Some recent pics

Joshua enjoying breakfast at the new house

Aunt Lisa and Joshua have a serious talk while we visit her in her new house

Taking a stroll on the Greenway in Boone

Joshua watching the July 4th parade from Dad's shoulders- he is sad because it is almost over!

A few of Joshua's favorite things . . .

1) Saying "uh-oh". All the time. It is so cute. He learned about a week ago to drop his cup from the highchair and say "uh-oh." Now he says it for everything, all day long. Right now it is still cute- but we are trying to get him more vocab.

2) Taking steps! Joshua can take a few steps on his own now- he is on the move. The first day- he did it three times- three sets of two steps. It is going to be fun when he takes off. Pray for us!

3) Mimicking Dad. Jeremy has him poking at my belly button, patting my leg (as I type this), just about anything Jeremy does- Joshua tries to follow.

4) Singing to Jeremy's toes. He likes to grab his dad's toes when they are available. He grabs Jeremy's big toe, closes his eyes, shakes his head back and forth, and hums.

5) Pushing his music table across the floor. And, for that matter, anything else he can push around the house (hampers, books, plastic containers, anything slick enough to move).

6) Playing in the water. As you see above, he likes to sneak into the bathroom and play in the little bits of water left from our showers.

He has been so much fun for us these past few weeks in Boone- quite the entertainer and a good thing since we don't have cable!

Boone Fun Fact #3 and #4

#1 If you want to drive in Boone, better visit Mutton Crossing first! That's right. The DMV is in a little subdivision called Mutton Crossing. We just had to take a picture and share. I am legally a NC driver now- I was actually still in their system as Tracy Ennis- they just needed to see my marriage license. Jeremy didn't get off so easily. He will be returning soon to take the 20 minute driver's test. Since there are only two men working the site, yep that's all the town of Boone needs, Jeremy will get in early and ace it one day soon . . . we have arrived!

#2 The Greenway trail is just a few miles away- and full of fun activities! Want to go for a stroll, ride a bike, or go skate boarding? The Greenway Trail is waiting. There are several phases of it now (bigger than when I was in school). We live right close to this one in the picture below. A beautiful spot to take Joshua riding- and soon walking! The Greenway Trail also passes by the "Tot Lot", the indoor swim complex, and the outdoor skate board park. Lots of fun to be had in the summer here!

See- on the right in the middle- Driver's License Office- in Mutton Crossing!

Jeremy, Joshua, and Tracy in front of the Greenway entrance a few miles from the house!

Contemplating my twenties . . .

Yes, it is true. I must confess. I become a thirty year old woman tomorrow. How did this happen? Well, honestly, God has kept me here long enough to make it through another decade.

For some reason, turning thirty has not been as painful as I thought- regardless of my husbands joking "you will only be thirty-minus one for a few more days" and all the shocked looks on people's faces here in Boone as I reveal my new age. I might actually be looking forward to thirty. (Did I really type that?)

The twenties were a blast. So much happens in 10 years! I had a great experience in college- God drew me to Him for the first time there and has done amazing things in me. I spent three years on InterVarsity Staff in VA and grew as I lived on my own for the first time. I was introduced to the T.U.L.I.P. and reformed theology by Pastor Bob Becker. (I had friends that always called me a "closet Calvinist") This rocked my world.

I cut my hair short a few times, but didn't get any crazy piercings or tattoo's (Have I lost my chance- are you able to do those things after thirty?!) I got the coolest opportunity to live with my sister again in Raleigh, NC- a very happening place. It was there I finally used my Recreation Degree for the first time and helped start a camp for children with autism.

The biggest life changes have been these past three years. I moved to Virginia to help start a church and to be closer to the man that I would soon after marry. My husband, Jeremy- "he is sooooo dreamy." Then we had the great honor of having our first son Joshua almost a year ago. There are no words to describe the great joy that Christ has given us in the entire birthing experience.

So, what lies ahead of me in my thirties? I do know God has a plan- better than any plan I could imagine. So, I will enter into this new decade excited and in anticipation of what is to come. Praise God for turning thirty!

Oh yeah, tomorrow my hubby wants me to contemplate what it is like to be thirty- we'll see if anything changes overnight!!!

Boone Fun Fact #2

Your back yard can now be a zoo! That's right. Every evening we have spotted bunnies in the back yard through Jeremy's office widow. I think I have counted up to 8 so far. We also got to see a deer from the bedroom window yesterday. I was about 10 feet from the house, but the neighbor's dog scared it away. There have also been a few ground hog sitings, and a few furry creatures that I am not sure what to label. Plus, our front yard has a great view of the blue ridge mountains, ahhhh . . . so nice.

Things I DO miss about VA part III

Joshua and Kristen exercising on Girl's night!

Wednesday night- Girl's Night! This started a few months after Joshua was born. My good friend Kristen started coming over to cook dinner for me on Wednesday nights. Wednesday's were always hard for me because Jeremy was on the ODU campus all day working for InterVarsity and he would not get home until 9:30 or 10pm. This was such a huge blessing for me. We also started reading a book together, Knowing God. It was a great encouragement to us both! (We need to finish it!) As with most good things, our evenings continued to grow- I mean multiply! We had tons of other women join us: April, Jenn, Holly, Nicolette, Tiffany, Catherine, did I miss anyone? We would call each other weekly to plan the meal and each of us with contribute and what a feast we would have each week. The nights included winding down from work, play time with Joshua, exercising with Joshua, bathing Joshua, encouraging conversations in the kitchen over food, and yes, watching America's Next Top Model. Ask me why if you are curious!

Boone Fun Fact # 1

The beansTalk is back! Those of you familiar with the downtown Boone area 8 years ago will remember the lovely hole in the wall coffee shop, the beansTalk (pronounced "bean stalk" by the locals). In 2000 when I graduated from A.S.U., the shop had been shut down and several small stores had tried to flourish in it's spot. Saturday night, Jeremy and I went to meet some of the A.S.U. IV leaders for coffee at the beansTalk and I was so excited to hear that it was re-opened. We had a nice chat with the new owner who use to be a regular customer back in the day. He now runs the little coffee shop and has reinstated some of the old traditions. For all us locals, we can bring in our own personal coffee mug that hangs in the shop for us to use at any time! Lovely.