communication between air traffic control and pilots. We love hanging out there!

I don't know who's fascinated more, me or Micah! I absolutely cherish moments like these with my kids. All of them love to watch the planes. It's really cool! I love my family!

Abigail Quote of the Day

2010-11-03T16:30:00.002-04:00

Abigail was talking with my Mom a while back about our daily routine around the house, and she was asked if she could watch a movie, to which she replied,

"Oh yeah, Daddy lets us do whatever we want."

Classic.

Some Halloween Fun!

2010-11-03T12:23:00.000-04:00

Check out the pictures, they speak for themselves!

Unity Creates Strength

2010-10-28T21:32:00.002-04:00

As I ponder answers I don't have to questions that are too big for me, I run into what Stephanie and Noah Joyner call the Haitian Contradiction. I have found yet one more contradiction. I was reading Steph Joyner's blog (nothing2bring.blogspot.com) about the recent cholera outbreak, and I decided to check out what wiki had to say about Haiti. There were lots of great facts about Haiti and its history, but one thing really stood out to me, and that was Haiti's national motto - Unity Creates Strength.

There are so many things that we take for granted - clean drinking water, indoor plumbing, roofs that don't leak, soft beds with more than an abundance of blankets and pillows. Yes we have a lot. But there are so many who have so little. It's like I hear their cries from across a vast ocean, but don't know exactly from which direction they cry out. Then God pinpoints exactly where some of the cries are poured out - a land known as Haiti. A land who has so little. A land who hungers, not for food that perishes, but food that is eternal. The unity that is found between God and man is the greatest way to bring strength to the weak, help to the helpless, hope to the hopeless. What if we brought clean water to Haiti in the name of the Creator who can supply living water?

In the USA, we learned that we found our strength in uniting with one another despite our differences. The gospel is the same. How different, how sinful, and how human we are compared to the One, True God of the universe. Yet he desires that we be one with him in Christ. I don't care how many states unite, they are absolutely powerless compared to uniting with the God and Creator of all reality.

That is the irony of the Haitian national motto - Unity Creates Strength. When will we answer their cries...their pleas for help? When will we take the gospel to the desperate who are dying because they do not possess clean drinking water. We water our flowers with clean drinking water, yet their babies die every day. And what hope can there be apart from living water that gives them life everlasting? Oh the pain of death apart from Christ!! Unity creates strength, and unity with Christ produces eternal life!

Oh to See the Sea!

2010-10-26T16:14:00.000-04:00

We spent the weekend with family at Myrtle Beach after going to the Coastal football game Saturday night. I couldn't believe how warm it was. The kids loved the beach! They were all really brave this year! Especially Abigail. Micah and Nate had a blast, too. We stayed in a great hotel right on the beach called the Sandcastle. It definitely marks a first for me. I've never slept in a sandcastle before this weekend. You couldn't beat the rate, though. Thanks to Orbitz, we got the place for like $25 a night. We would have stayed longer, but had Dr.'s appointments and loose ends. Besides, the last thing we need to do right now is spend money we don't have on lavish vacations. It was a great little trip, though. I think my favorite part was sleeping on the big bed in Maw Maw and Paw Paw's room. Their room had a huge picture window that went from floor to ceiling. I felt like a kid because I would crash on that big bed and just lay there and watch the ocean.

The best part about the Sandcastle hotel was definitely the various pools. There was a traditional pool, but just next to it was what they called an endless river. It was basically a tiny river with rafts floating around it. It was neat! There were a lot of hotels with these lazy rivers. I can see why they're popular, though. It was nice to float around lazily with the kids. I literally could have floated there for hours. Besides the endless river, there was a little kiddie pool that was perfect for the youngins. And then there was a heated indoor pool that felt great! Just next to that was a huge hot-tub. So, there were a lot of pools!

The hotel where my Aunt and Grandparents stayed was called the Schooner II. It was a Racquetball and Pool club. While the pool was a bit small and kind of green, the racquetball court and fitness center was really cool! It was all on the 15th floor so it was pretty high up. Ashley beat me in ping pong, but I beat her in racquetball. I didn't feel too good about my victory, though since she is about 8 months pregnant. Although, that didn't stop her in ping pong.

Just before we left we toured the new athletic facility at Ben's school. The best part of all was hanging out in the football team's locker room. That was awesome! Coach Bennett was there, too. Check out the pics!

This was our last hoorah before the baby comes. It was great! Can't wait for the little bambino to join us for more adventures in the years to come!

Coastal 28, Stony Brook 38

2010-10-24T20:29:00.001-04:00

While it certainly wasn't their best game ever, Coastal had some real positive points where they almost rallied to tie the game. I have to say their punter (who also happens to be my brother) played a fantastic game! Ben had a play that really changed the momentum of the game. It looked like it was going to be an all-out shut-out. I mean, people were leaving in the middle of the first quarter! It was that bad! Well, in the third quarter, Ben was about to punt when he had to run the ball. He didn't have time to get the punt off so he ran for it. Sure enough he got a first down! We were back in the game! I told Ben after the game that he had no reason at all to hang his head. He did a great job of doing his job exactly when and how the team needed it. I'm proud of you, Ben!

This game marks the end of a chapter for our lives as it is the last Coastal football game we will be able to attend while Ben plays college ball. He is now a senior and has only four more games left in the season. We can't make it to another game because we have a baby coming soon, and can't be too far from home. We don't know exactly what will happen after Ben is done with college ball. He will most definitely continue to go as far as he can. He has so much potential! It has been great to be a part of CCU football, and only wish I could have made it to more games.

From Durkyn to Stackhurst

2010-10-22T15:49:00.001-04:00

I'm not sure exactly why we find ourselves living on streets with such unusual names. Nonetheless, we have gone through a significant change in our life as a family. We have moved out of our home on Durkyn Place and into a new home. The Durkyn house was on the market, but was not selling (not too surprising). At the same time we found some great deals out there and decided that now was the time to buy for sure. Interest rates are at all time lows, and list prices are dropping dramatically. So, we decided on a cute house just north of Durkyn in Youngsville, NC. Technically we still have a Wake Forest address, so I'm not quite sure how to tell people where we live. The next street over is Wake County, while we are in Franklin County. Which wouldn't be so bad except the Wake Co. folks are paying only a fraction of the taxes we now pay in Franklin Co. (which would have been nice to know prior to purchasing in Franklin Co.). But still, the instant equity we have in the house made the purchase and move worth it.

What happened to Durkyn, you ask? It is still there, but it is currently occupied by a tenant who is renting from us for a 6 month lease. This frees us up to not have to carry two mortgages. The tenant is a very nice little family and we are certainly glad to have them in the house.

While we greatly miss our neighbors on Durkyn, we have come to really enjoy this new spot. The neighbors are very friendly here as well. The new house is quite spacious, too, making life a little easier on Ashley and the kids for sure (and for me, too!) The yard is nice and flat and there are NO trees! Which at first I thought was a bummer, but in all honesty, I really like the idea of not having to rake this fall! We do have some small trees, but not enough to really have to rake. Also, because there are no trees, there is no canopy and the sky is huge!!! When the stars are out, you can almost see 180 degrees of starry sky! It's great! We are also on the flight path for air traffic into and out of RDU airport. We love watching the planes fly overhead. The boys especially like them!

The move was long and tedious. The driveway at Durkyn was too steep to get the truck down. It kept bottoming-out. We finally just had to park it on the curb and carry every last piece of furniture, every box, and every little thing up the drive and into the truck (about a 20-30 yard hike). Needless to say that made the day extra long.

At Stackhurst, we parked the truck right up to the house on our nice, flat driveway! Our plans are still to sell Durkyn and cash in on that investment. We are so glad to still keep in touch with the folks from that neighborhood, although, we would like to spend more time with them. It's not quite the same that's for sure. We have met neighbors here and are enjoying our relationships with them. Neighbor Paul has great tips for the house, and we have some great conversations. Neighbor Kamira and her puppy, Pepper like playing in the front yard, so we always like it when they visit. The kids really like Pepper, and I think she likes them just as much. Abigail has made some new friends whose backyard backs up to ours. They'll often come up to the property line and stand there to see if Abigail and Nate can come out and play.

I'm not sure exactly what God's plans are for us and how long we'll be in this neighborhood. While we are here, though, there are really two investments will make. One being investing in our kids and the time we spend with them. And the other being meeting more neighbors and making more friends. Those investments are sure to produce a return, regardless of the state of the economy.

Food (or boxes) Sacrificed to Idols

2010-08-20T23:51:00.000-04:00

I went into an ABC store for the first time in my life today. I felt like some kind of rebel. Of course, I was on a mission quite different from the other patrons. I had no intentions of getting filled up on alcohol. Instead, I was in search of good, sturdy boxes to fill up with my stuff. And sure enough, there were plenty of those kind of boxes at the local liquor store. It was actually a pretty clean operation. Yes, those who made their purchases walked out with brown bags. I was cool with that. Me...I just walked out with brown boxes (and blue ones, and yellow ones...well they are kind of pretty aren't they?).

Ready for some FOOTBALL!

2010-08-19T01:09:00.000-04:00

Some of you may already know my little brother plays college football. For the rest of you, my little brother plays football at Coastal Carolina, and is an awesome punter! This season opens up against the WVU Mountaineers. The ironic thing is Ashley's family is not really into sports that much. But if the sport involves WVU, they are all about it! They're huge WVU fans. This should make for an interesting interaction. Ben, being a punter, should get some good playing time in that game. This is his senior year, and we are all very excited for him! GO BEN!

Brian Carderelli

2010-08-11T10:33:00.001-04:00

Just got word on Monday before I went to work that an acquaintance of mine was killed in Afghanistan. He was travelling to Kabul with a team of doctors when their party was overtaken by Taliban militia. They pulled the team into the woods and shot them one by one. You can read Brian's story in the Washington Post here,

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/09/AR2010080905727.html

Brian was a junior counselor of mine for a couple of summers at Grace Bible Camp in Goshen, VA. He along with Michael Albert and Josh White, were some of my best JCs. Brian was a very hard worker. Quiet at times, but always willing to spend time with the boys and help out however was needed. I am so proud to hear of how he spent his days after graduating from college. I regret that we lost touch after those summers, but am so proud to hear of how he invested his life. I am challenged by Brian's willingness to love on people regardless of the cost.

Dinner Table Discussion at Our House

2010-07-27T17:10:00.002-04:00

Let me give you some kind of idea what sort of discussions take place at our dinner table....

Abigail: "When I get married I'm going to be a mommy and not have any kids."

Nate: "When I grow up I'm going to be a fork."

Micah: growl

Ashley: "Is it bedtime yet?" "When I grow up I'm going to be a full time vacationer."

Our Adventure with Daddy!

2010-07-21T22:54:00.001-04:00

First of all Ashley had to work today, so it was Daddy DayCare all day. Which, if you know anything about how I watch the kids, you'd know that Daddy DayCare is nothing short of AWESOME! I tend to spoil them. Well, we had a showing scheduled for this morning. Our house is on the market and so we have to be willing and ready to slip out for an hour or so. Fortunately we get a pretty advanced notice, so we can be prepared. So Daddy took all his chil'ren to the park for a picnic breakfast this morning. Simply for the fact that it is already hard to keep a house in "show" condition with three preschoolers. Breakfast is one of our messiest meals of the day. So it was up, dress, shoes, and out as quickly as possible this morning. No playing, no eating, no breathing...until we went outside of course. We had a great time. We went to a park right by the library. After we finished our breakfast we found out it was "Library Day" which involves an interactive story time for kids. So needing little persuasion, I took the kids to Library Day. Abigail and Nate are pros at it, so they were excited about being able to go. It was a lot of fun. Today's stories were about boats.

Well, the showing was supposed to end around 11, but it wasn't near 11 yet, so we needed to play more after our library excursion. The park was pretty full, and all two of the swings were taken, so we decided to go to a different park. (Prior to having families, singles bar hop...Daddies, they park hop! Oh yeah!) So we went to Rolesville Park, which is one of the best parks around. We practically had the whole place to ourselves. We shared it with the tame squirrels who would get a little too close for comfort.
We hadn't stayed long when the temperatures were reaching about 100 and it was past 11 enough for us to return home. So we loaded up the truck and we got all settled to make the drive home...and the truck wouldn't start. Now imagine if you will, being in a hot truck (over 100 degrees) with three preschoolers, no cell phone, no lunch, and no way to get home. Oh yeah, and I'm not supposed to carry the one year old just yet because of a recent surgery. Needless to say, I was a bit perplexed as to what in the world I was going to do.
I decided it was too hot to sit in the truck, and since we did have graham crackers we went over to a picnic shelter and had a little snack as we plotted our plan for survival. There was no way for me to communicate with anyone who could help us. There were some fast food places within walking distance (Abigail liked that option). I was just going to borrow their phone to call Uncle Andrew who worked not even two miles from the playground (but since he does landscaping he probably wasn't anywhere close to work).
Finally I asked some of the other park patrons if they had jumper cables. No one did. But neither did I, so I guess I couldn't get too frustrated. Finally, a family who happened to be in a minivan which happened to have three empty seats which happened to have built-in carseats, asked how they could help. So we put our heads together and decided to run down to Auto Zone for some jumper cables.
Got the cables. Came back. Hooked them up. Nothing worked. After about a half hour of trouble shooting we finally get the truck started (for all the guys reading this - and are still awake - first of all congratulations on having a great attention span, secondly, it wouldn't start because it wasn't all the way in park...well it was, but there is a bad connection in park...it started in neutral.)
So the family refused to let me thank them by buying them lunch, so we returned the cables to Auto Zone. By this point I'm soaked in sweat and the kids are just about worn out. But you know what, even though they'd been through that, they really weren't cranky.
On the way home we drove past a home my buddy is renovating and he gave us the grand tour. Then we finally made it home and at lunch around 12:45. We gulped down our chicken and mac 'n cheese and we all went down for a nice hour and half nap....including Daddy (by the way, they never sleep for Mommy).
And you know, one of the best things about it is the kids didn't fight, didn't argue, didn't whine or complain, and didn't have to go potty five times in a row...until Mommy came home.

Who's yer daddy?! Daddy DayCare is awesome.

Some of my favorite things...

2010-07-15T20:33:00.001-04:00

I'll let the pictures do the talking in this post. This is how we water the grass. I guess you can say it's a family event. Notice who is holding the hose most of the time!

Keeping the Tradition Alive

2010-07-15T20:28:00.000-04:00

Cow Appreciation Day should really be a national holiday. I don't know about your town, but here in Wake Forest, the town all but shuts down for the best chicken sandwich in the world. We did this last year and loved it. So we decided to round up the Erdherd and do it again. We let a couple of brave souls join our herd this time around. They made it all the more fun. We missed Nana and Papa this year, though. The one in the referee shirt was confused, I think. He looks more like a zebra than a cow. But when asked why the ref shirt, Daniel responded that he was a "jersey" cow. Stick to singing, Mr. Daniel! ;op

A Jonah Moment

2010-06-25T22:49:00.000-04:00

I've just coined the phrase, "Jonah Moment." A Jonah moment is when you know you are trying to run from God, but he won't let you. Call it discipline, call it pursuing you, call it whatever, God loves us more than just letting us run away without his pursuing us. Hebrews 12:6, "For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." It is not exactly a pleasurable thing to be disciplined, but boy am I so grateful for it!!! Otherwise, I'd be so lost! I don't know about you, but I didn't exactly thank my parents in the middle of my being disciplined. It was more of a feeling of terror and pain. But...I thank them now.

Thank you God for loving me through your discipline! Even when I can't see the results right away.

Incredible! Absolutely incredible!

2010-06-18T22:28:00.000-04:00

Ashley just returned from a coupon trip to Rite Aid and CVS. She came home with a load of awesome brand name Old Spice body wash, Old Spice deodorant, diapers, and such. Her total bill should have been about $75 (she got a lot of stuff). After all the coupons and rebates, she will have only paid $0.21! Twenty-one cents! Absolutely incredible! And that includes taxes!

Needless to say it was well worth the effort! We will use and give away every bit of this stuff. None will go to waste!

Tennessee was a blast!

2010-06-17T12:13:00.000-04:00

We had a great time in TN, and captured some great shots of our time there. Here are some of our favorites. I'm sorry to leave out so many details but these past couple of weeks have been so extremely busy for us. More to come for sure.

Smokey Mountain Getaway

2010-05-31T08:26:00.000-04:00

Greetings to all from the Smokey Mountains! We're in Pigeon Forge, TN, and having a great time. We met Ashley's parents, grandparents, and sister's family up here this past Friday. It was a beautiful drive. The cabin we're staying in is very nice. I love how remote and secluded it feels. Here's a picture of our cabin from our website. I'm sure more pictures will come as we upload them during the week.

Profile

2010-05-24T15:16:00.001-04:00

I just updated my google profile. I especially liked the question about my 'superpower'. The only thing that is super about me is how I mess things up over and over again! I do a pretty good job at that! And I know that sounds depressing, but honestly I am not depressed by that because it's not all about me anyway! I'm so glad I don't have a superpower, because it probably would not be used for anyone's good but my own, and that could get ugly!

Knowing God

2010-05-24T15:12:00.000-04:00

One of my most recent ventures has been leading a Sunday morning class entitled, Knowing God. A.W. Tozer (a well-known Christian writer) once said that what you think about God is the most important thing about you. I completely agree with this statement.

Another great blog out there!

2010-05-19T20:50:00.000-04:00

Ashley shared a new blog she's been reading recently. I want to encourage everyone to read some of the postings. You will be blown away at the compassion and love that is demonstrated through this wonderful family. Check them out at blessedbyachild.blogspot.com

See for yourself what it can look like for the gospel to be the very foundation of your home...there just isn't an end to the good news of Christ's love! This family has adopted many children, and each one has a unique story, and none is beyond the reach of love! Check it out. You won't be disappointed.

My Wife...

2010-05-13T21:23:00.000-04:00

Words really cannot describe how blessed I am to be sharing my life with such an incredible person as my wife. Seven years ago this past Monday (the 10th) we celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary. I just want to take the time to let everyone out there know how in love I am with Ashley. She has me so spoiled, you know. She packs my lunch for work every night. She fills and sets the coffee maker for me so it is hot and ready when I am running out the door. Not to mention she mothers our children, washes our clothes, and does so many incredible never-ending tasks that no one else wants to do (diapers, baths, and sweeps - just to name a few).

I once heard that married men live longer than men who are not married. I would totally agree with that. She is always making sure I eat healthy - and I comply most of the time. She side-seat drives a lot, which at the time is kind of annoying, but it sure has saved us from a lot of wrecks. Okay, well, it's made us take some wrong turns here and there, but I guess I didn't have to listen to her in the first place...a little bit of Adam and Eve all over again.

I know she has saved my life in other ways, too. Last night is a perfect example. I think I would have ended up in the hospital if it weren't for her quick response. I was lying on the couch completely worn out from a very long and hard day at work. All of a sudden I felt itchy all over. I started to chill and my chest started to tighten just a little. I told Ashley about it and she told me to go up and lay down for bed. It was only 6:30, but I did feel awful. So I was getting ready for bed when I noticed my skin did not look right at all. I started to rash up a little and developed tiny hives that looked like misquito bites all over my legs. I called her up to the bedroom and we both knew exactly what it was - I was having some kind of allergic reaction. She quickly inspected my skin and noticed a large red welt-like spot on my back about the size of a half-dollar. In the middle of it was a white spot that looked like a pimple. Classic spider bite. I'd never felt like this before. She gave me some benadryl and told me to rest. If things didn't improve we would head to the ER. Well, things did improve. The ER wasn't necessary. I was receiving the best patient care from my very own private nurse. Does your nurse kiss your boo-boos? Mine does. She even kisses me on the lips, too - I like that.

So, will I live longer since I am married? I don't know about longer. I know I will live better!! And my life is so full of love and joy with her by my side. I don't know when my life will end, but every day until then I will praise my God in heaven for letting me get a glimpse of his amazing grace, love, and beauty through my lovely wife.

I love you, Ashley...there is nothing in this whole world you could ever do to make me stop loving you. Nothing. You're stuck with me, like it or not. If you ever leave, I'm coming with you. I just want the whole world to know that.

Weekend Getaway

2010-05-02T13:45:00.005-04:00

Our 7th anniversary is coming up on the 10th of this month. We were planning to getaway next weekend, but it worked out better for us to go ahead and slip away yesterday. My brother and his new bride selflessly sacrificed most of their weekend to stay overnight with the youngin's while we retreated to the beautiful Homewood Suites Hilton in Cary, NC.

The kids had a great time with Uncle Andrew and Aunt Sarah (we like saying Aunt Sarah!). They had a great time together - Wendy's, Jumping Beans, going to the park...yeah, we were afraid they wouldn't want us to come back for sure.

Well, Ashley and I had our fun, too. We enjoyed an absoluely delicious meal at Carrabbas Italian Grill. I highly recommend the Pollo Rosa and the Chicken Bryan. Absolutely delicious! And I know my Italian food! A little pricey, but well worth every cent.

Then we decided to find a hobby shop in search of a new game. As some of you know, we have always enjoyed spending time together over some board or card game. It is a great thing for my pride, because I usually do not end up the winner when facing my wife. We found this really fun game at a very interesting little hole-in-the-wall hobby shop (they are always quite interesting). If you like zombies and model trains, this shop is for you. As for us, we were quite wierded out, but it was an adventure nonetheless. We ended up buying this card game called FLUXX. It is a very fun game! And I actually won once! To make it even funnier, we picked up the Monty Python version of the game. Absolutely hilarious! I'll have to explain it in a future blog.

After rescuing Monty Python from the zombies, we raided the local Food Lion for some Rocky Road. Then it was back to the hotel for a stroll through a wooded trail. For me, that was the highlight of the whole retreat. During the walk we talked about our marriage over the last seven years. If you know our story, then you will know that the first few years were quite rough. God's grace is so good, though, and He is why we have a healthy and thriving marriage today.

I think the other best part of the trip was the fact that we didn't have to wake up at any certain time (except before they stopped serving breakfast), and we didn't have to change a diaper the whole time. Just the two of us, Rocky Road, Monty Python, and a wonderful time!

Thank you, Andrew and Sarah for sacrificing your weekend for us! We look forward to doing the same for you someday! And praise be to God for setting us free from the darkness that clouded our lives for so long! Our marriage is a beautiful illustration of your reconciling us to one another and to yourself. I can never praise you enough for my beautiful bride, and awesome family! May the Lord bring us many more years together!

Walk for Life - Recap

2010-04-25T22:10:00.003-04:00

Yesterday morning was our first experience at Walk for Life. It was absolutely wonderful. We were so glad to be a part of raising money for Pregnancy Support Services of Wake Forest. All together everyone raised over $100,000!!! Not to mention we had a great time as a family. We actually won a couple of prizes. We won two tickets to NC Theatre's show Annie. They are really great seats. Can you say DATE NIGHT! We also won a huge tin of gourmet popcorn from Palsies here in Wake Forest. It is one of those tins with three sections. These flavors are out of this world! The flavors were caramel, white cheddar, and kettle corn. Yeah that thing is almost empty and we've only had it about 24 hours or so. Here are some great shots from the event.

This is one of the coolest families ever...The Creswells...Love 'em!!

and here's our beautiful clan! Just doing our part to be pro-life...in more ways than one.

This is actually towards the end of the walk. It was only two miles, but that double stroller does not have power steering, and it was getting quite heavy by this point. But those two muscular macho men on the right, Rob and Cameron, were some awesome servants throughout the walk! They helped the stroller come down stairs and over curbs so many times! Thanks, guys! Yer perty cool!

This was such a great experience for all of us. I'm so excited about what Pregnancy Support Services is doing and wish them the best! This is certainly the least we could do for them.

November 30th Here We Come!

2010-04-20T18:11:00.003-04:00

Ashley had her first visit today to confirm the pregnancy. There is a strong heartbeat and the baby was moving all over the place. The baby is 8 weeks along and the due date is November 30th. Which means no Thanksgiving trip to the beach this year, and possibly even Christmas. I think our family will understand.

Uncle Andrew and Aunt Sarah!

2010-04-19T20:17:00.016-04:00

Andrew's gettin' Hitched!

2010-04-16T07:24:00.003-04:00

Well, it's about time! My little brother Andrew is getting married tomorrow. His bride will be a lady named Sarah Patterson and we are very excited for the both of them. Ashley and I stayed up late last night baking 80 cupcakes for the rehearsal dinner tonight. I was the icing man. Yeah, it was a pretty sweet job! It was a ton of icing, though. For 80 cupcakes! I basically doubled the recipe and made three batches. The cupcakes are looking good, though. Ashley's going to be pretty tired today for sure. This first trimester has been fairly hard for her. She's been very tired and very nauseous. I took off work so she could be free to help out however she is needed. Looks like it will be a great day, though.

Sponsor Me!

2010-04-12T10:01:00.003-04:00

I am currently participating in the 2010 Walk for Life for Pregnancy Support Services of Wake Forest. This organization offers a free medical service to confirm pregnancy via a pregnancy test and ultrasound after which a nurse and a counselor carefully walk the woman through the development of her baby, the abortion procedures and risks, the resources available to her for parenting (includes an in-house program providing them mentoring support and material items until the baby turns 1 year old), and the truth about the viable option of adoption.

The whole point of this crisis intervention service is to make sure the woman is FULLY informed, supported, and empowered to choose what she most desires to choose and for most women they want to choose life but don’t know how to move forward. They help her find her way forward! They help her “guy” and her family to walk through all of this with her too!

Around 12,000 women chose abortion in the Triangle area just last year which makes this service of informing and empowering them so important to me. I also love that if a woman does choose abortion that Pregnancy Support Services is a safe place for her to process her emotions and find support afterwards. They really do support the woman no matter what she chooses!

My goal is $1,000 which means I need 10 people to sponsor me with $100 or 20 people to sponsor me with $50. Would you please consider sponsoring me with a $100 or $50 gift?

If you make a credit card donation at www.PssPartners.com make sure my name is in the comments section so they know it is for me.

Thank you for helping me to reach my goal and for supporting women, men, and babies affected by unplanned pregnancy!

Jonathan (jwerdman@gmail.com)

Lost Wallets and Saved Lives

2010-04-05T14:43:00.002-04:00

The irony of the situation struck me yesterday afternoon as my cousin's husband and I were strolling up and down St. Paul's Church Road in search of my missing wallet. How the wallet could be on or beside the road is a different story, so I'll spare you the details. What really matters is what the Lord reminded me of yesterday that was a refreshment to my soul.

We searched for my wallet because it was of great value to me. It belonged to me and contained investments that I did not want to lose, or what's worse, be picked up by the wrong hands. What struck me was this...You see, we are like that wallet. This struck me because I thought about the man who was helping me look for the wallet right then and there. You see, we almost lost him, too. Sin had overtaken his life and his family was in jeopardy. We almost lost him, but decided to let love and grace lead him out of the hole and into the light. We contacted him in the midst of his pain and let him know how much we loved him regardless of the sin that had overtaken him. And now, here we were, together again searching together for something lost.

Too many times we have an improper view of the gospel...We're standing on one side of the canyon and God on the other, while the cross bridges the gap for us to cross over and be where God is. The only problem is, that is not reality. There is a canyon. God is in fact on one side and we're on another. And there is truly a cross bridging the gap. But, if we are truly honest with ourselves, we would admit that if we had things our way, we would not run towards God, but run full speed in the other direction away from God and head-first into a life of sinful, self-serving pleasures. BUT praise be to God! He knows our sinful hearts! He provided the cross, so he HIMSELF could pursue us with HIS love, and rescue us from ourselves and the evil with which we were ensnared. Much like me seeking my wallet because it was of value to me. You and I are of extreme value to God! SO valuable in fact, that he HIMSELF died innocently for us.

So how can we let someone we love be swallowed up by sin? How can we keep silent and not love him? Aren't we glad God didn't keep silent and leave us to die in our sin, alone and forsaken? I honestly would rather lose a wallet with access to every financial account that is in my name than lose any person I love!

As we walked back towards the house, I looked at him and told him, "We can replace the wallet. We can't replace you." God is pursuing the world with his love and the world is running the other way. Sometimes the best way to remind people of God's grace is to demonstrate it.

And with that, Stephen, we love you, brother! Go and tell the world how God has rescued you out of darkness and into his marvelous light!

(By the way...I have my wallet now, but that's a whole other story.)

"He is not here!"

2010-04-04T10:20:00.002-04:00

For most people, once they have died, their bodies will be placed in a tomb and remain there to decay. So, where is Jesus' body. I mean, he was in fact a real person who did actually die. But if that's the case, why is his tomb empty?

This is exactly what separates Christ from all other false "messiahs". He is the only one who has conquered death. His resurrection is the greatest source of hope for all the world! For what is there in life that is worse than death? If Jesus has defeated even that, then why should we worry about lesser issues? The gospel is the source of hope and joy for all those who turn from their sin and make Christ their new Master! After all, he has won the greatest battle and defeated the greatest enemy of life. I think making us into a new creation is probably small potatoes for the Creator and Savior of all of life. There needs to be no other argument for Christ's divinity and credibility than the resurrection. Which is why I celebrate Easter on a daily basis. For me, today is honestly just one more day to remember his cross. But I'm glad the rest of the world stops to at least think about it on a day like today. The real question is not will we merely think about it, but "What will you do with it now that you know it?"

How many kids do I have anyway?

2010-04-02T21:32:00.002-04:00

How wondrously great the Lord has blessed me

To give me a quiver with my kids three.

And just when I think he's blessed me for sure,

He says, oh but wait, how about one more!

It has begun!

2010-03-22T10:54:00.002-04:00

Abigail made her first purchase yesterday at one of Mommy's favorite stores. Ashley and I know that we should train her to develop good habits, so (I know ya'll will find this hard to believe) Abigail used a coupon to buy the kite.

Look who's walking!

2010-03-20T21:21:00.003-04:00

New Study on Interracial Marriage

2010-03-18T13:20:00.003-04:00

I have almost completed my latest study on interracial marriage, and it has been absolutely exhilarating! (That's a fancy word for awesome!) The question I am trying to answer is "Is it wrong to marry outside your own ethnicity?" This study is for a new Life Change discipleship class that will be starting towards the end of this year. The class will involve discussing some issues that may not be discussed very often in church discipleship classes such as: Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, and Halloween; UFOs and the Existence of Aliens; Dinosaurs; Age of Accountability; Do Babies go to Heaven When they Die?; and other such issues.

I personally am very excited about the class and will probably be the first to sign up for that one. I'll attempt to post a brief summary of my conclusion on interracial marriage in the not too distant future so stay tuned!

Trertuplets

2010-03-17T16:49:00.002-04:00

No, she didn't use fertility drugs for this one, but a member of our household just birthed trertuplets last night! Our fish just gave birth to 13 little baby fishies. Guess that's a good reminder to Mommies that maybe one at a time, or even two or three at a time, aren't so bad after all. I mean, could you imagine thirteen new babies all at the same time! Wow! You go Momma fish!

Time Change

2010-03-14T09:37:00.003-04:00

Okay, so...we were just doing our normal Sunday morning routine this morning. It was peaceful and everything was great. We have to leave for church by 8:45 to make it to the 9:00 service on time. It takes quite a while to get this crew ready for church, too (long gone are the days of up and out the door in 30 mins). So I had just finished reading my bible and turned on the laptop to shoot an email to a buddy when I noticed the clock was an hour off. I honestly thought to myself, "Great, Micah has been playing with the keys again." Then it hit me like a shot! We forgot to reset our clocks! I quickly darted up stairs and burst into the bathroom where Ashley was looking great, but not exactly ready for church and said, "Guess what? It's 8:30." She said something about how that can't be right because it wasn't taking her that long to get ready....and then I watched as it suddenly hit her like a shot, too! Her face lit up and she made a "eureka" type expression and said, "Uh oh. We aren't going to make it to the 9:00 service."

So, here I am, relaxing on the couch and it's 9:45. Church doesn't start for us for another hour, and while it's kind of nice to take our time this morning I still can't shake the feeling that I can't believe I forgot to reset the clocks.

Craigslist Adventures

2010-03-13T16:09:00.004-05:00

I've decided to start posting some of our success stories from all of our Craigslist.com adventures. As some of you know we are avid craigslisters in that we are quite frequently finding some great deals on good stuff. And most of the stuff we find we either keep or resell after we "spice" it up a little bit. So, stay tuned for some future postings on our craigslist adventures. I'd like to include some of the crazy posts that are out there, too. Some of these ads could be featured in the Sunday comics for sure. I'll pass the good ones one to you so you can enjoy a good laugh with the rest of us.

My most recent adventure has been replacing our dining room table. The one we have now is in great shape, but that's thing, it's a little too nice. The wood is a soft wood (not sure exactly what kind), but it's a beautiful table. We wanted to replace it with a hardwood table that can withstand three meals a day from our family. So, rather than go buy a new table (why would we do that?) we decided to buy one that needed a little fixing. It wasn't much to look at at first, but we're pleased with the final result.

We were going to sand it down completely and recolor it to match the piano in the dining room. It is a deep red mahogany. But when we sanded the table down, we liked the black accents that contrasted the brown colors, so we left the black outline and went with a Special Walnut stain (thanks to Uncle Andrew's charitable donation to our craigslist habit last Christmas). We love the shape, and I especially love the detail on the legs. I finished the legs in ebony, but left just a little brown showing to give it an antique look. Well, what do you think?

Here is one of the chairs, which are also being refinished. They will take a little longer to do, but should be worth it in the long run. We'll have this table for quite a while...oh yeah, and it only cost $20.

Exactly What We've Been Waiting For

2010-03-02T19:27:00.002-05:00

It's really sort of comical when you think about it. How we attempt to make our plans, that is. For so long we wait for what we think is around the next corner, the next chapter in our lives. We feel like we should press towards that next chapter like some sort of goal. We feel like if we arrive there, then we have achieved something and are in some ways stepping up to the next level. The only problem is, we don't stop to think long enough about how that fits into God's plan. We want his plans to fit into ours, and that is a bit inside-out. So what happens is when the door to the next chapter in life we so longed for is shut we find ourselves struggling with disappointment...doubt...purposelessness. We must realize there are things in life that God wants us to achieve, to learn, and to accomplish. We don't recognize them because we can only see life through our human eyes. We need to close our eyes and open our hearts to how God views life. Here is a great example of exactly what I'm talking about.

I've been waiting for a manager position to open up at work for a very long time now. Finally a position has opened up at work. It's a position for which I'm very qualified. One that pays well. Yes, my ship has finally arrived. I've worked hard and long for this promotion. It would mean a raise as well as a guaranteed salary with bonuses. That sounds nice. Well, at least sounded nice. It comes at a price. I would sacrifice my evenings at home. We would have to find a new small group. And worst of all, when Abigail starts school next year (2011), I would not see her for four straight days. The manager opening is for second shift. And the schedule is completely opposite of the school schedule. I literally would not see Abigail from Tuesday to Friday.

The dilemma presents itself - take the promotion I've waited a long time for and make some good money, or remain in my supervisor/hourly position. After looking at it and praying about it, the answer is very obvious. All the promotions in the world would not be enough to get me to spend four straight days away from my family. Abigail needs her Daddy. Unless I'm fighting a war somewhere, I need to be here for her as much as possible. Ashley needs me here in the evenings to help with the kids (especially on bath night). Granted, I'm often tired in the evenings, but at least I'm at home.

The bottom line - I wanted to be ambitious and successful, God wanted me to be content. I learned his goal by turning down the opportunity to achieve my goal. And for that, I will be forever grateful! I do not regret it one bit!

What does regret look like? When my ship comes in I could watch it pass with a pain in my heart longing to be on it and sailing into the world of success in the world of business.

But this is what contentment looks like - my ship has come in, yet I tell the captain to move on past my shore. I have come to love my shore and know there is work still yet to be done. I am satisfied, and it gives me great joy to remain an hourly supervisor who knows he will be home every evening and not at work, who will have to take an hour lunch and not mind because the days get long anyway, the supervisor who gets paid overtime if he works over 40 hours, the husband who gives his kids a bath in the evening, the Daddy who will be at home when the school bus drops off his kids, the Daddy who can be at the parent/teacher meeting when the kids need a little extra help, the man whose faith will be strengthened by turning down a nice pay-raise and salary to remain at a good hourly wage instead, and have absolutely no regret in all of this. That's what contentment looks like. And OH the joy that comes from finding such a rewarding treasure. We look for contentment in all the wrong places. God shows us how to find it if we just stop long enough to close our eyes and open our hearts to what he might be teaching us.

Yes, I have finally discovered exactly what I've been waiting for...contentment.

"Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'" (Hebrews 13:5) Why would I want more money, when all I really need is more God? He is a lot more available to me than money anyway! And more valuable, too, I might add. When is the last time money showed you grace? Mine is a bit stingy and never sticks around long enough to satisfy anything. Yet my God is full of the richness of life and love and grace. In him, my soul finds its rest.

What about you?

Ratatouille

2010-02-28T23:16:00.001-05:00

Just watched Ratatouille for the first time....love it! It will be added to our collection!

Entermissions 2010

2010-02-24T16:52:00.003-05:00

We had our missions conference at church last weekend and it was great! Friday night kicked it off with what we called a Concert of Prayer. All around the worship center were tents representing the different continents of the world. After an awesome time of singing and prayer everyone moved around from one tent to another to pray for different things mentioned on the tables under the tents (families serving there, ministry needs, etc.).

Saturday morning we had brunch with the missionaries present as well as some via skype. It was neat to hear all that's going on in their lives and have some Q&A with them.

Saturday night was probably the highlight of the whole weekend. Imagine finding yourself in the middle of an international street market with vendors everywhere. The crowd was crazy. But the food was great! All through the evening we had a silent auction. Then we closed the evening with a live auction with auctioneers and everything. All the proceeds went to missions - 80% to Missionaries, and 20% to our two churches we started in Tampa and in DC.

What's really funny is some of the items being bid on were baskets that the small groups put together. Each basket was unique in that it was themed. One was a family trip basket, so it had all kinds of snacks for the road, travel games etc. We won a basket called a Sacred Romance basket with some really awesome chocolates, a really nice set of sheets, and a book that looks great.

We also bid on one of the high valued lots. There were about 5 or 6 high dollar items that were reserved for the live auction. Some were solely for funding missions projects like paying for Bibles for a people group in India. It was so neat to watch how people were giving generously for these projects! The other projects were service projects, one which we actually won! We won the Knock-Out-the-Honey-Do-List Basket. It's a half-day's worth of work from five guys in the church. That's going to be great!

Here are some pictures from the event for you to enjoy. They aren't in any particular order. This posting is long enough as it is. Just take my word for it...it was great!

Lessons from a Paint Can

2010-02-16T15:10:00.003-05:00

Who knew how much I would learn from a can of interior super white latex semi-gloss paint? Let me begin with this morning when I was leaving work. I don't usually leave early, even when the opportunity comes my way. Every so often, I am asked if I would like to leave early and I most always decline so I can get more time on the clock. Well, today I was asked if I wanted to leave before lunch and I accepted. I knew Ashley had a lot on her plate today so I figured my coming home early would allow her more time to get things done. I wanted to lighten her burden, so I figured that for once it wouldn't be too bad if I left work early.

Well, as I was literally pulling out of the warehouse parking lot I call Ashley on the phone. She answers the phone in a relaxed tone of voice, but within just a couple of seconds I hear this terrifying gasp. I mean, one of those someone-is-seriously-hurt gasps. I immediately thought one of the kids was injured. Well, come to find out, no one was injured, but Micah had just dumped a whole can of paint on our bedroom carpet. Ashley was doing a great job of managing the daily stress level, but this one event threw her stress meter through the roof. We quickly ended the phone call and I couldn't help but praise the Lord for letting me get off early - right in time to help Ashley out when she needed me the most. Micah had paint all over him, all over his clothes, and all over his hands which also meant it was in his mouth because hands and mouths stay connected in our house for some strange reason. It usually takes about half an hour to get to and from work, and I got home in 20 minutes.

Lesson #1 - The Lord provides what you need with impeccable timing!

Before I let you in on the next lesson I learned from this incident, let me back up a bit. I know there must be a few questions on your mind right now, like, how did Micah get to the paint can, and how did he get it open after that? I finished a bathroom remodeling project on Saturday and by that evening I was pretty frustrated with the project. In fact, I had a very bad attitude about it and the rest of our projects around the house. I don't know why I was so angry about it all, except to say that my pride had certainly gotten the best of me. My work wasn't perfect, therefore I felt like all the projects were failures. Well, in my frustration, I left the lid sitting on the can but did not hammer it closed (you can't just close a paint can with your hands usually). Well, the kids were sleeping and I was so done with the whole thing so I just left the can sitting on the carpet with the lid barely on it. Not exactly the smartest too in the shed, but I seem to manage somehow.

Lesson #2 - There are negative consequences to our sin.

I was mad and upset, which by itself is nothing more than an emotion. Anger is not a sin. BUT, we most often sin when we are angry, and this scenario was no exception. My pride had gotten the best of me, so I refused to put the lid on the can in my indignation.

So, what did we do with the paint on the carpet? Ashley had the bulk of it up by the time I walked in the door. She used our wet/dry vac to suck up the majority of the paint. The she doused the area with water and sucked it up again. After most of it was up we used our lightweight carpet steamer to basically shampoo the carpet where the paint was spilled. To the untrained eye, the spot will probably never be noticed. But to me, it is a huge, bright white spot reminding me forever to deal with anger quickly before it begins to control me. Okay, so the spot really isn't noticable, but I certainly will never forget it. And Ashley, knowing full well why the lid wasn't on the can, and why the can was on the carpet of all places, has declared that she loves me still and wasn't mad at me. She says she was too glad for me to be there right then to be mad at me.

This is certainly a day we will never forget. Thank you, Lord for using a can of paint to teach me more about you!

Saturday's Snow

2010-02-15T19:14:00.004-05:00

Abigail and Daddy were the only ones willing to brave the cold for a morning sledding adventure. Here are some pictures and a couple of videos of our time together. The first run didn't go so well. The second one was pretty successful. I absolutely loved it! We had some good father/daughter time out there. I hope we keep the tradition going every time it snows, even when she's 16! I loved warming up by the "fire" together. I could have fallen asleep out there, it was so peaceful.

Nathaniel joined us later for some good snowball action. He's absolutely fascinated by snowballs. And even the neighbors came out for some sledding. We had a great time. Enjoy!

I love Friday!

2010-02-12T20:58:00.003-05:00

Why do I love Friday? Let me see...no need to set alarm for 2:45 am for work. No need to get in bed before 8 pm. Friday night is pizza night. If I can hang long enough I'll grab a cup of java and snuggle up to my honey for a movie. Right now we're in an intermission of Little House on the Prairie. I'm so thankful for the work, but I'm also very thankful for the weekend away from work and home with my awesome family.

New Blog for us to follow...check it out!

2010-02-12T20:55:00.002-05:00

Hello, blogosphere...I have just signed up to follow a blog of my brother Josh Reed and his terrific crew. Check out Team Reed at joshandjacelyn.blogspot.com

Finished Product

2010-02-11T18:41:00.003-05:00

The reupholstering project is complete! We've already sold it at this point, but here are pictures of the finished product! Didn't Ashley do a great job with the couch! We posted it on Craigslist Friday evening and it was sold by Saturday morning. This was a big blessing for us. I'm very impressed with my wife!

(BEFORE)

(AFTER!)

Men Will Be Boys

2010-02-10T18:34:00.003-05:00

More Jumping Beans Pics

2010-02-10T18:17:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday, Abigail!

2010-02-10T17:56:00.003-05:00

Abigail is 4 years old and we can hardly believe it! Abigail Faith was born on February 8th, 2006. I know her birthday was two days ago, but this is my first opportunity to get all the pictures together. I'll put these in sequence of the day. We had a very good time together. Abigail said it was her best birthday ever! Enjoy!

Definitely a first!

2010-02-03T16:44:00.003-05:00

Washed cars today. There was still snow on the ground, too. I had to get the salt off the vehicles. There wasn't as much as I expected. But I guess I'm not terribly surprised since NCDOT didn't exactly do much salting. I'm not bitter...honest.

Has anyone seen the cushion?

2010-02-02T18:41:00.007-05:00

Okay, so phase one of Ashley's big project that she has been working on is almost complete. What's the project? Reupholstering a couch. Well, the whole project involves reupholstering a couch set - love set and sleeper sofa. She started with the love seat. It was smaller and pretty straight forward. The larger couch has the sleeper sofa, so that will bring some new challenges. I will probably disconnect the bed from the sofa prior to the makeover. Here are some before-and-after pictures. Then I will answer the question in the title, "where is that cushion, anyway?"

In this picture you can probably see why this set was free. Notice the chunks missing? This set was a craigslist special. The only thing we had to pay for was the material and staples. But as Ashley always says, "Think potential!"

We systematically took each piece off. Each section was stapled on, so the removal process involved removing all the staples from the frame. While it wasn't terribly difficult, there were a lot of staples. Ashley labeled the pieces so she would recognize the pieces once they were off.

(Don't be fooled by me in the pictures. I helped take staples out at first, but after that, it was all Ashley.)

After pieces were off, Ashley used each piece as a template for the new fabric and then stapled the pieces back on the frame in reverse order. Ashley used my pneumatic stapler to affix the staples. A little overkill maybe, but it was so much easier to use than a manual stapler. The only problem was having to run the compressor every so often. It can be quite loud when it's running. If we were working on it while the kids were sleeping that meant taking the compressor outside and running it. Ashley was a little intimidated by the tool at first, but now she's a pro! We just pity the person who may decide the reupholster the couch after we're done with it. It may be an impossible task at this point.

I do not have final pictures yet, but in the next picture you can get an idea where Ashley is going with the new design. One of the snags she ran up against, though, was she could not account for all of the cushions. There should have been three for the love seat and four for the sofa. One was missing. After searching all afternoon for it, Ashley found it. Where was it? Take a look at this picture.

Somehow we didn't realize the pillow was in the frame when we stapled the last piece of fabric to the bottom of the love seat. And as I mentioned before, the fabric wasn't coming off. So we were able to reach in through the cracks and pull the cushion out. We cracked up laughing. I asked Ashley if we had any kids in there. We should make sure we keep the cat away from the next couch project! He may not fit through the cracks!

The above picture gives you a peek at the new look, but those pictures will come once the cushions are finished. Stay tuned!

Overtime

2010-02-02T18:23:00.002-05:00

Well, I put in over 16 and half hours of overtime this weekend. I'm not the only one who's working overtime, though. When I spend more time away from home, Ashley spends more time flying solo during the daily grind. Micah must have some teeth coming in or something because he has been quite a handful in recent days.

Work has calmed down quite a bit. Things are back to "normal" (if there ever was such a thing). Let's just say I'm very glad not to work with the unorganization and chaos that the weekend first shift crew has to deal with week in and week out.

One thing that I realized yesterday that I hadn't fully realized up to this point is that I am getting older. I went sledding yesterday with the kids. Our backyard is great for it! What I found is that after about an hour or so, I was absolutely worn out. I wanted to go down the hill over and over again, but I didn't want to climb back up the hill. That was the hard part. I was so worn out I took a nap when the kids napped. Boy it was fun, though. My favorite part was when Ashley and I went down the hill together. We had the best time. I know the kids were wondering when their turn would be, but they just had to wait.

One thing I would love to be accused of some day is that I spend too much time with my kids. It seems like all I ever do these days is work. Either for WalMart or on some project for the house. But, my kids are a great project. And even though there isn't a direct deposit in my account from the time spent, I know it would still be a very wise investment.

Day of Rest? I don't think so.

2010-02-01T07:46:00.002-05:00

Well, it was supposed to be a day of rest and fun with the family. It was a beautiful day. The sun was bright. The skies were blue. There was a blanket of snow still on the ground (and the roads I might add - thanks to NCDOT). I was up, had breakfast with the kids, and were making plans for all the things we were going to do for the day. The kids wanted to play with more snow in the sinks, so I put on my boots and gathered some snow. I was just coming back inside when Ashley handed me the phone. It was work on the line. They needed me again. Our hearts hit the floor (mine hit the snow since I was still outside at this point). I couldn't believe it. Another day of work (day 6 to be exact). Another day of Ashley and the kids being at home without Daddy. Another hard struggle and unorganized execution of what should be fairly easy tasks. So, was my Sunday a restful day? I don't think so. BUT! Today should be much better! Work will not call today, and if they do the answer will be, "I'm sorry." Besides, I have to go in tomorrow. I'm not going to work 10 straight days.

Snow Day!

2010-01-30T21:36:00.007-05:00

Well, the day started off with a phone call. As soon as the phone rang I knew exactly who it was. I didn't need the caller ID. I knew it was the warehouse. It was worse than I thought it was, though. They were in pretty bad shape because 75% of the associated didn't show up because of the weather. AND volume just so happened to be very high. So, a lot more work, and a lot less workforce meant a very long day for the crew. So all the management were called and asked to come in to help. Ashley and I talked about it and I told her I probably should go in a help out. I had the truck, it would do fine in the snow (and it did) and we didn't really have plans for the day anyway. So I figured this was a great way to make a little extra money. I think the hardest part about going in was just knowing that everyone was going to have so much fun playing outside and enjoying the snow while I was stuck in a big warehouse with no windows and no Abigail, Nate, and Micah to watch enjoying a big snow.

SO, while Daddy was at work, Ashley and the kids had an absolutely blast! It started out with Ashley trying to figure out how to enjoy the snow without spending too much time out in the cold. She had the ingenious idea of bringing the snow inside. She filled the kitchen sink up with snow for Nate, and the bathroom sink for Abigail. They absolutely loved it! She said they played with the snow for two hours!

Then, as a special treat, they all got to eat some snow with their lunch. You can tell from this picture that Nathaniel preferred the snow over his lunch.

After lunch, neighbor Debbie came over and everyone got bundled up for sledding. Nathaniel was a bit reluctant and didn't really loosen up. Abigail, on the other hand, was a really big girl on the sled. She wanted to go all by herself and was doing a great job flying solo! It all ended, though, when Abigail's sled veered a little too far to the right and ran over one of the neighbors solar accent lights. We'll definitely pay them for the repairs. That kind of spooked Abigail a little bit, so she was done sledding after that.

So everyone came inside after having a really good time and warmed up with some delicious hot cocoa. They loved that part, too!

I didn't get home from work till after 8:00. I got the call around 6:30 am. After getting ready and digging the truck out of the snow I didn't actually leave until a little after 7:00. I didn't pull in to work until 8:15. It took an hour for me to get there. The roads were just awful. I sure hope we aren't paying too many taxes on NCDOT's winter weather program. Because I don't know what they did all day, but it sure wasn't clearing roads like they should have been. I know that seems harsh, but honestly, where were they all day?? I saw some plows, but where was the salt?

When I got home the kids were already in bed. At one point, the plan was for me to remain in Henderson with second shift and give them a hand. Since the roads were so bad, work paid for some hotel rooms close to the warehouse for those who lived far out. So there was a point where I was on the list for a spot in one of the rooms because I felt like at one point it would have been smarter to do that than risk driving home and run off the road. Well, it didn't take long before I decided I really wanted to get home regardless of how long it took. I mean, I risked my neck to go to work, why not risk it to go home? Besides, I would much rather wake up next to my wife tomorrow morning than I would my good buddy Seth Pierce. I like you and all Seth, buuuut you know what I mean.

Our plans for tomorrow....we're not going anywhere!!! Except sledding, of course! And the phone may just mysteriously develop technical difficulties overnight. That would be a shame if work tried to call and our phones were out. ;o)

Happy Birthday, Micah!!!

2010-01-29T14:36:00.004-05:00

Okay, so his birthday was yesterday, but the day was so full of activities that I couldn't jot anything down in the blog until now. Micah Allen Erdman. His name means, "who is like our God?" I can't believe he is one year old now. So for about 11 days our kids will be 3, 2, and 1 year old. God has a sense of humor, doesn't he!

While Micah isn't walking yet, he sure does get around the house. He is all over the place! He's shown some real progress with standing while not holding on to anything. He really wants to walk. He'll get it before too long.

For Micah's birthday we went to the park. We also had a cupcake - cake. How do you say that? A cake made of cupcakes. It was quite messy. We had a blast. It was good to recall all that was going on a year ago. Life just hasn't been the same with Micah around. It's better, in fact!

Happy Birthday, Micah! We love you very much!

Terrific Tuesdays

2010-01-26T19:31:00.003-05:00

It's so nice to have a three day weekend every week. Tuesday is a sort of Monday for me, except it isn't Monday. I don't know too many people that really like Mondays. It's so nice to just avoid them all together.

Tuesday is trash night. It's also bread ministry night. I graduated from Seminary with the guy who oversees the Manna Ministry, a free bread pantry to seminary students. He told us we were welcome to keep coming to the ministry as long as we were in Wake Forest. We haven't paid for bread in years. That has been such a blessing!

Work is going very well. Because I have been trained in several different functions and in several different departments, I'm able to jump from one job to another in a single shift. I've been overseeing a special project over the last two or three weeks and it has been going very well. There have been rumors of promotions coming in the future, but WalMart is so unpredictable, and the warehouse is no exception. A promotion would be nice. Then we wouldn't be affected so much financially by low-volume and short hours. The days have been pretty short since the holiday rush. But we are so very grateful that we still have a paycheck to count on. Do you like this picture? Can you guess what it is? Give it a shot...it may not be that big of a challenge. Drop me a comment and let me know what your guess is.

Today was beautiful, the sky was so blue. A bit chilly, but enough sunshine to make up for it! Time to call it a day.

Colts vs. Saints

2010-01-25T16:56:00.003-05:00

I hate to say I said so, but, uh, the Colts did make it to the Super Bowl. I thought they would be facing the Vikings, though. The big question - is this it for Brett Favre? And if he says it is, will anyone believe him?

Who will win the Super Bowl? I know it will be a very close game. I say Colts win by a field goal. It's sure to be quite a game!

Second Saturday

2010-01-25T16:48:00.003-05:00

Mondays are like another Saturday for us. Ashley has been signed up for work every Monday but that haven't called her to work for more than two or three months. So, Mondays have become another Saturday for us. Today was no exception. We made huge strides on the to-do list. I am getting closer to being done with the project I started last weekend. I also installed some insulation in the utility closet. Last year I made a hole in the wall next to the laundry room and turned it into a pantry for Ashley. The only thing I didn't do is insulate the "floor" of the pantry. So it gets quite cold in there. It keeps the cans of soda cold, that's for sure! But it isn't very good for the rest of the house. It only took about half an hour to do. I don't like working with insulation. I was covered from head to toe to keep the insulation from coming into contact with my skin.

Ashley is making progress on her big project. She may complete a major phase of the project this evening. If so, expect some pictures soon. I don't want to spoil it just yet, though.

Almost completed my study on Faith and Repentance that was supposed to be taught in LifeChange yesterday morning. I'll send it out via email as soon as it is done. If anyone out there is interested in learning more about faith and repentance, shoot me an email and I'll put a copy in your inbox!

Today was such a beautiful day! It felt more like Spring than Winter. I'm loving it!

What A Day! (part 2)

2010-01-24T19:31:00.004-05:00

Well, we decided that we needed to get out of the house. We were all not feeling well and needed some good medicine. I'd goofed up big time with skipping out on church the day I was supposed to teach. The kids were going nuts because church is like the one day they get to hang out with their friends and do fun things outside of the home. So, we decided that after lunch we would go downtown Raleigh to the Natural Science Museum. The plan was to eat lunch, get doped up on some good meds, drive down to the museum and hang out. And so that's just what we did. Even though we were sick, we didn't feel as though we were going threaten the city of Raleigh, and the family really needed this sort of medicine.

Nate and Abigail had a really great time. Micah did, too. Nathaniel was a little reluctant about the dinosaurs, but when we told them there would only be the bones, he eased up a little bit. But only a little bit. By the time we reached the fourth floor, we were all tired, but the kids had really loosened up and were having a great time.

I think our favorite part was the living conservatory. The butterflies were beautiful, but the coolest part was the sloth that lived in the conservatory. He was actually very active for a sloth.

After we left the museum we decided to stop at Taco Bell for some much needed refreshment. Then we hopped over to Burger King for dessert and the indoor playground. By the end of the day everyone was so tired, but very happy. And you know what...I think we all feel better, too.

What A Day! (part 1)

2010-01-24T18:58:00.003-05:00

To steal the famous quote from Dickens' Tale of Two Cities, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

So, we have all been sick all week long. Ashley and the kids have been sick for a while now. They didn't go to church last Sunday because of not being well. When the kids are sick we don't put them in the nursery. So if they are all sick, we don't even attempt to take them all to church. Micah was diaognosed with a minor ear infection this week. Everyone has mucus coming out of their noses. Everyone has upset stomachs. Nate just got over Fifths Disease. Yeah, our house has been a regular breeding ground for mucus and germs. So we try to keep it all to ourselves.

Which brings me to this morning. We decided that I would stay home with the kids this morning, then Ashley would get a chance to go to church. Well, she woke up feeling pretty yucky again so we decided we would all just lay low. Well, she napped most of the morning while I played with the chi'rren. Then I put Micah down for a nap mid-morning. So I was sitting downstairs on the couch looking up church pastor jobs for Dad, Abigail and Nate were playing independently at this point, and the phone rang. I thought it was odd that someone would be calling us during a time we were typically at church. So I though for sure it was a wrong number.

It turned out to be my good friend Ronnie from small group. He was calling from church. He called right about the time our LifeChange class would be starting. It was real encouraging to hear his voice. I thought how nice it was that he would call from church to tell us he missed us and was thinking about us and hoped we go to feeling better. As it turned out, he wasn't the only one who missed us...the whole LifeChange class missed us! In fact, they were also missing their teacher! That's right! I was slated to teach the class this morning. For the past two weeks or so I had planned on teaching not this Sunday, but next Sunday. Sure enough, after rechecking the calendar, today was the day. I could not believe it. I was so upset with myself. How in the world did I miss this? Dropping the ball when no one else knows it still hurts, but dropping the ball when it affects others hurts even more. It's just embarrassing.

What makes this really bad is that I had been looking forward to teaching this for so long! I've told Ashley so many times how excited I had been in preparing for this lesson. The passages and verses I studied were getting me real excited.

So needless to say, our day started out a bit depressing. We had to do something to make up for it.

Supervisor Dinner

2010-01-22T21:34:00.003-05:00

I have worked for WalMart DC 6091 for almost 5 years now. And never have I been so proud as I was this evening. To show their appreciation to all the supervisors, the warehouse General Manager and other management gave all the supervisors an awesome dinner at the Texas Roadhouse (one of my new favorite restaurants). We had an awesome time hanging out with the other supervisors and their spouses. It was so neat to get together outside of work. I have spent a lot of hours with a good portion of these people, and it was great to be together at such a nice occasion. The food was great - I had ribeye and ribs with a loaded baked potato.

At the dinner they recognized the spouses for all they did to support us and our crazy schedules. This gesture was so well-received, because our spouses go through some difficult times with our schedules. I know Ashley is so understanding and very supportive. They were all presented with a new WalMart umbrella. All the supervisors also received a snazzy polo shirt with the new WalMart logo - love the spark!

To add to the joy of the occasion, several of the supervisors I work with, as well as the upper management team, are believers. So, our camaraderie is stronger because of the bond we share in Christ. To gather together like that for the first time was very exciting.

People often ask me, and to be perfectly honest I have even asked myself, "If you graduated from Seminary, why are you still at WalMart?" My answer, as simple as it sounds, is that God wants me there right now. I am able to minister and serve in a very important way. People spend a large portion of their week in their respective job environments. That makes it a very important place for the light of Christ to be aglow on a continual basis. Am I always a faithful ambassador of Christ at work? No, I'm not. But I'm still an ambassador nonetheless. And because of that I rely on Christ's faithfulness to display his grace in me, and for that grace to be a light to those with whom I work. Ashley and I are very content right where we are.

If the Lord wants us to move, he will make it happen and the direction will be clear. At this point, though, he simply hasn't done that. So, we are living our lives in light of the gospel and awaiting expectantly for his return. Which means that I have been called to be a supervisor at WalMart until the Lord changes that.

Official Notice of Resignation

2010-01-22T21:27:00.003-05:00

Based on the recent discover that our children eat more when the Lourcey's cook dinner, Ashley and I hereby indefinitely resign from cooking meals for our children. Yes, that's right. Yesterday, Rob and Emily Lourcey brought us an absolutely fabulous dinner - a Turkey meatloaf, homemade mashed potatoes, and green beans. And we could not believe how much the kids ate of it. You have to understand, dinner at our house is not a very pleasant event. It usually consists of threats, bribes, and out right force-feeding to nourish the children. Well, you should have seen how many piles (yes, piles) of green beans Abigail ate yesterday. And Nate, he ate all of his meat and potatoes. He's always picky about what he eats, but last night he just gobbled it all up. So, we officially resign.

Thank you, Lourcey's for loving us like you did yesterday. And most of all for getting our kids to eat. That was quite a feat! And quite a feast! We love you guys!

Friday is here!

2010-01-22T21:22:00.002-05:00

I love Fridays. In fact, I think it would be safe to say that everyone in my house loves Fridays. We love 'em for two main reasons 1. Every Friday is pizza night, & 2. Friday means Daddy doesn't go to work until Tuesday. Friday means goodbye work week, and hello weekend! While I do enjoy my job, I am very glad that for three days out of the week I do not have to wake up at 2:45 am. I personally look forward to spending the days hanging out with the fam, going to parks, knocking out some honey-do projects, staying up late with Ashley, and reuniting with my church family on Sunday morning. In fact, one of our weekend projects has just begun. Stay tuned for more!

Pray for Micah

2010-01-20T15:23:00.003-05:00

Keep little Micah in your prayers. We just found out today that he has a mild ear infection. Mommy is at the pharmacy right now. Pray for Mommy, too, as she deals with caring for a sick family while she is sick herself. Don't quite know how she does it.

Super Bowl Picks

2010-01-20T15:12:00.004-05:00

I pick the Indianapolis Colts facing the Minnesota Vikings. I'd love to see Brett Favre and Peyton Manning in a SuperBowl showdown.

First things first though, Colts have to get through the Jets. The Jets seem to be underrated. But in playing the game against the Colts there can be no mistakes on either team's part. Both teams could make mistakes, but from a quarterback perspective, who would be more likely to make a mistake, rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez, or 10-year seasoned veteran Peyton Manning? It should be quite a game, but I think the Colts will end up with the win.

And in other news...

2010-01-19T18:19:00.005-05:00

This will be quite a festive year for us, to say the least. This month we celebrate Micah's first birthday. February is Abigail's 4th birthday (that one is hard to believe!). March is Nate's 3rd birthday. April is not only tax month, but my little brother Andrew is getting married. May brings our 7 anniversary!!! (Oh yeah, we have big plans!) June is calm. My big brother Skip is getting married in July. August is uneventful at the moment except it marks my 5th year with WalMart DC 6091. September is my birthday. October is October. November is another trip to the beach for Thanksgiving. And December is Ashley's BIG 30!!! Wow. And somewhere in there we plan on getting some sleep.

Andrew just informed us that he has signed the lease on his new apartment where he and Sarah will call home. I'm so excited for both of them. I'm excited to see what God will teach them as they journey through life together.

Had the best talk with Skip the other day about the engagement. We haven't ever had a talk like that. It was one of those good talks. You know what I mean?

Well, in other news...we are all sick somehow right now. Everyone has snot. Me, my sinus' hurt, but that's about it. As long as I don't bend over I'm good. Or lay down. Which may be difficult here in a couple of hours. I have found one of the best things for sleeping with a cold, though. It's a vapor plug that plugs in just like an air freshener. Except this thing puts out Sudafed instead of Gardenia. Now that's some good stuff! It's better than Nyquil because I actually can hear my alarm clock when it goes off when I use the vapor plug. I think it's called Sudacare.

Ashley just has the mommies. You know, the heinz 57 variety of sickness that comes from getting what all the kids have. That on top of the normal aches, pains, and frustrations of keeping up with three toddlers and one big baby. Yet, amazingly enough, dinner was awesome, the house looks great, and she is as radiant as ever. How she does it will forever remain a mystery.

Poor little Micah has a fever. He just has random fits of fussiness, so we know he's hurting. I'm hoping his ears aren't infected. The girls are out grocery shopping while us boys are doing our favorite things: playing choo choos and playing on the computer. So I'll probably put Micah down for bed early. If I didn't think he'd wake up at 6 am, I'd put him in bed right now. He's ready.

I love my life.