July 2008

We started this month by driving a whole lot. We have been in Auburn, Manchester, Clarksville, Cookeville, Dickson, and in Kentucky. All in a month, actually 2.5 weeks.

We left Auburn to spend July 4th with my family in Manchester. The fireworks there are the best anywhere in TN (all of 15 minutes worth)! My cousin Nick's wife and baby came into TN from San Diego to spend some time with us. Melanie (the baby) has grown so much and is just adorable. I absolutely love my family.

We left Manchester, TN to head to Manchester, KY for ASP (Appalachian Service Project) to work for a week with Richard's home church. Richard and I were on the same team. We took off and put on a new tin roof for this incredible family. It was a beautiful 2 story house that needed some work done inside and out. Not only was it hot that week, but stormy as well. You can't really work on a roof, especially a tin roof, during thunderstorms. But we got the top roof completely finished!

We headed to Cookeville for the annual Wesley picnic. We were so excited about going to see all of our friends we don't get to see that often. It is so great to just hang-out back at Wesley. Richard and I left feeling a little sad about not being there anymore.

The next week we were in Lyles, TN for Cedar Crest Camp. We got asked if we could come work a week since they were low on staff this summer. We both had fun at elementary camp, but definitely missed youth camp. It was great to get the old youth staff back together again. Cedar Crest is going through a lot lately. Please be in prayer for that camp as they try to reorganize and figure things out for the coming years.

After camp, we went to Clarksville for his cousin's wedding. It was a beautiful wedding and a big party afterwards. It was good to see all of Richard's family together again.

After all of the traveling and camps, we were ready to be back to a normal life. We have loved getting to travel so much and get to do all of the camps we have done. So much was learned at each place we visited and we took a lot from each experience.

Since then, I have been finishing up my last couple of weeks of preschool and baby-sitting. Richard has been working hard at his research. We are getting very anxious about our upcoming Jamaica trip. We didn't quite get a honeymoon after our wedding so we are taking one over our 1st anniversary. Also, we were told that we should wait to take our honeymoon since you need a trip after you have been married for a year. Whoever told us that, is a genius!