the burchard bunch

1, 2, 3.... JUMP!

2010-04-12T16:00:00.002-04:00

Rusty got some great shots of Abby jumping at the waterfall. Check them out:)

a day in the mountains

2010-04-12T15:42:00.003-04:00

Carter with his walking stick

the kiddos

me and my honey

During last week's Spring Break, we decided to stay close to home. We've always loved hiking and getting outdoors and now that I'm getting over "my kids are going to wander off and get eaten by a bear!" phobia, we decided to check out South Mountains State Park for a day trip. This park was AMAZING! We had such a great time and the kid's had a blast! We hiked the 3 mile trail that lead us to High Shoals Falls. It was a pretty cool hike with lots of rocks to climb over, a river to follow and at the end a BUNCH of stairs leading to the top of the falls. Once we reached the top, we had a mandatory (for mom:) rest break and then headed back down. We found this neat little swimming area and although the water was freezing, Abby and Carter did some swimming. We took a ton of pictures (I know, that's a shocker! lol) so here are a few from our day.

Happy Birthday

2010-02-13T19:41:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday baby! I hope your day is amazing. I love you! If you wanna send him some birthday love you can jump over here and give him a shout!

in a nutshell...

2010-01-11T15:08:00.004-05:00

I wish I had some great reason why it's been more than 6 months since the last time I actually posted anything.... There are about 100 things I could use as an excuse, but they'd all be that.. just an excuse:) So, for the 5 of you who've been wondering what I've been up to during the past 6 months, here's a quick recap.

July - Wonderful trip to Florida to spend some time basking in the sun with some of my favorite people.

August - Kids went back to school.... my sleeping til 11:00 and going to bed at 2:00 came to a sudden and screeching stop... darn those alarm clocks and school bells:)

September - Went back to work at a job that I absolutely LOVE with people I absolutely adore! BTW: 4 and 5 year olds totally rock!

October - Celebrated my 36th birthday with the amazing team of staff and incredible volunteers of Ridge Church @ the n*rich conference for North Point Strategic partners in Atlanta at Buckhead Church.

November - We were so blessed to have Rusty's family come to North Carolina for our family's first Thanksgiving without Mom. We made Chex Mix, told funny stories about her and by the time the first tin was full, it seemed like she was right there with us:)

December - Spent Christmas with my family in Fort Myers and laughed over and over as my Grandma repeatedly told me how 'hot' her physical therapist was:) Enjoyed seeing some great friends and wearing short sleeves for 10 days.

January - well, I guess that brings you up to speed... I am heading back to Florida on Wednesday.... my Grandmother (yes, the one with the hot physical therapist:) is in failing health. I am so incredibly blessed to have a husband, whose first words, after he hugged me, were to tell me to go book a flight home to be with her. What would I do without him?

So, there ya go... my last 6 months, in a nutshell!

The Bunch does the Mash

2009-10-26T19:26:00.000-04:00

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smoothies & sweet potato fries

2009-06-10T13:05:00.003-04:00

Kyla Rose & Miss Tina

We put our toesies in the fountain:) Shhh.. don't tell!

Avery sipping her yummy smoothie:)

Last week I was lucky enough to spend the morning hanging out with two of the sweetest girls:) Kyla was in my class this past school year and Avery is her adorable little sister. The Davis family is moving to Virginia this week and I wanted to sneak in a few more hours with these sweet girls before they headed out of town:) We spent the morning at the Promenade window shopping and playing in the fountain. When we were finished with our shopping fun, we headed over to what I think is one of my favorite places to eat in Charlotte-Just Fresh! Avery has quite a few food allergies, but I came armed with the knowledge of what she could eat and how to have it prepared:) To say the staff was helpful was an understatement! They went above and beyond and Avery's burger came out perfect! The only problem was she was less than interested in eating said burger! All she cared about were the yummy sweet potato fries! She was even nice enough to share some with Mr. Rusty and me:) I will miss this sweet family-I definitely see a trip to Charlottesville in my future! Thanks Pete and Sarah for sharing them with me!

really???

2009-06-09T15:40:00.003-04:00

I don't want to offend anyone, but.... really???

my friend Jared...

2009-05-25T17:24:00.003-04:00

Our friend, Jared Pike, is a creative genius of sorts:) Check out his latest masterpiece!

*** side notes - the crazy "old" lady driver is our great friend Eva, who just happened to deliver both Abby & Carter-and for the record... it was a wig:) The frustrated driver, is none other than Eric Foster... husband to Mandy and dad to two gorgeous boys. Last but not least.... the nut in the black pickup was a professional balloon artist who spends his days cracking necks, other wise know as Dr Rob!

"i thought she was asleep..."

2009-05-17T06:00:00.000-04:00

this is what happens when a three year old is left alone in your bedroom...
I love that kid!!

strawberry pickin'

2009-05-16T21:10:00.003-04:00

This morning, Rusty and I loaded up the kiddos and headed to the Hall Family Farm to go strawberry picking. The kids were so excited! When we lived in Ft Myers, we usually went at least twice every season....but this was our first time since we've moved to North Carolina:) The kids had such a great time, they just went from row to row looking for the 'big ones'! They loved it so much that we ended up with 7 pounds of beautiful, fresh strawberries! So far, we've had plates of strawberries and sugar, and strawberry syrup with our pancakes for dinner (yes, we had pancakes for dinner:) I'm looking forward to trying out some new recipes with the strawberries we have left. Here are some of the pictures from this afternoon.

Carter with his first row's bounty

Abby checking out her berry

beautiful berries:)

Paige's handful

starting a new row

roller coaster

2009-05-16T20:46:00.002-04:00

I know, I know, it's been a long time..... Please forgive me - it's been a crazy, crazy month. Some days I feel like I'm on a roller coaster that won't stop and let me off. So many things all happening at once. It's been hard to process it all. Last Sunday was Mother's Day. I knew this would be a tough day for Rusty, but I wasn't prepared for it to hit me as hard as it did. I woke up that morning just feeling so blue. I missed my mom, I missed my grandma, I missed my sister and I missed Janice. I have been so blessed by having such amazing women in my life.... It was just so hard knowing how far away they were on that day. The next day, our house in Ft Myers was finally auctioned off from the foreclosure. That was a hard day for me. There are a lot of amazing memories in that house. I know it was just a building and I also know that so many other people are going through the same thing, but on that day, I felt like we were the only people in the world who had just lost their house. Then, Wednesday was our 14th wedding anniversary. We had such a great time that night! We went to dinner and a movie and spent some much needed time alone. I am so blessed to have such an amazing husband! 14 years married to my best friend-Who could ask for more??

So, I hope that sums up some of the reasons about why I haven't blogged lately and what our Bunch has been up to this past month:) I promise to try and be a little more consistent with my posting over the next few months! Thanks for your patience:-)

This is AMAZING!

2009-03-26T07:32:00.002-04:00

I know some of you may have already seen this, but if you haven't, watch this:)

a day in paris

2009-03-24T15:33:00.004-04:00

Well, Paris Island anyway:)

Kyle showing Brittany and Paige around

Carter trying on Kyle's coke bottles (excuse me, I mean his military issue glasses!)
He couldn't wait to get back to the house and put on his contacts!!

Seeing him for the first time after the ceremony.... have I told you how proud I am of him??

Kyle's platoon.... if you click on the pic it will make it bigger.. he's the 3rd from the left, front row:)

Early in the morning, on March 1st, Rusty's brother Brian called to tell us the news that Mom was gone.... We knew it was coming, but it was still hard to hear those words. That following week was so very bittersweet.... because on that coming Friday, Brian's son, Kyle, was graduating from Marine boot camp at Paris Island, SC. We wanted to be there to visit with Kyle, after all, who knew when the next time we would be able to see him? Also knowing that we might need to head to Florida for Mom's services at anytime made us stop and think.... could the kids miss that much school and could Rusty and I miss that much work?? Well, as usual, God's timing is perfect! Mom's memorial was scheduled for the next Monday, so we were able to stop in SC for the graduation and then all caravan the rest of the way down to Florida:) So on Thursday, we packed up the car and headed down to South Carolina to meet Brian, Lisa and the kids for dinner the night before graduation. Then the next morning we all drove onto the island to find some good seats for the ceremony. I have never been to a military graduation, but let me tell you, that day left an indelible mark on me. It was breathtaking to see the rows and rows of men and women who volunteered to serve our country, especially now, when their safety is so uncertain. We sat together in the bleachers, in between other families whose children, grandchildren, siblings and spouses, all made that same selfless decision to serve. It was like one huge (and somewhat loud and obnoxious!) family! All of us tied together with a common thread:) I was so proud of Kyle.... seeing him in his uniform just brought me to tears.... I know it sounds so clique' but I honestly do remember holding him in my lap when he was just a baby. Where does the time go?? Well, he's not a baby anymore! He's a Marine!! Our Marine! Grandma's Marine! Kyle, please know that we are so proud of you and praying for you everyday! We love you!!

I'm back!

2009-03-24T15:01:00.004-04:00

It's been awhile.... I know...... To be completely honest, I been struggling with coming back to blogging since Janice passed away. I knew that since we made the move to North Carolina, Mom had probably been my most faithful reader. Then last summer, when she started getting sick, I felt the need to step up my game. I wanted her to feel like she was a part of what we were doing. I didn't want her to miss out on pictures of the kids and seeing what our crazy family was up to. Whenever we spoke to Mom on the phone she always told us how much she missed us, but she always ended with something along the lines of, "you are right where God wants you, even if we'd love to have you closer". That always meant so much to me. Being away from your family is not easy, but knowing that your family believes in you and what you are doing, means the world. Now I know there are more of you out there that read this sad excuse for a blog (although, I'm not sure why?? lol) and I know if I don't post something soon, my brother in law, Brian, and my sister, Sam, are going to have my head :) So, I'm back.... but now I'm trying to figure out how to "catch up"???? So be patient with me ~ I'm sure the next few posts will seem really random.... I've got everything from a Marine graduation, to Family Night, to KidVenture with Ridge and everything in between:) So here it goes......

rough week

2009-03-08T15:14:00.003-04:00

I know I haven't posted lately.... it's been a very difficult week. Rusty's mom, Janice, passed away last Sunday morning. Even though it was expected (she had been sick for quite a while), it has still been a hard few days. We arrived in Florida on Friday evening and it seems like we've been going and going ever since. I have alot of things I want to write about.... my head is swimming with thoughts I know I need to write down.... but not now. My feelings are too raw. So many of you have asked what you can do for Rusty and I, and we have been so blessed with the amazing outpouring of love from our friends and church family. We appreciate it all so very much:) If you can, please continue to pray for us today and tomorrow..... It's going to be a tough, tough 24 hours. Please pray for Rusty, his brothers, Brian & Jimmy, and their dad, Larry. These 4 men are feeling the weight of the world on their shoulders right now.... Thank you for all the love and support.....

family night ~ camping

2009-02-28T11:13:00.007-05:00

Last night our family night theme was 'camping'. It's February in North Carolina, so needless to say... we did our camping indoors! We started out the night making jiffy pop popcorn and 'smores over the campfire
(AKA the microwave & stovetop!).
We watched the movie Open Season 2 and ended the evening sleeping in (and all around!) the tent we had set up in the living room. We woke up this morning to pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon! What better way to end a camping trip?? The kids had a great time and I'd have to say that this was the easiest family night yet:)

love this group...

2009-02-25T15:19:00.002-05:00

I love this group and this is one of those songs I could listen to over and over again, and it never seems to get old.... I found this video today and I thought it was so great, I wanted to share it with you:)

Week of Love ~ Part 3

2009-02-23T14:59:00.003-05:00

So, I just realized that I totally forgot about finishing these posts during the week of Valentine's Day!..... at least, I had such great intentions....... Shall we continue?? My sweet Abigail Faith is up next! Oh, where do I begin?? I adore this child.... she is most definitely one of a kind and I consider myself blessed beyond measure that I have her in my life!

I LOVE the way she can take the foil leftover from a Qdoba burrito and make a cruise ship out of it! I LOVE the way she chews on her tongue when she's concentrating... I LOVE her little notes of love that I find all over the house. I LOVE that when I straighten up her bedroom, I can usually find at least 10 things that I know I threw in the trash that week! (She insists that nothing is truly trash, only a treasure undiscovered:) I LOVE her sweet, sweet spirit... She loves everyone and isn't afraid to tell them! I wish we all gave our love so freely. I LOVE that she is the peacemaker in our family..... She'll always be the first to say, "I'm sorry" or "I forgive you"...... I LOVE her love for reading..... I finally had to ask her to empty her backpack of all of the extra books she had in there. I was afraid she was going to start walking like an 80 year old woman with osteoporosis! I LOVE to hear her pray for other people..... She loves her Jesus and wants to share His love with the world:) I LOVE that she calls me "momma" and not mommy, or mom.... I don't know why that touches my heart so, but it gets to me every single time:)

meatballs & more

2009-02-21T12:28:00.004-05:00

Yesterday morning, Rusty, Megan and I headed out to Charlotte's newest adult amusement park! IKEA:) We had so much fun! If you've never been to an IKEA store, be prepared to be overwhelmed....

The place is enormous.... I believe I heard it said that the store is as big as 6 football fields! They also say the average time you will spend shopping in an IKEA is two and a half to three hours.... Well, let me tell you ~ we arrived as soon as the store opened at 10:00 and pulled out of the parking lot a little after 1:30!! The place is so big, they have built a resturant in it! We had heard everyone rave about their swedish meatballs, so, of course, that's what all three of us had for lunch. We also had chocolate cake and a swedish apple cake that was totally yummy!!
It's amazing the amount of items you can buy at one store.... they have everthing from baby sippy cups, to bamboo plants, to mattresses and sofas! It was too much to take in on one day:) We will be heading back in a week or so... next time we're taking the kids so they can play in the kid's area ~ Oh, did I forget to mention that they have a kid's area, where your children can play (and not follow you around and whine why you look at every single item in the store) for FREE???!!! The kids that came out of the play area looked like they had so much fun. They had a clown doing face painting and balloon animals..... It took all I had to keep Rusty outta there!!

MCD

2009-02-17T21:05:00.005-05:00

I am SO excited!!
I have been anticipating the release of this book for well over a year now. I first heard it mentioned on his blog, which then lead me to Anne's story. The first time I read the title and found out what this book was going to be about, I was hooked. I know most of you know our story..... My husband served on staff at a large church in Florida for 12 years... I was also on staff for about 10 of those years, on and off, in several different capacities. The first few years were wonderful. We both worked there, our children went to school there, all of our friends were there, basically, all of our relationships centered around our church. Somewhere along the way, I don't even remember when, things went south. Some weeks my husband was working 50 and 60 hours a week and we joked and called those 'slow weeks'. Slowly, but surely, we began to burn out..... Our church had a number of resources for the pastors and their wives, but you see, the problem was, my husband wasn't a pastor. Those resources, no matter how wonderful they were, were not for us. It's was hard for us to know how to deal with the stress of it all. Talking about it sounded so much like complaining. And really, what are you going to say??? Do you ask if all the programs were really worth the stress it brought on the staff?? Sounds selfish, doesn't it?? Don't get me wrong, I can't and don't blame the church.... The decisions we made, were our own. We loved the people and we loved the Lord.... but we were tired, burned out, fried.

That little detour brings me back to this book. The title is MAD CHURCH DISEASE - Overcoming the Burnout Epidemic. Do you see where I'm going with all this??? I am excited that there is finally a resource out there for those of us in the ministry (or married to someone who is:) One of the lines in this book that struck me right between the eyes, was a quote by Bill Hybels. It states that he once said that "the way I was doing the work of God was destroying the work of God in my life". Powerful stuff, huh? Rusty and I are commited to doing everything in our power to not allow that same burn out to invade our lives again. I'm sure I'll be sharing more of what I learn as I dig deeper into this book. Stay tuned!

happy 36th birthday!!

2009-02-14T11:43:00.002-05:00

happy birthday, my handsome mountain man! i love you so.
if you get a chance, go here and send him some birthday wishes!!

family night ~ valentine's day

2009-02-13T20:47:00.004-05:00

So, it's been a REALLY long time since we've had a themed family night....We've had lots of 'spur of the moment' family time in the past two months ~ but, for some reason, I just couldn't seem to get myself together enough to plan out a themed evening of fun:)
So, we started off slow tonight.

In honor of Valentine's Day, we had family night complete with heart shaped pizzas, a bit of bubbly (Cherry Sun Drop w/raspberry sherbet punch in fancy glasses) and strawberry cupcakes with chocolate hearts on top! I had big plans for us to make Valentine's for each other, have a daddy/daughters & momma/son dance and a "heart hunt" (like an egg hunt, but with hearts!!)
Unfortunately, I think I over planned the evening, and by the end of dinner, all 3 kiddos were on the couch with their jammies on. So, since tomorrow is actually Valentine's Day, we decided we'd save some of the fun for then!

Week of Love ~ Part 2

2009-02-13T16:03:00.004-05:00

Paige's turn..... Here are a just a few of the things I love about her:)

I love the the smile on her face when she is surrounded by the chaos that only 10 preschoolers can bring to your Sunday morning:)

I love her willingness to help out with just about anything that is asked of her...

I also love her stubborn streak that runs a mile wide..... it reminds me that we are two peas in a pod!

I love when she asks me to flat iron her hair in the morning.... and we get a chance to chat about what the school day may hold for her.

I love when I see her back into her daddy's chest for a hug.... she thinks she's too big to actually 'ask' for one:)

I love her passion for serving others.... and pray that she never loses it.

I love how she laughs at her daddy's silly jokes (hey, someone's got to!)

I love watching her grow into the amazing young woman that God is calling her to be!

There is a special place in my heart for my firstborn.... Maybe it's all the trials and errors we've had together.... both of us trying to 'get it right"..... She is such a precious gift, and I am so blessed to be her mom!

Now it's your turn ~ tell me one thing you LOVE about your oldest!

Week of Love ~ Part 1

2009-02-12T14:30:00.004-05:00

In honor of Valentine's Day, I thought we'd have a week of "love" here @ theburchardbunch. (I have to admit that I borrowed this idea from a fellow blogger.... it was too great an idea to pass up!) So, for the next few days, I'm going to share a few of the things I love about my hubby and our kiddos:) and lucky Rusty, today, it's his turn! So here it goes....

I love the way his hair curls up behind his ears when he wears a hat.

I love the way he winks at me from across the room.

I love Saturday mornings and his pancake breakfasts.

I love that whenever I smell popcorn, I think of him.

I love listening to his voice when he prays every morning.

I love when he finds me on Facebook and starts a chat with the words,"Hey Sexy!"

I love the dimple he has in his chin (although I haven't seen it in months due to his 'winter beard')

I love walking into Ridge, seeing him standing behind that sound board, or up on the stage, and the smile he has on his face....and knowing how happy he truly is.

I love the way he loves our children.....and how they all think they're daddy's favorite!

I love Fridays and our "date day" and how I always know that for those 6 hours, it's just us.....

I love how he hits the snooze button every morning, then rolls over and puts his arm around me.

Now it's your turn.... Tell me what you love most about your significant other :)

71 and Topless

2009-02-10T21:09:00.004-05:00

Today was absolutely beautiful! 71 degrees and sunny..... I had almost forgotten how good the sun feels on my skin. Rusty and I surprised the kids by picking them up from school in Daddy's Jeep... with the top off! Rusty could hardly stand it:) Two days with temps in the low 70's gave him the "bug" and he stripped the Jeep..... Unfortunately it is suppose to rain sometime tomorrow.... I guess the top will have to be going back on soon..... Sorry honey!!

friday funnies

2009-02-06T17:02:00.006-05:00

A friend of mine sent these to me and I thought they were way too funny not to share with all of you! Happy Friday:)

25 Random Things about Me

2009-02-04T17:07:00.004-05:00

So far I've been tagged about 12 times on Facebook to do this. So... since I went through all the trouble of coming up with 25 random (or maybe, not so random:) things about myself, I decided to share it here with you! No, not really~ I'm just too lazy to come up with anything else worth reading.

1. I was born in North Miami Beach, Florida and lived there until I was 15.

2. I met Rusty while wearing a bikini, twirling a baton and standing in the median of a highway.... long story!

3. I LOVE taking pictures. My iphoto cache has 8652 pictures on it right now and that's only since 6/07!

4. I was on an episode of Miami Vice when I was 10. I was an extra and the episode I was on was filmed at the Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant..... Explains a lot doesn't it?? BTW: If you happen to blink at just the right moment... you'll miss me:)

5. I was a competitive gymnast until I tore a tendon in my ankle and was on crutches for 2 months. During that time my grandfather took me to physical therapy at the Miami Dolphins training center. One of the many perks of being his granddaughter!

6. I started blogging when we moved to North Carolina as a way to keep in touch with family friends. I usually don't have anything worth reading, but I love writing down my thoughts, however random they may be:)

7. I love horses and my dream is to one day have one (or maybe 2, or 3...) of my own.

8. I am addicted to my Mac. I actually have withdrawal when I am away from it too long! Sad, huh??

9. I love the sound my phone makes when I receive a text! Especially from Rusty:)

10. I have always wanted a tattoo (It's on my to-do list for this year!) Any creative friends out there that wanna draw me a cross???

11. I love buying shoes..... Not sure how many pairs I've owned over the years. I get the same "warm feeling" when I walk into a shoe store that I get when I walk into a Starbucks:)

12. A sure sign that my house is clean is a candle burning in every room. Not sure why I do it, but I can't bring myself to light them until I'm finished cleaning.

13. I have 3 younger brothers and two of them are named John. Another long story...

14. I read all four of the Twilight books in 10 days.

15. I would love to have another baby..... praying about adopting....soon.

16. My sister is my best friend and even though we have lived in different states for a year and a half now... we still talk everyday.. sometimes 2 or 3 times a day:)

17. I have a crush on Louie Giglio.... I think it's the gray hair!

18. One of my favorite shows is "iCarly".... but don't tell my kids. They think I'm a cool mom 'cause I've let them watch every episode! Spencer is hysterical.

19. I am obsessed with counting my kids when we are in the car. As soon as everyone is buckled up, I count...1.2.3. then, a few miles down the road....1.2.3 again....and then... well, you get the picture! Maybe too many years in preschool ministry??

20. I can twirl fire and knives.... so don't mess with me! lol

21. I am a horrible typist... I have typed all of this using my thumbs and pointer fingers... mostly on my right hand:) Believe it or not, I'm pretty quick with those 4 fingers!

22. I was the Florida State Solo baton champion and competed in the Nationals at Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. There's a huge trophy somewhere to prove it!

23. My husband and I moved to Charlotte to be part of a church plant. Who ever thought that my name and 'church planter' could be in the same sentence?? God is so good!

24. I LOVE Ridge Church and the people that call it their home! I am so blessed to be part of such an amazing church full of such passionate people! Ridge Church Rocks!!

25. I am married to the most amazing man. I know everyone thinks their husband is the best... but I truly believe mine is! He is amazing but I have to admit that it does make me a little sick how creative he can be.... He can make anything out of nothing and make it look spectacular!
30' Productions rocks:)

no sleep

2009-01-31T11:36:00.002-05:00

I have been having trouble sleeping for MONTHS.... It either takes me hours to fall asleep (going to bed at 11:30 and not falling asleep until 3:00 or so!) or I fall asleep pretty quick and then I am up five and six times in one night. I never realized how much not having a good night's sleep can affect a person! There have been times where I thought, "If I could just fall asleep and stay asleep, I'd need a full week, just to catch up!" Someone suggested Benadryl 4 days ago~and I think I may have found my new best friend!! Tuesday night I took it about a half hour before bed and when I woke up Wednesday morning, I realized that it was the first time I had slept through the night in about 3 months!! I can't seem to shack the "hangover" feeling I have in the mornings though. But, I'll take an hour of walking in a daze over no sleep anyday!! For all of those that are going to suggest that I see my doctor, don't worry.... I'm making an appointment for this coming week!
But, for now, Benadryl at bedtime for me:)

tithe rap

2009-01-30T07:41:00.000-05:00

This outta make your morning:) You're welcome!

my baby is 8!

2009-01-26T12:02:00.006-05:00

I have very mixed feelings about the birthdays of my children.... Every year they celebrate another candle on their cake, I realize that they are growing closer to the time when I will have to let them go. Some days it seems as though I will just blink and they will be adults and the decisions and choices they make will be completely their own. It creates a huge sense of urgency in me.... there are so many things I want to do with them, do for them and teach them to do for others. I want them to truly believe that their heavenly Father loves and knows what's best for them. Seems like such a simple truth, but one I know every decision they make on their own needs to be filtered through. Their birthday is a marking point to me that another year has slipped by.... way too fast. Then there are days where I feel like time stands still. Sitting across the table from the three precious children God has entrusted me with for such a short amount of time, makes me feel like the luckiest mom on Earth! Happy Birthday Carter-Man! Momma loves you <3

that was sweeet!

2009-01-26T11:30:00.004-05:00

Carter's first run on the sled!

snow day!!

2009-01-20T09:21:00.005-05:00

I finally got him!

Paige sledding (or at least attempting to!)

Carter catching snowflakes!

We woke up this morning to find a blanket of white snow covering everything! The best part is that it's still snowing! Last year, when the kids saw their first snow, it had come down during the night and by the time they got got up in the morning, it was melting and pretty nasty. They were so excited to get bundled up and head out this morning to play in the snow:) Here are some pics and video of our fun this morning!

happy birthday to me!

2009-01-18T23:16:00.001-05:00

17 years ago today, I asked Jesus to come into my life as my Lord and Savior. At that time, Rusty was the audio engineer for a southern gospel group called "The HIS Quartet". One of the perks of that friendship was that we were lucky enough to travel with them to Boca Raton on January 18th, 1992 to see a group called, "The Cathedrals". I had felt the Lord tugging on my heart for quite a while before that night, but finally my stubborness gave way and I asked (no, begged) Him to take my heart and make it whole. I am so grateful for the people the Lord put in my life that laid the path to that night. That night it all became so clear and there was no use in fighting that "tug" any longer!

So, when is your birthday??

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

how many layers do I need???

2009-01-16T10:43:00.001-05:00

Charlotte, N Carolina

20°F

Current:Mostly Cloudy
Wind: N at 0 mph
Humidity: 35%

Fri

29° | 9°

I don't remember signing up for this!! Holy cow~It's freezing!

addicted

2009-01-15T15:19:00.003-05:00

I bought Paige a copy of the book "Twilight" for Christmas after hearing some really good stuff about it from some friends. While we were vacation, Paige and her cousins all went to see the movie in the theater. Although she loved it, and her own words, "It was the best movie ever!!" she wasn't interested in reading the book when she had already seen the movie. When we got back home and finally unpacked all the Christmas gifts, I stumbled on the book again. I'm one of those people who will read anything I can get my hands on.... cereal boxes and Rusty's trade magazines will usually do if I can't find anything else! I picked up the book and before I knew it I was hopelessly trapped in Forks, Washington:) I read the first book in 2 days and the second in 2 more... I was so absorbed in this story that when I finished the 2nd book, I jumped in the car and headed to Wallie World to pick up the 3rd book! Couldn't find it, borrowed it from a good friend, and been reading this one for three days. I am ashamed to admit that I am addicted! I carry the book everywhere I go! I read it in the car line while I pick up the kids, I read it at a long stop light, and from the time I put the kids to bed until I fall asleep, my nose is stuck in this book!! Anyone else out there hopelessly addicted?? Please tell me I'm not the only 35 year old loving the idea of a werewolf and a vampire fighting for her love??? lol

yummy and educational!

2009-01-14T14:38:00.005-05:00

My husband rocks! I say this for many, many reasons, but today I am going to focus on his culinary skills. Almost every Saturday morning, for as long as I can remember, Rusty makes breakfast for the five of us. It's almost always pancakes and bacon....and a fried egg for me. Believe it or not, he will throw the eggs away, one by one, until he feels like he's made the "perfect" one just for me! I'm not sure he has any idea how special that makes me feel! He is amazing! I love these Saturday mornings:-) I know this is a memory the kids will treasure and it means so much to me that he has kept up this tradition. A few weeks ago, he went above and beyond and made all the planets out of pancakes.... Carter thought this was the coolest thing ever!

Here's a pic of our planetary pancakes!!

I miss this....

2009-01-06T14:49:00.004-05:00

Sofie making a castle

Rusty and Carter working on their volcano

Gaby Rose prancing in the sunset:)

the cousins

awww.... heaven

Abby building her "Aloha resort"

It has been raining pretty much non-stop since 4:30 Sunday morning and I'm about to have a meltdown....(check out here and here to see how the storms impacted Ridge Church) I'm not a big fan of rain, especially the cold, continuous, soaking the bottom of my jeans, kind of rain. My feeling is that rain is really only good for 1 thing ~ staying in bed in my jammers with a good book (Twilight:-). Since that option wasn't available this morning, I'll have to admit that I'm a tad bit cranky:) I miss this........ This was one of our family's favorite places to go when we lived in Florida. The day after Christmas we spent the entire day there. Lunch at "The Cottage" with my dad on Ft Myers Beach and then on to Bonita to Lovers Key. It was a gorgeous 75 degrees! We spent the day making sandcastles, walking the dunes and ended with a perfect sunset stroll. I am counting the days until summer break!

pot of turtles

2009-01-03T09:45:00.004-05:00

This is one of things I miss most.... She was like my own personal iPod.
Here is Gaby's rendition of Feliz Navidad.
Enjoy:)

could she get any cuter??

2009-01-01T21:04:00.003-05:00

Here's my little cover girl! Gabriela was so excited about seeing herself on the cover of this months Parent & Child Magazine:) So were we... we raided all the copies of the magazine we could find!!

blogging break

2008-12-31T22:06:00.004-05:00

I took a break..... It wasn't something I had planned on, but that's what ended up happening these past few weeks. Life has seemed to be in running on fast forward the month of December. I am still in shock that there are less than 2 hours left of this year!! Where has the time gone?!? We had a marvelous Christmas vacation in Florida and were able to spend a lot of time with our amazing family and friends. I have so much to share, but for tonight, I'm going to enjoy ringing in 2009 with the love of my life and three of the most precious "Christmas overloaded, non stop DS playing, been riding in a car for 12 hours and think they're stayin' up till midnight" children!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Merry Christmas

2008-12-26T22:21:00.003-05:00

I wanted to share with you this video that Rusty put together for our Christmas service at Ridge Church.
Enjoy=)

I hope everyone had a very merry, Christ filled Christmas.

morning surprise

2008-12-19T09:09:00.004-05:00

I have struggled the past few months with trying to determine how I would know if I was making an impact on my oldest daughter.... 13 is a tough age... I remember 13, and I would not do it again if I had the choice. Rusty and I constantly pray that we will never lose influence with her. That she will choose to make the right decisions, not out of fear because we are "older, wiser, have control of the $ and her phone", but because she loves and respects us and knows the expectations that Christ has for her. This morning she was on the computer before school. I thought she was putting the finishing touches on an assignment. After she left for the bus, I came in to check my emails and this letter is what I found. Made me cry.... made her daddy melt. I love that kid!! I am so blessed:)

Dear Mom,

Thanks. Thank you for being there through everything. I love you so much. Thanks for catching me when I fall, like the time when I got sick in the hospital. I am sorry you had to miss your trip to New York City. Thanks for cheering me up, like when we had to move from Florida to North Carolina. I was sad about leaving my friends, but now I think it was the best decision ever! Thanks for buying me things, like my new cell phone. I love it is it so cool! Thanks for being the best mom ever! I know a lot of people say their mom is the best, but you are the real deal! Thanks for helping me learn. (Even though I go to Dad for help with school:) I love you so much!!!!!!!!!

One more time Thanks!!!

Your crazy monkey,

Paigey

Christmas Traditions

2008-12-18T16:19:00.002-05:00

While checking out her blog today, I found this fun survey and since I'm completely exhausted from all of the Christmas season running around, I thought I'd cheat and "borrow" this idea!!
Here it goes:)

1~Wrapping paper or gift bags?? Paper w/big bows and curling ribbon! It's way more fun to see someone struggling with ribbons then just pulling a wad of tissue paper out of a bag:)
2~Real or Artificial tree?? In a perfect world, without allergies or budgets, I would say real... but we actually put up our artificial pre-lit 7 footer in less than a hour and it was FREE!!
3~When do you put up your tree? the day after Thanksgiving... I would put it the day after Halloween if I thought I could get away with it:)
4~When do you take the tree down? sometime the first week in January
5~Do you like eggnog? No, yuck!
6~Favorite gift received as a child? when I was 15 I wanted a brown leather jacket with fringe on the sleeves... don't knock it, I rocked the leather!! My mom gave it to me after I had pretty much given up any hope of getting it.
7~Easiest person to buy for? My son, Carter. If it has Star Wars on it, it's a winner! I could buy him a Lunchable with Darth Vader on the box and he'd be happy!
8~Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, I have 2. A snowman set (I'm sure Baby Jesus with a carrot nose is a sin in somebody's world!) and a chunky little set that the kids play with.
9~Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail! Do people seriously send email Christmas cards???
10~Worst Christmas gift ever received? one of those roomba vacuum cleaners that just runs around the house by itself... a little creepy if you ask me and I had a house with almost all wood floors! Sorry Mom, but I love you anyway!!
11~Favorite Christmas movie? a tie between Chevy Chase's Christmas Vacation and the Peanuts Christmas.. Linus gets me every time!
12~When do you start shopping for gifts? Usually I start around October. This year I have done it all in the past two weeks!
13~Have you ever recycled a Christmas gift? you betcha! How many candles and lotions can one person use?? lol
14~Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? anything chocolate!! I really love chocolate dipped pretzel sticks and Deb's buckeyes (hint, hint)
15~Lights on the tree? ah, duh!! Does anyone have a tree in their house without lights???
16~Favorite Christmas song? Transiberian Orchestra's Christmas Canon and Sarajevo... love them. One makes me wanna cry and the other makes me wanna drive REALLY fast!!
17~Travel for Christmas or stay home? I have mixed feelings about this one. I would love to have all my family together for Christmas without having to travel, but I guess as long as we are here and they are there... traveling will be always be in someone's Christmas plans!
18~Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yep
19~Angel or star on the tree top? neither, I have a snowman and man is he cute!!
20~Open presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? As a child we all went to church Christmas Eve and when we got home we could pick one presents from under the tree to open. I loved it! It always made me feel like I was getting away with something:) Now, we open them all in the morning.
21~Most annoying thing about this time of year? I get so mad that I sometimes allow myself to get caught up in the buying and wrapping and worrying and more buying and wrapping and worrying, that the real meaning of Christmas gets lost. There is a song out by Amy Grant, called Silent Night. It makes me cry every time I hear it, because that's how I feel so often during this crazy season.
22~Favorite ornament? I have all the ornaments that Rusty made as a child (My mother-in-law gave them to me a few years back). They are precious to me.
23~Favorite Christmas dinner? I LOVE turkey and mashed potatoes and all the traditional Christmasey sides.
24~What do you want for Christmas this year? a golden retriever puppy

OK, that's mine! Now I'd love to read yours:) Do one on your blog and link back here and here so I can read them!

doing what i love.....

2008-12-14T17:28:00.006-05:00

I love being a preschool teacher! I adore everything about it! I love sharing the bible story with them and hearing their sweet voices as we pray together each morning. I love the huge mess that is left on the floor every afternoon when they all leave.... my motto is 'a messy room means we had tons of fun'! I love watching them on the playground, playing freeze tag or hide and seek. But, I'll have to admit that one of my all time favorite things to do with them are crafts:) Usually the messier the better! I love crafts that parents can keep. My favorite part of putting up our tree at home each year is going through the special box where I keep ALL the Christmas crafts my kids have ever made. We have paper plate angels, Pringle lid photo ornaments and construction paper gingerbread men hanging on our tree. I really wanted to help my preschoolers make some long lasting keepsakes for this year. Being that this is our inaugural year as a preschool, we are on a tight budget. So I dug deep and found some very inexpensive Christmas crafts to do with my class. They turned out so cute, I thought I'd share some with you!

This one is my favorite!
I stole (I mean borrowed this idea from Carter's kindergarten teacher)
Paint the child's 4 fingers and thumb white, set glass ornament into palm of their hand and have them gently squeeze. This will make 5 "snowmen" fingers. When dry, add name, year and details.) You can change the poem to reflect the year:)Construction paper "Angel"
plastic spoon "Snowman" ornament
(plastic spoon w/cotton balls, felt hat and pipecleaner scarf)Bowtie Pasta Wreath
(color pasta w/rubbing alcohol and food coloring~let dry overnight~then glue onto cardboard circle painted green)

HAPPY CHRISTMAS CRAFTING!!

Not Picky....

2008-12-09T07:30:00.003-05:00

I will pretty much watch anything on TV..... Any one day could bring anything between an episode of iCarly to a Dirty Jobs marathon. I'm not picky..... But there is one show I absolutely love watching.... Monday nights at 9:00, my butt is parked in front of the television waiting for "Heroes". I love this show! But....there is just one thing I hate to watch on TV...... SPORTS. It doesn't matter what kind it is, I can't stand watching it. I love being at a game, whether it's baseball, football, hockey or a race; but I don't want any part of day to include watching a televised sporting event. Now, I say all this because my favorite show was booted for a Panthers game! I know, I know, I live in Charlotte now, but that doesn't mean I automaticly became a die hard fan. I got up this morning and checked our local NBC affiliate's website to see when (or if) they were going to reair my missed, must see Thursday night line up.... and here it is:

A Day @ the Zoo

2008-12-06T19:59:00.004-05:00

beautiful birthday girl

3 monkeys on an elephant

my turtle lover and his little friend

Instead of birthday parties for the girls this year, we decided to spend the day as a family doing something we'd all really enjoy. So, this morning we headed off to Asheboro to the NC Zoo. It was 32 degrees when we left Charlotte and I think it may have made it to 41, maybe even 42.... needless to say, it was cold!! The best part was, aside from our family and the four groups of people we saw while on the trails, we had the whole zoo to ourselves! It was awesome! The kids had all the time in the world to spend at each exhibit.... so, we took our time, spent the day walking and talking, and just enjoying our time with each other. The funniest part of the day was when we visited the otters. There were two otters in the exhibit and one really took a liking to Abby! Their habitat is divided into two separate areas, connected by a tube, so they can go in and out from both sides. It all started when one otter ran into the tube and off to the other side......Abby ran to that side to see where he went and the chase was on! This started the most hilarious 15 minutes of the day! Abby would run back and forth and that crazy otter would chase her. Even when Abby stopped, he would stop and wait for her to start running again! You'll have to check out the video below of all the fun:) We had such a great time today, we even became zoo members so we could back again and see Abby's new friend! (hopefully when it's a little warmer!) She's convinced she has to wear the EXACT same outfit so he will recognize her next time! How cute is that?? She named him Jimmy, because in her words, "He's fast like Jimmy Carter!" To which I said, "I think you mean Jimmy Johnson???" She says, "Oh Yeah.. Jimmy Johnson, Jimmy Carter was a President! I'm so silly!!" ha ha ha, outta the mouths of babes!!

Not sure where to start...

2008-12-03T14:34:00.005-05:00

I really have no idea how to put into words some of what I've been feeling lately..... It has been a whirlwind week. I still feel like I'm trying to recover from it all.....I'll try my best to fill you in on the past few days. We left last Tuesday afternoon to drive to Port St. Lucie, Florida for the Thanksgiving weekend. We stayed there until Saturday morning, when we made the "what should have been a 9 hour trip", that turned into a 14 hour drive, home. We had an amazing time visiting with Rusty's family. There are 16 grandchildren and 7 of them are between the ages of 12 and 15, so the kids had a blast hangin' with the cousins:) We spent a lot of time eating (I think Rusty and I gained 6 pounds between the 2 of us!), playing poker (not me... I'm a self professed card hater!), spoons (OK, this is the ONLY card game I like!) eating some more.... and just catching up with everyone.

Janice & Larry with the 3 boys (I know it's blurry but I love the look on her face. love.pure love)

I guess you don't realize how much you miss being away from home, until you go back. We spent a lot of time visiting with Larry and Janice, Rusty's parents. Janice was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis last summer and lately has been having a real difficult time. The last time we saw Mom was this past June. So much has changed since then. In just the past few months, she has gone from being able to drive, walk and teach a 1st grade Sunday School class every week, to being in a wheelchair and on oxygen 100% of the time. Just getting up to do such simple things, such as get a drink or use the restroom, cause her blood oxygen levels to drop to half of what they should be. It was so hard to see her struggling for each breathe..... She has been such an amazing part of my life and I know that God placed her in my life for such a specific purpose. Janice has been my "other mom" since I was 15 years old, when Rusty thought I was cute and dragged me into her life. I was so screwed up at the time. So full of myself and having no clue what I wanted or needed. She saw through it all... through all my crap and my issues and showed me, little by little, what, or really, who, I needed. At a time when she had so much influence over Rusty.... for goodness sake, he was 16 and barely driving when we met..... she chose to use her influence to lead me and love me instead of encouraging Rusty to give me the boot. She never once tried to convince me that I needed Jesus... she lead by example.... just like she's done everyday that I've known her. I wanted what she had, I wanted to raise my children to be the kind and generous adults that her boys grew up to be..... and when I asked Jesus to come into my life and save my sorry, good for absolutely nothin' butt, I don't think she could've been any prouder than if I had been her own flesh and blood:) I think all of this has hit home and I feel like a big ball of mush....
Carter & Rusty

Abby & Baby

The kids had such a great time:) Aunt Diane took us all horseback riding on Friday. Abby grinned from ear to ear the entire day! The kids played football, had a sleepover every night, and just really enjoyed the freedom that comes with visiting Grandma and Grandpa Burchard. One of the coolest things that happened this weekend was between Carter and Rusty. Janice saves everything.... really, I mean EVERYTHING.... sometimes it drives me nuts, but most of the time, she'll pull something out and it will almost bring me to tears that she thought to save it all this time~instead of throwing it away. This weekend was no exception. On Wednesday morning, Rusty's mom and dad gave him his Construxs sets that he had played with when he was a boy. He thinks he was about Carter's age when he received them as a gift and now it was his turn to pass them on to Carter. It was so sweet! The two of them played for HOURS, planning and building cranes, space vehicles and everything in between. What an awesome memory! Thanks Mom and Dad for all you do and have done! We love you and are praying for you.... hang in there, Mom.... we'll see you at Christmas!

family night ~ Christmas

2008-11-22T22:45:00.005-05:00

The beginning.....

Paige giving Adam a boost!

Paige pondering what to hang where???

chaos among the boxes...

Friday's family night theme was "Christmas". I know it's a little early but it's my favorite time of the year and I couldn't wait much longer to get the tree up! We thought it would be fun to invite another family to join us for "family night", so the Henderson's joined in on the fun:) We had enchiladas and tacos for dinner (not sure how that tied into Christmas, but it sounded good at the time!), hot chocolate (which I forgot about on the stove... sorry, Ash:) and gingerbread cookies. We also put together shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child and put up the tree.The kids had so much fun decorating it. Paul and Ashley's oldest, Adam, had such a great time hanging ornaments, that even after the last one was put on the tree, he began looking for anything else he could hang on the branches! It was so cute! My favorite part of putting up the tree is looking at all the sweet crafts my children have done over the years. They've grown so much, it seems like it all happened in the blink of an eye.... and I know in another blink, they'll be off on their own. I pray they remember these special times with their family. One of the most amazing gifts my mother-in-law has ever given me was a box containing all of Rusty's childhood Christmas ornaments. So last night, I had the privilege of hanging ornaments that Rusty made when he was 7, right next to ones Carter made last year. Ashley and I had a great time going through all of the boxes containing the Christmas goodies.... We found an Advent calendar Rusty's mom made for him when he was little. She gave it to me two years ago. I was so excited and couldn't wait to use it with our kids. But, in all our moves the past two years, somehow I forgot and it got shoved in a box. I found it last night and was even more surprised to find a few slips of paper left in a few of the pockets. As we read them last night, I thought to myself how thankful I was to have a mother-in-law who instilled in me a passion to love my children as she loved hers! What a blessing she has been in my life... I love ya Mom B:) This year Rusty is in charge of passing on the tradition of the Advent calendar... what an awesome blessing! Here are some pictures of last night. There's not too many~I think everyone was having too much fun and we forgot to take more!

family night ~ kung fu

2008-11-16T16:53:00.005-05:00

Carter and his broken boards:)

Last night our theme was "Kung Fu". We had Chinese cuisine (orange chicken & sweet and sour chicken) for dinner, ate with chop sticks, gobbled up fortune cookies for dessert and earned our black belts in board breakin'! We ended our evening with the movie "Kung Fu Panda".

Abby showing off the muscles!

Rusty found a few 2x4's hiding in the garage, cut them down to about 18 inches long and then cut them almost through in the middle with the circular saw.... to make it easier to break when the kids tried out their karate moves:) Everyone wore a white T-Shirt and I bought some wide black ribbon for our "black belts". The whole night cost less then 30 bucks and it was so much fun!

Here's Rusty showing us how it's done!

Carter's first try!
(Note his request to delete the first take~ yeah, he'll have my head some day!)

*Disclaimer:
There are no pictures of my almost -13 year old... she thought she was too cool for pics!*

looking for something different this year?

2008-11-11T11:45:00.004-05:00

Cut out aluminum foil in desired shapes.
Arrange the turkey in the roasting pan.
Position the foil carefully.
Roast according to your own recipe
Serve.
Watch your guests' faces!

I found this online while helping Abby work on a project for school!
Thought it would bring you a chuckle or two:)

love this place....

2008-11-08T19:53:00.004-05:00

This past week, the fall colors have been so amazing. Lately, every drive in the car, echos of "oohhs" and "aahhhs" can be heard from the 5 of us. Rusty is secretly head over heels for this season, but refuses to admit it for fear of sounding too much like a girl ~ but his sighs are usually the loudest of them all:) I didn't take any pictures last week (when it was "peak" foilage) but here are some pictures from our afternoon at the park.

Money Laundering???

2008-11-03T16:44:00.004-05:00

Usually each load of laundry unveils something new. Sometimes it's a Lego man, other times, lip gloss or candy wrappers..... but today, I opened up the washing machine and found this treasure trove..... I guess it's better than losing socks!

What's the most unusual thing you've found in your laundry??

Family Night ~ Halloween

2008-11-01T11:21:00.005-04:00

the crew

the Target employee (Rusty) and the Kitty Cat (yours truly!)

Darth Vader and Anakin

Fat Man... aka Greyson

Lucy-Lu

Me and Marky-Mark the Monkey

the Brown 3

Cheetah (Abby) Pochahontas (Paige) and Anakin Skywalker (Carter)

This year, Chris and Angie hosted the annual Ridge Halloween Bash... We had an amazing time! 50 people people crammed into one house, a seemingly endless supply of great food and conversation, made for some wonderful memories:) After eating some yummy "finger" sandwiches, "mummy" hot dogs and "witches brew" punch, all 50 (yes, I said 50!) of us ventured into the neighborhood for some trick or treating fun! The kids were real troopers and had a great time running from house to house snatching up all those cavity-inducing sweets:) The funniest moments were the kid's reaction to the house that was giving out Cheez-Its..... who gives out Cheez-Its??? Really??? lol ... There was also a house giving a choice between money and candy.... Abby thought this was the coolest thing ever! When I asked her what she chose, she said, "Money, of course!!" like she couldn't believe I'd even asked! Here some of the pictures from last night... enjoy:-)

Carter's New Glasses!

2008-10-28T20:45:00.003-04:00

Last week Carter came home with a note from the school nurse. The school had just finished their routine screenings and Carter seemed to be having a hard time with eye charts:)
So, this afternoon we headed to the eye doctor and now Carter is sporting these new shades!
He's not too sure about them yet.... but he keeps taking them on and off saying, "I can see that better!" (as he points to some far off place) Here's a picture of him picking out a new toy (yes, I bribed him to go to the doctor..... you have to remember that this is the kid we need to sedate to get his teeth cleaned!! I'm just thrilled he sat in the chair!) Whatcha think???

so you had a bad day.... sing with me

2008-10-28T14:54:00.006-04:00

Yesterday was one of those days you just wanna throw in the towel.... I almost posted on this yesterday but I am thankful I waited until now to write. I'm pretty certain the entire post would have just been a huge pity party for myself..... at least today, I am able to see things a little clearer and I'm not nearly as emotional. As many of you know, Ridge Church is a strategic partner of North Point Community Church in Atlanta. We were able to start Ridge with funding from NPCC and some amazing people. Well, it's been over a year and we are now standing alone as a church ( financially) and I would be lying if I said it was an easy task. Yesterday was one of those days where it really sank in... how unpredictable everything is and yet, how blessed we truly are. Such mixed emotions.

then.... to add to my emotional whirlpool, I was in a car accident as I was leaving work yesterday afternoon. Just a minor fender bender (well, at least minor on my part) that broke a tail light and crushed in my bumper. No biggy~but enough to raise my blood pressure through the roof....
Again, mixed feelings.... frustration with yet another bill to have to pay and thankfulness that everyone was safe.

then.... as if I was on some weird reality show called, "Let's See How Long It Takes for Tina to Meltdown?", I had missed a call while I was dealing with the accident "stuff". I get in the car and check the missed message. It was my mom, calling to tell me that they think my grandmother had had a heart attack and was in congestive heart failure in Ft Myers..... A flood of emotions came over me.... why am I so far away from my family?? if I head to FL, will Rusty be OK with work, church and the kids?? can I make it home without "Emily" our GPS (she was GPS-napped out of our car last Sunday:)? Why Lord, do things seem to always happen when you feel the most beaten down already??

Then I remembered a piece of paper I put in my purse after church on Sunday. Chris is preaching a series called, "FEAR", and everyone received a copy of 9 verses from scripture about fear. When I got home, I pulled it out and read them all out loud, in an empty house. In the beginning they were more of a way to convince myself that I believed what I was reading... but by the time I got to the 4th verse, "Do not be afraid of them; the LORD your God himself will fight for you." Deuteronomy 3:22, I was claiming them! Fear can be so paralyzing, it can make you hold on to things that aren't yours and allow you to make decisions without praying. That was me yesterday. Scared to death about what was going to happen next.. waiting for that other proverbial ball to drop. I'd be telling a big fat lie if I said, I woke up this morning without a care in the world, but I have decided that the 9 verses from Sunday are my claim to sanity. I know my Father knows what's best for me, my family and my grandmother. I also know that I will praise Him for all the blessings in my life, and not be fearful about what will happen next. There has not been a day in these past 16 months where I haven't known that I am exactly where He wants me to be:) We serve a mighty God and I am so thankful that I am able to serve Him here.

Let me introduce you...

2008-10-25T09:58:00.004-04:00

Kenya the Kat, this is everybody. Everybody, this is Kenya the Kat. No, Debbie, she's not OUR cat, she is a barn cat. We live across the street from the riding stables and there are two dogs and two cats that call the barn their home. Kenya comes to visit our house almost everyday (much to Abby's delight!) and has now been comfortable enough to come inside and play with the kids. For weeks she would come after school (as if she knew when the kids would be home) and sit on the porch until one of the kids came out to play. Now she comes to door, walks right in and hops on the couch with us! She is the sweetest thing I've ever seen and Abby is in love with this cat:) Lucky for us, we don't have to feed her or pay her vet bills, but the kids think she's theirs!! Last night Rusty came into the living room and Abby and Kenya were curled up in the big chair together... it was so sweet. All I heard was Rusty murmur under his breathe, "We need to get these kids a pet.." I'm getting closer.... I can feel it! Maybe Santa will finally bring my puppy????

mama bear

2008-10-24T15:55:00.003-04:00

yesterday and today, the little one's school celebrated, "Grandparents/Special Person's Day". Being that both sets of grandparents live 12 hours away, Rusty and I played the part for the festivities. Carter's went off without a hitch, but Abby's was a whole 'nother story.... Here's where the mama bear part comes in...

Rusty and I arrive in Abby's class and her teacher, whom both Abby and I adore, pulls me aside and asks, "Have you spoken with the principal yet?" I say, "NO, why???" She then begins to tell me that she was told a few days ago that Abby was being moved to another classroom this coming Monday. Needless to say, I was pretty upset... The kids have been through a lot of transitions these past 16 months and the thought of another one for any of them sent me over the edge. Rusty and I headed (or stormed... however you wanna look at it!) down to the Principal's office to see if we could sway her decision. Unfortunately, we were unable to change her mind:( I was so angry, frustrated, ticked off, sad and confused all at the same time. Those that know me well, also know that meant one thing~I cried like a little baby. I was so mad at myself for becoming emotional, but all I could think of were all the changes the kids have made since the move and the ones I know they will have to make again soon. It was overwhelming... I really wanted to take the woman out, but in the back of my mind I knew that it wouldn't help (although I'm pretty sure it would have made me feel a whole lot better!). The worst part was the fact that we had just spent and hour in Abby's class listening to her talk about everything she loved about her friends and school! She had no idea what was about to happen... Every time I thought of it I cried. So we left and waited the long 2 hours until school let out. I prayed in the car when I knew the time was close for her to find out and then I had no other choice but to wait, and trust that her heavenly Father knew what was best for our Abby.

2:00 rolled around and her and Carter got into the car and her face looked so sad... I started welling up again (for like the 25th time!). I hated that she had to go through that, and that we couldn't be there for her when she found out. She is such an amazing child and has a heart that just blows me away.... she was sad, but OK.... We explained that this was not what we would have picked for her, but that we can only see the little picture, but the Principal had to make a decision for the entire third grade, not just for the Burchard family. She seemed to understand. It was a good reminder for me in what we've been through lately. Sometimes we can only see a fraction of God's plan for us. Sometimes He reveals more, but most of the time, we see just tidbits, and if we're lucky, only later, sometimes much later, are we able to get that big picture view. Well, there you g0~Life lessons from momma bear and the third grade!

toto, we are not in FL anymore...

2008-10-20T07:59:00.002-04:00

It was 33 degrees when the kids headed off to school this morning:)
Fall is here!

aw shucks

2008-10-18T21:25:00.004-04:00

Making our way through the maze

We're almost there....last sign to find before the end!!

me and my honey

All 7 of the kiddos

My little buddy:)

With temperatures in the low 60's all day, we decided the best way to celebrate the first cool day of Fall, was to head to the pumpkin patch. We went to 'Aw Shucks' to ride the wagon, pet the animals (never made it to them though:), pick pumpkins and try our navigational skills in a corn maze. This is the first time our family had never been to a corn maze (don't have too many of those in Florida!) so the kids had a great time trying to find their way out without getting lost.... although I have to say, it appears all three of our children inherited their sense of direction from their momma.. that's not a good thing:) Thank goodness for Rusty~ he saved the day and lead the 12 of us out in record time! If I'd been left in charge I'm sure we'd still be wandering around out there!

a sneek peek...

2008-10-15T17:25:00.003-04:00

I've been itching to have some family pics done for quite some time but couldn't quite find what I was looking for. I knew what I didn't want was the standard 'Sears' family portrait, but I also wasn't sure of what my other options were.... Much to my happiness, I met Kristen! She is an incredibly gifted and amazing photographer. Our photo shoot was this past Monday afternoon and today she posted a few of our shots on her blog. If you wanna sneak peek, here ya go!

photobooth fun :)

2008-10-10T20:59:00.002-04:00

What happens when the kids get a hold of your mac...

letters to the next president/GL

2008-10-07T06:54:00.006-04:00

The White House (yeah-that's a drum set in front!)

Secret Service Agent Don
I had to have "special clearance" to get this close!

On Sunday morning we began a new series at Ridge called, "Letters to the Next President". If you weren't there, check out the message here, so you'll be caught up for this week. Trust me, if you missed last Sunday, you'll want to make sure you're there this coming week! We had a White House on the stage! Yes, the White House!!! *could my husband be any more talented?* A limo out front and the secret service to greet you..... you just knew someone important was watching from behind that tinted glass! The band was amazing and the message was so important, especially now, in this day and time. You won't want to miss this week!

Then on Sunday evening, Ridge Church held our second "Group Link". If you've read this blog for any amount of time, you already know how I feel about group life.... It is amazing, it is one of the best things that has happened to our marriage, we've met some of our closest friends in groups, and it's one of the main reasons I am so passionate about Ridge. There is just something about 'doing life' with a group of people. Something you can't get sitting in rows of chairs with 40 other people.... something intimate, life changing, something I think everyone should be involved in. Group Link is a get together we offer if you are interested in joining a community group at Ridge Church. We had pumpkin pie, apple cider and some great fellowship. (I know that's such a churchy word~but I'm not sure how else to say what I mean:) It was a long day @ Ridge, but so worth it.... Don't miss out next week and if you still haven't joined a community group go here and check it out! See ya Sunday....

I have a confession to make....

2008-10-06T16:47:00.004-04:00

OK, I'll be the first to admit that I have a problem.... I am addicted to Facebook.... I guess there are worse things to be hooked on, but either way, I can't quit! I joined a little over a year ago to keep in touch with friends from Florida when we moved to North Carolina. That was my only goal, I promise. But just this week I have been able to reconnect with 7 friends that I haven't spoken to in years! This morning I found three people from my junior high days and it totally made my day! It is so very easy to lose track of friends, even great ones. People marry, move away and go off to college (maybe not in that order~but hey, whatever works). It's easy to get disconnected and lose touch with each other. This past year I have reconnected with some amazing friends through this crazy site and with todays new "friends" I would have to say, I am even more hooked! If you get a chance, join up, add me as your "friend" and happy hunting! I'm sure it won't be long until you're addicted too!

The Love Dare

2008-10-04T11:02:00.004-04:00

It's probably not a big surprise to those of you who know us well... but there was a point in our marriage where Rusty and I hit a pretty rough patch. I'm sure our story is not too different from many of yours, or the people you may know~too much effort put into work and the relationships there and the exact opposite happening at home. We started to grow apart. We weren't fighting, we just didn't have much to talk about. I went to work at a job I loved, teaching kindergartners, and he went to work at a job he had grown to feel was suffocating him. I didn't want to hear how unhappy he was and he didn't want to hear how happy I was. It didn't happen overnight~it was a slow, silent process. Looking back, it was purely just a lack of being very intentional with our time with the Lord and with each other. Thankfully, we were able to spend a lot of time figuring out what we wanted for our marriage. We knew we wanted a marriage that glorified our Father above all else. We also knew that we had fallen madly in love with each other so many years ago and that we had missed that more than anything else. God has been so good to us. He has used some of the most amazing people, some who have no idea how they have blessed us, to bring us to where we are now. We are so grateful!

One night last week, Rusty and I had a date night and went to see the movie, "Fireproof". It was an incredible movie and I recommend everyone go see it if you get the chance. In the movie there is a book called, "The Love Dare" that is used and it completely changes the marriage of the couple in the story. It inspired us so much that we began doing the love dare ourselves.

One of the things Rusty and I are committed to doing is praying and doing a devotional together every morning. The Lord has used this time to bring us closer than we have ever been and it always amazes me how He can take the words on a page and make them so pertinent to your relationship. We are now on day 8 of "The Love Dare" and it has been incredible! For those of you who don't know what the book is about... each day (there are 40) has a message and scripture to read and then at the end of the passage, there is also a "dare" for you to do for your spouse. Some days have been easier than others and some have sparked conversations we have been putting off for years. I highly recommend, whether your marriage is stronger than it's ever been (like I believe ours is today!) or whether you are struggling each day to find the reasons why you got married in the first place (like I felt at one time) that you check out this book. Happy Reading!

apple pickin' & linville falls

2008-09-28T17:56:00.006-04:00

Saturday morning we loaded up the cars (my sister brought gas from Columbia, SC so we would have enough to get over to the mountains and back) and headed to the foothills to pick apples. It was so much fun! We took a wagon ride through the orchard and then hijacked a wagon of our own and made an adventure through the trees:) We picked Jonagold, green delicious, red delicious, and cameo apples. We had apple cider slushies and bought apple butter and apple preserves to send home for the grandmas. It was so much fun to watch my kids "teaching" their cousins the correct way to pick an apple... (you know, with one year of picking under their belts, they're almost professionals!)

After we'd picked way more apples than we can ever eat, we drove to Linville Falls for an afternoon hike to the waterfall. With all the rain from this recent series of storms, the trails were a muddy mess, but it didn't stop the kids from reaching the falls in record time:)

family night #4 ~ apples of my eye

2008-09-28T17:38:00.005-04:00

Carter rolling out the dough for our biscuits

making mini caramel apples

Gaby loved cutting the biscuits out!

what a goof!

Aunt Sam helping with the apples

At this week's family night, we had a few additions to our fun! My sister and her family flew in for the weekend. (I think she secretly didn't want to miss all the fun we have at family night! lol) On Friday night we had baked chicken with apples and the kids helped me make homemade biscuits with apple butter. For dessert we each made a few mini caramel apples. My plan was also to 'bob' for apples, but once again, the rain kept us inside, and I wasn't brave enough to do that in the house! This week was pretty low keyed, no decorations or games, just lots of family togetherness and the kids had so much fun helping us cook! Our family night carried over to the next morning, as we all loaded up the cars and headed to Morganton for some apple pickin' and wagon ridin'!!

check her blog out for more great ideas!

i'm as special as can be....

2008-09-27T22:40:00.001-04:00

My sister, brother-in-law and two nieces have been visiting this weekend from Florida. We've had such a great time with them! The first night they were here, Gaby spent some time showing Aunt Tina all the new songs she's learned at school. Thank goodness for video cameras.....now you can enjoy this too! Here's Gaby singing her rendition of "Special Me". It's a hoot!

out of the mouths of babes....

2008-09-24T14:59:00.003-04:00

I have to share this really cool thing that happened today in my class....

Let me set up this little story~Every morning we start our day off praying together. I have 7 of the sweetest four year olds you'll ever meet, and I have to say, this is one of my favorite parts of the day. After we pray, we read our bible story. This week we have been learning about Noah and the Ark. This story has been fascinating to them, especially the two boys! They ask question after question, like, "How high was the water? Was the boat as big as our classroom? & What happened to the people who didn't get on the boat?" Today for some reason we got stuck on the part about God shutting the door to the ark right before it began to rain. One of my boys asked, "Miss Tina, if God is invisible, how did He shut the door?" you laugh, but you try answering THAT one!! I answered it the best way I knew how.... I told him that just because you can't see the wind, doesn't mean it's not there.... We looked outside and the wind was blowing hard and the tress were rocking! (thank you Lord for Your perfect timing!) He seemed to understand... the faith of a child always amazes me! This leads to another question by my sweet "J"... "Miss Tina, where is God right now?" I told him, "He's right here with us". He said, "So, he's invisible, right?" I said, "Yes, but the bible says 'where two or more are gathered in His name, he will be there too'. So when all of us pray together, He is here with us!" He got the most excited look on his face and then he started looking around the room and then he said, "But where does He sit?!" We always sit in a circle for prayer, so thinking on my feet, I said, "Right here in the middle" and pointed to the center of our circle. A minute or so later, I look over to see "J" tickling the air.. saying, "tickle, tickle, tickle". I say, "J", what are you doing?" and he looks at me with a face that just melted my heart and says, "I'm tickling God. Do you think He's happy?" I told I was most certain that God was smiling right now.

How sweet is that??? This is why I love being surrounded by preschoolers.... some days, like today, I know I leave having learned much more from them, then they learned from me!

what do you do with the foil from your qdoba leftovers??

2008-09-22T14:26:00.002-04:00

This is what Abby does with hers......

a mouse....a viking ship....

a cruise ship (?).....

family night #3 ~ chef's night

2008-09-19T20:20:00.004-04:00

Abby tossing her pizza!

We had so much fun:)

Chef Rusty working the dough!

Abby created the menu for our meal

Chef Abby, Chef Carter and Chef Paige making their creations

Tonight's theme was "You're the Chef!" We started by making chef hats out of tissue paper and poster board; let's just say, they definitely sounded easier to make then they were.... but they turned out real cute. Next, everyone made their own pizza creation. They kids had a blast! Rusty put together a bunch of different toppings for them to try-we had red peppers, ground beef, bacon, cheese, ham and pepperoni.... yummy! After we were done with our pizza we tried our hand at ice cream sundae making (that was my favorite part!) and then a family walk to the park to finish the night off. I am so grateful that these nights have done exactly what I had hoped they would do..... make us take the time, without all the normal, everyday distractions, and just focus on enjoying our children. It's so easy to get wrapped up in the day to day "stuff" and end up rushing from one thing to another, and forget how fast they grow up. I still look at Paige and wonder, "where has the time gone?" I know I can't stop time, or even really slow it down, but I pray these nights are memories they will cherish, long after they have gone off on their own.

everybody

2008-09-15T07:49:00.008-04:00

Yesterday was a day filled with a lot of emotion for me. The message at Ridge, was the second part of the three part series, "Everybody". This entire series is pretty close to my heart, but this particular message is very special to me. Rusty and I watched this message two years ago and it forever changed our lives. We both sat and cried the first time we watched it.... I never knew how life changing that 40 minute message would be! At that very moment, we both knew we wanted to be part of something that was making a difference in people's lives, even though we knew it wouldn't be easy. Flash forward to yesterday morning, and I'm sitting next to my husband, part of something that is truly making a difference, and I was watching that message again; for the first time since that day back in 2006. I cried the whole message, but for an entirely different reason.... I was completely overwhelmed with gratefulness.... How amazing is our Father! Who knew how that prayer Rusty and I prayed "way back when" would unfold? It has been an amazing journey... a hard one at times, but one I wouldn't trade for anything!

This is a highlight video, shot by the awesome Brian, and edited by the amazing, Rusty, of our first Sunday morning service at Ridge Church! Enjoy:)

Ridge's 1st Sunday Morning!

2008-09-07T17:11:00.003-04:00

Small groups during UpStreet

A view of the stage

A look down the Waumba Land hallway

We start them early @ Ridge! (Mac rolling cables for Rusty)

Today, Ridge Church held our first Sunday morning worship service. It was unbelievable! Worship was amazing, the message was awesome and if we have a few more weeks of that many people crammed into that space, we'll be running two services in no time! I am totally exhausted but I feel so blessed to have been a part of this special day:) I love this church; I love everything about this church. I can't imagine my life without it. God is doing some pretty glorious things through Ridge Church and I am so grateful that I am able to serve alongside some of the most amazing people in the world! We kicked off our Sunday morning adventure with the "Everybody" series by Andy Stanley. For those of you who don't know, this was the series that Rusty and I watched in August of '06, that completely changed our lives.... It jacked up everything we thought we knew about what and how church should be. The Lord definitely used this series to start us out on the path that lead us to Ridge. I am so excited to see how He uses this series for His glory through the people who call Ridge home.

family night #2 ~ football fun

2008-09-07T16:10:00.009-04:00

Abby eating a hot dog & drinking her root beer at the tailgating party

Paige and a few of the autographed footballs

The MVP's autographing their game ball!

Carter eating the yummy football cake!

Miss Megan and Abby making our field cake!

Our second family night was this past Friday and our theme was "football fun". Although the night didn't go exactly how I planned it, we still had a great time! Hurricane Hannah decided to skim NC on Saturday morning so we were blessed with some drenching rain Friday night.... Our plan was to have a tailgating party for dinner and then get dressed in our football duds and head off to Porter Ridge High's varsity game. Luckily, the rain held off long enough for the tailgating but that's about all we got in before everything was soaked! Here are some pictures of the night:)

labor day

2008-09-06T23:46:00.005-04:00

Paige, Mac and Carter giving "Sir Purr" a high 5 @ the parade!

Abby was in heaven... She had this smile on all day:)

Carter and Rusty (this one's for you Deb!)

Carter chillin' in the tube

Spanky, Carter and Cole~all I can say is, it's a good thing those boys can swim:)

My Cheeto-faced Abby!

It has been a crazy 2 weeks! The kids starting school and me starting my new job, have sent my world spinning... I guess I just wasn't ready for the full throttle speed that the fall throws at ya:) I battled a very stubborn migraine for 4 days this week and so I apologize for the lack of posting. But, things are back in full swing and I have much to share!

We spent Labor Day weekend having a great time! On Friday, Megan checked back in to Hotel Burchard and we are so glad she's here:) On Saturday we headed out to the "Matthews Alive" festival. The kids had a fun time and we just enjoyed the day being together. We spent Monday hanging out with some great friends, swimming and eating, and eating and swimming. Here are some of the shots from the weekend!

family night ~ back 2 school

2008-08-25T21:32:00.008-04:00

Tonight was the Burchard Bunch's first "family night"! We had such a great time and I'm kicking myself for not doing this years before! If you haven't read the post below... stop reading, scroll down and catch up:)

Our theme was, "Back 2 School" since today was the first day of the new year. Rusty was such a trooper and was an awesome decoy! He took the kids for a stroll around Wally World (not his favorite place!) while I set everything up.

Here's the kids when they first got home.
The table was set with their own name tags and pencil boxes full of the supplies they would need for the night. We even had a word wall with Carter's first list of spelling words.
Going through the lunch line to get dinner! (all Rusty needed was a hair net)
We had all the fun things you would get in the "hot lunch" line. Instant mashed potatoes, canned green beans, chicken legs and bagged rolls. As you can tell, Abby thought this was a hoot!
Here's Carter-Man with his hot lunch!
After dinner we did our school work. A word search and a classroom treasure hunt!
Notice Abby making sure Carter doesn't cheat!

We ended the evening with yummy cupcakes and lots of "thanks mom and dad"s. It was a blast!
Can't wait to see what next week's theme will be :)

family night ~ thanks whittaker woman!

2008-08-25T21:01:00.003-04:00

I've been following this blog for well over a year now. Heather is a stay-at-home mom, who some days, seems to be masquerading as Super Woman. Her husband, Carlos, is the SPD (same job title as Rusty) @ Buckhead Church in Atlanta. I read both their blogs daily.... somehow, I feel connected. It's probably because of how transparent they are in their posts. What you read, is what they are feeling. Whether is gratefulness, frustration, love, or just plain silliness. You have a window into their families lives daily and I have to tell you, it seems like a pretty cool ride to be on! They have three children, two girls and a boy, and do some pretty amazing stuff as a family.... They run 18 miles on a Saturday (on purpose!), have traveled with Compassion Internation to Uganda to blog about the needs of the children, and adopted one of the most adorable little guys I have ever seen. This is not a plug for their blogs (they don't even know who I am), although I do think you should check them out! I know it seems like I'm rambling, but I say all this to explain how the above post came about....

Once a week, the Whittaker home has "Family Night". This is just a time for them to slow down and spend some real quality time as a family, doing some pretty fun stuff. I have watched this week after week unfold on her blog, and week after week, and I've told myself many times how much I'd love to do that. "I don't have the time", was the phrase I often used. I realized, this last week of summer, how fast time is going by. If I don't have the time now, when will I??? Do I just keep waiting until things calm down?? I'm not sure they ever will (well, at least not for the next 11 years, or so!) Well today I bit the bullet and the Burchard Bunch had our first official "Family Night"! The post above has all the pictures and details of what we did.... If you think this is something you would be interested in, you should definetely check out this and this. Between the two of them, they've covered just about every theme you can think of! Have fun - Remember, they're only little once!

first day of school blues

2008-08-24T22:26:00.004-04:00

It's 10:30, the night before the first day of school and I'm already a nervous wreck.... We moved into a new house a little over a month ago and with that change, came a new school for the little two. I've had a very hard time with this whole idea. My entire life I attended only three schools~Greynolds Park Elementary, John F Kennedy Junior High and Clewiston High. In Carter's short life, this will be his third school in three years. Carter started shedding tears just before bedtime. He claimed a million reasons why he should stay home tomorrow...

Can I be home schooled? Can you stay with me in my class? I will miss you too much if I go to school. You will be lonely without us here. I'm scared. What if I don't make any friends? What if my teacher is mean? What if the work is too hard?

All of these questions just broke my heart... I know how he feels. I have always had a hard time with new experiences; this is probably the main reason I never went off to college. I am always uncomfortable in a new environment and meeting new people and walking into an unfamiliar place makes me nauseous. At remember at 18, I had all those same questions. All I could do was hold him and pray with him and tell him how he is precious he is to Rusty and I. I also told him how Jesus knows just how he feels and what his worries are. I told him that although I can't stay with you at school tomorrow, that Jesus will be right there with you all day long, He will never leave you! Now, if I could just take my own advice and relax in the truth that my Savior is faithful and that He knows my needs and fears, tomorrow will be a great (well, maybe an almost great) day!

girls night

2008-08-20T10:26:00.004-04:00

Aren't they pretty???

Melanie, Katie and Lara

Last night, seven of us "girls" headed out for a night on the town. I think we all needed a good break and were long overdue for some girl talk. We started out with pedicures (thanks Katie for the "black is back" idea!) and then a long, leisurely dinner and dessert at Carrabas (with no food to cut up for the kids- believe it or not, there are 17 kids between the 7 of us!!!). I've been thinking lately about how blessed our lives are here and how grateful I am for the friends God has put in our path. Last night was just a great reminder of how much we need to take the time, even when our schedules are busy, to get together and just celebrate friendship! Thank you Lara, Angie, Melanie, Ashley, Lisa and Katie....and thank you Rusty, for always encouraging me to take that time.... I love you guys!

baby drew

2008-08-15T19:39:00.004-04:00

Last Monday morning, Rusty and I received one of those phone calls that breaks your heart in two pieces.... one of those calls that puts all of your own stupid and selfish frustrations in perspective in a little over half a second. Jeff and Melanie Robinson, dear friends of ours, had found out earlier that morning, that their baby Drew had gone home to be with Jesus. Melanie was 32 weeks pregnant and Drew was to be the youngest of five of the sweetest kids you'll ever meet. Baby Drew has three adorable brothers and one pretty princess of a sister, who have loved him since the day they knew he was coming into their lives. I'm not sure I even can come close to knowing the pain of losing a child, and I pray that it's something I never have to experience. Jeff and Melanie have amazed me everyday... they have continued to glorify our heavenly Father in all they do, although I'm sure there are days that it just hurts to breathe.... Please pray for them, pray for Jeff and Melanie and for Susie Q, Luke, Sam and Elijah. Also, pray for their extended family. I have never met a group of people so in love with each other and they are all so broken over this. If you can, take a moment and go to Melanie's blog and leave her some love and let her know that you're praying for their family....

a sight for sore eyes

2008-08-12T13:36:00.001-04:00

it has been over a month since i could turn around and see these three faces in the backseat...
today is good day!

San Antonio

2008-08-08T21:24:00.002-04:00

Tonight is our last night in Texas... We've had a marvelous time. When Rusty agreed to work this event, his schedule was pretty tight and for the most part I figured I'd be on my own. Not a bad thing if you plan for it. So, I bought three new books (SexGod, The Shack and Craig Groeschel's "it") and settled in. By Wednesday afternoon, I had read all three , and Rusty's event took a pretty cool turn. There were enough people working the event that everyone was able to take one morning and one afternoon shift off to do some sightseeing. Today, Rusty and I took a boat tour of the San Antonio Riverwalk and then spent some time just being together. It was wonderful! Tonight is the Youth Service and then tomorrow morning is the last session and then we'll be heading home tomorrow afternoon. It will be so good to be home....

Remember the Alamo!!

2008-08-05T15:35:00.010-04:00

View of the front of the River Center Mall (just outside our hotel!)

The Alamo!

A view from inside the River Center Mall

So, we've been in San Antonio for 2 days now and I am wishing that Rusty and I had a bit more free time.... The downtown has a pretty cool layout and you can find just about anything (except a place to get a pedicure! but that's another blog!) in a 6 block area. We didn't rent a car this trip and I've had a great time checking out all the cute little shops around the hotel. This morning I needed to find a post office to mail postcards to the kids and a few other letters.... I was told to walk two blocks from the hotel and then make a left at Alamo Road. I was just walking along and looking off to the left... when I looked to the right, I saw a sign that said Alamo Parking. I thought to myself, "Wow, the Alamo must be pretty close.." I walked another 1/2 a block and all of the sudden, there it was! Not real impressive of a building. It was actually much smaller then I had pictured it in my mind... but pretty cool. I snapped a few pictures but Rusty has the morning off tomorrow so we will head back then and see it together. We've had a great time so far! The gentlemen that Rusty works for are really great guys and they have just adopted me into their little tech world! Hopefully Eduardo will stay away and tomorrow will we'll have a great day for some adventures! I'll post more pictures tomorrow!

Crazy Week

2008-08-03T09:35:00.003-04:00

It has been a crazy and very hectic week!! I'm not sure what one thing to post about, so here's some of my thoughts this past week.....

I unpacked the last box around midnight last night, so I guess that means we are officially moved in!

Rusty flew out on Thursday, on a flight that was supposed to leave Charlotte at 7:30pm and have him in San Antonio by 11:30pm. but.... I guess there was some horrible weather in Atlanta that shut down that airport, which then practically shut down everything else, and he ended up not getting into Texas until 5:00am (our time!) He then had to begin his workday @ 8! I don't know how he does it..... I'm so blessed to have such an amazing husband!

The kids are still in Ft. Myers and are having the best time. My mom has been teaching Abby and Carter how to cook and Abby has even had a few lessons on the sewing machine! Last I heard, she was making purses! Anyone wanna start their Christmas shopping early??

I'm so grateful for all of the family and friends who have loved on my kids these past few weeks.... You guys are amazing! Thank you for loving them like they're yours :)

Rusty and I fly out at 6am tomorrow to head back to San Antonio for a week. I've never been to Texas so I'm excited to see and do some new things. While we're there, Rusty is working the Church of God annual convention at the AlamoDome, so I'm sure we'll be rockin' out at worship!

I miss my kids more than I ever thought I could.... I couldn't even think of them yesterday without breaking down into tears.... One more week, one more week...

We are having our first children's baptism service @ Ridge tonight! It's called a "Birthday Celebration" and I know it will be a night to remember!

Sorry for the brain dump!!!

The Move - Part 2

2008-07-31T09:01:00.002-04:00

So we are in the new house and I have to tell you that I think moving a mile up the road was more difficult than moving from one state to another! I guess it has been a combination of poor planning and poor packing.... both on my part. I "thought" it would be easier not to pack up everything. In a perfect world, I planned on packing up one room at a time then bring it to the new house and set it up and then go back and get another room. I know most of you are saying, "that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" but for those of you who know me well.... this really shouldn't surprise you! Needless to say, my brilliant plan completely flopped and I now sit in a house full of boxes and I've just about given up. Maybe we can just live out of the boxes??? Maybe we'll start a trend?? Well, Rusty leaves tonight for Texas and I am supposed to be joining him on Monday and we plan to be out there for a week. The day after we get back, I am driving to Florida to bring the kiddos home and then two days after that Rusty's family is coming to visit.... I guess I'd better get off this computer and get to work!! Pray for me :)

Small Group Getaway

2008-07-28T16:46:00.011-04:00

Joining our community group @ Ridge has been one of the most life changing things that has ever happened to Rusty and I. We look forward to Tuesday nights each and every week. We truly believe that we have made friendships that will last our life times. There is such an amazing thing that happens when a group of people choose to "do life" together! I mean the nitty-gritty, day to day, "life". As a group, we have supported each other through deaths of family members, financial problems, career struggles and sick children, but we've also celebrated new babies, new jobs, new houses and God's healing hand in times of sorrow.... It is a marvelous thing to know that these relationships are real and deep.... not just that 1 hour on Sunday kinda deal, but the stuff you know you can count on. I say all that to set up this post (I know, I'm a little long winded!)

Our community group went on a getaway to the mountains in Fleetwood Falls, this past weekend. We had a blast! Lots of Wii playing, Ghetto Uno, Guesstures, and hot tubbing fun! We spent most of Saturday tubing in the frigid water down the New River. We shared dinner at a Japanese steak house and ate lots of yummy Mexican food. It's amazing all that we managed to cram into 3 days! To those of you that went this weekend... thank you for such a great time... we have been so blessed by your friendships! Here are some of the pictures from the weekend. Enjoy the fun!

THE MOVE - Part 1

2008-07-22T17:48:00.003-04:00

So, it all started yesterday.... I started that dreadful thing called, packing. Since the kids are at my sister's house, 12 hours away, I was able to trash anything I wanted to! That, I have to say, was wonderful! I ended up dragging 4 large, black trash bags out to the curb by 7:oo pm! I sorted Ninja Turtles (Yes, Deb, he still has Corey's turtles!), Power Rangers, Littlest Pet Shops and super hero toys until I couldn't tell a Rafael from The Incredible Hulk! But, I am happy to say, at least for the three weeks the kids are gone, they will stay sorted into their appropriately marked bins:)

My good friend, Lara, knowing that I'm a big chicken (Rusty was in Atlanta for the night) and that I'm too ADD to actually pack alone.... offered to come stay the night with me! What a friend!!! So, we were up at 8:30 this morning, and started packing away... I am completely amazed at all that we accomplished in one day..... Lara, you rock sister!! Love you :)

Here is a picture of the dining room with all the boxes we boxes we brought down stairs today!

a little too much youtube???

2008-07-18T09:34:00.003-04:00

My niece Gaby doing her, "Charlie" rendition!
She's a hoot! I'm gonna miss her :(

the burchards are moving.....

2008-07-16T19:34:00.006-04:00

Our home for the past year!! Lots of amazing memories
of our first year in North Carolina...

Our new home... I can't wait to make some new memories :)

The countdown begins.... 8 days until we move again. When we moved to North Carolina last year, we knew nothing of the area we were relocating to. Chris and Adam did all the legwork for us ahead of time. They found us this beautiful house we have called home for the past 12 months. It has been such a blessing and we have loved every minute of our time here. With the sale of the house in Ft Myers so unclear, we started praying for ways to cut some costs. Again, the Lord has opened some pretty amazing doors and we were able to sign a lease on a wonderful home in a beautiful neighborhood! It is an equestrian community, so Abby and I can walk out the back door and see the horses and stables! Maybe we can find someone nice enough to let us ride every so often! Be praying for us.... The craziness starts now! My sister and her family will be leaving on Sunday to head back to Florida. They will be adding my three kiddos to their ride home. I know the kids will have a great time, but I worry all those "momma worries" when they're not with me.... and three weeks is a long time to be away from them.... Rusty and I will also be traveling to San Antonio, Texas for 9 days, right after we move into the new house, so my sister volunteered to take the kids to help us get things packed, moved and unpacked again! What a blessing that will be :) On the other hand, maybe you should be praying for her!!

Ridge Is Moving!!

2008-07-13T22:40:00.007-04:00

So, the big news is out! Ridge Church is finally moving to Sunday mornings!! For those of you who didn't know, Ridge Church has been meeting on Sunday nights since our public launch, almost a year ago. September 7th @ 11:00, we will be having our first Sunday morning service at the Levine Center in Matthews. We have been praying for a facility to meet in for well over a year. It has been a real challenge to start a church that met only on Sunday evenings, but the people @ Ridge are amazing... Without them, this past year would have been nearly impossible! The incredible part of the story is that we will be meeting at the same place we have been since we launched. He opened the door for us to meet in the mornings and we are so excited and grateful! The next few weeks at Ridge will be a time of celebration... we have our first ever adult baptism service next week and the week after that will be our Birthday Celebration (Children's baptism). Be praying for the Lord to continue to put people in our paths to invest in and invite to our services and for the last few pieces of the puzzle to all come together for His glory!

cousins-part 2

2008-07-11T11:20:00.006-04:00

Yesterday was one of those lazy, sleep in, stay home and play, kinda days. So last night for dinner, I surprised the kids and we headed to Chuck E Cheese for some pizza and fun! We had a great time. Who knew how fast 4 kids could go through 80 tokens??? Here are a few pictures for you to enjoy of all our fun! Sorry hon, that you missed that "awesome" pizza.... I know how much you love it!! Ha HaAll 4 riding the rollercoater ride! What a thrifty crew!This one's for you Rusty!4 monkey's in a barrel!

Having fun!

cousins

2008-07-10T15:47:00.003-04:00

For the next several weeks we will have a constant stream of family coming to visit. This is what me me the happiest! I love our families and I miss knowing that they're not right down the road. Last night, Rusty's brother, Brian and his wife, Lisa, and two of their their kids came to visit for a few days. Ashley, Brian's oldest, leaves for Liberty in August and we were lucky enough to be in the right place and be their "stopover" for the night. While they're at orientation, Krysta and Brittany and going to hang out with us. This makes Carter, very, very happy! He has been Paige and Britt's sidekick for three weeks and now he gets a cousin just for him to hang out with! He's so excited she's here and is pretty much at her beck and call.... I couldn't find the two of them and went upstairs to look.... This is what I found. Every single one of Abby's Littlest Pet Shops (+ some of Krysta's) were all set up at the top of the staircase. Krysta was in heaven and Carter was just happy to be along for the ride! My poor son!!! He NEEDS a brother!Carter and KrystaPaige and Britt hanging out in the pool! They even look alike!

2008-07-10T14:23:00.003-04:00

although it seems at times, that things can be upside and turned around, it just takes days like today, to remember all that I have to be thankful for.

we've been praying for what seems like forever, for our house in ft myers to sell. there are days when i'm so frustrated and confused as to why it hasn't yet. but i do know, that's not my call to make and fretting and worrying isn't going to make it sell any faster. i know my heavenly Father knows what's best and for this moment in time, this must be it! yesterday was pretty frustrating... I spent too much time trying to figure out how to make this all work out, when i finally realized that's it's not mine to figure out.... it is His and He knows what we need and He has provided every opportunity to show us His grace and mercy... i have wasted too much time on things i can't control.

just this week, He has provided us with a beautiful new house for us to call our own for the next year! It's in an equestrian community (both Abby and I are head over heels in love w/horses) and it's even closer to the kids schools. He has provided Rusty with opportunity after opportunity for him to grow in his career and do what he loves! We have three precious children who are happy and healthy and so full of love. He has also provided us with some pretty awesome friends who drop envelopes full of love on your doorstep! We have an amazing life! no one knows how the situation with our house will turn out, but i'm sure, just like everything else in our lives right now, His love will be abundant and His blessings many!

8 days....

2008-07-08T12:30:00.003-04:00

These are our babies at 8 days old. I am amazed everyday with how big they're getting! Momma finch has been taking such good care of them and even seems to be getting used to Brittany and I sticking our camera's near her nest every couple of days. She will leave the nest and head to the pear tree in the front yard and watch us ever so cautiously. As soon as we close the door, she flies back to make sure they are doing OK. What a good mama!

pass me the beans!

2008-07-06T22:05:00.007-04:00

Tonight we skipped the sermon and slathered on the BBQ sauce. Ridge Church had our first Family BBQ. We had a great time! It rained most of the afternoon, so we ended up moving our "mostly outside" party, into an indoor party. Rusty, Adam and Jason spent all afternoon smoking ribs in the rain, but I have to say the end result was well worth it! Thanks guys! They were yummy! We transformed the Levine Center (where we meet) into a old fashioned country bbq, complete with all the fixins'. We served baked beans, potato salad, pulled pork sandwiches, ribs, cookies and even had a smoothie bar! We had lots of visitors (Rusty's rule # 2 - People like free stuff!) and it was great to see so many new faces around. The kids (and whatever adults could convince 'em to let them have a turn!) had a marvelous time playing the Wii on two big screens! We had a bounce house planned, but it was too wet to set it up :( but the kids didn't know any different! After there was not much left but crumbs, the kids spread out and watched a movie on the jumbo screen. It was big fun :)

It was a lot of work putting it together and cleaning up when it was all over, but I would do it again tomorrow! I love this church and am so excited that my family gets to serve with the awesome people that call Ridge home!

4th & s'mores

2008-07-05T12:22:00.003-04:00

We have had a great time hanging out with our niece, Brittany. She is only here for one more week and I have to say, I will be so sad to see her go home.... She has been a huge help to Rusty and I and I know Paige and Carter have really enjoyed having her here. The kids have made many new friends since the move, but there's still nothing quite like family! The past few nights we have been hanging out around the fire pit, laughing, talking and roasting marshmallows. The kids have been loving making s'mores and I have lost track of how many bags of marshmallows and Hershey bars we've been through!

Last night we had some great friends over for some BBQ, baked beans (Ash, those things are 'da bomb!) and fireworks. We had a great time! the kids played on the water slide, threw water balloons at everyone and of course, made s'mores! I wish I had more pictures to share from the 4th, but somehow, I only snapped a few and they were all out of focus :( But here are a few from the night before! Enjoy! Hope everyone had a safe and Happy 4th of July!

Carter roasting his 'mallows!

The girls eating their 5th or 6th set! I can't keep track!

4 days old...

2008-07-04T23:43:00.002-04:00

Earlier today, Rusty snapped this shot of the baby finches.... my how they've grown in just a few days!

They're Here!!

2008-07-01T22:16:00.004-04:00

So, momma finch has not moved from her perch inside our poor, under-watered hanging basket for the past two days. So, today I was feeling brave and went out to sneak a peek (when she left for a few minutes!)... and this is what I saw! They're so very tiny and right now all I can make out is a beige pile of wiggling feathers. There were three eggs a few days ago and by the picture, it looks like all three have hatched. How exciting! I can't wait till I can hear their sweet little peeps!

Daddy Misses His Girl

2008-07-01T15:07:00.003-04:00

I was trying to clean up the desktop this afternoon and when I opened this, my heart just crumbled... Most of you already know, but Abby, our middle sweetheart, is staying with my sister and her family until the middle of July. I know you are not supposed to call favorites, but Abby and Rusty have a very special bond. I think they keep each other grounded. I know he misses her and he must have snapped this during our ichat with her two nights ago. Just a few more weeks and our family will be complete again.

Nothing But Noodles

2008-06-28T19:45:00.007-04:00

Abby is spending a few weeks in Florida with my sister and her family. Actually, as I write this post, they are on a Disney Cruise, having a blast I'm sure! So, it worked out that we were able to bring Brittany, our niece, back from Florida with us. She's hanging out with this Burchard bunch for a few weeks of vacation time. We have loved having her here! Her and Paige have had a great time and Paige has found a new freedom in having a 15 year old living in the house! Boy, will she be in for a shocker when Britt goes home!! Back to real life for the Paigey!! There are a few places that our family loves here in North Carolina, that you just can't get in Florida. So we decided to take Brittany to a few of them and let her experience some of the fun places we've uncovered!

We found a place called, "Nothing but Noodles" shortly after we moved, that the kids have fallen in love with! You can get all kinds of pasta dishes.... Oriental, Italian and America....and my kids favorite part is you get to eat your dinner with chopsticks!! Carter has gotten quite good at cramming in the mac-n-cheese without a spoon!

The Discovery

2008-06-26T09:46:00.004-04:00

I have exciting news to share with you! Josh and Tasha Via are dear friends of ours and incredibly gifted musicians. They are in full time ministry and we are lucky enough to have them lead worship once or twice a month at Ridge. They also have two sweet children that I adore (even though Zeke won't give me the time of day!) Stay with me... I'm going somewhere with this...

Josh is also an amazing writer and I am excited to say that his first book has just been released! It is called, "The Discovery...beyond the Jesus of Flapjacks and Grilled Cheese". It is a devotional on the gospel of John. You can now pick up a copy at Xulon Press, Barnes and Noble, Amazon or Target. If you are interested in getting a copy for free.... go here and leave a comment on the blog, and on Saturday, Tasha will be picking a winner to receive a free copy! Good luck!