My New Swing and Other Things

Don't you just love spring/summer? I say spring/summer because I know that calendrically (is that a word, or did I just make it up? even if I did it still sounds pretty cool!) we are in spring but based on the temperatures and humidity, it is definately summer! Highs in the 90's, lows in the 70's, yup, summer is here! I really love this season. So much to be thankful for, and so much goodness to enjoy. I have been spending alot of time outside, walking (for exercise and pleasure), reading, and just enjoying nature. We live in a beautiful place that sits right beside the alabama river, and the route that I take to walk carries me right beside the river for a ways, and it is just beautiful, so peaceful. When we moved here last year it was already the end of May, so I didn't get to see how nice this area is in the springtime, but it really is great!


My wonderful, thoughtful husband noticed that I was spending increasing amounts of time outside, and decided to buy me a swing. We have a friend here that is raising money to go on a mission trip to Kosovo this summer (his parents are missionaries there), and is doing making swings and other things to help with funds. He calls them "Mood Swings". HILARIOUS! Anyway, Phillip decided that instead of just donating some money, we should spend a little bit extra and buy a swing from him. Phillip surprised me and had it delivered last Friday, and I was so excited when I got home from work to find it there! We found the perfect spot for it, and we have been out there every day since we got it. Duke loves it, too, because the spot where we put it happens to be his favorite place to play around, so we are all happy.

Phillip has been spending alot of time outside too. We have a golf course about 2 miles down the road from our house, so he has played golf about twice a week for the past month with some friends and some of our youth. He says he's not playing his best, but with a little practice he'll be back to normal. He wants me to learn to play with him too. I am excited about trying, but I told him I want to go on a slow day, because I am gonna be really embaressed if anyone but Phillip sees my awful attempts at a swing!

I have been really excited this week because on Saturday Mom, Lee, and Taylor are coming down to spend Memorial Day weekend with us! They get to stay until Tuesday, so we will have a nice long time to relax and enjoy spending time together. I always love getting together with my family, and a definate plus is all the good food we will be having! YUMMY! Well, until next time...

Has it really been 6 month?......

Since I last posted! Wow, am I a bad blogger! Well, let's let bygones be bygones, shall we? It has been a roller coaster of a year so far, and it's only May! Alot has happened in the Slaughter House. That sounds really gruesome, huh? The kids love to pick up the phone when they're at our house with a menacing "Slaughter House!" to scare off callers. Anyway, I digress. The biggest change that has come with the news year has been a new addition to our family. And no, not of the human kind, Suzy P., stop your squeals of delight, it is our puppy, Duke! He is a miniature yorkie that has brought me so much delight in the past 5 months that we've had him. Phillip bought him for me as a surprise at Christmas. I was REALLY homesick for my family and friends, and so my wonderful husband searched and searched all over Alabama and Arkansas for the perfect pup for me. For those of you who know my husband, this is a big step. I mean, a monster step. It is not that he doesn't like dogs, because he does, he really does. It's just that he doesn't like dogs for US. Or DIDN'T like dogs for us, before Duke. They quickly bonded. Now, I love my dog, don't get me wrong, but the biggest delight of all for me is to see how Phillip has evolved from simply tolerating Duke to really loving him. They are so funny together. In fact, every night I go to bed about 10, which is WAY too early for my night owl hubby, and so Duke and Phillip stay up together for hours every night. So they have alot of time together. Having that dog really makes me excited about having kids, because I think about how much I love Duke, and how protective I feel of him (and how protective is of me!) and how I don't ever want him to hurt or be sad, and he's just my dog! I can't imagine how we will feel about our kids, when we have them in 9 years (according to PHillip, and seriously, he must be dreaming if he thinks I will wait 9 years to have our first baby.). But all-in-all, he's been fun.

Besides Duke, another big change this year has been adjusting, and I mean really adjusting, to living in Alabama. It is similar to Arkansas, but also very different. And the main downside for me is my family is not here. It was very hard, emotionally, on me at first, but over the past couple of months I have really made the concious effort to change my thinking and my attitude, because that's what it's really about. God really convicted me about my attitude. Yes, I would rather be in Arkansas than in Alabama, but I would rather be living out God's will for my life than living in Arkansas, and that is exactly what I am doing. God put us here for a reason, and I intend to make every day count. I have really been claiming Psalm 90:12, "Teach us to number our days aright, that we main gain a heart of wisdom". Every day is an opportunity for God to teach me and use me, and I am beginning to learn to focus on that fact, rather than wish the days away, longing for the days when I can go home again. So, I am spending more time in the word, spending more time outside, enjoying the beautiful place where God has placed us, spending more time enjoying my husband, etc. etc. etc. And it has really made a difference. "Bloom where you are planted" really sums up what I have been doing this past couple of months.


And I do have alot of things to be thankful for. I have been accepted to Auburn University Montgomery and will be starting back to school in August, with only 1 YEAR left! I am very excited, a little nervous, and really ready to jump in there and do it! I have a great job that I still love. I get to do alot of the stuff with the kids and youth at church. One thing that I really enjoy is teaching 1st and 2nd grade choir on Wednesday nights. I love that age, and we just have a really good time. I also get to teach Jr. High girls on Sunday morning, which is always interesting! :) So I am pretty blessed.

Well, I guess that will wrap up my year so far recap, so i guess I will sign off. Please leave comments, maybe that will encourage me to post more often!

Christmas!!!

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? In keeping with the Carter family tradition, Santa usually bags presents under the tree.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? White, they're much prettier in my opinion, although when we have kids I imagine that will change!

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No.

5. When do you put your decorations up? The day after thanksgiving, if I can wait that long!

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Dressing!

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: Every year my sisters and I pulling out our special ornaments with our names on them, and getting to hang them on the Christmas tree.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I have 2 older sisters, do you REALLY think I EVER believed?!

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes mam!

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? I was lucky enough to get my mom's hand-me-down Christmas ornaments, so all of the ornaments that I loved as a child I now get to see on my own tree every year. It's really special to me.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love it!

12. Can you ice skate? I haven't tried in years, but I think I would enjoy it.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? not really, I have always gotten really good things for Christmas, so all of them were special.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? It's always been getting together with my family, but this year it will mean so much more, since we haven't been home in 6 months!

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Phillip's aunt Lisa's blueberry cheesecake. It's yummy, and Lisa is the best too, because she always makes it for us!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Seeing the kids get to open their presents, seeing how excited they get.

17. What tops your tree? star

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? Definately giving, especially since I have just now really started to understand that that is how people see God, through Christians' generosity with their time, money, love, etc.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Definately "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by Judy Garland. Always brings tears to my eyes!

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? Yum!

I tag Brandy and Kristy!

Well,it has been a long time since I have posted, huh? Because of my long absence, I doubt if anyone will comment on this, or even read it! But that's ok, I will update anyway. We have had alot going on, as usual. Between football games, church activities, hanging out with the kids, working, preparing for school next semester, and just trying to spend time with my hubby, life gets kinda busy, ya know?! But I wouldn't have it any other way. We are still enjoying our new little community, and have made lots of new friends, and deepened some friendships made this summer. God has really blessed us here, and for that we are thankful. I am really enjoying the fall atmosphere and landscape around here. It is alot like Arkansas, but different in many ways as well. Fall has always been my favorite season, but something about this fall has really moved me.



I have really enjoyed reading everyone's posts every morning and seeing what's going on with my friends in Monticello, so I want to return the courtesy and let you know what we have been up to. First off, Phillip went to the dentist. Yes, folks, you heard me right, he finally got to go to the dentist. We have excellent health insurance ( a little pricy, but we figure if we have the money now, we should definately get the plan that works best for us in case of an emergency!), so we opted for a more cost-friendly dental plan, and felt we made a good choice. Little did we know that Phillip would have to have 2 ROOT CANALS, complete with fillings, the actual root canals and caps, totaling about $3000. "Now wait," , you may be saying to yourself, "that's ok because you have dental coverage." Yes, dear reader, that is true, but on major surgeries like root canals, our insurance will not pay until 1 year after coverage began, and the two teeth had already given Phillip almost unbearable pain, so the dentist said we could not wait any longer. Bad situation, but God came through for us in the form of our amazing church family. Some of our deacons, who happen to be good friends as well, found out about our situation, and took it upon themselves to pay for the surgeries. Not the church, but the deacons and their families THEMSELVES. Out of their own pockets. That is alot of money and let me tell you, if we had not felt their love before, we definately feel it now. We still have to pay for the caps,but just knowing that a small group of our friends paid over $1000 for us makes me so grateful.



On another note, I have been taking steps toward starting school in January. I have already been accepted for the spring semester and am currently in talks with Financial Aid to make sure of scholarships and things before I register for classes. Please pray for me in the area of school, because I am really struggling with going back to school. It's not actually going back to school, but community 1 1/2 hours, both ways, 2 days a week and working full time the other 3, and being there for my students when they need me. I know I can do it, and I know it's just a year, but my laziness is kicking in and I am realizing just how much WORK is going to be involved in it. I know it will work out, it always does, but just pray that I will feel better about it.



Phillip and I are making preparations to come home for THanksgiving and Christmas, and we are so excited. Holidays have always been a big deal to me, but this year they mean so much more because I get to see my family, most of which I haven't seen in 6 MONTHS! I am so ready to hug my sisters, hold my nephiew, kiss my daddy, love on my momma, laugh with Phillip's mom, eat Phillip's grandma's cooking, well, I could go on and on and on. The point is, I have been waiting for this for 6 months, and I know it is going to be the best Holiday season we have ever had, because we appreciate our family so much more than ever before.



Well, this has become a long post, so let me end it this way: Whoever you are reading this, be assured that Phillip and I love you and miss you and think about you often. I will try to post more and keep the updates coming. Until next time...

I'm Sorry, So Sorry

Ok, so i lied. Not intentionally, of course, but I did. I told you faithful blog readers that I would be posting every day. Well, it's just not true. I didn't know that at the time, but still. A lie regardless. Many sincere apologies. Even though, yes, I have some downtime on my job, I have gotten to know some of my co-workers better, so this downtime is usually spent chatting with them about our families, our jobs, what a ridiculously large amount of information I DON'T know about Camden, AL yet, but need to know, etc. , so it really leaves very little time for blogging. And who knew working, even a part-time job, outside of the home took so much out of you?
I know, you're all thinking, what a spoiled woman, she didn't have to work until she was 21?!!??!! And it's true, I worked as a babysitter in my younger years, but since Phillip and I have been married, I haven't had a job OUTSIDE of the home. Key words being "Outside of the home". I know some of you won't believe me, but before I got this job, I didn't just sit on my fanny all day eating junior mints and watching soaps. I really worked. I cleaned house, washed clothes, did at least 3 loads of dishes a day (No exaggeration, we don't have a dishwasher and we have kids over at least 3 times a week, so MANY dirty dishes), etc. On top of that, Phillip and I lead the youth group TOGETHER. So there are alot of responsibilities that go along with that for me, mostly leading girls ministry. Any of you who have worked in the ministry before know that it's alot of work, however rewarding.
So. Now not only am I doing all of that, but I am working. And it's really hard trying to keep it all together. I have a new PROFOUND admiration for working mothers. I mean, I don't even have kids, and it's hard for me to get it together. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my job, I truly do, but i'm so new at it I haven't found that balance in my life yet. And ohhhh how I need that balance. But everything is slowly coming together, God is good and has sustained me. I got to thinking the other day, on sunday morning, when we got back from a youth concert at 2 A.M. that morning, and I had to teach sunday school that morning and bible study that night, with NO NAP in between (Lee ann knows what I mean about the nap!), I CAN'T DO THIS!!! And then God whispered in my ear "You're right". And it hit me. That's why it's been so hard. Because I've been trying to rely on my strengths and my controls to get me through, instead of admitting that I can't do it on my own and praying to Him to give me His strength and sustanence. Wow. You know all of these things in your head, you've been taught them your whole life, but when God allows you to go through an experience that deals with these truths, they really come alive to you. What a great lesson for my soul.
On a slightly different note, I want to update you on a few youth things. Can I just say we LOVE our kids? We really do. I mean, I know they mess up and we mess up and sometimes we want to spank them like 3-year olds, because their behavior sometimes matches a 3-year old's(!), but they are GOOD KIDS. And they show us that they love us. How? you ask. We have consistently had at least 30 kids at youth on Wed. nights, and Sunday mornings have been just as packed. At our "small group" on Sunday nights, we had 33 kids!!! SMALL GROUP?!?! Yeah right! And alot of these kids don't even go to our church. It's amazing. One thing that I had really been praying about was growing our girls ministry. During the summer, we only had about 5 faithful girls. Our church's previous youth minister was a single man, great guy from what we can see, but the girls can't really relate to him like they can a woman, you know? Well, I had a sleepover the other night and 13 girls were there! I couldn't believe it. Even harder to believe were the 13 girls that were in Sunday school, not just church but sunday school, on the following sunday morning! Praise the Lord, he is really showing us a blessing! I also had a girl come over on Friday and accept Jesus. It was awesome. And after we had prayed together, I asked her if she was ok, and she said, (with this amazing wonder in her eyes), "Yeah, I don't feel empty anymore." I could not stop the tears in my eyes.
God really has been faithful to us here. Even though we miss our families tremendously, he has put people in our lives here that feel like family to us. And we are really excited about this weekend. We actually have Saturday and Monday off! YAY! Quality Time together. We have been missing that. We have big plans to watch the Hogs played USC on Saturday night and watch alot of "House" for the rest of the weekend. If you don't watch House, Shame on You! It has quickly become our favorite show, a really good one. You should check it out.
This post has gotten really long, so I will sign off once again. I would like to say that I will post tommorrow, but we both know where that ends up, now don't we? :)

Hey Everyone! For those of you who are visually stimulated, I am very sorry that there is no picture with today's post. I am at work, therefore I have no pictures on my computer here. Alas, next time I promise you photos of Phillip and I frollicking through a field of sunflowers, holding hands and smiling to beat the band. Okay, maybe not exactly that, but I will try to have a fun picture picked out. Anyway, for those of you who I don't talk to on a day-to-day or week-to-week basis, you heard me correctly. I am at WORK. If you read my previous post, you know that the school thing didn't exactly work out for me this semester, and that's ok. I was really upset at first, but it's just one of those things that you have to give over to God, you know? Anyway, one morning a couple of weeks ago, one of our church members called me and asked if I would be interested in a part-time position working as a receptionist for him. Long story short, I started work yesterday, and I really like it, or at least I think I am gonna like it.
It is one of those jobs that there is alot of people and extensions and things like that to learn, and that is stressful, but I can tell when I get that down it will be good. It is a sometimes fast, sometimes slow-paced job. When the phone rings, it seems like all eight lines light up at once. But then again, there will be a whole hour where no one at all will call, like this one, and I will be free to (as my boss, Mr. John Clyde, or as Lee Ann liikes to call him Jean' Cla'ude says) "surf the net, read a book, call your husband, to whatever you like. DOn't feel like you have to "look busy". Could I ask for a better boss? He and his family are great CHristians, too, Phillip and I really think alot of them. Anyway, I work everyday from 8-1 have my "lunch hour" from 1-2 ( aka I get paid for the hour) and I am done for the day. It works out really well. My amazing hubby is staying at the church during his lunch hour so that I can have to car and go home after work. What a sweetheart! Man, I have a great man! He always puts my needs and wants before his own. What more could a girl ask for?
Anyway, from now on I will probobly be posting more frequently, since I have more down time at the office. I'm sure you are all rejoicing! :) Well, I'm sure the phone will be lighting up again soon, so I will post ya later!

I'M BACK!! Yes, the rumors are true, Lee Ann, we are finally home! We actually got home almost a week ago, but we have been so insanely busy that this is the first time I have actually gotten time to sit down for more than 5 minutes at a time and post an update. For anyone who does not know what has been going on, Phillip and I have been gone for the past two weeks straight. For the first Monday-Thursday, we were at Crosspoint, a sports camp for our children. I got to lead one of my special little girls to Christ! Very Awesome! We came home early from it on Thursday night to wash clothes and repack, and left on Friday morning at 6:00 a.m. for Ohio with a youth to put on a sports camp for a church there. It was alot of fun, and we made alot of memories, including Phillip riverdancing, getting lost(right outside of Cincinatti!) and the vandilizing of our van. But I have to admit, we are so excited to be at home!
Phillip and I were talking about it, and we are ready to start our "normal" life. Since we have been married, our life has been turned so upside down, inside out, that we honestly haven't had a "normal" life at all! We both really feel like it's about to begin. I can't help but believe in my spirit that God allowed us to go through these tumultuous times together to teach us SO many different lessons. I am so grateful that we have a God who desires to grow us, who desires to stretch us and mold us into the image of Him. It's overwhelming.
Well, now that we have began to settle into our normal lives, here are a few updates: First of all, (tear) I may not be able to start school back this semester. Not because of my desires or anything that I did wrong, but simply because AUM sent me a crucial letter that I NEVER RECIEVED, and now they have pretty much told me that I will not be able to get a financial aid package together in time to start classes, so I can either pay school expenses out of my own pocket or wait until next semester. Hmmm...that's a hard one. Do I REALLY have a choice?! I was very very very very BEYOND upset about this the day that I finally found out about it, I'm talking tears all day long, wailing and gnashing of teeth upset (luckily Phillip was home to comfort me), because it was not supposed to work out this way! I have worked on my degree for 3 years, and this was supposed to be my fourth and last year, you know? What if I never finish? What if this throws off my whole life plan, what if we get pregnant and I can't finish school (it would be a complete accident, but you never know) what if a great opportunity comes up and I never want to go back??
I was yelling all of this at Phillip, when he says, in his quiet and gentle way "Don't we serve a God who has a plan for us? Wasn't it his desire for us to come here? Didn't you do everything in your power to ensure that you got in? Then just TRUST, Rose. Leave it up to Him. Follow his path, without regrets for what might have been. You know that you're committed to finishing school, no matter what. Just trust HIM". Wise words from a wise man. And I got to thinking, I have had so many plans in the past, so many things that should have worked, but didn't, and I still came to this place, this beautiful place that I am at, right in the center of God's will, more happy and content than I have ever been. And I thought, if MY plans had worked out, where would I be? Certainly not here. Certainly not in this place. And then it occured to me, I don't WANT my plans to work out anymore. I mess me up! My plans fail, my directions and desires end up taking me a place that I truly do not desire to be.
But HIS plans, even when I can't see or understand them, always seem to work out. There is a profound truth in that, a truth that I have missed so many times before, that I have just skimmed the surface of. But now I desire to dive into it, to let that truth envelop me, to truly live in it. I DON'T WANT WHAT I WANT, I just want HIM. And when I keep that in my mind, in my soul, THAT's when things happen. That's when I am content. What do I know about me, about the future? He created me, "knit me together in my mother's womb". All of the days of my life were numbered before I came into existance. There is such a peace in resting in that truth.
And that is where I find myself today. Just trusting, just praising. There are alot of other things that have happened, but I will post about them in a day or two. Phillip is taking me to Montgomery tonight for the weekend. We are gonna shop, eat out, STAY IN A HOTEL (those of you who know Phillip know that this is a big thing, because he does not like hotels!) and just enjoy being alone and away together. We need it! I will let you guys know how everything turns out. Until then, God Bless.