United Tour

This week has been super busy but really great! I had the opportunity on Wednesday to volunteer at the Michael W. Smith and Steven Curtis Chapman concert here in Cleveland. My friend Vicki is on the mailing list for Show Hope, an adoption program that Steven Curtis Chapman started, and learned about the chance to volunteer at the concert. She then asked me and a couple other girls if we wanted to help. This was a great opportunity to serve and to learn more about the program. Of course, I was excited about it because of the work I used to be a part of at AGAPE and just the connection to Nashville (home of both artists). We got to spend time with Emily Richards, Steven Curtis Chapman's daughter, who is working for Show Hope. She is so sincere and loves what she is doing. Here is a picture of the group I went with and Emily. See www.showhope.org for more details about the program and how you might be a part of it!

Youth Rally and Cincinnati!

This past weekend was so much fun. On Saturday I went with our church youth group to the Stark County Youth Rally! We took about 26 kids and had a great time! Unfortunately, I left my camera in the car so I don't have any pictures. The day started with a time of singing and then a lesson from the main speaker. Then the kids had classes to go to and the adults had a class. Dean Miller taught our class and it was excellent! The whole day really was amazing!

On Sunday Will and I headed down to Cincinnati! One of my closest friends from Nashville,

Denise, and her husband, Mark, met us there on Monday for the day. We met up at Newport on

the Levee. It was a perfect day and I loved seeing them! Here are some pictures:

Tonight I am volunteering at the Michael W. Smith/Steven Curtis Chapman concert! I'll write about that as soon as I can and will post pictures!

Spring?!

I have finally come out of winter hibernation and back into the blogging world! I can't officially declare Spring in Cleveland as everyone says it usually snows at least one more time in April....but I feel like I've survived my first winter in Cleveland! I can't wait for warmer weather!

I have my first official golf lesson next Wednesday with the golf pro at Dick's Sporting Goods! I am so excited to get started! Will and I went to the driving range last Sunday and had a great time. I got my clubs two years ago but have been slow to get started because (1) Will broke his arm the first summer I had them and (2) We moved at the beginning of the golf season last year and I was trying to get settled/find a job. Will is actually going to take a couple lessons too. We have at least two other couple friends that play so I'm looking forward to weekends on the golf course very soon!

I cannot believe we are coming up on a year living in Cleveland! God has blessed us so much. To think that I only knew a few people when we came here and now we have so many good friends is just overwhelming to me. There are now several young couples at church that we spend time with plus the gang of friends we had from when Will lived here before I came along. They keep our social calendar very full!

Church is going well. I'm so excited about the changes that are going on there and that I get to be a part of it! I am on a committee to help teach the congregation more contemporary songs...which of course I love! We actually meet again tonight and I am sure that will be an amazing time of worship. I have also been feeling this pull to do something with the teenage girls there. Everytime I see them I think about starting a Bible Study or prayer group with them so I'm just going to continue to pray about that. I am going with the youth group next Saturday to a youth rally in Canton, OH. I'm really looking forward to getting to know the kids and seeing if any of the girls would be interested in starting a group this summer. I think Will's ministry is going to happen on the golf course...I'm serious. He has gone out with a couple times with a friend of ours who has been struggling to find a job. I know that Will is such an encouragement to him and I feel like that really is his gift...to encourage and impart wisdom to others....he does that for me all the time! It's been such a blessing to be a part of smaller church. All my life I have attended large churches so I wasn't feeling very excited initially about being part of a small congregation. But what a blessing it is turning out to be...we are being given opportunities to participate and lead in ways we wouldn't have in a large church and so I think it's such a great chance for us to grow.

My job is going well...it's busy and crazy but it's going well. I am working with 12 families now so I'm very busy. Will has been flying more the last two months which has been good. It's nice to have him home more often but I know he starts to get a little stir crazy after awhile....especially in the winter. He has vacation in May and we are thinking of going eiether to Rome, Paris, or London. Any suggestions?

Another exciting thing coming up is that we are going to meet up with one of my best friends from Nashville (except now she lives in Atlanta) on the 30th in Cincinnatti! More to come about that! I really am going to try to write more!!

Babies!

Tis' the season for babies!! Will and I have a brand new neice! Missy gave birth to Mollie Joy Hoggard at 9:56 yesterday morning. She was 7lbs. 1oz. and 20 inches long. Here are some pictures to enjoy!

On Sunday our friends Barb and Ryan Tuori had their baby boy, Rowan Benjamin Tuori! He was 8lbs. 7oz. and 19 inches long! We got to see him that day at the hospital. He is a cutie! Here are some pictures of them!

We are heading to Searcy on Saturday to spend time with family and meet Mollie! Then we'll be in Springfield on Tuesday through the rest of the week so more pictures to come!

Will and Rachelle Bustin' a Christmas Move!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Bad Blogger!

Ok, so I have not been a good "blogger" lately! I haven't written because I never remember to take pictures! We have been really busy lately with Holiday fun!

We went home for Thanksgiving and had a great time! I drove to Springfield on Wednesday and Will joined me on Thursday. We had our Thanksgiving meal with my parents on Friday. It was delicious!!

Friday mom and I were insane and went to Walmart at 5:30a.m.! I don't think I could have imagined how crazy that was going to be! Somebody even spent the night in their RV in the parking lot! Every other store we went to was fine and people were actually civilized!

Saturday we headed to Joplin, MO for Mother's 90th birthday party! It was so much fun! I had a great time with the family and got to meet some people I hadn't yet. Mother had a great time and got around 70 birthday cards. I have to say that I am so blessed to have married into such a great family! I love them so much!

We had our second Bunco night at the first of this month! I haven't even written about that but I started a Bunco group here in November. The girls loved it!! We had a blast!!

On the work scene, things have been picking up. I recently found out that I'm going to have an office in Lakewood!! So exciting. Up until now I haven't had an office to call my own but that it about to change! The office is really close to our house too. I'm excited about working in our community. I met the other people I'll share an office with and they are so much fun. My supervisor and co-workers were wishing they got to work in that office. Can't wait to fix it up, hang my degrees, and make it my own! It's a fun time at PEP with the holiday parties. My supervisor just took us out to breakfast at "The Club" at "Key Tower" downtown. So nice!! She bought gifts for all of us to play the "Dirty Santa" game and gave us each gift cards that she knew we would enjoy. Of course, she got me an Ann Taylor gift card!! She knows me well!

This week I have a couple more parties. We have a potluck on Thursday at work! Thursday night we are going to see a light display at Blossom Music Center with our friends Chris and Sarah Newey!

Saturday we are off to Searcy to meet our new neice, Mollie! She will probably be born tonight or tomorrow! Can't wait! I'm seriously going to start taking pictures to post on here!! Promise!!

Early Christmas!

Will and I started Christmas early this year. We got ourselves a very important and practical gift. A snow blower!!! Will gave me a lesson this morning. It really is amazing! It's definately going to come in handy and it will be nice to not have to shovel! Here are some pictures.

Today Will and I are going out to buy winter accessories for me. I don't have a hat, gloves, scarf, or good boots to play in the snow! Welcome to Cleveland!

We're getting really excited for Thanksgiving! I'm sure I will post pics next week. Can't wait to see our family!