Saying Goodbye

Yesterday we did something that is very hard to do: we said goodbye to our friends. With one way tickets destined for North Carolina we sent off our dear pastor Kurt and his wife Julie and their 6 darling children to their new home. The past week has been a flurry of activities and goodbye parties making the last few days with them fly by. It didn't really hit me that they are gone until we left the airport without them yesterday morning. We are so excited for them and the great opportunity that God has for them as Kurt will be taking his own church! Oh to be there the first Sunday he preaches in his own church for the first time! Despite our excitement for them we can't help but feel a little sorry for ourselves being left behind.

Kurt and Julie have meant so much to us! They were there with us through dating and Kurt married us. Kurt has taken Andrew under his wing for many years now, impacting him and his spiritual walk more than anyone has. Much of who the man Andrew is today is because of what Kurt has poured into him. Julie has been such an example to me of what it means to be a pastor's wife and a godly and loving mother. Julie is someone who makes everyone feel comfortable and loved. She is so real and so honest, being around her is refreshing! We will miss them so much and already feel their absence.

We love you guys and can't wait to see how God uses you to bless the people in Hickory!

Friends

What would we do without good friends? I have been so blessed to not
have good friends, but amazing, wonderful, and great friends! Melissa
and Jenny are two of my most favorite human beings :) I can't put into
words the way both of them have blessed me . They are an extension of
Gods grace in my life! Here we have just finished our baking project
for our other wonderful friend Stacy's baby shower! ( not pictured
here, the other sweet face is a close family friend of Melissa and
Jenny) The four of us have grown very close over the past few of years
as we all walked thru dating, engagement, marriage and now embarking
on babies together! My most favorite memories were the meetings of
"The Excellent Wives Club". The name came from an amazing book we read
together called The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace. We met every other
week for a while reading thru great books, cooking dinner and praying
for one another. What a joy! We aspire together to be excellent wives
and content women who trust the Lord in all circumstances! We all live
further apart from eachother now and our formal meetings have ceased
but our bond thru prayer remains and that is the most important!

A friend in the making!

Melissa and Eric pointing to the name of their little baby boy to be
born in December- Cade Jeffrey!

One month old!

I can't believe our baby is already a month old! As u can see he is
becoming more aware of his surroundings and loved the picture on our
wall last night! He continues to grow and is now a whopping 6 lbs 9 oz
and 20 inches long. (as of Thursday ). He was also circumcised this
week , ouch! He was such a big boy and was braver than mommy and daddy
were! We rejoice in the health of our little guy and each day that
passes is another reminder of God's grace. I am beginning to forget
what life was like without Weston here with us!

My boys

Silly face!!

Westons first quiet time