Will and Rachelle Parker

United Tour

2009-04-03T04:08:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-04-01T03:41:00.000-07:00

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?!

2009-03-21T06:36:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-12-16T16:44:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-12-15T18:12:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Bad Blogger!

2008-12-14T05:07:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-22T10:40:00.000-08:00

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!

45 Holes of Golf

2008-10-05T05:44:00.000-07:00

Ok, now it's time to brag about Will! He and his friend, Ryan Tuori, recently played 45 holes of golf in one day!! They even walked the course which apparently no one had ever done before and finished the 45! They each got a T-Shirt (pictured here) and their names and picture on the wall. Will said they had a great time!

Will has been playing a lot of golf these days! He hasn't had to fly much over the past month because he is on reserve! But he is taking advantage of the weather and getting out there as much as possible. I'm thankful that he has a few guys around here to go play with.

Things are going well for us here in Cleveland. We had our first frost last night! How crazy is that!? I'm starting to get a little anxious about winter but the fall is beautiful here!!

I had a great day yesterday with Mary Jo! I met the whole Price clan at a Mexican resteraunt in Wadsworth for lunch. It was great to see all of them. They just got back from visiting their new home in California....that's right...California! They are moving at the end of this month so I have to soak up any time I can get with them. I will miss them so much but what a blessing to have them here when we first moved. Just having family nearby was so helpful for me in transitioning here. After lunch, Mary Jo and I went to a spa and got a pedicure! Awesome! We had a great time and our toes are literally sparkling now! After that we went to the JCPenny outlet to shop for curtains. Mary Jo has a gift for finding great deals in a not so organized place! I on the other hand just sort of stood there with my mouth hanging open....no idea where to begin! I'm not good at shopping at places like that. I have to have everything neatly displayed and already matched up and someone to assist me. (pretty snotty, huh?) We had a great time together!

Today we are going to a baby shower for our friends Barb and Ryan! I'll take some pictures to post! Have a great Sunday everyone!

Catching Up....again!

2008-09-13T10:50:00.000-07:00

I know this is really behind! I'm a lot busier now that I'm back to work. I now have six families I'm working with. It's hard work but I'm enjoying it so far. Will and I made a trip home over Labor Day. We had a very full and very fun weekend with the fam. We drove all night Thursday (I should say Will drove and I slept!) and got their Friday morning. Friday night we went to a Springfield Cardinals game with my mom, Jim and Judy, Wes, Gail, Lauren, Evan, and Doug. My mom and I got to sit together which was so much fun! Evan, our nephew, and his baseball team got to go out on the field before the game with the players. He was very excited. It was nice for Will and I to get to be there for something! Jenny and Daniel came into town to see us too which was great!

Saturday Will went to play golf with his dad, Wes, and Doug. I hung out with mom, Jenny, and Daniel. Saturday night we all went flying in the power parachute! Jenny and Daniel got to go for the first time. It's always fun to see someone go up for the first tme. Here are some pictures of that.

Sunday we went with the Parkers to Table Rock Lake all day! It was absolustely perfect weather for playing on the lake. Jim and Judy have a camping site their and a boat. We went tubing, cooked out, and had a great time together. It was great to spend some time at home.

Since then things have been pretty low key. I went to a concert with some new girlfriends. It was Third Day, Jars of Clay, and Switchfoot. I am so blessed to already have a few Christian girlfriends here! God always surrounds me with amazing women of faith. Here are pictures from the concert.

Hall of Fame Induction

2008-08-03T14:03:00.000-07:00

Will and I were part of an inspiring event last night in Canton, Ohio, home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. We went with our friends, Ryan and Barb. It was really great to be present for something so historical. It's great to see men of such integrity and talent being honored in such a way. Here are some pictures of the event. I hope you can see how many Redskins fans there were! Two of the men inducted were former Redskins players so thousands of fans showed up to honor them! Will just told me there were more than 16,000 people there!

Can I just say I am SO excited for football!!! Tonight the Redskins are playing the Colts in their first pre-season game. And yes, Will is home with me this weekend!!

Mud March

2008-07-27T12:30:00.000-07:00

I know it's been forever since I've written on here. I don't have quite the same amount of time on my hands as I did before working! I'm enjoying PEP very much so far. I'm going to get busy pretty quick! I have three families that I will be working with and I have now met all of them. I'm really looking forward to working with them.

Ok, so yesterday I participated in a 5K race with a couple other friends called the "Mud March". It was a part of a festival in Chagrin Falls called the Shadow Wood Woodstock. I had the BEST time ever running in a race. As the name would imply it was VERY muddy!!! Nothing could have really prepared me for just how dirty I was going to get! It was the LONGEST 3 miles of my life because running in the mud is not the easiest thing to do in the world. I was knee deepin mud at times. So here are some pictures so you can see for your self! Enjoy!

We were so clean! (Amber, me, Vicki, and George)

Look how white my shirt is!

Get a good look at these shoes!

I have never been so dirty in my life!

As you can see they had showers for everyone to get under at the end. It was awesome!! I am definatetly going next year!

New Job!

2008-06-27T10:54:00.000-07:00

I officially have a job at Positive Education Program!! I am so happy! I'm really looking forward to the work I'll be doing with children and families and everything I'm going to learn! I am going to miss all the free time but I feel ready to get going. I will write more about it as I learn more. I don't have an official start date but will find out on Monday about that. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers! The website again is: www.pepcleve.org. I will be a Tapestry Care Manager. The Tapestry program is a grant funded program working with children with emotional/behavioral issues and their families. It works with families who have not become involved with "the system" but are at risk. I'm excited that I get to work with families early so that they can stay together and be stronger.

Signature Magazine

2008-06-23T09:46:00.001-07:00

I almost forgot to write about something really fun that you all can be watching for in July! Springfield, MO has a really nice magazine called "Ozark's Signature". I first became aware of it last year when they covered a wedding of a girl my sisters and I went to school with. Will's mom encouraged me to contact the magazine to see if they would run a story about Will and I. At the time I was so busy with wedding planning I never took the initiative to contact them. Judy, however, did contact them and they liked our story so much they decided to write about it! Will and I were interviewed and our story, along with pictures, will be in the magazine in the July edition. You can access it online at this web address: http://ozarkssignature.com/. I'm going to put a link on this webpage as well. It should be a great keepsake for us so that we can always remember how it all started!

A Great Day!

2008-06-21T18:34:00.000-07:00

Today I spent time with the Prices! I went down to watch Sawyer play a baseball game but there was some mix up with the schedule. So only Sawyer and one other player from his team showed up to play the other team who had all but two of their players. So they just split the kids up and played a game. They included Dawson which made him so happy! I got some pictures of them playing.

Dawsom up to bat!

He made it on base!

Air Sawyer!

Landed safely and is ready to take second!

After the game we all went to eat lunch. Then MJ and I got some time to talk without the boys. It was really nice to spend time with her! I ended up staying until 8:30 tonight! I always have such a great time with them.

Good News and Job Update

2008-06-20T15:46:00.000-07:00

I'm glad to report that I got my phone back! I have definately learned my lesson. I will NOT be taking my phone into the bathroom with me anymore.

It has been a great week. Monday I went to OfficeTeam, a staffing agency, so that I could do some temporary work while looking for permanent employment. Tuesday I had an interview with PEP for a social work position. It went really well and I feel really good about the possibility of working for them. Their philosophy in working with children and families seems very compatible with my way of thinking. I have a second interview with them next Monday. I had another interview yesterday with another agency. I don't think it's a good match for me so I'm not giong to pursue that position. Hopefully I will know more soon.

I'm going to Mary Jo and Ragan's tomorrow to watch Sawyer play baseball! I'm really looking forward to that!

Toilet Phone

2008-06-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

As much as I do NOT want to tell on myself I feel a responsibility to share my experience for the sake of others out there. First of all, I want those who may have done this to know they are not alone and second, those who may go through this in the future may benefit from my wisdom. Sunday morning when I woke up I looked at my phone and noticed I had an e-mail. I needed to use the facilities but not wanting to wait another moment to check my e-mail I took my phone with me. I do seem to be slightly hooked on my phone, by the way. Maybe this happened to free me from this bondage. Somehow, fortunatly after I flushed the toilet, the phone slipped out of my hands and right into the commode! It seemed to tumble down in slow motion to the bottom of the bowl where it came completly apart. I thought, "you have got to be kidding me". I immediately fished the phone out, shook it off, and put it back together. Ok, aside from dropping my phone in the toilet, this was my first mistake. I have sinced learned, as probably everyone else knows, that you should immediately take the battery out and let everything dry. Maybe I was in denial about what just happened...like if I just put it back together and move on it didn't REALLY just happen and everything will be fine! Well, it was working off and on Sunday and then worked all day Monday. I really thought I was out of the woods but....nope. It died Monday night! I kept hoping, and praying (I am not kidding) that it just needed a new battery. It's a totally different issue that I prayed about my cell phone. Even as I did I asked God to forgive me for how attached and dependent I am on material things. Honestly, it is a little sad that I nearly came to tears at the cell phone store when I recieved the verdict....it was not the battery. I want to pass on something to everyone. If you do drop your phone in water DO NOT attempt to pretend like you didn't. I learned that there is a spot on the battery and the phone that turns red when there is water damage. (by the way, I did not do that...I couldn't have pulled that off...)

At first the salesman said I had two options: (1) buy a new phone (way too much money) or (2) get a "Go Phone" from Walmart and put my sim card in it until I can get an upgrade. Then he suggested another plan. He told me of a cell phone tech nearby who may be able to fix it. So I decided to see if it could be fixed for a reasonable amount. The guy said there is a 50/50 chance that he can fix it. The price was 1/4 of what it would cost to buy a new one so I decided to go for it. Also, he won't charge us if it doesn't work. If he can't fix it then I will just get the "Go Phone".

I really hope this never happens to any of you but if it does I hope this is helpful! If not, at least you can have a good laugh at me today! I know Will has....I'm not sure when he is going to stop calling me "poop face" for using a phone that's been in toilet water. That's my man!! :) I'll keep you posted!

Trip to Nashvegas and getting connected...

2008-06-15T10:14:00.000-07:00

So I know I said I was going to have some pictures from Nashville but somehow I came back with none!! I really was very busy and I guess taking pictures did not occur to me. But I can report that I had a great time there. I got there Friday morning and went to AGAPE to visit. It was really good to see everyone and to get caught up. I have missed them all very much...not the work so much but the people! I had lunch at my fav place, Baja Burrito, with my friend Amy Childers. Then I headed over to Greg and Angie Wilson's where I stayed for the weekend. Angie and I lived together for two years before she got married. They have two children, Elijah (4) and Meadow (2). I'm really glad I stayed with them because I got to spend more time with them then I would have otherwise. That night I had dinner with my friend Angelica. It was a lot of fun to hang out with friends!

Saturday morning I went with Angie to a free event at their rec center. It was a group fitness event in which the instructors for every class they offer led the group in a 10 minute sample of their class. What a great idea!! In the process I learned something about myself. I have always stayed away from "group fitness" classes because I was afraid I would be too uncomfortable, that I wouldn't know what I was doing, I would be too uncoordinated, etc. I found out that that may have been true in the past but it is NOT now!! I really didn't care if I messed up...and I did mess up....but it didn't matter to me! I'm growing up!! It was quite the revelation. So...as a result I went to my first "Step" class at the Y here in Lakewood yesterday! I also plan to try out some other classes this week. (more on that later) After the class they had refreshments and door prizes. (I'm always up for some free food!) After that we went back to Angie's house, picked up Greg and the kids, and headed to the Farmer's Market in Franklin, TN.

Saturday afternoon I went to the adoption ceremony that I was a part of. It went really well and I felt so honored to be there and to walk little "Samuel" down the isle to his new family. He was really excited and did an excellent job. I'm very happy for him and for the entire adoptive family.

Sunday I got to go to Otter Creek. It was fun to see everyone and all their surprised faces wondering why I was there. It honestly felt like I never left. I got to go to lunch with Jerry and Joyce Livingston. They are my parents age and used to live in Springfield. Will and I had gotten into the habit of sitting with them at church on Sundays. I love being around them because it is a little peice of home. They were friends with my parents so it's just nice to have that connection. Sunday night I went to see my old roomie Marla and her husband Dave.

Monday I didn't do as much but still managed to be busy. Angie and I took the kids to the mall to play in the playarea and then to lunch with another old roommate, Ashley Dumas. That evening Angie and I got to go out to dinner just the two of us which was really nice. I've noticed it is really hard when you have small children to carry on conversations that are not completely disjointed. I'm not trying to be negative...I just think that's the way it is! I know...my day is coming! (Not yet...don't get excited)

I made it back home on Tuesday. I was so ready to get back. For one thing, I really missed Will and, on top of that, I had picked up a cold! So I was ready to get home and sleep in my own bed again. I'm really glad I got a chance to go to Nashville and that I spent a few days. I don't know when I'll get the chance to go again once I get a job.

I do have some news on the job front. I have my first interview on Tuesday at the Positive Education Program. If you want to look at information on it go to http://www.pepcleve.org/. I'm also supposed to hear back from another organization this week. So I'm excited!

Last night I went with our friend Barb Tuori to a birthday party! I met the birthday girl when Will and I first started dating. I had a great time and met some really nice people. It was good for me to get out and socialize!

I went back to Hope Christian Church today. I enjoyed the ladies Bible class and the worship. I met more people today and that helped me feel much more comfortable. It makes such a difference when people reach out. One woman who I met in class saw me sitting by myself and invited me to sit with her and her husband. She also invited us to come to there small group Bible Study that meets on two Sunday nights in a month. I'm really grateful for that today.

Will gets back home tomorrow!! I'm so looking forward to that! I'll keep this posted on the job front.

Catch Up

2008-06-03T15:11:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!! I am still alive....I have been really busy somehow! We have had a great couple of weeks here in Cleveland. First of all, I went home to surprise mom for Mother's Day! We had such a great time together. We went to the mall, got pedicures, ate chinese food (Cashew Chicken, of course), more shopping, and saw a movie! I think I might have completely worn her out. I love her so much! I also got to surprise Jim and Judy (the in-laws). Mom and I went to their house and talked for a few hours. We had a good visit.

Jim and Judy came to visit us the third week of May. The time went by way too fast! We really enjoyed spending time with them. Judy and I went to a small town called Chagrin Falls while Will and Jim went to play golf. We just browsed around the cute little shops their and ate and ate and giggled and ate some more!! We didn't buy a single thing and just had the best time together. I am so blessed to have in-laws that I love!! Here are some pictures of Chagrin Falls. It was beautiful and the perfect day!

Memorial weekend Will and I painted our living room and dining room. It looks so great! We also got new carpet. So everything is comng along well. This first picture is of the dining room before we painted.

We didn't work ALL Memorial weekend. We went to an Indians game on Sunday with Ryan and Barb Tuori. It was a perfect day for a game and we had a great time with our friends. The seats were excellent! It makes me want to go to games more. Even though they lost it was just great to be at a ballgame!

Will and I spent this past Saturday with Ragan, Mary Jo, and the kids! Will, Ragan, and two of the Price's neighbors went to play golf. Mary Jo, the kids, and I went into Wadsworth to get "Jibblitz" for Sawyer. I had no idea what "Jibblitz" were until Sawyer educated me! They are decorations for "Crocs" shoes. He was so excited! Then we went to this cute coffee shop and hung out. It was perfect because they had a little area for the kids to play while MJ and I talked. When the boys got back from playing golf we had a delicious meal together. After the neighbors left Will and I chatted with Ragan and Mary Jo until almost 11:00p.m.!! (that is way past my bedtime!) We had such a good time with them. I seriously think we could have talked with them forever.

Ok, so not having a job definately has it's perks. Not just for me....Will is enjoying the benefits of me staying home and having time to focus on cooking! I made my first chocolate cake from scratch for his birthday and I recently made really great muffins from scratch! He would be the first to admit that he is getting a little bit spoiled! I'm also taking time to enjoy Lakewood. We live just a couple miles from Lake Erie. I went the other day and took some pictures. The Lake is so huge you feel like you're at the ocean.

I know it may not seem like it but I am still searching for a job. I did recieve my LISW (Licensed Independent Social Worker) on May 21 so then I could really start applying for jobs. I have applied for several and am waiting to hear back.

The church search continues as well. I have been to two different churches so far. They were very different from each other but were both "Christian Churches". Will is working every Sunday this month so I'm scouting out the churches for us! This weekend I'm actually going to be in Nashville so I'll be back at OC! I'm so excited to see everyone. I'm going to Nashville for an adoption ceremony for a five year old who I have known since he was 8 months old. I'm really looking forward to being a part of it. I should have lots of pictures to post after my trip to Nashville.

Weekend with the Price Family

2008-04-27T16:33:00.000-07:00

I had a great time this weekend with Mary Jo, Ragan, Sawyer, Dawson, and Landon! I met up with Mary Jo Friday afternoon and spent Friday night through Sunday afternoon at their house. I am so thankful that they live so close to us! It' s going to make the transition so much easier for me and Mary Jo is pretty excited about having family 30 minutes away too!

As you can see, Sawyer and Dawson are HUGE Indians fans! It was so cute! The Indians beat the Yankees Friday night and when Dawson heard the news he proclaimed, "Oh yeah, it's my birthday!" So hilarious! Sawyer is on the right and is 6 1/2 years old and Dawson is 3 1/2 years old. I'm really excited about getting closer to them. Friday night we went to eat at Chammps in Cleveland and then went out for ice cream at Cold Stone! What a great night! By the way, the weather has been amazing all weekend...except all of a sudden today it's 30 degrees cooler. (I'm used to crazy weather anyway so that doesn't bother me)

Here is Landon! So cute!! He is seven months old and absolutely adorable! We are big buddies now!Saturday I got to hang out in my PJ's for a while which is always nice. Then MJ and I went out to lunch, to Bed, Bath, and Beyond, and then to Barnes and Noble for coffee and a cookie! We had a good time together. As you can see, Saturday evening I got to play ball with the boys. They are both excellent baseball players!

Saturday night Ragan grilled steaks and shrimp for dinner. Basically, I was spoiled rotten all weekend which was great for a new girl in town! I went to church with them Sunday morning and loved it! I wish that it were closer to our house because I think it would be a great fit. But at the same time I was really encouraged about finding a church up here and looking forward to Will and I searching for one. Yesterday afternoon I went to a Premier jewelry party with Mary Jo. It was so much fun! All the ladies I met were so sweet.

Will is coming home this afternoon just in time to unload the trailer! I'm looking forward to seeing him! Tonight the Prices, and our friends Ryan and Barb, and Andy are coming to help us unload. It should be great fun! I'm looking forward to having furniture here! I'm so thankful we will have so much help.

Forearm Forklift

2008-04-25T05:14:00.000-07:00

Will and I were the moving "dream team" this week. Let me just tell you about a miracle device that made it so easy! The Forearm Forklift! (I sound like an infomercial) Seriously, I was so worried that we wouldn't be able to lift our dresser but using these straps it was no problem. So in case anyone is moving anytime soon, Carrie Brock, you might want to invest in these!

We made it safely to the new house last night. We were of course completely exhausted when we got here but really excited at the same time! I hadn't been to the house since July '06 so it was really different to come in and look at it from the perspective of being OUR house. It is so adorable! I will post pictures once all our stuff gets here and of the moving process. Thankfully we have several friends that are going to come over Monday and Tuesday to help us so it should go pretty quickly.

I took Will the the airport at 5:30a.m.! Poor guy! I feel really bad that he has to go straight to work after working so hard on moving and then he'll get back on Monday just in time to unload it again! Hopefully he'll get some rest in before leaving for work again on Thursday.

I plan to spend today putting away what we loaded in the car and some cleaning. Then I will be spending the weekend with Ragan, Mary Jo, and the boys! I'm so thankful that they live so close! I'll keep everyone posted!

Saying Goodbye

2008-04-19T05:41:00.001-07:00

It has been a week full of mixed emotions for me as we prepare to leave Nashville. I have lived here for 8 years and have been working at AGAPE for just short of 7 years. I have been reminded this week of how blessed I have been over the last 8 years with incredible friends, a great church family, and the best work environment I could ask for. God has done things here in Nashville that I never imagined! I am truly grateful.

Sunday was my last time to sing on the "Praise Team" at church. I have enjoyed being a part of the music ministry at Otter Creek so much. David England was leading that day and stopped at the end of the service and said some really sweet things about me. Afterwards it took me 20 minutes to get off the stage because people kept coming up to hug me and say encouraging words. I am so thankful for the love and encouragement I recieved.

Throughout the week I have been able to spend time with friends which has been great! I still have a few more I need to spend time with before leaving. Yesterday was my last full day at the office so they put together a reception for Will and I. I was so grateful that Will got to be there. Somehow things are so much easier to go through with him beside me. I was so thankful to see several of my co-workers, foster/adoptive families there! I was encouraged to think about the people God has allowed me to work with and lives that have been touched while at AGAPE. It really is humbling to me to think about the impact of the work done at AGAPE. We had food, cake, and there were gifts! Apparently everyone was so torn up about us leaving they had to have cake before I could take a picture of it!! Here is the cake with some significant pieces cut out...but you get the idea!

The most touching gift was a "Box of Blessings". Judy, my supervisor, had asked people to write on notecards a word of encouragement or blessing to put in this box. Judy explained to us that once we get settled in our house we are to open one blessing each day and remember that they are all thinking of us. It was so sweet! Somehow I had managed not to cry up to that point but that about sent me over the edge!

But tears would soon give way to laughter on the next gift! My co-workers put together a "Survival Kit for the North"! It came in a really cute collapsable picnic basket for, according to Judy, the "few days it will be sunny and warm".

Judy pulled out each item in the basket and explained to us what it was for. It was pretty hilarious!

The "Survival Kit" included the following items:

1. Two placemats....laminated maps of the United States so I can see where I am and where they are here in Tennessee

2. A couple Ohio travel guides, calendar of events, a map of Cleveland and Cincinnati...those will definately be useful

3. A poncho...Judy said it rains a lot there

4. An insect repelling band...she said it's "buggy" there

5. A survival blanket to keep with me in the car

6. My personal favorite...thermal underwear!! I've never had thermal underwear!

7. A "5-in 1 Survival aid" which includes a "shrill signal whistal", a compass, a waterproof match container, flint fire starter, and a signal mirror.

8. A couple of notepads for all my "To Do" lists...awesome!

9. Some stationary and envelopes so I can write everyone.

10. Several "Hello my name is" tags....since I'll be meeting new people. I guess I'll just wear those around town.

11. A "micro photo keeper" that I can put on my keychain to remember everyone...wait, Will said I can't put it on my keychain....I'll think of something else

12. Toe and hand warmers

13. And...in case I miss the sunlight....a glow stick!

14. Will's favorite....battery heated socks...he got really excited about that

15. A folding shovel.....I don't think I need that...Will keeps insisting that I will have to learn how to shovel

Apparently we are moving to Antartica and my co-workers have absolutely no faith in my ability to survive!

Lastly they included something that I really don't understand. Maybe those reading this blog can give me some insight:

It's as if I have some sort of reputation for not being a great driver!! Weird!

It was a lot of fun. There were actually people there too! I have a few pictures that I can put on here. (I don't want to put pictures of the kids on here because of confidentiality)

This is my brand new Easter bonnet for Cleveland!! Pretty funny! (and sadly probably accurate)

Tonight we are going to go out with some more friends and then tomorrow will be our last Sunday at Otter Creek. :( I am getting excited though about this new adventure for us. I'm wondering what God has in store for us there. I'm sure it will be great experience. The plan is to move next Thursday. Will has to fly a trip from Friday to Monday so I'm on my own for a few days. I'm planning to spend a lot of time with my cousin Mary Jo and her family. I'm so thankful they are there! I will try to keep this up to date throughout the process.

Snow!!!

2008-03-08T05:41:00.000-08:00

It snowed!! I woke up to this sight this morning! So beautiful! I'm sure Will and I will get out in it sometime today but I'm pretty content just to look at it from inside. I know I have to get used to this in Cleveland!

It's pretty funny how freaked out people get here about the snow. The weather was the top news story here in Nashville last night. Schools got out early and several people from my work left early to beat the "storm". All said and done I think the most anyone got in Middle Tennessee was 6"! Here is a link to our local news: http://www.wsmv.com/video/index.html

You'll be amazed at how much time they spend talking about the snow and that in the back ground you can barely see the snow falling....and you can still see the grass through the snow! That's Nashville!

I think it will be a great day to just stay inside! I'm going to make some waffles for breakfast which will make my husband very happy! We're going to make some chocolate chip cookies today to take a friends house tonight. Hopefully they'll get the salt trucks to out roads in time. If not...more cookies for us!

Moving to Cleveland!

2008-02-28T04:56:00.001-08:00

Well, it's official....Will and I are moving to Cleveland, Ohio! Technically we will live in Lakewood, Ohio. As most of you reading this know, Will bought a house in Lakewood right before we started dating. Little did he know he was going to go to his 10 year reunion, fall in love, and move to Nashville! The housing market in Cleveland is one of the worst in the country. So we have made the decision to go live in our house by the lake! Here is a picture of it. It's really very cute!

Will starts flying out of Cleveland again April 1st so we'll probably move sometime in April. Right around the corner! I will keep everyone posted!

Our First Christmas

2007-12-28T14:36:00.000-08:00

Will and I were grateful to get to spend our first Christmas together as a married couple. Will had the 24th through the 27th off. Missy, my sister, invited my side of the family to her house in Searcy, Arkansas. My youngest sister, Jenny, who also lives in Searcy, had her toncils removed on Thursday so in an effort to get us all together we met up at Missy's. I got there on the 21st and got to spend time with my nephew, Clayton, and my neice, Katie. It was so much fun to hang out with them. Here are some pictures of Christmas with my side of the family.

Will flew in to Little Rock so I could pick him up and head on on Springfield for Christmas with teh Parkers. Christmas day it was just Will and I so we spent a lot of time with Jim, Judy, and Mother (Judy's mom). Judy made a great meal and, of course, pie! We played a few rounds of Phase 10 which was fun also. The day after Christmas Will and I decided to go to the Nature Center to the spot where we were engaged. I think we'll start a tradition of doing that and just reminicing and reflecting on our marriage. It was a sweet time for us. Then we met up with my cousin Mary Jo, Ragan, her husband, and her three boys (Sawyer, Dawson, and Landon) This was our first time to meet Landon. He was born in September of this year. They are such a great family! They moved to Ohio about a year ago. Then we headed over to Courtney's house to see her and her new baby, Katelee. It was so good to see them! They are headed back to Guam on Sunday so I'm glad we were able to catch her before she left.

That night the festivities officially began at the Parkers. Everyone came over to Jim and Judy's to eat and open presents. We had such a good time. Also, thanks to my sister-in-law, Courtney, we have discovered the game "Guitar Hero". It is so great!! I would not be surprised if we end up getting that one! Here are some pictures of Christmas with the Parkers.

Washington D.C.

2007-12-02T05:01:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I'm a little behind. First of all, I should say that I didn't end up getting to go to Mexico with Will. The flight back from Vera Cruz, Mexico was overbooked and I decided that I didn't want to spend Thanksgiving there! So instead we took a long weekend to Washington, D.C. Will was there 12 years ago with the GHS band and I had never been there. We had a great time but packed in a lot!! We really wore ourselves out! Friday night we went to check out FedEx Field. It's pretty impressive. Also, we were able to pay our respects to the memory of Sean Taylor as there was a memorial set up outside of the field. Our first full day in D.C. we started out the day by visiting the Arlington Cemetery. It sounds strange to say that a cemetery could be beautiful but it really was in so many ways. It is so much bigger then you could ever imagine by just seeing images on TV or pictures in books. We saw the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and John F. Kennedy's grave. Then we went to the Natural History Museum where we saw dinosaur bones and all kinds of animals. It was great! Next stop was the National Archive where we saw the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Air and Space Museum. This was paradise for any man/boy! That was all we could really get done that day. You could spend so much more time there than we did and still not see everything.The next day we started out by going to the Air and Space Museum Annex. There were so many planes it was amazing! There was also a space shuttle. Next we went to the Holocaust Museam. That was an incredible experience and one that I think every person should see. We spent three hours there. After that we walked around in the rain and cold to look at the Lincoln Memorial. We almost made it to the Memorial before we decided to turn around. But I did take a picture!! Hopefully I'll have more pictures after Christmas.

Captain Will Parker, O.E.

2007-11-03T07:06:00.000-07:00

It occurred to me that it might be good to write about something really important here on the blog. I want to brag about my husband a little bit. Will was hired this summer to be a "Check Airman". This means he will be training the pilots who were recently hired and are flying the jet for the first time. It's really a big deal and I am so proud of him! He is a great teacher and I know he will be excellent at this job. He was officially signed off on Monday this week as he completed the final requirement of having an someone from the FAA fly with him.

He will still have the same schedule so nothing will change there. They will just place him with the new guys for most of his trips. He hasn't been called to duty yet but it should be anytime. His schedule is different this month. He is working the next few weekends until Thanksgiving because he has vacation this month. We are really excited about an upcoming trip he has. On the 15th he has a trip to Veracruz, Mexico and a 36 hour layover there. So....I have asked off work and plan to go down with him. We have always talked about me doing that but haven't had an opportunity until now. The hotel we would be staying in is right on the beach!! So we might be nice and tan for Thanksgiving!! I'll keep you posted on that!! Have a great weekend everyone!

Happy Halloween

2007-10-30T04:26:00.000-07:00

For the second year in a row Will and I carved pumpkins together. This year we didn't go to the pumpkin patch to get our pumpkin....we just went to Kroger. Still, we had a good time carving together! I must say that I did a much better job making my pumpkin scary this year. It wasn't so scary last year. Well, I'll let the readers decide.

Last Year's Pumpkin

This year's pumpkin (mine is on the left and Will's is on the right)

I felt pretty good about how it turned out! Ok, for all you history buff's out there....I was curious the other day and looked up information about how Halloween got started. I discovered that the History channel has a special Halloween section explaining the origins of Halloween. If you are interested go to http://www.history.com/minisite.do?content_type=mini_home&mini_id=1076 I thought it was pretty interesting. Just for fun here is a great picture of Will enjoying some pumpkin guts!

No Home For Herbert

2007-10-26T14:03:00.000-07:00

Well, friends, I have some sad news to report. Herbert the Homosexual Bear is again lost. Earlier this week Rachelle had convinced me to let Herbert stay in our garage temporarily so that he might have a little extra time to get his life together. I wasn't too crazy about having a drug addicted homosexual bear that we'd known for only a few days living in my garage while I was out of town, but Rachelle had insisted.

I came home Thursday night to find no sign of Herbert save for his blanket and a burned spoon. I soon discovered a makeshift ladder formed from boxes we had that Herbert had apparently used to reach the garage door button. Fueled by his many addictions, Herbert fled into the night. He left no note or forwarding address. After some research I was able to find the photo below. The photo comes from a Metroparks' surveillance camera. A subsequent photo shows a still passed out Herbert in the jaws of a passing dog. No further photos of Herbert could be found.

Bunko

2007-10-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

I am part of a bunko group here in Nashville and absolutely love it! It's like the woman's version of poker night (except without beer and cigars). Instead we eat incredible food, gab for a couple hours, and roll dice! Will always makes fun of our prizes. However, last night I had a lucky night! I ended up winning two prizes. One prize was for having the most "Big Bunko's" and the other was because I was the last one to get a "Big Bunko" before the game ended. I was very happy with my prize. I got a cookbook from The Puffy Muffin which is a great bakery/cafe here in Nashville. They have great southern cooking and it definately caters to the ladies. It's kind of like a tea room. Will wasn't that excited about the cookbook but I'm hoping that once I cook some of the dishes he'll be glad I got it! My other prize was a journal which is very appropriate for me because I write daily. So it was fun! Will teases me about how excited I get when I've had a good night at bunko. Maybe I need to get out more! It was fun to have girl time!

I also want to say a word about Herbert. Will and I talked it over and decided that we would take Herbert into our home for the time being. So know that he is safe and sound. He seems to be doing much better now. Thanks to everyone who contacted us in this regard. (especially the random comment we got in Spanish...what?)

Can you help Herbert?

2007-10-21T16:46:00.000-07:00

This is Herbert. Herbert the Homosexual Bear. I met Herbert by chance, two days ago in the parking lot of a Wendy's. No, it's not what you're thinking. Herbert was left sitting on the bumper of my truck and I discovered him when Rachelle and I returned from an evening of wholesome family corpse viewing. As you can see from Herbert's somewhat slack expression he was not acting in his full capacity. In fact, all he was able to tell me was his name, that he did not know where he had come from, he did not know how long he had been gone, and that he was homosexual. I interrupted and told him that I didn't need information on his personal life. Herbert rambled on for several more minutes about how he had been "branded" and was angry at being "outed" by the rainbow stitching all over his body. He began to get more and more agitated and the police were called. After calming him down with a 10 cent frosty (thank you Steve and DeeDee) I was able to get Herbert off of my truck and into a waiting metro police cruiser. Sadly, we were unable to offer poor Herbert any more help. So, we come to you, America. Can you help Herbert the Homosexual Bear? If anyone out there has information, any information, about this pride parade reject, please contact the Nashville Metro Department of Gay Animal Control. You've got to hurry! At midnight tuesday, if unclaimed, Herbert will be put to sleep despite the outrage from Jesse Jackson who has condemned the whole affair as a hate crime. How does he hear about this stuff?

Herbert needs your help!

Rachelle has been after me for months to contribute to this blog. This'll teach her:)

Haunted House and Time with Friends

2007-10-19T05:39:00.000-07:00

We have had a lot of fun this weekend. Friday night we went with friends to "Death Row: Sanitarium of Slaughter". Sounds scary right? Not so much. It was ok but I was actually expecting to scream aan jump more than I did. Last year Will and I went to "The Haunted Woods" which is one of the best haunted houses in this area. It was quite the experience. Right when we walked in I said, "Will, I just remembered I don't like people jumping out at me." Well, people were jumping out at me from everywhere and I screamed the entire time! Of course when you freak out like that the actors follow you and get as close to you as they can. Anyway, this haunted house just wasn't that impressive. But we did have a good time with our friends and I'm glad we went. Oh, I think the highlight of the night for our friends was when Steve realized that he could get a coupon book at Wendy's for 10 frosty's for $1.00! He went on and on about that so if you love frosty's there is a little tip for you!

Yesterday we spent the day working on the house. Cleaning and hanging things up on the walls. We had our first dinner guests over last night. Amy and Jason Bruns are friends of ours who used to go to Otter Creek. Amy is extremely pregnant...she is due November 2nd! We had a great time with the and are so excited for them. I'm just so fascinated by the whole pregnancy process. Will thinks it's because I have baby fever. Well, I guess I do see it all differently now that we're married and thinking of having children in a couple years. Very exciting!! We learned how to play a new game with them: Rumikub. It is like rummy except instead of playing with cards you play with tiles. It was fun!

Today we went to church and heard a guest speaker. He is from the "Tighter Knot" which is a marriage enrichment program. Our church was hosting a marriage seminar today. He did a great job presenting some of the differences between men and women and how that can come out in marriage. It was great and spurred good conversation on the way home. If you are interested in more information on the seminar go to www.tighterknot.com. I think the plan for the rest of the day is to watch football and take it easy.

Wedding Pictures!

2007-10-13T08:16:00.000-07:00

Our professional wedding pictures are now online at www.patowens.com Click on "Details" then "View Proofs". Then you can search for "Parker" or "Mountjoy" and click on our names. The password is "parker". There are 808 pictures so when you have a spare couple hours you can look through them all!! We haven't looked through very many ourselves! Enjoy!!

"Crossing the Creek"

2007-10-13T07:33:00.000-07:00

People from Otter Creek might think I'm referring to a fundraising campaign for our church but that is NOT what I'm writing about. Occassionally, in my work, I find myself in some very interesting places and get to meet great people. Yesterday was one of those days that I just needed to share about. I was on my way to meet with a family who want to be foster/adoptive parents. First of all, they are an incredible family. They already have five children of their own but don't feel that they are quite done growing their family. They live in a cabin in the woods basically in rural Tennessee. Originally it was a very small cabin but they built on a few years ago. Still, it feels just like stepping into Little House on the Prairie (which I love by the way!). They do not own a TV but not because they can't afford it they just feel that they don't need it. They have a wood burning stove that heats the entire house. She is a homemaker who home schools all of the children and he is a woodworker. It was really a neat experience interacting with them. The girls put on a puppet show for me as well as a TV show which consisted of a cardboard box that they stuck their head in and gave the weather report. The most unusual part of all of this to me was how you get to this great cabin in the woods. I read the directions that the family gave me but for some reason when I read "down the hill, cross the creek, and up the hill to the left" I didn't really think anything about it. However, when I went down the hill and came right to where the road went into a creek the words "cross the creek" suddenly stuck out to me! I kept looking down at the words "cross the creek" and then up again at the road going through the creek just to make sure that I actually was supposed to drive through the creek! So, I had a good laugh and drove through the creek, up the hill, and to their house! Here is a picture of the creek I crossed and some other pretty pictures from yesterday. It was such an beautiful fall day!

The rest of the day was really great too! Will got home yesterday morning and then came to my office for an adoption party for one of my co-workers. She adopted a little girl she had been fostering for over two years. It was a beautiful ceremony! I'm so thankful that Will enjoys being a part of the work that I do. I love sharing that with him! Last night we went out to dinner with the Wilsons-Angie, Greg, Elijah, and Meadow. Elijah is about to turn four and Meadow is two! We had a really great time hanging out with them.

Our First Weekend at Home

2007-10-09T16:29:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was our first "normal" weekend together since the wedding. Will was working last weekend so it was really nice to have him home this weekend. We didn't do much at all which was so great! We did go out Saturday night to a "Young Marrieds" outing with people from church. We went out to a farm in the middle of nowhere! It was beautiful! We enjoyed some good food, fellowship, and some music. The entertainment was provided by Zane Williams, a country music singer/song writer, who goes to Otter Creek. He is a great writer. You can check out his music at www.zanesadventure.com. It was a good Sunday. We went to church, watched football, and played Uno! Does life get better? I know...life without children!! That will be another adventure someday!! That's all for now.

Honeymoon Pictures

2007-10-05T13:04:00.001-07:00

Ok, finally here are our honeymoon pictures! Sorry "tomorrow" turned into several weeks! I hope you all enjoy these. There aren't very many....we were having too much fun to take pictures!

Mr. and Mrs. Parker!

2007-09-09T13:53:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official! We are now Mr. and Mrs. Parker! We just got back to Nashville last night. It's really good to be home but it's kind of a mess!! As promised I have pictures to post on this site for your enjoyment! The wedding was so beautiful! It pretty much went off without a hitch. There were a couple "oops" moments though. When Will and I were having our moment together before the pictures started the photographer asked, "Do you have your rings?" Will responded with, "Oh no, I left it at home!" I really thought he was joking but soon realized he wasn't! After the ceremony, someone asked me if I had our marriage license and I realized that I had left it at my parent's house! So we both had little "Oh no!" moments. Thankfully our parents both live within a couple miles of the church so it was no big deal really. Other than that everything was absolutely perfect. I have pictures from my mom and from Valerie Layne, a friend of the family and photographer. I am putting a link to her album and you can order pictures from her if you would like. I also put a link to the video I made for Will. As soon as we get our pictures from Owens Photography I'll put a link to them as well so you can order any you would like.

My friend Jill Burchum did my makeup!

She did a great job and it was

fun to have a good friend do my

makeup! Thanks Jill!

My beautiful sisters, Missy and Jenny, with Katie! Thank you girls for being so wonderful to me. I love you both so much!

One more touch up!

Clayton and Evan looking so handsome! The boys did such a great job as ring bearers!

I have pictures from the honeymoon. I'll put those on here tomorrow! Enjoy!