toto, we are not in FL anymore...

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

aw shucks

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...

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 :)

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

letters to the next president/GL

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....

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

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!