Yeah...I'm crafty

Several of my friends have had birthdays recently. I love remembering birthdays and sending cards and gifts. Mostly because I know how happy I feel when people remember my birthday! It's September 25th, by the way. (Wink!) Funds this month are extremely tight, so I had to get creative with cards, mix CD's, cheap candy etc. Here are a few of my recent creations.

The Full Report

OK...So, many friends have been requesting an update on our jobs, house, church, etc. So here's the skinny. We have been in Nashville almost 6 weeks. It has been a really hard transition in some ways. There have definitely been some tears and hard days. But we are so excited each day to wake up and see what is going to happen! We have found encouragement in many unexpected ways.

For me, not having the safety net of a consistent job has been very stressful. I have to pray daily that God will help me trust Him to provide for us. We know we're in the right place. We have seen Him move in small, but powerful ways. Not the least of which is already having a small network of great friends that are here to help us, give us advice, and have fun with.

Job: I have been on many interviews and have put out many resumes. I was offered a really great teaching position at a wonderful school in Williamson County (a suburb of Nashville) but decided to turn it down. I feel that I would just be taking a teaching job for the security that it would provide. I have other passions and interests that I would like to pursue and am trying to find a job that will better suit my gifts and need for creativity and interaction with people..for now at least. Now is the time to try to make a change. I can always go back to teaching next year. SO....I'm still on the job hunt!

Church: There are many awesome churches in Nashville so it was exciting to visit several of them over the past 6 weeks. I believe that we have found the perfect fit at Strong Tower Bible Church. Our friends, Luke and Rebekah, are members there. Luke is the music director there so Billy already had the opportunity to play last week, which was a huge blessing. We absolutely love it there and are excited to get involved and meet more people. Click here if you want to visit the church's website.

House: We are renting a house in an area of town called 12 South. We are just 3 blocks away from 12th Ave. South which is a row of really hip boutiques, restaurants, coffee shops and other businesses. We are just 5 minutes from downtown and 5 minutes from Vanderbilt University. We LOVE the location and have great neighbors. The house was built in 1950, so it's old and has some issues...and some gigantic spiders. However, we are so thankful that God provided us with a safe, affordable place to live. Here are a few pics.

Below are a couple of projects I completed last month for our house that would make Martha Stewart proud. I made a curtain to cover our pantry opening in the kitchen with clearance fabric from a store near our house. I also painted and put new hardware on an old desk that belonged to Billy's step-dad, Harty, and it looks brand new! Both projects cost less than $35 combined.

Celeb Sightings: And now...the important stuff. "What famous people have you seen???!!" Here are the sightings so far in order of appearance.

1. Leigh Nash: Sixpence None the Richer

2. A Jars of Clay dude

3. A Kings of Leon dude

4. Buddy Miller: Famed Guitar Player, most recently played with Robert Plant & Allison Krause

5. Jeremy Cowart: Photographer

6. Dave Barnes: Singer/Songwriter

7. Matt Wertz: Singer/Songwriter

8. Vince Gill!

9. Justin Gaston: Model/Miley Cyrus' ex-boyfriend

10. Toby Mac: DC Talk

11. Kevin Max: DC Talk

12. Reeves Gabrels: Guitarist for David Bowie

13. Audley Freed: Guiarist for The Black Crowes

More updates to come!

Green Day Show

On July 31st, Billy and I were VIP's at the Green Day show here in Nashville. Yes. We are that famous already. Oh, and a longtime friend of Billy's, Jeff Matika, is now a guitarist for the band. So, he might have had something to do with it. I did some self-reflection during the concert. Here are my thoughts in a nutshell...

Top 10 Things I learned at the Green Day Concert:

1. I'm old.

2. The dudes in Green Day are older.

3. There are a lot of teenagers in Nashville who are filled with fake "political angst".

4. I didn't realize I knew the words to so many Green Day songs.

5. The Green Day stage banter is exactly like stage banter at a Third Day concert...only it's the opposite of that.

6. I'm annoyed with crowd participation and screaming.

7. Once again, I'm old.

8. Hearing "I Hope You Had the Time of Your Life" in a large arena will surprisingly bring a tear to my eye.

9. I'm a sucker for fireworks and confetti falling from the ceiling.

10. I could get used to being a VIP at concerts.

My "To Do" Lists

Our First Party at Our New House!

August 4th is a special day for us because it's the day that Billy beat Ewing's Sarcoma, a large tumor in his left leg that was threatening his life. Billy has been cancer free for 4 years now. Praise be to God! We invited some of our Nashville friends over (some are pictured here) to celebrate with ice cream and homemade chocolate cake. We are so thankful to have such wonderful friends here already. It's a huge blessing and has made our transition so much better.

We live in a very old, "historic" house with very uneven floors. Let just me tell you...it is hard to make a cake in a house that has sloped floors. It was a very lopsided cake. It didn't look pretty, but it was tasty nonetheless.

Greg & Sionnie Lafollette, Billy, Luke & Rebekah Sullivant, Donnie Smutz, Miles Chaffer