To My Husband On His First Day of Work for the Next Twenty-Five Years.......

Thank you for the risks you have taken these past two years to provide a future for us as a family. Thank you for being brave even when you didn't feel like it. Thank you for working so hard and studying so much to get another degree. Thank you for working so hard filling out packets and packets of paperwork. Thank you for having faith even when mine was falling short. Thank you for making my many breakfasts and lunches this last year. Thank you for washing all of that red and khaki and not mixing it together! Thank you for working so hard to pass physicals and eye exams and jumping through hoops... Thank you for the desire you have to do the right thing. You are the best and I wouldn't trade this adventure for anything. We are truly blessed, praise God for that.

Another letter, another step closer......
We got our final job offer last Saturday. VERY exciting!! We have spent the week frantically looking at apartments in Memphis and online for Oklahoma City. It's really funny that we are going from living in a room upstairs to having to pick out two apartments at the same time. Kind of makes your head spin. We leave for OK in 12 days and at this point don't have a place to lay our heads. It's a little deja vu. Hopefully by Monday we will have final arrangements for both places. Tomorrow I will start culling through our closet. Seems like I just did that a couple months ago when we sold our house, can't believe it has been 19 months since that move.

What will I do in OK?
Everyone laughs when I say it, but I have decided to train for a half marathon. Yes that is
13.1 miles and yes I just started running again. Matthew and I have been walking pretty regularly since PA so it wasn't such a shock to my system to take it up a notch. I am not very fast but hey if I can just finish the 13 miles I will feel like I have really accomplished something. The race is December 1st in Memphis. I think this is also very fitting seeing as that we will be Memphians in December. Wish me luck!!

Memphis!?

It has been so long since Lindsay has blogged, I don't know if there is enough room to write all of the things that have gone on. Lets start with an update about my job. I have been selected to work in the Air Traffic Control Tower in Memphis. This is great news to us, even though I was hoping to work in an En route Center. Still it keeps us close to family and in a city that we are somewhat familiar with. As far as the scenery in Memphis...looks like we will vacation in Eastern Tennessee. Maybe the history and culture in Memphis will keep us occupied for years to come. We also know that we will be going to Oklahoma City for 8 weeks in preparation for the new career. After believing that we wouldn't leave until Christmas, it now appears that we might be leaving within 2 months. That is exciting.

With the new job comes the challenge to lose weight. We have decided to become a fit couple for our new city life. The best way to get that for us is South beach diet. Turns out, Lindsay wasn't as far from her target weight as I am, so I guess that I will continue with my low carb lifestyle alone.

Our new challenge, other than getting me to study for OK City, is finding acceptable lodging in or around Memphis, TN. We have been visiting Memphis every other weekend for the past couple of months and have narrowed to one apartment on Mud Island and 4 apartments in Germantown/Collierville. We would love some help with this decision if anyone would like to chime in...anyone...anyone?

We are starting to realize, much like we did when we left PA, that we are going to be leaving friends behind in Paragould who we spend a lot of time with and are really just beginning to get to know. Of course we will keep up, and will see them some, but the fact remains that it won't be the same. Thanks to all in XL's share group that support us, pray for us, and laugh with us. God has blessed us in so many ways.

Speaking of...I would like to take this opportunity (the first and probably last of my blogging experience) to give praise to my wife. God has chosen to give me a friend that seems to be willing to stick with me through more than she should have to. Thanks. I love you. I can't wait to explore new lands with you, and try out all of the restaurants with you, and visit Graceland over and over with you!

6 Months and counting...

We are coming closer to watching God's plan unfold. Just as I was beginning to lose hope..... I had a really rough week and was very teary about where our future was going. This morning I went with Matthew fishing and got a really bad sun burn. When we got home I took a nap. Matthew came upstairs to see if I was awake yet with the news that we had received another e-mail today from the FAA. Yeah God!!! This e-mail was to make sure that he is STILL interested in the job somewhere in the state of Tennessee. At least it is narrowed down this far. The next step will be an interview at the Memphis airport. The e-mail was very specific about it possibly taking 6 months from now until we are on the job. So it looks like we might be in Paragould till Christmas. What a crazy two year road we will have been on!!!

Laying it ALL out..
Well I know that I will feel much better after this and hope that it doesn't offend the few that actually read my blog. So I am apologizing now for any hard feelings. I had a heart to heart with Matthew yesterday that actually did wonders, but Satan sure is knocking at my door these days. I already know the answer is pray pray pray and have patience but lately I have been too hard headed.... I have been off birth control for 3 1/2 years. I learned a great method of Fertility Awareness and have been using it faithfully. This last year I got lazy and it didn't really matter if we had an oops. So here it is one year and 3 months latter and no oops. It has begun to eat on me and I can't shake it. I am in a terrible mood and go from the extremes of I don't ever want to have any children to crying uncontrollably and being so jealous that it makes me sick to my stomach. I stumbled upon this today and made me feel a little better:
Ten snappy answers to “when are you going to have a baby?”
1. When we get to it, I promise you’ll be the first to know.
2. When we are rich and famous.
3. Why do you want to know?
4. I’ve already had several miscarriages. (This usually shuts them up.)
5. Why are you so nosy? (Said with a smile, this comes off playful)
6. I’m so glad you brought that up! I’m having fertility issues. What do you want to talk about first-my uterine lining or John’s sperm count? (Don’t be surprised if they spit out their coffee on this one.)
7. When we win the lottery.
8. We’re trying and we’re having a hard time of it. Do you have any other friends with fertility problems?
9. We’ve decided not to have kids; thanks for asking. (When it happens, they’ll be surprised.)
10. We’re in a quandary-puppy or baby. Which do you think would be better?

From the book, A FEW GOOD EGGS: Two Chicks Dish on Overcoming the Insanity of Infertility. Copyright 2005 by Julie Vargo and Maureen Regan. Printed in conceive magazine summer 2006 issue.

I really identified with 1,6 ,and 9. The worst time I have with it is at church services. I have come to the point of no longer worshiping there and just dwelling in what I don't have. Like I said earlier Satan has a real hold on me! For those that may actually read this pray for me.
Pray that I will focus and worship with a heart of joy
Pray that I will have patience
Pray that I will wait on the Lord
Pray that I will understand God's timing
Pray that I can come into a closer relationship with him, because I tend to blame Him for this
Thank you for letting me rant today!!!!!!

Brief Update of Last 3 Months

A task that was too big with dial up

internet but I am finally ponying up........

*December
Left Beaver County for the last time and cried about it...
Moved in @Mama Jan's
Ate way to much at all of the family Christmas gatherings

*January
Baby Easton was born on the 6th
(will have to give more details later)
Started work in Jboro as a GSTL @ Target on the 8th

*February
Fantastic 1 week trip to Disney with

Shannan, Robin, Jackson and Belle
Turned 28, hating that!

PrOmIsE tO UpDaTe AgAiN SoOn!!!!