The Lost Month

As this month comes to a close I realized that so much has happened that I have missed sharing with you. So here is my attempt to catch up a little. This is kind of long so you might want to check back later if you don't have a lot of time.

The last weekend of September (yes, I realize that I am breaking the rules a little since it is technically not part of this month) we took a trip to Gatlinburg to check out the condo's that we are staying in for Winterfest this year. They are really nice and even a little fancy. If you are a huddle leader you should really consider going this year! We took Corey's parents with us on this trip and my mom and Joe (my step-dad) and his parents were already there for their vacation. We had fun spending time with all of our family and shopping a little. Here are a few pictures from the trip.









When we got home from Gatlinburg we quickly unpacked and got ready to go to a conference called Catalyst in Atlanta, GA. I don't have any pictures from the trip but I must say that it was a highlight from this month. They had the most dynamic speakers such as, Rick Warren who wrote The Purpose Driven Life, Dave Ramsey who has transformed our financial future over the past 8 years, Andy Stanley, Erwin McManus and so many others. The theme of the conference was Reverb which focused on the impact of our influence to all those around us. The question was "What will you do?" It was awesome and just what I needed to get refocused again. It was also great to have dinner with Taylor and Tori while we were there. We miss you guys so much!

The next weekend (10/13) we got that terrible call that you never want to get... "He's gone, he had a heart attack". Corey's Uncle Wayne who was a mere 49 had a heart attack and left this world early that Saturday morning. We were so shocked and heartbroken. He was a quiet man, kind, and gentle. He always had an encouraging word to share and loved his family and his Lord with all of his heart. He cared for anyone in need I learned at his funeral. He was the kind of man that would stop for anyone on the side of the road no matter how scary you looked. He helped all of those that this world considers the least of these. It was standing room only at the funeral and you could tell by looking around the room that he loved all walks of life. He lived to serve and find Jesus in everyone he met. We really miss you Uncle Wayne. I wish we had a picture to share... maybe later.

Last weekend, Corey went to the Junior High Retreat. They had so much fun! I wish I could have went but my morning sickness was in full swing so I didn't think we should try to make the trip. We are sad we missed it.

So that brings us to this weekend. We took Will to the doctor yesterday and found out that he has ear infection is both ears. No fun! We haven't slept hardly any this week. I went to my cardio doctor later that afternoon. I have a small leak in my aortic valve that I already new about and is no big deal right now. Dr. Conrad, my obgyn, encouraged me to get things checked out because my heart has been racing the past couple of weeks and I have had chest tightness and pain. Dr. Smith, my cardio doc., decided to have me wear a monitor for the next 30 days that will allow me to record each of the episodes that I may have. Will thinks it is very interesting that I have cords handing out of my clothes and he keeps wanting to play with that little black box clipped on my pants. It could be a long month! : )

Today we went to Tate Farms and had fun taking some pictures. It was freezing cold so we didn't stay long, remember we have ear infections. Here are a few pictures from the morning.