New House Soon, hopefully!

Well, when we first decided to move up here Derrick and I came shopping for houses. We decided to build a new house and we signed the papers in August, with the plans saying our house would be finished by the end of February. So, we thought we would save money and get the smallest and cheapest apartment to last us for a few months while our house was being built. Well, here we are in mid-December and they still haven't started on the house we chose to build. The home builder keeps telling us they are waiting for the permits to come back, but we aren't 100% sure what is going on. So, Derrick and I prayed about it and took the time to look around at other houses and other home builders. During that time we found our new soon to be home! It was a home that another family built but they weren't able to sell their current house so they had to back out of their contract. We are scheduled to close on this home in January, if everything goes OK. So far there have been minor things within the house that they have been working to fix, before we can close and move in. This house is big enough for us to grow into and have lots of kids, or guests!! :)
This is going to be the best kitchen ever!
There is one guest room and the other 2 plus the master are right down the hall.
This is the living room with a fireplace
Huge bonus room!

We have been so blessed since we have moved up here. We have a great church and Derrick and I have met some pretty cool people to hang out with! Derrick is doing amazing at his job, when he isn't wrecking a vehicle, blowing a couple of tires, or getting his van broken into (yes- all this happened to Derrick. The poor thing has had some awful luck the last 2 weeks). Now God has blessed us with this beautiful house and we will be sure use it to glorify him. Our doors will always be open to anyone who needs something! There are many times that I drive into work with the radio off and just talk to God. Living up here isn't always easy but it makes me stop and rely on God a lot more. Maybe that is why God moved us up here. I know it is hard for me to let go and trust in God 100%, but since we have been through the whole process of selling a house, moving, buying a new house, and meeting people-- I have had to give it all to God many many times. Keep praying for me and Derrick as we continue our journey up here.

First Snow in Ohio!

So, last night the news was calling for 1-3 inches of snow in our area. I was wondering if I would wake up to snow or if the meteorologists here are like the ones back in TN and we would wake up to nothing but bitter cold weather. Well, to our surprise we woke up to a beautiful layer of snow. It snowed all morning and quit around 2:00 and then started back around 4:00 and snowed for a couple more hours!
My car and Derrick's van covered in snow
A Christmas tree across from our apartment

This was Max's first snow so when we took him out this morning he ran out like normal but when he hit the snow he slowed way down. He walked a little funny and was sniffing around until he got used to it. He would stick his nose in the snow and sniff the ground and when he brought his head up he would have snow all over his nose.
Max playing in the snow!


It took me 2 hours to get to work this morning when it normally takes me around 30 minutes, max! I was the only one who was late- everyone else knew what to expect. Also, I was the only one who didn't wear some type of snow boots and then change into my dress shoes after I got to work. I just wore my normal shoes and had snow all in them as I walked through the parking lot! I guess for Christmas I should be asking for snow boots and a snow shovel!

Derrick and I went out this evening and built a snowman for my niece. It is Frosty the Snowman and he is wearing a "magic hat." It was freezing and our hands are still hurting from the cold! The snow here is beautiful and sparkles but it is a dry snow and doesn't pack very well. We would have to get a handful of snow and hold it tight so it would form a ball. We would make a small ball and then have to run in and wrap our hands in a towel so our fingers wouldn't fall off!
Our snowman!



Enjoy the pictures!!!

Stressful Times.....

Well, I haven't been on here in a while because we have been so busy. We were able to travel back to TN for Thanksgiving and it was wonderful. I will post some pictures later. Hummm, how is Ohio going? Well, the past few weeks have been pretty rough. We are having some problems with the house we chose to build. Derrick and I signed the contract on Aug 31st to start the house and we are still waiting for them to start. It has been one thing after another that has pushed them back. Now we are just waiting for the permits from the city to come back. If they don't get the permits back and pour the foundation before the ground freezes, then we have to wait until April to do anything. In the meantime, we thought that maybe God had other plans for where we were going to be living so we have been looking at other houses with different builders. Ohh, I can't even begin to explain how stressful this has become. We can't stand the apartment because it is so small and there is just no room to make it feel like "home." So it has come down to us desperately wanting a house. We have seen a bunch of houses and there has been a couple that we really like. We haven't gone with them because they are either out of our price range or the inside just wasn't what we were looking for. I know that God has the perfect house for us and maybe it is the one we have already chosen. It may be his plan for us to wait a little longer. I just hate the waiting and not being sure process. If you know me, you also know that patience isn't a strong point of mine.

On a good note, Derrick and I have found a church in Pataskala, Ohio. It is called Jersey Baptist and it is a good size Baptist church. We have been going to Sunday School and we are in a class of married 18-29 year olds! We love it. Guess what??? I have a friend!!! We went to lunch today and she is so sweet. It is becoming easier to get around and by making friends makes it a lot easier to learn the area. If we only had a house--then we could host get-togethers and parties!!

Derrick is loving his new job and is doing great. My job at the bank is going great too. I love learning all the new things that makes a bank run!

Weekend wth Grammy!

This past weekend Derrick's mother came to visit us in Ohio. She flew in on Friday evening and stayed through Sunday afternoon. It was nice having her in town and showing her around Columbus. Saturday we got up and we took her around and showed her our lot where we are going to be building. Then we took her out to the model home and showed her the model of the floorplan we choose. She really liked it and she liked the idea of all the extra rooms so she can come and visit us! Then we went to Jeffersonville and went shopping at the outlet mall out there. It is a huge outlet mall. We spent 6 hours there and didn't even make it through half of all the stores. We did some damage and got some good deals! If I am lucky, Derrick will take me back out there tomorrow so we can finish the rest of the stores!
Max loved playing with Debby and waking her up every morning. I think deep down inside she loves Max too, even though she is a cat person!
We hoped she could stay longer since I am off work Monday and Tuesday but she had to get back to work.
Debby, thanks for coming to visit us! We love you and you are welcome back anytime you want to come!

First Visit to the Dog Park!

Did you know there were such things??? A Dog Park?? I had no idea!!
Well, In Ohio there are parks that are specifically for dogs-not just any animal, just dogs! It is crazy! We found a few near us by hearing people talk about them and then searching on the Internet.
Today when I got of work, I came home and Derrick, Max, and I went to Big Walnut Dog Park. The park is only about 10 miles from the house, so it isn't a bad drive. The park is about a 3 acre lot with a chain linked fence, so the dogs could not get out, and it has a pond the dogs could swim in. As soon as we unleashed Max he took off. I was so nervous that he was going to fight with the other dogs or jump all over the other people in the park. Neither one of those happened! He ran right over to the dogs and within just a minute or two he was in heaven! He ran around that park for 2 hours, non-stop, and loved every minute of it. We would even call him over to us and he would start running towards us and then zoom right past us. He didn't even care if we were there. All he cared about were the other dogs that he could chase or that would chase him. Shortly after we got there someone threw a tennis ball into the pond. All the other dogs jumped in and Max followed the crowd and went right in with them. After that, we couldn't keep him out of the water! We were told to take a towel just in case Max got into the water. WATER?? I was thinking "My dog hates baths, he isn't getting into any water!" Good thing I took a towel!!
It was nice for me because there were people there that I could talk to! I met two nice ladies Amanda and Mary. Amanda was there with her husband and 3 dogs- Dozier (Bullmastif), Chance, and Dingo. Mary was there with her little boxer puppy, Sally. We aren't best friends yet, but hey, who knows!! Hahaha! I will actually be doing good to remember their names next time I see them, if I see them again! Max has lots of new friends too. It was funny to sit and watch them all play. We are going to keep taking Max so he can get his exercise in and not get too fat and lazy from being cooped up in the apartment all day.
Of course we took the camera and Derrick took some pictures of Max's fun day! I hope you guys enjoy them!!

Family picture after a day at the park

Max and all his new friends playing in the water

Max playing in the water- his new favorite thing!

Max jumping in and out of the water. I think he likes to splash the water.

Max found a frisbee and we were so happy to see him chase it and carry it

This is what Max did the whole time we were there...when he wasn't playing in the water!

Another one of Max running. It was hard to get too many pictures of him running and playing because they all came out blurry.

Lots of walking....

Have you ever walked so much that you felt your legs were going to fall off?? That is what I did Saturday!

On Friday I was getting all bummed because I knew that Derrick was leaving for Indianapolis on Saturday and would be gone until Monday evening. When I got home from work on Friday, he surprised me and told me that he wasn't leaving until Sunday morning and that we were going to King's Island in Cincinnati on Saturday. I was so excited. We got up on Saturday and headed to King's Island. It was great because Derrick and I went from ride to ride. We never stopped at any shops or to play any games. It was so much fun and we rode everything---well Derrick did. I don't like the carnival type rides that you sit in and they twirl you around in a circle all while turning you upside down, or those sudden drop rides that last 10 seconds. Derrick rode those while I sat and people watched! We grabbed a snack and ate it while we were in line for the next ride and didn't take any time out for anything except for roller coasters.

We had a great time walking fast with our long legs and not having to wait for anyone to catch up or decide who was riding with who! It was just a fun day together with my husband! I must say that I have a wonderful husband and I love him very much!

Well, yesterday and today I am paying for all that walking. My legs hurt and wearing heals all day today didn't help any. Maybe I can talk my husband into a leg and foot massage tonight!

BY THE WAY-- GO KENTUCKY!!! THEY BEAT LSU!!!! That made for an even better weekend.

P.S.- HAPPY BIRTHDAY KARLY!! I MISS YOU AND I WISH I COULD HAVE BEEN HOME FOR YOUR PARTY!

First Day At Work

Today was my first day at my new job here in Ohio. It is with a local bank in Gahanna, Ohio. I was going a little stir crazy and I needed to get to work so I could meet people. I am having social interaction withdrawals. I had to be there at 8:30 and I was there by 8:25. I hope they made note of that because I am horrible about getting somewhere on time! When I got there everyone welcomed me right in and we actually had a branch meeting today and they introduced me and announced my title and position. Basically I am Branch Manager---just kidding!! I am a customer service representative and I will also help out on the teller line if they need help.

It was a nice day but quite boring. I had to get through all the bumps of the technical side before I could even do anything. Once we got through that I went shopping in the supply room to fill up my desk. Then I just sat there for the rest of the day. I talked to clients as they walked in and I walked around and watched other people work. One of my co-workers took me to this local upscale diner for lunch and it was very good. Then my mom and dad sent me the beautiful fall bouquet of flowers which really brightened my day. Ohh, I stopped and got a cup of coffee and a cookie in the lobby. Did I mention that the bank gets fresh snickerdoodle and chocolate chip cookies from a local bakery every morning??

So, needless to say I didn't stress myself out my first day!

Tonight Derrick and I were invited, by the bank, to attend The Taste of Gahanna, along with 8 other employees and/or family members. The event is put on by the chamber and about 50 restaurants from the city of Gahanna come and set up booths with food from their restaurants. All you had to do was walk around and get a plate full of food from each table!! A lot of the vendors gave coupons for free food. Derrick and I ate so much that we were just sick! It was a fun evening and now we are so sleepy.

We are in Ohio!

Well, we have been in Ohio for 3 days now. It hasn't really hit me that I have actually moved away. It kind of feels like I am on vacation or something. The drive here wasn't bad but it sure was nice to get here. Unloading the big truck into a second story apartment wasn't that fun. When we got here we came into the apartment and the air wasn't working. It was about 80 degrees in here, on top of the fact that everyone was sweating from moving furniture and boxes. My brother, cousin, and my parents are the best!! They all drove up from TN to help us move in. They were so much help and we really appreciate all that they have done.

We have a one bedroom apartment with a balcony. It is nice but thankfully we will only be here for 6 months. I hate that Max doesn't have a yard to play in and I feel like we are always yelling his name because when he walks into another room we are afraid he is going to use the bathroom or chew up something. He has been great in the apartment so far. Keep your fingers crossed that he stays this way!

We took my parents to the lot that we have chosen to build on and they really liked it. Then we took them out and showed them the model home that matched our floor plan. They are just as excited about our new house as we are! They haven't done anything new on the lot yet, but as they do I will post pictures so everyone can see the progress with us.

I definitely miss the fact that I don't know anyone, or where anything is. The cable guy came this morning and he was trying to tell us where PetSmart was located and he said "I live over in West Jefferson, so I go to the one that is over off 70 by the big Wal-Mart." I wanted to say "Where is 70, where is the big Wal-Mart, and where the heck is West Jefferson?????" Instead I said "Ohh, ok......thanks!" :(

I start my new job next Monday. My brother and my cousin went home yesterday and my dad is leaving today. Mom is staying until Wednesday to help unpack boxes, but since we are all unpacked we get to go shopping!! She wanted to stay a little longer since so she could go around town and see the area. For all I care, she can stay as long as she wants. I am sure that when she leaves is when I will realize that this is my new home and possibly when I start crying.

Pray that I will learn my way around and that Derrick and I will find a church and meet some people up here. Dad said that we need to find a big church, with lots of people, so we can get them all to help up move into our new house and he can come and visit after we move in, instead of coming to help move in!! Haha! He is a funny guy.

My small group

A fun shot with our small group. This is how I will remember them!


A more serious, but beautiful picture of all of us!

Our small group at church has been the best thing ever! Derrick and I met Ruth and Karl after we got engaged and started working in the preschool hallway at church. Their youngest daughter was in our 3 year old class and she just captured our hearts. From Maddie being in our class, we got to know and love the whole family. After we got married, the Meyer's invited us to start a small group with them. Over a few months time we added the Freunds and then the Peters. Derrick and I have grown so close to each one of them and we are going to miss them like crazy. during our Bible studies we have had some serious conversations, and also some off-the-wall goofy conversations. All of them we will take with us to Ohio.

On Sunday, Oct 23, we went to Kids Castle in Murfreesboro and took some group pictures. We all stopped and picked up some food and had a big picnic before taking pictures and playing. Derrick had more fun playing on the playground with the children, while us ladies sat over on a bench and watched them play tag. Then we went to Dairy Queen and all got ice cream!

The whole small group has touched us in their own special way. They have each taken us in and made us both a part of their family. We love each one of them and their children and will never forget what all they have done for us. They have all inspired us as a couple and as future parents and taught us a lot of things to make our marriage stronger as Derrick and I grow together. We know that marriages aren't perfect but they have definitely showed us that no matter what, putting God first will fix everything and make it all work out. We love you guys!!

Sweet Maggie

This is Maggie and Derrick's niece, Alexz, this past summer. This is Maggie a couple of weeks after we brought her home.

Well, today has been a rough day. This morning my husband took our little Maggie to the vet and had her put to sleep. Bless her heart, she has been so sick for a while but has been a tough fighter the whole time. I know she is better off now but I didn't realize how hard it would be to actually let her go. We have only had her for 8 months but she was the sweetest Basset Hound ever! Derrick called me at work to let me know how everything went, and that is when I lost. I think that some of these emotions are coming from the fact that in less than 2 weeks I will have totally left my comfort zone of my friends, family, and work and moved to a place where I don't even know how to get to the nearest Wal-Mart....or if there is even a Wal-Mart in Ohio!

Last week at FBC, Smyrna

This was Derrick's last week at FBC Smyrna. I will be there next week but he will be gone next week for work and then we are moving the next weekend. We have taught in the preschool area for 4 years and we got a beautiful picture from all of our friends as a going away gift. They all signed the back and it will look beautiful hanging in our new house. I mentioned how it is going to be so weird not going to FBC anymore, but I know that God has another church in Ohio that will be just as wonderful.