Prayer requests

#1 that snickers doesn't kill our new kitty....
#2, seriously, A job came open at my old hospital that I interviewed for today. It probably won't be for me....BUT it is part of the nursery/nicu so Shelly gave me a tour and I realized how much I miss my old job....sigh....pathetic, maybe - I guess time heals all wounds?? absence makes the heart grow fonder?? Anyway, I have a second interview coming up - this one more personal and more specific. I can't work there if they can't let me have sundays off or if they make me take a pay cut. Please pray that they are willing to work with me!!
#3 Matthew actually cried himself to sleep last night for the first time without having a complete panic attack and vomiting/diarrhea ect. Please please pray that he continues. Ben and I have really struggled with him for over a year now and we've tried absolutely everything. We all need Matthew to have better sleeping habits!!

Soccer

Ask and you shall receive. It helps if you get a new camera to play with. :)

It's a boy!

Okay, so it's official.... It's a boy, weighing 4#9oz! His name is burgess. (we found him at the church) We couldn't get rid of him....except to be killed at the pound that was extremely overcrowded and dirty.... He's so sweet and cuddly:) and he lets the kids play with him. Snickers still has it out for him, but she'll eventually get over it! We took him to the vet today to have him checked out and to get vaccines and dewormed. Completely healthy kitty:)

What a treat!

What a treat this morning to read tid bits from each of your lives and see pictures of all our grandkids! I've got to update my frame!!

We spent a couple hours at the beach yesterday enjoying the sights and sounds of the ocean. It is so relaxing just sitting out there. It was a beautiful afternoon and very few folks out. Didn't see any dolphins though.

Dad had his blood tested today and got a call not long ago from the pharmacist. She said the dr. would call tomorrow but his blood is too thin. May be why he's been so wiped out. They now begin the job of trying to regulate the meds.

Thanks for posting everyone! It is so fun to read!

Love you all,
Mom

Our turn!!

Hey everybody! So fun to hear from everyone...at once! I thought I would post for us. Joel left about 5 this morning for a conference in Czech until next Sat. We are really going to miss having Dada this week. He took the laptop though, so we'll be able to chat over skype, so that will be fun. He was asked to teach a break-out session again this year! He'll be talking about making your youth group feel like a family and how to get everyone involved. He's really gifted at that, it comes really naturally to him, so I'm excited that he gets to share that with others.

So the kiddos...

Abigail got one of her two year molars the other day. She's sleeping a twin size bed now and going down the stairs as well as up now. Whew! She's finally wearing barrette's and pony tail holders now too!

Elijah is cruising everywhere he wants to go, constantly getting into places where he needs help getting out, pulling himself up on things--sometimes things not so stable, loves his sister and wants to be or do whatever she is doing.

Right now, they're both playing at the (locked) gate at the top of the stairs,waiting for me to finish so we can go down and start our day.

But first! A little about me! : ) I've been scrapbooking lately and that's been fun. I'll be getting in many hours this week after the kids are in bed and Joel being gone. It'll be fun to have something fulfilling to occupy my hours before bed. Our fireplace was finished on Saturday and we've had a couple fires already. It's going to be such a blessing to have that this winter! It really makes a difference! The wood should be delivered sometime soon...hopefully this week!

We are really, really looking forward to coming back for Christmas to be with everyone!!

Abigail loved the sweet corn this summer! She kept calling it "beans" at first. Funny girl!
We just replaced this swing with one that buckles for Elijah.
Oops!

Our Contribution!

Well, our weekend was great. We camped up on the mountain Friday night with Erin's mom (her dad was sick so he could not come). The camp fire was HOT and the air was cold, it was great. I think it must have gotten down into the mid to low 40's that night. I had some great time with Noah and although camping in not "relaxing" anymore it is still a lot of fun. Ohh, Bree slept in Erin's mom's tent and ended up peeing in it at 1 am so she brought her to our tent, then Noah woke up at 3 am having soaked through his diaper and his clothes where all wet. It was memorable. We had a few friends over Sat. night that we hadn't seen in a while due to college so we stayed up late talking, playing games and hearing about their lives and how the Lord has been working in their lives. That is always fun. Today we had a good church service then went to Ikea trying to meet up with someone that didn't work out. Had a Starbucks date and sat by the runway at the airport and watched the planes come and go. Noah loves planes. Anytime he hears or sees one he looks up to the sky, closes his hands and says "bye bye". We had to leave as the rain picked up but have had a great and relaxing day. I could get used to not working weekends! Soon enough. Well, we are settling down in a quiet house and are going to start into our fall tradition of watching Sherlock Holmes. We have the complete set of the BBC television series from a few years back. It is a great show to watch this time of year when the air is cool, the fireplace is glowing and the coffe is brewing. Ahhh, living the American dream.

Arts in the Heart Fun

We went to the Arts in the Heart of Augusta and saw William's cousin show off his karate class. This is a picture of the girls with their cousins. The girls are going to begin his class during the off season of soccer.They will start in November. They are doing well in soccer. Katelyn is on an all boys team and is holding her own. Morgan has friends on the team and is actually playing. :)

Just thought I would let you know I have a webpage for my class and for the second grade as a whole. You are welcome to see the pictures that have been posted. Morgan is in some.

Marielhughes.com and Millbrook2.com

They both are taking piano lessons on Tuesdays. Erin, how much do you charge? We are paying $130 a month for both.

William is busy studying for tests. We are very thankful he has been able to find places to buy gas. We have several gas stations out.

That's all the news for now!

Busy end of Summer

Summer is officially over today! We wanted to share some things that have been going on with us:) Above are pictures of the new wings being added to our sanctuary at church. Now, windows are in and drywall is up. We will put carpet down soon and are ordering new pews now. Everyone at church is so excited about the growth and the added room we will have. Plans have been made for new offices and a new (much needed) nursery next.

This is Ryan's first day of school! He was so excited he didn't know what to do. A lot of his friends from last year are back. When we drop him off, all the kids yell "RYAN!!!" and come running to give him hugs. His and Matthew's preschool teachers are awesome and the kids enjoy school so much! I love getting all the cute art work and seeing Ryan write letters and recognize them in books. Fun:)



There is me and my sis at my mom's house. I got to spend a whole week there with the boys. It was amazing to see ryan run around the neighborhood where I grew up and to get into and find the same things I played with as a kid. I took him down the street to the cul-de-sac to ride his bike and he rode up the same driveways and the same steep walk that I did in order to get going fast. The funniest thing is I used to sit on the stairs going up to our bedroom and watch tv after I was supposed to be in bed...sneaky:) Guess who did the same thing while we were there??? Only this time, Ryan's mommy found him out!! The boys loved their visit with nana and papa!



These are pics of the boys playing golf in the back yard and of my gardenia bush we planted next to the house. It's so lonely!! I have to get some more plants to put with it. The boys LOVE golf. That's pretty much what they do in the back yard. They both can hit pretty good for their size.


This is the cat Ben brought home yesterday from the church. Marriage advice: ask spouse BEFORE you bring a cute kitty home and tell the kids we have a new cat. My plan involves the humane society first thing in the morning. Ben's plans involves a new pet for Ryan. Ryan's plans revolve around whatever the cat is doing at the time. Snickers, the cat we already had, has plans of death and dismemberment of this foreign invader/food and attention stealer. I keep telling Ryan that we are giving the cat away, but it's not sinking in.....He sits on the back porch and pets it all day......this is going to be ugly tomorrow.....

Hurricane Ike

If you've never been to Pensacola Beach let me tell you that on a normal day you would be able to see the sand through the crystal clear blue water. These waves were unlike i've ever seen in the gulf. One person said it correctly when he said "that is one angry gulf". The end of the pier, which is prbably 20 feet off the water normaly, actually sustained damage from the high surf. And to think our God can calm a storm like Ike.

Happy Birthday to the jack of all trades!

Here's hoping you have an extra special birthday Jon! I know that Erin and Noah will see to that! May the Lord bless you with an abundant year spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally and financially! You have added much to our family and we are grateful that the Lord blessed us with you!

We love you,
Mom and Dad

Blessings of the week-

As I was reflecting on the week, I couldn't help but think of numerous things to be thankful for from the week:
1. Dad got to the hospital in time - he thanked me last night as we were falling a sleep for getting him to the hospital on time!
2. We are able to treat dad at home - even if it means giving him shots!
3. A workplace where folks care and pray for us! It is incredibly comforting to have co-workers express concern and reassure that they are praying.
5. A family that is concerned, cares, and prays!
6. We got through the first consultant visit for our accreditation - the real work begins now!

We are so blessed! Inspite of circumstances there is a deep abiding joy and peace that only a loving Heavenly Father can give!

Thanks for your calls and prayers this week! Dad appreciates it and so do I! :)

Love you all!
Mom

I'm thinking about running for public office.

Please see the latest news report from Columbia, SC about my potential run.

http://www.inews3.com/topstory.php?id=57696c6c69616d7c487567686573

I need your support,

William

Just Eli

He has started doing this growling thing lately. He kept growling at this dog, it's pretty funny. This video was taken at a picnic we were at this last weekend. It's not very good-sound wise, so you'll have to bear with it, I just thought you might like to see a little of his personality though. He's a goofball sometimes! We love the little guy!

Mom & Dad, how is the weather for you guys? Will our Christmas rental still be around after this storm hits?! Hope you're doing ok!

Happy, Happy Birthday to Erin!!!

Hope you have an extra special day with lots of surprises! May the Lord bless you with a spectacular year!

We love you,

Mom and Dad Woodard

FREEDOM!!!

Debbie worked all weekend from Friday to Sunday and then Gustav hit about 200 miles away but it put us in the path to get alot of tornado warnings and 30-40 mile an hour winds but nothing major. Debbie decided to head up to Atlanta to be with her family for the week since she doesn't have to work again till Friday. That means i get to wake up and turn all the lights on at 5am. and the dishes are rotting in the sink without any concern. Oh yeah and I made my own breakfast without having to pick it up off the floor for the first time in ... well...a long time. If it seems like i'm living it up well i am and if it seems like it's going to get old really fast...it did. they left about 12:30 and by 1:30 i was incredibly bored and lonely. I'm sure everyone can attest to this...as hard and frustrating and hair pullingly (its a word) things may get with kids, you sure miss them when they go off to school or away on vacation.
Here is the update on the tropical situation here. Gustav was a scare but nothing major. The wind was great but not scary, a couple limbs down but no damage. Coming to south Carolina soon will be the impressive Hanna and soon to come down the line towards us again will most likely be Ike and Jasmine (tropical depression 10). God is defenitely showing his power but more and more people are refusing to recognize Him.
The youth group is going great. We have about 12 coming on a regular basis. We lost a big group of teens over the summer to family situations. One young man who just graduated is looking to go to eastern europe next summer with Josiah Venture. He is also looking into South america but wants to go somewhere which is great.
Christmas plans are still on...the only thing we are waiting on is Debbie's schedule for work. Pray that God works it out like He did this summer for our trips.
Just thought I'd give you an update and say we are safe and sound and busy as ever. Talk to you all soon.
Ben

Uncle Martin

We made it back from Uncle Martin's this afternoon late. We left Saturday morning and got to Carol and Ron's about 5. They are a couple from his church that had adopted him and Aunt Jane and are taking wonderful care of him now. He seems to be happy and settled in the Assisted Living home. Carol put up pictures and things Aunt Jane made on the walls and he has a few pieces of his furniture in the room. It is really a very nice home -the section he is in in new. Carol and Ron have a place that over looks the river. It was very peaceful and cool in the evenings. We spent several hours on their large back porch enjoying the sights and sounds of the boats and birds and watching the fish jump! I made some white cereal mix for Uncle Martin which he seemed to enjoy. It's so hard to do anything for him because he can hardly see and has a difficult time hearing. We left there this morning about 10 and thankful traffic moved and it was a fairly easy drive. Dad drove up there but it really did him in so I drove while we were there and home. It's good to be home!

Love you all!

this past week

Last Monday Jon took the morning off of work and we went to the children’s museum. It was a lot of fun. They have all different rooms with themes like digging, grocery, art, acting, water, hospital, etc. They’re filled with hands-on activities for the kids and although Noah is a bit little for much of it, we all still had fun. Surprise, surprise, the water area was his favorite. It was a fun outing with Daddy.

Friday Noah and I went to the coast with my Mom. It was the first time we’d been since Noah has been mobile. Again, water was involved so he LOVED it. The weather was a bit cool and wet but not terrible. We’ll have to go again but with Daddy this time. For more coast pictures check out my facebook.
We discovered on Thursday that Noah is allergic to something. I wish I knew what it is. He broke out in hives all over his tummy and back. Maybe it’s coconut (I made these really yummy almond energy bars that had coconut in them). I’m just reluctant to give him hives again by trying bits of things it might be. Better to find out now than to wonder all the rest of his life I guess.

Noah had a big fall down some stairs on Friday evening while at some friend's house. It was pretty scarry. He slid down the stairs on a baby gate he had pushed over and flipped over at the bottom. It could have been bad but by the grace of God he only has a rug burn under his eye.

Getting Noah to go to bed/sleep has been a nightmare this past week. Noah discovered how to crawl out of his bed last week and now that it’s a "big boy bed" he keeps getting up. We put him to bed at 8pm last night and he finally went to sleep at 10pm and only because I stayed in there with my hand on him. He’s finally asleep now and this is the second time I’ve tried today. I think he fell over from exhaustion.
That’s all the news here.