Family Fun at the Lake

Daddy hooked it, but let his big girl reel it in!

Boys have been squirrel hunting.  No, those are not pellet guns.

Girls have been boating!

Did we mention it was 73 degrees when we went fishing today?

Wishing you all a blessed Christmas!!!

We have so much to be thankful for this year. We are grateful to God for our wonderfully supportive friends and family, and healthy children.  God has answered so many of our prayers, like the sale of our house, a home for our dog, and now being able to spend the holidays enjoying our extended family in Texas.  So many of our dreams have come true.  Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!

And the stockings were hung by the chimney with care!

Trimming Nana's tree!

And a Merry Christmas to everyone!!!

Happy Tunes

We took the boys and our nieces, Kelsey and Megan, to a Josh Wilson Christmas concert.  It was GREAT!!  Josh's dad is the pastor at our Nana's church, so he was playing at his "home church".  It was a fun concert!!  We invited him to come visit us at our new home someday...Who knows?

Fun in Lubbock

Lubbock has this COOL family fitness center called Bodyworks, where our Nana has been taking the kids.  This is a huge multi-layer climbing structure made of webs of belts suspended over a trampoline.  The kids have a blast in there, and come out sweating.  Daddy tried it out and said it was a great work-out!

They all like the rock wall!

Working out was never so much fun!!!

Happy Dog!!!

We just got an update from Matilda's new parents... Evidently she still likes to run fast, chase rabbits, go for car rides and give kisses.  She also still loves to walk around with a toy in her mouth.  She has gained some new skills though;  She now enjoys wrestling with her new daddy and has even been known to be nice to the neighbor's cat!  WOW!  We are so tickled that they seem as crazy about her as can be, and that God had a plan, even for Matilda!

S-T-R-E-T-C-H-!!!
We see she has a new doggie bed, but wonder if she sleeps there or on that comfy-looking leather chair???

Moving day

Hi Friends,

Just wanted to let you all know that we did get moved out of the house and on the road on Saturday, thanks to much work and support from so many of our friends!  After a long week of packing, sorting, selling, giving, and tossing, we finally got our rented trailer filled with the remains of our clothes and toys, and a few pieces of furniture that our parents offered to keep.  We can't stress enough how thankful we are to our church family who very literally did the work required to "send" us on our way!!!!  Over the last week, Jeanna has had almost constant support from women friends, helping turn what would have been painful work into fun bonding time.  Thanks to all who have helped us in this huge endeavor!  Thanks for the strong backs who helped us get the "really heavy stuff"  out the door.  Thanks to those who came to help and just "dove in" when Jeanna was too overwhelmed to tell you what to do next.  Thanks to those who vacuumed so we could remember the house pretty and neat!  Thanks to those who delivered meals and huge thanks for our car snacks!  Thanks to those who prayed for us, especially for our children, as we said "goodbye" to our beds, our home, our school, and our friends.   We must be honest and say that it was tougher than we expected it to be, in some ways, but our church family made it so much more bearable.  Thanks to those who continue to tidy up the house and deliver items to those who need them.  We feel so loved and honored by all your actions!  You truly acted as the hands and feet of Christ, providing for us at the point of our need.  You fulfilled Christ's directive to His church, "I give you a new commandment: love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another." John 13: 34  You showed love for us through your sacrifice of time, energy, and affection.

God was so good to us to give us a beautiful dusting of snow while we were finishing loading the cars.  The kids even managed a snowball fight before we left!  What a sweet way to remember our home and friends!  God is so good!

We love you all!

Another answered prayer?

 Last night all the girls put on their leotards for a little ballet!  Matilda asked me not to post this picture, but I couldn't help myself!

Matilda just left to go to a farm for a few days.  If she can restrain herself from eating their chickens, geese, rabbits, and cat, she may get to stay!  If she fails, there is another family who really wants her.  Either way, Matilda will get a good home.

All is well!

UNDER CONTRACT!!

Great news!  We signed the contract last week and will close December 17th.  We hope to move out next week and head to Texas for Christmas break.  Thanks to all who have prayed for our house to sell!  God's timing was soooo perfect!

Who Likes Waiting?

We've all heard statistics on how much of our lives we spend waiting.  One site I checked said that out of a 70 year lifespan, 3 years of that, or 62 minutes per day, was spent waiting on things like red lights and elevators, to get into a movie or on a ride at an amusement park, or in line at the grocery store.

We've been spending a lot of time sitting in waiting rooms lately.  We've had multiple doctor and dentist appointments to attend, and even a minor surgery, when our youngest had her tonsils removed.  So I've been observing how different people spend their time in the waiting room.  Many bring a project or some work to do, typing on their laptop, or working on a sewing project.  Others sit down in a chair, lean their heads back, and promptly go to sleep.   Of course, there are phone calls that can be made, or some prefer texting.  Many bring a book to read, or pass their time with a magazine provided for them.  People watching is another option, as you just watch everyone in the room, learning about them from their outward appearance.  Sometimes, people strike up a conversation with fellow "waiters" to pass the time.  Some spend the entire time complaining, "Why is this taking so long?", with frequent trips to the receptionist to ask,  "How much longer?"

How do you like to wait?  Do you wait quietly, patiently enduring your moments of "forced captivity"?  Do you attempt to make the most of your wait by trying to accomplish some quiet task you've been putting off.  Do you look forward to your time of waiting, enjoying a quiet moment to catch up on reading?  Or, are you one who rants and raves, with stomping feet, a whining tongue, and an impatient heart.

I hope and pray that God would help us to be good "waiters".  That we would make the most of this time, while we are waiting for our home to sell, so we can be off to the next place He has planned for us.  That we would glorify Him in our wait, and not embarrass Him with our impatience.  That we would be transparent in our dependence on Him.  That we would TRUST JESUS, and bring glory to His name.

 I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

And so we continue to wait and pray and earnestly seek Him, beginning each day on our knees.  Only by doing so will our "Wait room"  become a "Weight room", where we can exercise our faith, and grow stronger in our knowledge of HIM.

Have you had your workout yet today?

Thanks for praying with us!

The 6 Waiters

Happy Birthday Big E!!

E is 11!!  Lookin' pretty cool in his dad's shades! 

We went to a Dash baseball game to celebrate the boys'  birthdays. 

We had a great day of riding roller coasters at Carowinds with Grandpa!
 Great way to end Summer with a bang!!

Francis Chan - Balance Beam

Friends shared this video by Francis Chan with us last night.  I could definitely relate to the "safe life" he talked about.  This is a great challenge to me to think about how we can live a life of radical obedience to God.

Let Them Eat Cake!

Our baby is 4 years old!!  My, how time flies!  Little M helped make her "Strawberry Shortcake", and the Keegan's and Randolph's came over to help us eat cake.   Mema, Pepa, & Nana joined us on Skype.  We had a great night!  Tomorrow is a special shopping trip with Grandpa.  Happy Birthday, Little One!

Welcome to our first blog!!

Hi Friends,

We are so happy you have visited our blog!  Bear with us as we learn to use this tool.

To begin, let me explain the name, "The Waiting Room".  It fits where our family is in this time of our lives, waiting.  It has been "many moons" now since we began the process of moving.  We are eagerly counting the days until our move, but first we must sell our house, so we are waiting.  However, I have described this time in our lives as the most comfortable waiting room I've ever been in!  After spending the last 3 months de-cluttering, sorting, yard-selling, scrubbing, peeling, and painting, with the help of a wonderful army of God-loving friends, we are greatly enjoying the fruits of everyone's labor as we WAIT in our very clean, beautifully updated, and freshly painted house!!!  Our home has never been lovelier, and I want to deeply thank that army of friends (The Lord's Army ;-)) who helped in the labor of love that was necessary to get it ready to sell.  Our friends have loved us sacrificially in each step of our transition, supporting us with their prayers, words of affirmation, finances, childcare, and time.  Thank you with all our hearts!!  

And as you can see, the sign is finally in the yard and we are preparing for our second open house this weekend.  I can't believe it's already been a month.  How time flies!!!  Of course, the real estate market is slow right now, so we could really use your prayers as we WAIT for our buyer to step forth.  Feel free to pass on our house info to anyone you know who might be interested...

7391 Tristram Drive

Pfafftown,  27040

Link to see our house photos...

Blessed beyond measure,

The 6 Waiters