Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Taxes

I am actually very excited (nervous but excited!) about having our taxes done this year! This is the first full year that Trvais has been ordained which means we get a few tax benefits. A friend of ours referred us to a guy in Virginia who specializes in doing taxes for clergy. I thought it would be complicated having someone in VA doing our taxes, but so far it has been easier than going to H&R Block (which we were planning on doing). All I had to do was download a packet off the internet, fill it out, and mail it to him. I haven't actually mailed it yet, but I filled everything out last night. I was so glad to get it done! I felt like I had accomplished something good. I have never understood taxes...I still don't...but the packet was so dummy-proof, it was amazing. I feel like a real grown-up! :-) (Being a mom makes me feel like more of a grown-up than anything else ever could!!) We'll see how smoothly everything goes from here!

Saturday, February 21, 2009

So, Bria is CRAWLING...

Our baby girl is crawling. I can't believe it! This is when we realize how dirty our floors really are, what needs to be baby-proofed, and that our baby girl is turning into a toddler. I think by the time she is 11 months she will be walking! Last week when my mom, Bria and I were in Florida visiting my grandmother, she barely figured out how to do the army crawl. She got better at it when we got home- but now less than a week later she is crawling on her knees! She has already gotten a hold of the cord to a lamp and almost pulled it off an end table, took a photo album off of a low shelf and ripped a page out of it, and went across the kitchen floor on her stomach (while wearing a white shirt!). She on the move!

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Sick Hubby

So, Travis has been the sickest I have ever seen him since Friday afternoon. I feel so bad for him! He has had colds and minor sicknesses since we have known eachother but nothing ever like this. He can barely move, let alone get out of the bed! Bria and I have been trying to stay away as much as possible. I especially don't want her to get whatever he's got. Well we know he has strep throat but I think there is more going on than just that. Please pray for my sick hubby!!

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

New Look

I figured out how to give my blog a new look all by myself!! I am so proud. Perhaps I will blog more now that it looks cute. I will probably change the backgrounds more often than I blog! :-)

By the way...it is FREEZING in NC. I think I threw away all of my winter gear too...BRRR!

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

8 months ago today

At 5:15am my water broke. At 9:15am we arrived at the hospital (after going to Travis' doctor appoitnment!). At noon I missed women's lunch at Sticky Fingers :-). At 3:15pm I missed my doctor's appointment...couldn't really make it. At 10:46pm Travis saw our baby girl for the first time...a few minutes later I open my eyes and saw her. One word= AMAZING.

That was one of the best days of my life. I am so thankful for the past 8 months. What did we ever do before Bria Rae was born?!

Monday, December 15, 2008

SURVIVOR!!

My high school physics teacher won 1.1 million dollars on Survivor last night. Go Bob Crowley!! Who would've thought a teacher from Maine would've had a chance to win Survivor? I'm amazed and proud!

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

It's hard...

Being a pastor's wife.
Thank goodness that my God and my husband don't expect me to be perfect but, man, sometimes I think life would be so much easier if Travis and I weren't in ministry. Then, I quickly realize that if we weren't in ministry, life would be really bad because we would be disobeying God- and that's never a good thing!
I am not complaining about being Travis' wife. What I am talking about are the difficult people that my husband has to deal with, the hurting people that he has to comfort, and the expectations that people think that pastors and their families need to live up to. Travis (and MOST other pastors) carry the burdens of so many people that it is hard to have just a day to relax. Actually I think relaxation is a foreign word to most pastors. People just don't get what it means to be a pastor. Everything they, and their families deal with and the sacrifices that are made. I was told once that "as a pastor's wife you don't have to perfect, just be yourself and be who God has called you to be. Don't try to impress people by putting on a mask and acting different at church or around church people than you would at home." I have taken that to heart (most of the time...I do bite my tongue once in a while...) so if you think that I am not living up to your expectations of a pastor's wife...sorry. Too bad, get over it :) I love being a pastor's wife but it is hard!

Being parents.
First let me just say, that I love being a mom! Bria is the biggest blessing to us and our family. It's just hard when it suddenly starts down pouring and you are getting the car seat out of the car. You're wet, baby is wet, diaper bag is wet, inside of the car is wet. That's no fun.
It's hard when you are completely exhausted and your baby decides she is hungry at 2am. Or she wants mommy to hold her all the time. Some people think I am cruel when I tell them that I let Bria just cry sometimes. I am sorry but seriously, if I ran to my crying 7 month old every time she whimpered I'm not sure I would make it as a mom. Yes, I have learned to tune crying out. I know my baby. I know when she needs me and I know when she doesn't. Again, sorry I'm not perfect :)
It's hard being parents because just as soon as you've got something about your baby figured out, it changes. Bria is growing so fast and changing as she grows that we can't keep up! Love being a mom, but this blog has taken me an hour and a half to write!

Living far away from family.
North Carolina is where I have wanted to live since I was a freshman in college and now, here we are, in North Carolina. We have found a new family living here in Charlotte, but around this time of year it is harder for me to live 14 hours away from my parents and 2000 miles away from my brother. I miss them especially around the holidays. I wish I could have gone with my mom to her doctors appointments over the last few weeks, I wish I could have celebrated my half-brother's 13th birthday with him, I wish I could be there with my grandmother, aunt, and mom on Thanksgiving (I missed Grammy's cooking this year!!). Why can't every one move to NC? :) I am thankful for our new family and friends that we have found here, but there is nothing like true family. I can't wait to fly to Maine on Christmas day to see family! I love them home we have made here, but it's hard being so far away from home.