Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello!  We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families and friends!  Chris and I had a great holiday.  We split the time between both families in Mebane and Asheville.  We had a blast hanging out with our nieces and nephews . . . oh what fun they can be!!!  We even started a new tradition between the Harrell's and the Vuycankiat's (my sister's family) - each year we will build and decorate a gingerbread house together!  We had such fun trying our hand at it for the first time this year!  Each year we rent a cabin in the mountains for the week/weekend of Thanksgiving.  The whole family comes together for this event - it's a most treasured tradition in our family!  This year we found a beautiful cabin right outside of Asheville (in Fairview).  The property was so beautiful and it came with a waterfall, Koi pond, chickens (and fresh eggs), horses, an outdoor stone firepit/gazebo area, hot tub, etc.  There were many things to keep us occupied while there :)  We also visited downtown Asheville and the Grove Park Inn (where the National Gingerbread House Competition was on display)!  We had a wonderful time spending time together and eating WAY too much food!  We're extremely thankful for the opportunity to do this every year :)  Enjoy our vacation pictures below!

One Door Closes as Another Opens

I finally have a job!!!  I have accepted an offer at Bank of America Corporate Center! I am really excited about this opportunity!  The job, the people, and the company as a whole seem so great . . . we feel strongly that this is exactly where I am meant to be!  What a wonderful blessing it was to take a year "off" and enjoy the aspects of domestic living :)  I've had fun learning what it means to be a good housewife and taking care of the matters of the home.  The Lord really used that time to teach me discipline in my spiritual life and what it means to be a servant (daily).  Hopefully, all of that learning won't fall by the wayside now that I'll be gone 10 hours a day :)  If anything, I have learned the value of cooking/freezing make-ahead meals and preparing in advance for things I know I won't have the time for later (like cooking a homemade meal every night of the week).  The daily chores will have to be pushed to the weekends now . . . but I'm hoping to recruit the help of my husband now that we're both working FT jobs . . . we shall see :) 

I begin my new position on December 7th.  I'll be working in the very heart of Uptown Charlotte ("The Square)" - smack in the middle of everything!  I'm really looking forward to getting back in the swing of things and using that part of my brain that's been sitting on the shelf for the last year - lol!  As I took a step back and reviewed the situation, I found the timing of things to be anything BUT coincidence.  Last year I was laid off the week after Thanksgiving.  This year I began a new job the week after Thanksgiving.  Not only that, but my unemployment extension benefits run out the very same day that my new job begins.  What's more, we have now doubled our income (literally) and automatically have an $8,000 credit  - both very helpful in terms of our adoption!!!  Praise the Lord for HIS impeccable timing and perfect provision!  We are so blessed and grateful!  Thank you all for your continued prayers and encouragement over this last year.  2009 is certainly a year worth remembering :)