May 26, 2008

Greetings from Mississippi! I am very happy to report that we arrived yesterday morning around 9 a.m. (Central time) safely, tired, and very happy to have completed 1,272 miles of travel. We drove all the way from Las Cruces to Little Rock where we stayed for the night before completing the trip. Kudos to the local Chili’s restaurant for the great food and service we received Saturday evening when we went in for dinner.

The kids did very well on the trip as did Maggie (our dog). That was the longest drive Melisa had ever made and she held up really well too. All things considered, it was an uneventful trip that we are very glad to have behind us. We are looking forward to some R&R this week before Melisa and I head over to the Atlanta area this weekend. She is expected in the office June 2 (next Monday).

I received a number of text messages yesterday in response to my brief text informing those who asked to be of our arrival. Thanks to everyone who reached out to us during our trip. Your thoughts and prayers are certainly appreciated. I am typing this message off-line so at this time have not had a chance to download e-mails yet. For those who have sent e-mails, I will respond to them as I am able this week. If it takes a few days, that is likely because we are relaxing and trying to stay away from computers and cell phones (Yes folks…it is possible to do so for a few days!).

I will upload a more detailed post with photos later this week! cs

May 21, 2008

Moving day may not be until Friday but the movers arrived this morning to begin packing our home. The anticipation that has been building for the past several months is finally coming to a head as we look forward to the next chapter of our lives. This whole process has taken a toll on the entire family but Joshua in particular. We talked at length last night about the move and his feelings about this change. He is, in a word, sad. He has grown to love our life in New Mexico much more than we had fully understood and the fact that we are moving has him quite upset. So much so he has been experiencing stomach pains. Melisa and I have both assured him that we are focused on moving into a community with families and other children around. We also talked about the excitement we feel in coming home to Georgia to reconnect with old friends and make new friends. Our talk and my description of a similar move when I was about his age helped to sooth his anxiety somewhat.

We’re not exactly sure how this process works but trust that the movers are professional and will guide us through each step. Please remember our family this week as we begin our journey back to Georgia, especially our Joshua.

May 18, 2008

A very happy Sunday to everyone! Yesterday we had a birthday party for Joshua’s 7^th. It was a lot of fun watching the kids playing at the park but it was also sad. In a few short days, we will be departing New Mexico and heading back east with our first stop in Mississippi to drop the kids off with their grandparents. In a way, this final week here, aside from the preparations for the move, will be about saying goodbye to our dear friends.

Joshua and Hannah made friends quickly here. Of course in this community, there are a lot of other children their age so there was plenty of opportunity to do so. In this photo you see most of the kids that were over last night with their parents. It was sort of a gathering for our last weekend here in New Mexico so we just let it unfold and enjoyed every minute of it. I think we had about 12 kids here! Wow! And let me tell you, I see them running around and wonder if I ever had that much energy? My mother assures me that I did at one time though I am hard pressed to remember when.

Later in the evening, it was more or less the adults enjoying each other’s company and just visiting though it has been quite some time since we stayed up until 3 a.m. with friends. We thought we would still make it to church today but all four of us ended up sleeping late. Oops!

Surprisingly, little was said about our pending departure which was probably for the best. Melisa and I have made no secret about our desire to remain in New Mexico but accept that the next chapter in our lives will begin elsewhere. Still, while we are not eager to leave, we are excited about what our future holds for us. We are also very grateful for the wonderful people God has placed in our lives during our time here. Being so far away from our families has been a bit easier having such special people as these in our lives. There are too many to list but our friends and neighbors know our hearts and how much we will miss seeing each of you on a regular basis.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the special people at First Baptist Church of Las Cruces. Having come from a special church in Georgia, Melisa and I wondered if we would again find such a fellowship to join with. The Lord lead us to FBCLC and what an incredible group of believers! The gentle, loving spirit of the pastor, the immediate acceptance of the congregation, and the presence of the Holy Spirit in that place have been such a blessing during our time here. Words are insufficient to describe how much we will miss this church and all of the special people there. I can honestly say we have been blessed to have been a part of two incredible congregations where the work of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ is front and center.

Well, I am not certain if I will have time to post again before the move on Friday but I will certainly make the effort. As always, thanks so much for the prayers and e-mails of encouragement. I finally got a couple of comments posted on the blog which was kind of neat. Feel free to do so as well!

Chris

May 17, 2008

I have safely returned from my most recent trip to Tupelo, Mississippi and Atlanta, Georgia. It was a productive visit for a job interview and the wedding of TJ (my wife’s cousin) & Lauren. With our 10 year anniversary fast approaching, I have a new appreciation for the entire process the newlyweds went through to arrive at their big day. It was a lovely ceremony that I can honestly say I was quite pleased to have participated only as a spectator! We have enough stress right now in our lives!

Our move to Atlanta is fast approaching with movers arriving next Wednesday to begin packing our house and the moving truck arriving Friday to load. We have decided to take advantage of the 60 day storage option offered and continue our house hunting after we drop the kids off in Mississippi at their grandparents for the summer. The kids and grandparents are looking forward to the time together and Melisa and I are pleased that we will not have to worry about them while we locate a new house and finalize the purchase. Of course, our house in New Mexico is still listed but traffic has picked up considerably. We continue to believe a family will purchase our home once the school year has ended here. The most difficult part of this move is doing so much sooner than we thought we would after coming to New Mexico. This part of the country is beautiful and we honestly have no desire to leave. Alas, the Lord has other things for us elsewhere.

We are having a small birthday party for Joshua today even though his actual birthday is still a couple of weeks away. We thought it would be unfair to him not to be able to have a special day with his friends here in New Mexico prior to our departure in less than a week. Weather was a concern but the storms have cleared out overnight and we have a beautiful, sunny day in the 70’s on deck for his party at a local park. Pizza, sodas, and lots of running around are today’s fare and we hope it will be the kind of day our son remembers for a long time to come.

Not much else to report here. I am continuing to tinker with this blog and will begin to add additional content mostly focusing on economic topics as I see them. Those of you who know me well know how much I enjoy watching the economy and opining on the topics of the day. I will even mix in a little politics from time to time though that certainly won’t be the focus. Thanks to everyone for their continued emails, support and prayers.

Chris