Leaving Atlanta

Tonight is our last night in Atlanta for a while. I've never lived anywhere else before! Now, we not only leave Atlanta, but we are leaving Georgia, the South, the East, and everything else familiar! Of course, that is part of the fun. We're packed, we're tanked up, and we're ready to escape the crushing anticipation by getting on with it. As I've mentioned, the hardest part is the goodbyes. But we're confident (as are our family and friends) that we're following God's will, and I'm ready to see what He has in store for us. Please keep us in your prayers and your thoughts and go ahead and start planning those vacations to Illinois because we'll be waiting for you!

Saying Goodbye

I hate goodbyes. I'm the type of person who, before I hang up the phone, will mention to the other person the next time we plan to talk or to see each other: "I'll call you this weekend," or "see you at Christmas." This past weekend has marked the beginning of our ambiguous goodbyes. In fact, the weekend was full of seeing people for the last time, friends that I can't say when I'll see them again. It's hard. JD and I have been so blessed with friends here in Atlanta, and although I'll miss my family terribly when we move, it's my friends that I worry about keeping in touch with. In some ways, I wish this last week and a half would fly by so that we don't have to prolong the painful goodbyes; on the other hand, I wish this last week and a half would last forever. Strangely enough, JD isn't having any of these problems...

Nora Grace Farris

Nora has arrived! Clay and Stacy had their new baby girl on Tuesday morning at 9:23am. Both mother and baby are healthy, although Stacy is still recovering from a trying labor. They expect to head home Thursday morning, and I am looking forward to spending as much time with them as possible before we head out in a couple of weeks. Congradulations guys!

Beautiful Saturday

This past Saturday was a great day full of fun for JD and I. We started the day by relaxing on Lake Lanier with Michael and his friend Justin. The four of us had way too much fun. Here's a great video of Michael's water-skiing attempt:


Saturday night, JD and I celebrated our two-year anniversary. On our actual anniversary (July 1), we were traveling, as usual, so we put off making plans until we had time to enjoy them fully. Saturday night we ate a huge dinner at our favorite restaurant, South City Kitchen, in Midtown. We then saw the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra play at the new outside Encore Park in Alpharetta. It was amazing hearing the orchestra outside as we relaxed on the lawn and star-gazed. I can only hope that the next two years will be anywhere as wonderful as these first two have been.

New Job

JD got a job with Whirlpool! He has been trying to transfer with Philip Morris, but they couldn't accomodate his request, so he looked into Whirlpool. This company made him a great offer, so he will be starting August 4 in Bloomington! We are so happy, and I am so proud. The Lord has truly blessed us every step of the way in our marriage. We are looking forward to the exciting new adventure He has in store for us up north.

Hilton Head 2008

JD and I just got back from our fantastic annual Hilton Head vacation with the Francesconis. The five-day extravaganza was filled with swimming at the beach and pool:

playing board games, watching movies, going out for delicious dinners, kayaking:

reading, snacking, biking, walking, watching 4th of July fireworks, and visiting with out-of-town family (my cousin, Dina):

As always, it was a great trip. In other news, JD's cousin, Katie, had her baby girl, Allie Eleanor Gunter, Saturday morning after a long and tiring 48 hours. Congrats, Katie! We are also anxiously awaiting the Farris's new addition, who is due to arrive any day now, as they are constantly reminded by friends and family. As for us, we are simply looking forward to a few quiet weeks.

Second Illinois Trip

We're back again from visiting Illinois and trying to set more plans in place. The more time we spend up there, the more excited we are about our future there. The weather was perfect, again. Highs in the 70's and low 80's with a constant pleasant breeze. Rain showers last 10 - 15 mins, and the sky is always amazing above the corn fields. But I'm just waiting until winter! My grandparents showed up on Saturday, and we really enjoyed spending some time with them and getting their opinion on the town. We also went by the English department at ISU where I got to meet a few people and to fill out all my employment paperwork. I'm excited to get started there. We just arrived home late last night, and now we're heading out again this morning for our annual Hilton Head trip with the Francesconi family. We've been looking forward to this beach trip for months!