A Day in the Life...

Week 2

2007-10-27T17:50:00.001-05:00

Praying Baby.
Comfy, comfy...

Mom and babe!

Pictures of our little one's first week!

2007-10-27T16:01:00.001-05:00

Waking up.
Tummy time with Dad.
Sleeping beauty.
Where she used to live!
First walk.
First Bath.
So cute!!!

A stay at Alberta Children's Hospital

2007-10-04T16:20:00.000-05:00

Last week we spent 3 days at Alberta Children's Hospital with our little girl. She was not gaining weight, was lethargic, and had (what ended up being a false positive) what looked like a bladder infection. The doc from Okotoks sent us to Calgary where we pulled an all-nighter in the ER while they took urine (she peed and the nurse caught it so they were able to get a 'midstream' on our 10 day old!) and blood cultures. They started an (itty bitty tiny) IV. The doctor was worried about her lethargy and high pitched cry so they did a Lumbar Puncture (spinal tap!) to rule out meningitis.

We were admitted while we waited the results and she was started on IV antibiotics. We were pretty scared and stressed to say the least. But, God is good, and all her tests came back negative and she picked up with the IV fluids. She started to gain weight and eat better. The facility (though somewhere no one ever wants to have to be) was amazing, as were all the nurses and doctors... just weird to be on the other side of it all!

My mom was able to come and stay with us at the hospital and help out with feedings, cuddles, snack runs... we couldn't have done it without her! Thanks Nana!

Now we are back home, and adjusting again... this time to a healthy baby that actually wakes up on her own to eat and cries (music to our ears!) Today- her 3 week birthday- she reached her birth weight! Yeah! Go Abijah Go!!

Niblet has arrived!!!!! :)

2007-09-16T15:17:00.000-05:00

With praise and thanksgiving to God we are so excited to announce that "Niblet" was born on September 13 at 9:20pm. IT'S A GIRL!!!!! Her name is Abijah (said Abi-yah) and she is perfect! 7 lbs 14 oz.

Karmyn went into labour in the morning... Chad go 'the call' early afternoon... and by mid-afternoon we were well on our way. We got to the hospital in the early evening and after 1 hour of pushing our little bundle had arrived with a cry so loud even the nurses were surprised. She continued to scream through the night (but has since found her cute newborn sounds)! We stayed in the hospital for 2 days and then brought her home where we are enjoying every minute (we've even slept a little bit!!)

Bring on the Niblet!

2007-09-04T21:40:00.001-05:00

With only a week plus a day until our "Best Before Date", the baby's room is set up, the little socks are washed, the hospital bag is packed, the belly is big, and the momma and poppa-to-be are excited! Now all we need is Niblet!
Setting up the crib- with only French instructions! My how we missed Canada!
The finished room.
My Grandpa Nordin's old glider soon to be put to good use.
NOTE: Running stroller all ready to go... I can't wait to be able to run again (even if it is more like a slow jog...)
Close up of the crib!
Change table fully stocked.
The smallest laundry I've ever done... can't believe this will all soon be worn!

Camping with the Family!

2007-09-04T21:26:00.000-05:00

Dad with the trailer.
How is this the only pic of mom we got all weekend... I don't even know what they are doing!
Kirst being....hmmm.... not really sure what she is doing, but she sure looks dainty!
The birthday girls and Matty (whose goal was to look funny in every pic!) Notice the festive umbrellas- we tried to make it feel summery (with the fleece jackets!)
Jasmine. Jazmine. Jasamyne. Jazz. Not sure how to spell her name, but she sure is cute!
The boys reading... and soon they were sleeping.
Speaking of sleeping. Too much fun for pregnant old me... not sure if I knew that crown was on or not!

A couple of weekends after we got back into Canada, we had the fun opportunity to go camping with my family. It was the first time we were all together in over 2 years!!! We celebrated my birthday and Sarah's early birthday. Also got to meet the newest addition to the fam- Jasmine who showed off what she was learning in obedience classes!

Home and native land...

2007-08-05T15:51:00.000-05:00

How great it is to be home! Our trip home went as planned (or better). We ended up pushing through on Friday and getting home to Okotoks in the wee hours of Saturday morning. We were so blessed with good weather, safe travels and our car stayed working (and nothing was stole even after leaving a window wide open all night by accident!). We actually only saw one single vehicle crash all 4100km! It worked wonderful to meet Chad in Cincinnati and then we headed to the Creation Museum. We stopped at the Mall of America in Minnesota long enough to find out that the bridge just collapsed! We were in the city when it happened!! We then passed into Canada and up to Winnipeg. Spent the night in Brandon where is "smelt like home"! We stopped in Moosejaw, hit the mineral springs, toured around Briercrest and headed home! We are tired but sort of unpacked and excited to be back in Canada (and a little relieved!!)

Oh so happy!

2007-07-27T19:40:00.000-05:00

Well, I only have 1 shift left at work which is a little sad, but mostly happy as it means I am almost about to be reuinited with my husband!!!! I have so enjoyed working at the MICU and have been so thankful for the friendships and support everyone has given me especially in the last 8 weeks!

I always hate the goodbye part. I hate leaving friends and we have made some good ones here. Our landlords have been like a family to us and I will miss them, their concern and support.

I leave early Monday morning to meet Chad 1 day into the drive in Ohio. We are going to stop at the Creation Museum and just enjoy being together. To say we have missed each other would be an understatement. I'm glad it is almost over and I am SOOOOOOO excited to see my love again. I can't wait for him to see my growing belly and feel Niblet's strong kicks! I'm glad we will have more time to make the drive home than we did on the way down... but I'm still more excited about the company than the actual miles ahead of us!

I'm 33 weeks now and still feeling good. The heat here has been hard- I just go from air conditioned place to air conditioned place... although it has been more hot than usual at home this summer too!

Please pray for safe travels and that our car will run smoothly, not be broken into, not break down. We can't wait to be HOME!

Sleepy Baby

2007-07-18T14:44:00.001-05:00

This will sooo be Niblet someday... although Chad says, naa! Niblet won't fight the urge- s/he will be YOUR baby after all!

30 down, 10 to go!

2007-07-03T12:18:00.001-05:00

Well, I'm 30 weeks and still feeling great. Had a check-up this morning and my blood pressure, baby's heartbeat and everything looks good. Niblet has started to move around a lot more and the kicks are stronger and stronger- which is fun... just not at 4am! Getting more and more excited to meet this little person that is growing in me!

It is also only 4 weeks until I'm (we're) reunited with Chad and we can't wait!!! It is going by okay-fast. Just working lots and resting in between. It is hot and humid everyday here now but I just go from one Air Conditioned place to the next!

It's a VERY Special Day for a VERY Special Someone

2007-06-28T19:33:00.000-05:00

Chad's Birthday is today and although I am sad that I can't spend it with him, I'm still Happy it is his special day!

Babe, I love you and hope you have a wonderful Birthday! I thank God that I get to share my life with you and I'm looking forward to a year full of shared adventures! Happy Birthday Hubby!

Mom and Dad's Visit

2007-06-06T13:08:00.000-05:00

A week ago my parents were able to come and visit me in Virginia. Dad stayed for about a week and Mom for a about 10 days. I was so thankful they braved the many flights and airport hoping to get here. We had a wonderful time- it was so nice to have some actual time to spend together after living in different countries for 2 years! I got to stay at the hotel with them even in Lynchburg so it was a holiday at home (sorry I froze you with the air conditioning- I really am an 'oven'!)

NOTE: I can't get blogger to co-operate with moving the pictures- sorry they are out of order!

Mom Sailing on Chesapeake Bay.
Mom and Dad on the Sunset Sail.
The old City Hall in Richmond, VA.
Dad's very MANLY rental car... well, it was good on gas!
The Reflecting Pond and Washington Monument.

Karmyn and Niblet in front of the White House!
The riot police at the Capitol Buildings.
Karmyn at the Capitol Building.

I was (thankfully!) able to get 4 days off from work in a row so we headed to DC for the weekend. We stayed in Springfield at the very end of a Metro line. We took the Metro into DC and spent the whole day getting on and off the trolley and looking at all the sights. The thing that was striking was how freeking big everything was! It just doesn`t look that big and immpressive on the movies! Ha! We saw the Capitol Buildings, the White House, the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials, the Vietnmam, Korean, and Second World War Memorials, the Washington Monument and Reflecting Pond, Georgetown, the Washington Cathedral, a zillion embassies, and a million people...and maybe the inside of every Starbucks we came across!

When we got out to look at the Capitol Building, we saw a bunch of police in their riot gear.... hmmmm.... then we saw the protest. There was a few hundred people gathered protesting the US support of Israel- all chanting "free Palestine"... then they were off on a march to the White House... wonder if they new that Bush was at the G8 summit in Germany? Ha! At least it seemed to scare away the tourists and we were able to get pics of just us in front of the Capitol Buildings (well, maybe us and a few Riot police!)

We headed down to the waterfront and ate at a most excellent Seafood Buffet. All the crab legs, shrimp, fish, crab cakes, etc you can handle! Mmmm! Took the Metro back to the hotel and crashed.

The next day we headed to Annapolis, Maryland but stopped at Mt. Vernon (George Washington`s Estate) along the way. Did the walk-through tour of the house (stationary tour guides that just say the same shpeel over and over and over and over....), saw his grave, orchard, gardens, etc.

Annapolis is right on Chesapeake Bay and after finding Starbucks we were able to find a sunset sail boat ride... turns out it was the same boat that was in "The Wedding Crashers"! A 72 foot wooden sail boat Mom even got to sail the boat! The wind was really calm and we had to use the motor a bit at first, but we sailed in the bay and up the Potomac river. The beautiful homes along the banks, the Annapolis Naval Academy and just barely fitting under the bridges as the sun set made it unforgetable.

The next morning we looked in the hoity-toity shops in downtown Annapolis. Think "Banff on steroids"! From there we headed down to Richmond, VA (the capitol of Virginia). The countryside drive was beautiful and of course I fell asleep! In Richmond we made Dad drive (in his VERY MANLY rental car which he LOVED! Not!) the freeways to downtown to see the government buildings, the Govenor`s Mansion, state court building and the old City Hall which looked like a castle.

From there is was back to Lynchburg after a brief stop at the Strawberry-U-Pick. We topped off the trip with an Olive Garden feast. Fun times. Fun times.

Dad left on Wednesday and had a very eventful trip home (not what you want on your trip home.) After his plane had to fly around a large storm, he missed his connection flight, had to spend the night in a Pheonix hotel with no American cash and no luggage. Then he had to fly all day the next day through Seattle to get home only to find out his luggage was not with him (surprise, surprise!) But at least he got home safe and the luggage (which was really full of my skinny-clothes) arrived later that night!

Mom and I then had a few days to yak, drink coffee, talk baby everything (pregnancy, feeding, sleeping, labor, diapers) and of course shopping. It was hard to drop her off at the airport-hard to say goodbye- hard to be alone again. Strange how when you look forward to something for so long how it is feels when it is finished- but so thankful for the good visit and even more excited to be going home to Canada in 6 weeks!

Our Neighborhood

2007-06-02T20:55:00.000-05:00

When they say 'big old rambling houses' this is what they meant. The pictures don't do justice, but we(I) live in a historic district where many of the houses are from before the turn of the century. Crazy but big and beautiful!

What do you expect?

2007-06-02T20:48:00.000-05:00

When we were in China on our way home from Korea, we did a bit of shopping at a market in Beijing. Interesting to say the least. Everything was a knock-off, with some better than others. Chad bought a brown leather "Levis" belt for a few dollars (after the girl held a lighter up to it to show it didn't burn and therefore was real leather!) Before he left for Canada, he was wearing the belt and it fell apart. Disappointing at first as he likes the belt, he started to see if he could fix it. As he played with it, a small piece fell to the floor. What was it but a small, 3 pronged fish hook with an inch or so of fishing wire attached....?????..... we will probably never know!

The World's BIGGEST Stingers!

2007-06-02T20:38:00.001-05:00

So a while ago, I was sitting at the computer when a hear a thud on the stove. Sounds like a piece of plaster has fallen from the ceiling. So over I saunter over casually... only to see a flying bug. I bravely get the tea towel to 'whip' the bug to the ground, when all of a sudden I see how FREAKISHLY big it is! Instead, I wait for it to land (I actually was quite calm!) and then grab one of Chad's big books to squish it (shhhh don't tell him!). That is it in the picture- next to a normal pen cap. Yikes! Hopefully there won't be any more!

I go into work a couple days ago and my one patient is a man who has been stung by one of these FREAKISHLY big bugs and had an anaphylactic reaction when the thing stung him IN THE EYE!!!!! No kidding!

Last Week Together

2007-06-02T19:11:00.001-05:00

Yes, that is right. Chad and I have spent our last week together for a while :( . He was offered a supervisor job at a pool back in Canada for the summer/fall and with Niblet on the way and him unable to work in the States and me unlikely to get hired in Canada we decided that he would go and work up there and I would stay in Virginia in an effort to save some money before the stork delivers. Our plan is that Chad will come back and get me the end of July which means 8 weeks apart or 56 days or 1344 hours or 80640 minutes... but whose counting? Oh right! That would be me!

So, knowing that this would likely be the last time we had to do some sight seeing around here (you know the stuff you say you will always go see- seeing as you live right near it, but never actually make it to...) we made the most of it.

This spring Liberty University built a giant Logo ('LU' out of rocks and shrubs) on Liberty mountain. They put a gazebo up there and we heard you could hike up there. We decided it would be the perfect place for a picnic lunch.

When we got to the road leading up to it, the gate was open so after we hummed and hawwed over if we were allowed to drive up the gravel road (there were no signs to tell us otherwise) we decided to go for it. We were glad we drove as it was a bit of long ways and it was hot (just like every other single day now!)

At the top was a spectacular view of Lynchburg and the University- everything is sooooo green right now! While we were up there, Dr. Falwell's wife and son came up, so we got a picture (taken by Macel Falwell) with Jonathan Falwell, who has officially taken over his late father's church.

A few days later we visited 'Point of Honor' which is an old historic site right in a Lynchburg neighborhood. It was George Cabell's Mansion- built in 1815. This was cool as it had a whole tonne of local history and was beautifully restored.
The next site to knock off the list was the Old City Cemetery- founded in 1806 making it one of the oldest public cemeteries in the US that has been in continuous use since it's founding (yes, I have the brochure in front of me as the resident historian has left the country!). More than 20,000 people (3/4 African American, 1/3 children under 4 years old) are buried there- from prominent leaders, to slaves, to war veterans.

Below- Where over 2,200 Confederate soldiers from the Civil war were buried.
As you walk through the Cemetery, there were a whole bunch of stuff to see- Hearse House and Caretaker's Museum, Antique Roses, Station House Museum, Chapel and Columbarium, Site of the Civil War Quatermaster's Glanders Stable.

Below- The Pest House Medical Museum where in the 1800's patients with contagious diseases such as smallpox or measles were quarantined, and then it was used in the civil war to quarantine Confederate Soldiers. (The sand on the floor was to absorb blood and fluids and odors!!!) I could NOT imagine what it was like to be a nurse in those times!

Above-Karmyn with some of the antique roses (25 weeks along).
Below- There was also a Butterfly Garden which was a quiet shaded pond with a giant weeping willow tree that was beautiful. However, we didn't see a single butterfly- just lots of frogs!!

Next up is Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest which was designed by Jefferson himself and built in 1806 as his personal retreat. It was built on a huge tobacco plantation. The house is an octagon with a wing off the one side (currently being re-constructed) that was the kitchen, smoke house, cook's residence. It is all currently being restored as it was private property up until 1984 and had been changed so much from how it originally was designed and built. It was neat to see the restoration taking place.

The funny thing about this site was that it was really pricey to get it ($9/person) and our tour guide was the world's worst. He would tell us one thing and the signs would say something different. He would bounce around from detail to detail and never really tie anything together. He just kind of mumbled his way through everything and afterwards, one of the other visitors who had been there before, told us more about the history in a 5 minute casual visit than our tour guide was able to communicate! Ha!

Below- Even the biffy was octagonal (and hid by this privacy hill that was actually where the garbage was buried!)
That was about all the sites we could squeeze in between errands, work, and packing... but there is always time for one last Golden Corral feast!!! This is a $7 Southern Buffet- all you can eat steak, ribs, BBQ, stew, salad, pizza, soup, bread, vegetable, potatoes, dessert, ice cream! And for that price you HAVE to eat until you feel sick, right?!?

Praise the Lord!

2007-05-28T19:00:00.000-05:00

Well, this is our first post as Uncle and Aunt.... and we couldn't be happier!

Bruce Hunter Graham Humfrey arrived safe and sound on May 24 weighing in at 7lbs 13 oz.

Congratulations Christel and Clint! Can't wait to meet your little man in person (and maybe get a few tips?!?!)

Congratulations Chad!

2007-05-20T21:49:00.001-05:00

We just finished a weekend of celebration. Chad graduated with his MAR in Biblical Studies from Liberty this weekend... Magna Cum Laude, no less! Yay Hubbie! Americans know how to do grad. It was was huge 2 day event with 3300 graduates. Friday night was the Baccalaureate service with Jerry Vines preaching. Following was a reception with faculty, graduates and guests. We then went out to TGI Friday's and had some food and a delicious brownie!

Saturday was a very early and long day with the commencement ceremony in the football stadium (it was FULL). Newt Gingrich gave the address, wind ensemble played music, chamber choir sang, grads sprayed faculty and vice versa with silly string, beach balloons were tossed around, the wave went around the stadium several times as we waited to go live on TV. From there, the faculties split up and the Seminary went to the church sanctuary to present the "degrees" to all the seminary grads.

The whole weekend was kind of bitter sweet with the passing of Dr. Falwell this week. There were lots of memories and stories shared and a few tears were shed. Every grad has some personal story of Jerry. It felt like something was missing without Jerry being at such a big school event.

When we got home on Saturday, our landlords had filled our apartment with "Congrats", "Class of 2007" and red, white, and blue balloons! Too fun! Congratulations Chad! I'm proud of you!

Remembering a Spiritual Giant—and Father in the Faith

2007-05-16T15:24:00.000-05:00

Larger than Life

It was the twentieth of August 2006. Karmyn and I sat three rows from the front, just to the (stage) right of the pulpit. The air felt cool, the environment overwhelming. The music was beautiful and then, Doc stepped up to the Pulpit to welcome us all to the worship service. The big baritone voice was incredible. It was larger then life, and one couldn't understand it from just watching him on TV. The voice penetrated you. I felt overwhelmed.

This man was larger than life. The first to be saved in my family was my mother, she was saved watching him preach while my dad was working the night shift. He was a mentor to my father who studied the Liberty Home Bible Institute Doc founded with Dr. Harold Wilmington.

As a child I had read his autobiography, "Strength for the Journey" and Jerry Falwell became a ministry ideal for me. He did all the things I thought the church should do, from the home for alcoholics, to the nationwide chain of Liberty Godparent Homes for unwed mothers, facilitating thousands adoptions. He founded Liberty University, to train up "young champions for Christ" a phrase my dad often quoted. The most memorable is, "A man's character is measured by what it takes to discourage him". When I played competitive sports, when I started a ministry project, this line often encouraged me to go foreword.

He was preaching in I Corinthians and his verse 26:

In verse 26, we see that God's purpose for each of us is to use us for His glory. We read the words, “For ye see your calling, brethren.” The word “calling” refers to the saving will of God; the effectual call; the call that results in redemption. The use of the word "brethren" makes that clear. He is speaking of believers. Saved people. What is it to which God saves us? He saves us to a life of usefulness and fruitfulness... a life of purpose and productivity. He does not call us to be spectators, but participants.

The very next week, I met David Wheeler who said "God wants you to be a church planter". He laughed disarmingly and then said, "Seriously, have you ever considered it?" It was the final human recognition that we needed to begin our pursuit of this challenging ministry.

Meeting the Man

But then I got to know this man, this icon of education, ministry, politics and so many other things. I was walking to class one morning, when I saw the big black suburban pass me by and I was shocked by the tremendously ridiculous train engine horn that blared just feet from me! Inside Doc was laughing like a maniac, waved and moved on. I shook his hand a week later as I joined Thomas Road Church, and he asked me about where I was from. I told him Alberta Canada, and he struck up a conversation about the oil industry and on how he had recently told the president to rely more on Canadian oil, if possible. "At least they won't try to kill us". He recalled saying.

He was never without his smile, the sparkle in his eye and the gracious nature that let any one of his 22,000+ students, 20,000 church members, or Old Time Gospel Hour listeners walk right up to him and earn a few moments of time.

Working for the University as a parking attendant for NCAA games, I was often in charge of the executive lot, where Doctor Falwell and his friends parked. This became a harrowing experience my first day, when I went to move the cones out of the way and he came straight at me accelerating. I stepped back, he kept coming, then when I realized he wouldn't lose this game of chicken, I leaped behind a parked car and he zoomed by with his and out the window waving back at me.

The next game he stopped and apologized that I had to stand outside in such cold weather, and promised to save a piece of pizza for me if I could make it in the building during the game.

That was Doctor Falwell a man of fun and compassion. A good guy, but most importantly a man committed to the gospel ministry of Jesus Christ.

Formed by Falwell

Humanly speaking, it was because of Doctor Falwell, my Mom, and eventually my whole family was saved. Because of his training program that my father developed into a spiritual leader who raised us conscientiously "in the discipline and admonition of the Lord" (Eph 6:3). Dr. Falwell's Liberty University was the place my Uncle Darren and Aunt Cheryl met, and they became a major part of my life as I went through college and started ministry. It was the care and concern for the Scripture and the ministry of the "message preached" that became a model for my grandfather, Dr. Lyle Richards. Grandpa was my ministry mentor and the man that encouraged me to read good theology and to aspire to great preaching.

Last Words

The Last sermon I heard from Doc, three weeks ago, was The Indestructibility of God's Servant. He said a phrase I immediately wrote down:

"God’s man/woman is indestructible until he has finished the work God has called him to do. Therefore, we have no reason to fear anyone or anything. God's Servant is bullet-proof, until God is finished with him".

While Doc has gone on to his reward, we left behind can still follow his example, learn from his mistakes and remember the last words he uttered in my hearing:
"God is faithful. He is never surprised. He is never perplexed. He is never out of control. Remember what He said."

Happy Anniversary!

2007-05-13T17:53:00.000-05:00

For the best husband I could ever ask for... Thanks for a wonderful 2 years. I would marry you again in a heartbeat and couldn't imagine my life without the blessing that is you!

Just had to share...

2007-05-10T20:42:00.000-05:00

Last night (May 9th) at exactly 22 weeks along I came home from work and we were unwinding by watching a little bit of TV when I felt something strange. It honestly felt like a kick, so I reached down and touched my belly and this time my hand felt it too. I got all hysterical and grabbed Chad's hand as quick as I could and Niblet was just a kicking away (and I was worried I wouldn't know what a baby kick would feel like...). I was so happy and excited to be able to share the first 'real' kicks right away with Chad and we laid there and laughed through a good few minutes of solid kicking... maybe Niblet's not so laid-back after all! Maybe a soccer player instead?!?

Niblet Update

2007-05-08T11:24:00.000-05:00

We had an ultrasound on Monday and (once again) it was sooooo cool. The bad news was that their DVD recorder was not in yet and the VHS recorder was eating tapes so we didn't get a recording. :( But, the good news is that Niblet once again refused to stretch out and co-operate so the tech wasn't able to get a good look at the heart structures so we will have yet another ultrasound in 4 weeks and hopefully we can get a recording then!!

Everything looked wonderful on the scan. The spine was all closed in, as was the lip and palate. The baby weighs 15 oz, has 10 fingers and 10 toes. The cord has the 3 vessels and we got to see both kidneys. The heart rate was 146 beats/min and it was fun to actually see the little ticker beating away.

Niblet is flexible and apparently is comfortable with it's feet up at it's head (you can see the one foot touching the forehead above!) We also got to watch Niblet play with it's feet- it looked like it tickled it self as it jerked it's feet away when it's hands touched them.

It is strange to call Niblet an 'it'... but it gets annoying writing he/she all the time. We always refer to Niblet and a 'he'... only time will tell if we are right!! We just pray that Niblet will be healthy and that is all that really matters!

I still don't feel a whole lot of movement (but the odd flutter and maybe a kick?) so it is so weird to see all Niblet's actions on the monitor and yet not really feel anything!

The CK Update!

2007-05-06T12:54:00.000-05:00

My my! No posts for so long and then 3 posts in one day!?!? What is going on?!?! Well, Karmyn's computer has been experiencing some minor technical difficulties, and Chad's computer has been burning the candle at both ends (along with it's operator) finishing up a semester of heavy course load. Term papers, translations, book reviews, sermon outlines, assignments, reading logs, etc., etc.

We spent a couple weeks a while back getting to know some car mechanics in town. Driving home from church one afternoon, stopped at a stop light, chatting away, and SILENCE! The car just stopped. No warning. Nothing. Just stopped. Great! Well, Chad, being the awesome hubby that he is, pushed the car (with Karmyn in it!) off the main road into a parking lot. After a little wifey-meltdown, we remember- call AAA for a tow truck. Okay, call. Oh-no! Our membership has expired. Okay, renew the membership. Now, call for a tow truck. Wait for Calvin's Low-Cost Towing, hmmm. Soon Calvin arrives (think Southern hillbilly with no teeth), loads up "Greeny" and off we go... only Calvin's Towing is low-cost because his truck is almost in need of a tow itself. The speedometer, odometer, etc don't work, it rattles, is rusty, but it is all okay as he graciously clears enough garbage off the seat for us both to get a ride with him! Our landlords tell us of a good garage right down the street from our house where we leave the car and then our landlords let us use their 2nd car for the couple days it took to repair the bearing that seized and did a bunch of damage! Doh! We get the car back, swallow the huge bill, and all is good for about a day... then Greeny starts sputtering. Great. This time we take it back and it is (thankfully) just the sparkplugs and wires (or something... I'm not really a car person...) [the engine was missing because of a short in one of the spark plug power lines and the plugs were in bad shape so we decided to replace them--Hubby note, think editor's note!] that don't cost too too much and Greeny has been going ever since.

Back to the present. Graduation is in a couple weeks. Chad has the regalia (looks good) de-wrinkling in the closet, and we are looking forward to the 2 day celebration. The commencement will take place outdoors in the new football stadium on campus. It starts at like 8am... I guess to be done before it gets piping hot!![Chad gets to show up at 7:30 at the main campus to register, then walk in regalia to the football stadium to hear an address from Newt Gingrich, then walk to north campus where the graduate students will actually "walk"! Hoy!]

Where has this year gone? We can't hardly believe that it is May and in one week it will be our 2nd wedding anniversary!! We were driving home from church today and I was thinking, "I love being married"! Enough said. [What she meant was: I have such a great husband that I love every day i get to spend with him. He helps me clean and takes me out on dates and is super awesome!]

Things with "Nible" are going wonderfully. Karmyn is pretty sure she has felt Niblet 'kick' a few times (soon it will become very obvious people tell us!) Mostly it is when she starts a jog (and yes! she is still lifting weights, and yes! it is okay!) or leans up against her little (but growing everyday) belly at work. She still feels great and was 21 weeks last Wednesday. We will go for another ultrasound tomorrow where they will check all the anatomy (but we have asked them to skip over a certain area that would reveal the ultimate surprise!!) We will get a recording of the scan and hopefully can post some new pictures!! Karmyn wore her first maternity shirt (Thanks Kirst!) last weekend, although with the styles as they are, it still was not too obvious with every other girl wearing an empire waist shirt! Ha!

Karmyn's work is still going great and it is so nice to have a job you don't dread going to each day. She finally broke the news of Niblet to her boss and it went over as well as to be expected seeing as it will mean that she will loose one of her newly trained employees. There are 7 other pregnant gals on her unit right now so news of the 8th traveled fast! It is fun to share stories and advice back and forth.

We are planning on making our way back to Canada sometime this summer (but not until the snow and rain stops!) We don't have a 'for-sure' date yet, but are getting excited about returning to the land of Timmy's, edible Slurpees, cool evenings, and home.

Last week we had the pleasure of Chad's dad visiting with us for a week. It was fun to show him around our little corner of the world, introducing him to "Sweet Tea" (and it's effects!), Southern buffets, some civil war history, tour around campus, rambling houses, our town, and just spend time visiting [and did we mention buffets? Every night a new sumptuous feast of oversized plates full of steak, prime rib, ham, sirloin roast, fillet minion (sp?)...]. We are still savoring the Canadian treats he 'smuggled' across the boarder for us... Timmy's and Cheesies! After being away from family for 2 years (except short visits) it was such a blessing to have some time together (of course we missed Chad's mom, though!) Karmyn's parents are planning on comming to visit as well (now that they finally got their passports!) and we are looking forward to that time too.

We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our Nephew who is due in about a week, and praying for his safe arrival. Karmyn has left specific instructions on all the information Chad must collect and then immediately call and pass on if she happens to be at work when the big call comes![so after the phone call, an email with all that information forwarded to Chad's email would be the most beneficial method of communication!]

King of the Block

2007-05-06T12:36:00.000-05:00

Now, I preface this post with an affirmation that I still don't really like cats. I definetly like dogs, but cats?!? That said, after living in a neighborhood of really old (like from before the civil war to turn of the century "new" houses), large, rambling houses that are (too say the least) not mice-proof (or rat proof for that matter!!), I have learned a new appreciation for the multitude of random stray cats that roam our neighborhood.

And then there is Mufassa. He is the king. Okay, I don't really even know if 'he' is a he. I have never even gotten close enough to pet 'him.' But for some reason he spontaneously inherited the name Mufassa shortly after we moved in and it has stuck (at least for us!). And he IS King of the Block.

Spring in Virginia

2007-05-06T12:19:00.000-05:00

Well, spring is basically over and we are basically into summer. Everything now is fully lush and green with all the leaves out, grass growing, vines climbing. The spring was so beautiful here. It seemed like every tree bloomed- something we weren't used to, but enjoyed... until the pollen counts started making the 6 o'clock news and our noses began to drip! Here are some (late) pictures of some of the flowers.

Sooooooooo cute!!!!

2007-04-03T20:56:00.000-05:00

Well, these are the first pictures of "Niblet"- now 5 oz and right on track to make a big arrival on September 12, 2007!! The ultrasound tech figures our baby is very laid back as Niblet refused to spread out and let us get a better look despite her prodding efforts! Sounds just fine to us!! It feels much more real now that we have pictures- proudly displayed on the fridge of course! We even took them into Wendy's with us tonight! So cool!!

A get-away from the every-day

2007-03-17T11:34:00.000-05:00

This last week, Chad and I were able to attend a Church Leadership Conference at Sandy Cove. It is a Christian convention/retreat center and camp on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. The conference was put on by IX Marks and to say the least we had the most wonderful time.

It was about a 6 hour drive away and worth every mile. Chad has been so loaded down with school work this semester, and I worked the 4 days leading up to it and the 2 immediately after, so we both enjoyed the time away, together. Plus, the location was so beautiful- we could see the Bay from our window and we both love being near water.

The sessions were so encouraging and informative. Chad was able to go for a 'Weekender' to Capitol Hill Baptist Church back in March to observe their leadership and church and although this was some of the same stuff, it was fun to get to share it together and get a bit more of the Biblical teaching and reasoning behind what they do.

We were able to meet a bunch of pators, including some other church planters. It was fun to hear about other churches- their joys and struggles. It was encouraging to be surrounded by so many humble servants.

We had some free time one afternoon and we 'hiked' to Turkey Point Lighthouse. Built in 1833! Apparently it had the most female lighthouse keepers of any lighthouse in the US... for whatever reason?!?!

Spring Seems to have Sprung!

2007-03-06T19:36:00.000-05:00

Well, the daffodils are blooming, the birds are singing, we are running (outside) in shorts and T-shirts... it seems that after our long and dreadful winter 'down South' (there were at least a dozen nights below freezing), it appears that Spring has sprung.

Just wanted to let everyone know (especially those 'up North' who still have to shovel their sidewalks!) :)

Really late update

2007-02-15T13:26:00.000-05:00

Goodness! I have been bad a Blogging...Sorry! We have been busy...Chad's semester at school is in full swing and he is super busy. His classes are intense although he is really loving them this semester (he is studying Greek, Jeremiah/Ezekiel, Ephesians, and Systematic Theology). He went to a conference in Washington, DC at the beginning of February and is still trying to catch up!

Work is going really well. I am working at the MICU (Medical Intensive Care Unit) at the Lynchburg General Hospital (see picture). I am still doing my orientation which is made up of classroom time and on-unit time (I decided not to take classes at Liberty this semester...was just going to be too much!). I have an awesome preceptor and I am starting to get a hang of the unit. I felt rusty at first, but most has come back quickly- like riding a bike, I guess!

The unit and hospital are really nice and modern. They are going to a paper-less charting system so we use our Computer-on-wheel (affectionately called COWs!) and scanner to check and give medications, record vital signs, check health histories, etc. It is a pretty cool system. Our unit is a 14 bed unit and the staff are great. Most of our patients are sick with respiratory problems (pneumonia, respiratory distress, pulmonary edema), GI problems (bleeds, cancer), diabetic complications (ketoacidosis), kidney and liver problems, alcohol/drug overdoses and withdrawl... Some of the patients are extremely sick and others are less ill. I'm starting to get the hang of central lines, arterial lines, ventilators, a million bags of meds infusing in all different lines, the monitors, etc.

Other than that, we had the threat of a really bad ice storm here this week. It mostly missed us- thankfully, as there are places in the state (and country) who were really hard hit and lots have been without power/water/etc... that would really not be cool! You should have seen Walmart the night before it was suppose to hit. It was like watching a bunch of crazy people in panic to buy food! All the schools shut down (some for several days even though by the next day the roads were dry!) It is a bit cool- around freezing- tough, we know. We are soft from these easy winters...

Celebrated Valentine's Day by going to DQ for a Valentine's Blizzard (though I fell asleep and almost missed it!)! We also celebrated our 4 year anniversary since we started dating! how crazy is that? We were reminiscing about that time last night and it feels like a million years ago! No doubt the best 4 years of my life! Love that boy more everyday! ahhhh....

2007-01-20T20:20:00.000-05:00

We interupt this regular scheduled blogging to bring you an important message....

Karmyn actually started her nursing job on Friday!!! First day in the MICU and it went wonderfully! Nice to be back at it.

More Sites!

2007-01-18T11:08:00.000-05:00

The Western (Wailing) Wall.
Above- The Mount of Beatitudes- likely where Jesus preached, just off the Sea of Galilee. Near the site of the feeding of the 5000. Below- the view from standing on top of Massada. Above- Standing in the synagogue Jesus taught in in Caperneum. Below- The Jordan River.
Below- The Via Delorosa.

Below- The Pool of Bethesda (no wonder the crippled man couldn't get down to the waters).
Below- The Isaiah Scroll (Dead Sea scrolls).

Above- Golgotha (Jesus was likely crucified at the bottom of this mountain). Can you see the 'skull' on the right side? Below- a 2000 year old Olive tree in the Garden of Gethsemane- with a new branch 'grafted in' and still alive and producing fruit!

Above- An Israel sunset.

The Holyland

2007-01-14T15:59:00.000-05:00

We just got back from our whirlwind study tour of Isreal (and Karmyn brought back a doozy of a head cold- hence the delay in posting!)

To say that it was amazing to walk where Jesus walked, to see where He taught, where he died and was burried, well, it would be an understatement. The history is so rich is Isreal- there are ruins literally everywhere you look.

We started off flying with El Al airlines and immediately drove to Jerusalem the day we arrived. We stayed there for 4 nights and from there traveled first down south to Judea and the Dead Sea and then North to the Sea of Galilee where we spent our last 3 nights. The weather was moderate and we had a couple days of rain.

I don't even know where to start with the stories. Each day from dawn to dusk was packed full of sight seeing. Avi was our Jewish guide and he was a wealth of knowledge and fun.

We were able to see the field where David fought Goliath, Bethlehem (though it was not safe to actually enter it), Mount of Olives, Garden of Gethsemane (has 2000 year old Olive trees with new branches still growing!), Mt. Zion, Caiphas' house (where Jesus likely spent his last night before crucifixion), Temple Mount, Dome of the Rock, Holocaust Museum, Western (Wailing) Wall, Damascus Gate, Via Delorosa, Antonio's Fortress, Pool of Bethesda, Qumran Caves (and parts of the real Dead Sea Scrolls!), several Kibbutzes, the Garden Tomb (and Yes! it was empty :)!), Golgotha (actually looks like a skull in the rock face), Messada, Dead Sea (no one has ever drowned... so we went swimming in January!), Jordan River, Mt of Beatitudes, Caperneum, Sea of Galilee (complete with a boat ride and a feast of St. Peter's fish- eyes, teeth, fins and all), Golan Heights, Valley of Armageddon, Mt. Carmel... and we could go

on and on!

It is so amazing now to read the Bible and have an actual picture of what it looked like (at least to some degree!) It opens the words up to have geography and archeology references. Amazing!

Reasons To Celebrate!

2006-12-30T15:50:00.000-05:00

Well, it is almost New Year's Eve!! Almost 2007. Almost time for us to resume our world travels. We have had a wonderful Christmas and a very relaxing break. Karmyn's first turkey turned out delicious and the left-overs are almost gone. Chad survived the day of shopping he gave Karmyn for Christmas and didn't even whine about the 5 hours in a mall! Knowing he was getting a Red Robbins' hamburger at the end probably helped!

We were able to talk to our families and lots of friends over Christmas which was so wonderful.

Perhaps the best news of today is.... I finally got my SSN!! This 'should' be the 'final' hurdle to start working. I have received my orientation schedule for January.

We will have a fairly quiet New Years. We will watch "The Sound of Music"- Chad is VERY excited to return to this weekly-viewed movie as he was growing up (his sis apparently loved it... but who doesn't, really?) And have meaty-cheesy nachos.

On the first we will drive to New York and on the second we head to ISRAEL!! We will be on a 10 day study tour with our school. We will be following the gospel of Mark. We are SOOOOOO excited about this opportunity. Please pray for safety as we travel. We will stay in Jerusalem, Tiberius, swim in the Dead Sea, have a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, walk in the Garden of Gethsemane, and see tonnes of cool Biblical sites! And don't worry, we will take a tonne of pics and we will try to post some stuff on here while we are there.

So, we are busy packing and getting ready to leave. We have a friend coming from Canada to do an intensive class at the Seminary, and he will stay in our place while we are gone, and we are looking forward to seeing him when we return.

Hope everyone had fabulous Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!!

p.s. I have taken off the restrictions for commenting, so it should work for everyone now.

The REAL Deal

2006-12-21T16:47:00.000-05:00

Jesus’ Birth in Bethlehem- Luke 2:1-20

Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth.
2 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.
3 And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city.
4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,
5 in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.
6 While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.
7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.
10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;
11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12 “This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”
16 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger.
17 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.
18 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.
20 The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, (La Habra, California: The Lockman Foundation) 1996.

Did I Mention?

2006-12-19T22:27:00.000-05:00

I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!!
There is just something about this special time of year. The memories of this season make my heart smile! I love the REAL reason for the season along with everything else about it! I love decorating at the end of November and leaving it up well past New Years. I love sitting in the dark with Christmas lights on. I love falling asleep and making Chad unplug all the lights, night after night. I love the houses down here have wreaths on the door and all the windows. I love that they put a single candle in every window. I love wrapping and giving gifts. I love driving around looking at lights. I love getting a new ornament from my parents every year. I love carols. I love the cheesy music they play over and over and over and over again. I love the Charlie Brown soundtrack. I love the TV specials. I love the traditions. I love the baking (especially Nanimo bars...even though no one knows what they even are down here!), and chocolates (Tofifee, anyone?) I love all the special foods (Lefse, flatbread, Rossettes, popycock, tri-buns, layered salad, seafood dip, oranges, Grandma's punch, homemade icecream, turkey and all the trimmings, midnight snack...I could go on and on!) I love the Jello that melts into the hot turkey. I love pancakes, fruit and whipped cream for Christmas morning breakfast. I love wearing PJ's all day on the 25th and doing as little as possible. I love wishing (secretly) for a giant snow storm. I love studying the story of the birth of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. I love spending special time with Chad (though we wish we could be with our families and dream of the time we can be together again). I love remembering the warm feeling of Christmases growing up on the farm. I love remembering my Grandparents and our extended family all together.

I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!!

What's in a name??

2006-12-18T17:39:00.000-05:00

Well, names have been on my mind the last couple days. Why you ask?

For starters, another "Karmyn" found my bog! How crazy! It is fairly uncommon to say the least to run into someone with my spelling (outside my hometown at least!).

Secondly, we have been busy the last couple days working on our Church Planting stuff and have been throwing around different names and trying to settle on one. The main discussion is between a traditional name or a unique name.

Thirdly, we found out that Chad's sister and brother-in-law are expecting a boy! (Yipeee!) What a momentous task to choose a name for another human! In my SSN issues, I stumbled upon a list of popular baby names in the USA (http://www.ssa.gov/ssnumber/).

For Boys in 2005 the list is: 1. Jacob, 2. Michael, 3. Joshua, 4. Matthew, 5. Ethan, 6. Andrew, 7. Daniel, 8. Anthony, 9. Christopher, and 10. Joshua.

For Girls in 2005 the list is: 1. Emily, 2. Emma, 3. Madison, 4. Abigail, 5. Olivia, 6. Isabella, 7. Hannah, 8. Samantha, 9. Ava, 10. Ashley.

You can also check the top names for any year.

The year Chad was born the most popular boy's names were Micheal, Christopher, Jason, David. Chad was the 38th most popular boy name the year he was born but in 2005 was the 380th most popular name!

The year I was born the top girl names were Jennifer, Amanda, Jessica, Melissa. Karmyn (though not spelt properly!) was 183rd most popular girl's name the year I was born but in 2005 was the 270th most popular. And to think as a kid I wanted to change my name to 'Stephanie Amy'!!

You won't believe this!

2006-12-15T13:04:00.000-05:00

So, this is unbelievable. After fighting for months to secure a job, interviewing, getting the visa issues sorted, doing a border-run to change my status, applying for a Social Security Number... I find out that because the hospital recruiter took sooooo long to sort me out, my temporary nursing permit has expired and is on hold until I receive my SSN!! So, we are back on hold. I attended a general orientation this week but there will be no other working until I receive my SSN. That will "take as long as it takes". We are praying for it to come asap!!

But all is not lost... Chad finished his finals yesterday. Karmyn finished on Wednesday. We were talking last night and figured that this is the first time since our honeymoon that we have been together- not traveling, not sight-seeing, not working, not moving, not doing a 'rush-visit of all family and friends', not studying (which are all great things we have been fortunate to experience!)... just having un-pressured time together! And it is Christmas! So we are going to relax and enjoy a bit of down time and count it is as blessing God figured we must have needed!

It just seems wrong...

2006-12-12T10:04:00.001-05:00

Well,here we are mid-December, and the temperatures are in the double digits (Celsius), and I can unfortunately say that baring some freak snow storm (though not all together unheard of in 'these-them parts') it looks like it will be a 'brown Christmas'.

Although not all together brown... having grown up in the 'true North, strong, and free' I just can't quite wrap my head around this one nagging question that keeps coming into my head-

Do they pick up and move, or just mow around the Christmas lawn ornaments??!!??!!??

A Charlie Brown Tree

2006-12-10T15:39:00.000-05:00

When Chad and I were dating, we were delighted to learn that each of us had grown up watching and loving 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' TV special. It was fun to come together and share an old tradition.

Last year in Korea, we were able to watch the show via the internet which helped us feel a bit closer to home, though we were a million miles away.

This year, we will only be a half-million miles away for Christmas, and we will for sure be watching the special once again, but we have also gone one step further... perhaps not on purpose...

We have our OWN Charlie Brown Tree this year. Being short on space and cash, I decided to hit the dollar store to 'Christmas-ize' our apartment. A few candles, table runner and mini-lights just weren't enough (though what is ever really enough Christmas-izing?), so I went back for the $1 tree! Good idea Karm! Let's just say it is 'cute' how it bends under the weight of the homemade ribbon star/bow topper, the mini-lights and the balls (12 for $1... not bad, not bad- too bad there wasn't even enough space for half of them on the tree!).

Even though it may not be an award-winner, it's ours, and there is just something unexplainably nice about sitting in the dark with a Christmas Tree all lit up at night...even if it is only 18 inches of beauty!

Virginia Christmas Spectacular

2006-12-10T14:29:00.000-05:00

A week ago we had the privilege of seeing the famous Virginia Christmas Spectacular. It is an amazing Christmas show with 2 live singing Christmas trees (over 200 people per tree), over a half a million Christmas lights on the trees and stary back drop, lazer lights, hundreds of actors, amazing costumes, a live orchestra, brass band, bag pipers... you name it. It was incredibly well done and definitely helped us to get into the Christmas spirit.

I'm baaaack!!!

2006-12-09T18:44:00.000-05:00

Well, I did my boarder-run yesterday to the Toronto airport to change my visa status. It only took nearly 20 hours of travels- thanks to delays (Chicago O'Hare shut down for a couple hours due to an 'emergency' during Friday 'rush hour'... can you imagine the nightmare?!?!), but Chad was patiently waiting on the other end with red roses (awwwww!). By the way, in case you were wondering, Toronto airport is not a very exciting place to kill 4+ hours... no Timmy's, no Starbucks, no Timmy's, no McDonalds, no Timmy's, no stores (other than a magazine and snack place), and did I mention NO TIMMY'S?!?!

I slept like a baby on most of the flights... and missed the pretzel snacks- doh!. 3 of my 4 flights were not full, so the extra room was nice to stretch out in. When I wasn't sleeping I finally got to read one of the books I got for my birthday. On one flight we had these flight attendants who were regaling each other with their stories. The craziest of which was the one about a man who actually flushed his pants down the airplane toilet! and came out in purple skimpy underwear!!

Thankfully, there were no issues securing my "Trade NAFTA Status" and I am clear and ready to start work this week! Bring on the orientation! I can't believe that after almost of year of getting all my ducks in line that I can finally be a Nurse in the USA! Praise the Lord!

Comments Still Welcome!

2006-12-05T22:10:00.000-05:00

Due to a hillariously persistent annonymous commentor, we have been forced to enable comment screening on this blog (we have to approve every comment before it is published). However, we still would love to hear from our friends and family who we publish this blog for, and miss dearly!

The Excuse

2006-12-04T10:18:00.000-05:00

Well, we know, we know, you have all been wondering where we have been, what with no posts and all. Busy? You guessed it. This week is the last week of classes, then onto exam week, and the semester will be finished! It has gone so fast.

We did however have a week off for American Thanksgiving. The North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention flew us up to Canada to look at a church planting opportunity. It was nice to be 'home' for a few days, but all the miles, airports, and rental car left us a bit worn out when it was all said and done. It did however more than satisfy our curiosity as to who's winter is better... Virginia, or Canada??? Like that was a hard one!?!

The Majestic Rockies- doesn't get much nicer than this. (Though we had mixed feelings on our way back as we drove hour after hour though the snow and ice...)

We drove throught the Rockies into the Okanagan Valley, in British Columbia, where we visited the sponsoring church in West Bank (Kelowna). They have choosen Vernon, BC as a target area in need of an Evangelical church.

Vernon is about 45,000 people with the surrounding area population bring it up to about 75,000, but there are only 2 evangelical churches with any impact in the community that the scouts have been able to identify! We got to spend some time with the pastoral team in West Bank, as well as some time looking around Vernon and by the time we left, we were sure that this is what God was leading us to pursue. So, we have some hoops to jump through, but our plan is to end up in Vernon, BC to start a new church in about a years time! How exciting!!!

Who wouldn't want to live here?

And just for old times sake, we ran across a little "Engrish" on the way...

Lee Surrenders to Grant

2006-11-13T18:16:00.000-05:00

It was the beginning of the end of the Civil War, which had for four long years tore apart the young republic. The horible cost in families and the economy, the devastation of beautiful environments, the animosity, the danger.

It was April the 9th 1865, just 5 days before Abraham Lincolm would be assassinated. And it was just 20 minutes from our apartment in Lynchburg.

We saw the fields were the last battles were fought and looked on the graves of the heroes of Confederacy and Union.

We were able to see the restored home in which Lee surrendered to Grant, under terms determined a few days earlier in a council of war at the newly captured St. Petersburg, with President Lincoln and the Union Generals wanting to create a reconciliation after the war.

As I looked at the actual table upon which Lee signed, I thought about the tradgedy of the affair, in which both sides had justifiable causes, the Confederacy seeking freedom from federal tyrrany, the Union becoming the champions of freedom.... Yes, I was deep in thought when suddenly Karmyn leapt unto the table and started dancing with the General Lee brand hooch in hand.

We are now raising money for bail and paypal donations will be accepted, if you can find it in your heart to help this poor girl, who never know that dancing on a historical monument was illegal (I mean who would?)

She felt really bad, and looked so contrite, that we were able to secure her release.... by means of a local barrister D. Richards whose luxiourious offices assured us of his profundity with the law and ensured our success in achieveing her release.

I had to plead and plead with him to give up his fanciful surroundings and come down to the courthouse. But he finally agreed

We were absolutely delighted and took Mr. Richards for a ride in our new ride, an official Civil War era driving machine!

The General Lee certified authentic cavalry scout vehicle.... Oscar Myer Special.

All and all a good day.

Did anyone say Football?

2006-11-10T14:30:00.000-05:00

Like hockey to Canadians... these guys are nuts about their football!

We are talking over 15,000 fans to watch a University game. We are talking 15 minutes of the 6 o'clock news is dedicated to High School football. We are talking marching band and cheerleaders. We are talking about the big news around campus... we don't quite get it, but hey! It is fun none the less!

Gorgeous Fall

2006-11-10T14:21:00.000-05:00

Apparently Virginia is know for it's autumn... and now we know why. The leaves and weather have been beautiful. The leaves first went yellow, then red and orange, and now finally they are turning brown and falling off. We just don't get the fire red and bright orange leaves at home anywhere close to this!

Waking Up In Virginia

2006-11-09T15:33:00.000-05:00

So I woke me up a weeks ago and as I opened up the blinds, I saw a man pacing back and forth on our neighbors retaining wall... with a GUN! I said to Chad, "There's a man outside the window with a gun."
"Well," Chad said, "We are in Virginia".
"Do you think I should call the police?" I asked. I mean, I was worried.
"I think you should step away from the window," Chad replied!
So we are doing well and most of the time we feel pretty much at home. We never did figure out what he was looking at...

There was a 'mooose' in your 'hooose'?

2006-11-09T14:43:00.000-05:00

Monday was not a good day. I mean I think I was quite brave about the whole ordeal... though Chad would probably tell you otherwise. I just hate animals that travel erratically- like birds, bats, mice...

So, I am sitting at the kitchen table (which doubles as my desk seeing as space is at a premium in our apartment) when I hear a SOUND in the corner behind the laundry hamper which we use as a garbage can. There are bags of cans waiting to go to recycling behind the trash. Chad gets up from his studies to come and check it out. He assures me it is just the bags of cans shifting. Fair enough.

15 minutes later it happens again. This time I draw my feet up onto my chair as my imagination starts to get the best of me. Nothing, 'just the bags again'. Ok. But maybe we should move the bags and see if it happens again. Chad humors me.

Like clockwork, 15 minutes later I hear the same small noise. "IT IS BACK!" I announced. At this point I am actually standing up on my chair! Chad sneaks over and tips the trash only to actually lay eyes on our new furry little friend, and quietly and calmly announces "there is your mouse". At which point I did what any rational person who has not even seen the critter would do... I scream! Chad just looks at me like, you didn't even see it. I assure him it matters not.

Out comes the traps (supplied by our landlords... apparently a 1905 house isn't exactly mouse proof!) and the peanut butter and we wait, and wait, and wait. What? Where is the little guy? Nothing. 3 times in a row and now nothing?!?!

Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Until 6:30 am the following morning (and yes we slept in our apartment- see I told you I was brave!) We both wake up, look at each other, look towards the kitchen and Chad says, "I think we got him."

Sure enough. As I head to the bathroom and resisted the urge to lock the door (took some convincing that that actually would not help). Chad got his hockey sticks and did what any good hubby would do... apparently only one back leg had been caught and the mouse had hauled the trap around for a while. At least we were able to supply one of the anonymous neighborhood cats with an easy breakfast!

To make matters worse, I head off to school and regale my classmates with my horrifying story and they all start laughing at my funny accent...."there was a mooose in your hooose?"

Here is my humble attempt at 'blogging'!

2006-11-09T13:38:00.000-05:00

Well, after weeks of 'bugging' from my beloved hubby, I for some reason suddenly (while stiting here alone on my one day at home) became compelled to start my own blog. I really don't know what came over me and I am sure that by tomorrow my senses will have come back, but for now, I'm jumping in!

I have not been good at writting emails to keep all our friends and family up to date. Life in Virginia just doens't have as many exciting and strange things to report all the time (I actually kept a daily list in Korea of things to put in our emails!) But, that said, some days we still do feel like we are in a foreign land and we are loving our time here.

So, for those of you who miss the epic email letters, hopefully this will help!