Overdue updates

The past couple of months have actually been pretty eventful, so there's plenty to share (ya know, since we have so many avid readers of this thing!)

Audrey is now over 19 months old, and we just can't get over how BIG she is! Just the other day, Jerry said to her, "You are just not even the same child we brought home from the hospital!" and he's right! She's so big and grown and independent! Over the past couple of months, we have enjoyed visits from my parents and my grandparents, and she has really been able to remember them, which is sweet and special to them, since they live so far away. Last weekend, we even got to enjoy the fair with my parents. Audrey had a ball looking at all the colors, people, food, etc!

Our little cheerleader

YUM! The girl loves milkshakes!

As I wrote in our last post, we went to the doctor to see about Audrey's ears, and it was determined that tubes were necessary. On Oct. 8, she had her surgery to put them in. Jerry is taking her to her follow-up appointment this Wednesday, so we're hoping everything is going well with them. She did great for the procedure, and there were no problems. 

In her gown before her surgery

Over the past 2 months, we have also faced some trials and challenges. Last month, Jerry was in a fender bender (he was totally fine). The damage just outweighed the value of the car, so the insurance company declared it as a total loss. This left us to find a replacement in a pinch. With Jerry traveling multiple times a week for work, we had to find something fast, but it also had to be affordable, as this was a very unexpected expense thrown at us. Fortunately, we found a great deal, and Jerry now has a new (to him) car.

The past couple of months have also brought us some heartache and sadness. After suffering from health issues for quite awhile, Jerry's grandmother passed away last month. It was very sad news, but Jerry was thankful he was able to be there at the hospital with her during her final moments of life. While he is sad to no longer have grandparents living, he is thankful for the memories he has of them. The one thing he wanted to keep was his grandfather's old coffee thermos, covered in paint splatter, simply because of the memories it had for Jerry.

Another piece of sad news we were given last month was that our dear neighbors and friends, Charlie and Karen, were going to be moving back to Florida. Not only did this mean we were losing our friends, but we also have lost our childcare. Karen has kept Audrey ever since I went back to work after having her, and she has been WONDERFUL. She and Charlie have fit Audrey right into their family along with their own 3 children, and we always knew she was loved and cared for wonderfully at their house. This devastating news hit us hard, and we are deeply saddened as they actually leave today to head to FL. While no one will ever replace Mrs. Karen, we are fortunate that we found another neighbor down the street who was willing to take over. She also stays at home with her 1 year-old son, so Audrey has already adjusted pretty well having a new little friend.



Our family (9/22/12)



In the midst of all of this, we have stayed busy with work, family visits, and church. Our church, NewSpring, has just moved into a temporary location downtown while we wait on our new, permanent facility to be built. We are excited through this transition and have already been shown God's blessings to our church! We are thankful that we have jobs to pay our bills, family that comes to see us, and a church we love. Now, in this autumn season, we are enjoying the cool air, football games (Go Gamecocks!), and already looking forward to relaxing and spending time with family when the holidays arrive!

Just taking it easy one afternoon after Mommy got home from work!