It might be Chad's one and only post....

Dear Friends and Family,

Reagan and I wanted to update you on some exciting developments over the past couple of months.  As you know, we have been living in the Clemson/Seneca area since March 2010 pursuing a career with Chick-fil-A.  This has been a great season for us in so many ways as we have been refined in many areas.  We have also grown closer together as a family and have enjoyed our time here more than we could have imagined.

I have appreciated the work environment and challenges at Chick-fil-A and have been continually affirmed that this is what God has called me to.  Reagan has been so supportive during every step of this journey, and it has been awesome to be able to work towards our goals together.

On March 1^st, Reagan and I visited the Chick-fil-A corporate office in Atlanta, where I had my final interview with the Operator Selection Team.  It was a very humbling day for me to sit with Andrew Cathy and others and share my passion and vision for becoming a Chick-fil-A Operator.  It was also humbling to be a lead candidate for a Chick-fil-A store as I reflected on an interview process that lasted nearly a full year!  At the end of the interview, I was offered the opportunity to be the Operator of a brand new Chick-fil-A location in Mt. Airy, NC.  Of course, I accepted the offer with great humility and enthusiasm.

The past couple of months have basically been “normal” for us as we await our transition from Seneca to Mt. Airy.  Fortunately, Chick-fil-A was able to finalize a real estate deal on property for the store in Mt. Airy, and construction began on the site on April 30^th!  I will continue to serve as a manager at the Chick-fil-A in Seneca until mid-June.  I will head to Atlanta on June 17^th for Operator Training, which will last until the end of July.  Our plans are to move to Mt. Airy in late July/early August and get ready for an awesome Chick-fil-A grand opening in late August or early September!

I want each of you to know how much we have appreciated your interest and encouragement during this season of our lives.  It is truly an honor to be entrusted to steward a Chick-fil-A restaurant, and I am continually humbled by the fact that this is really happening.  It is our desire to trust God to serve the community of Mt. Airy and surrounding areas by being faithful stewards of an incredible business opportunity.  

Please pray for us as we prepare for a very busy summer and fall.  Reagan and the kids will stay in Seneca while I am in Atlanta for training.  They have a full summer schedule, and Reagan will continue to work for Chick-fil-A until our move.  We also have a quick turnaround with our move to Mt. Airy, and Greer will start kindergarten immediately after we arrive in our new town.  We also need housing in Mt. Airy and will be challenged with hiring a brand new team of employees and opening a new small business in a new town in a matter of weeks.  

Reagan, Greer, Luke, and I love all of you and are thankful for the blessing of friends and family in our lives.  Please let us know how we can serve you, and please come have a chicken sandwich with us in Mt. Airy as soon as possible!  You are welcome any time.  

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and

the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." 2 Cor. 13:14

p.s.- I hope to blog again when things settle down. It's ok to hope, right?

Dairy Free Dinner

To all my friends going through dietary changes, with LOVE!

Here is a {dairy, corn, peanut, egg-free} not-so-dirty Dirty Rice:

1 lb. lean ground beef {there's no draining}

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 celery ribs, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 T. chopped fresh parsley

1 green pepper, chopped {Here is a short cut...buy the celery, onion, parsley and pepper frozen combo in the grocery store OR I freeze extras when I chop them for other recipes}

- Cook in a large skillet over medium-high, stirring until beef crumbles and is no longer pink.

1 tsp. salt

pinch of red pepper

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

- Stir in seasonings, stirring well.

1 c. uncooked rice

1 can beef broth

3/4 c. water

-Add rice, broth, and water, stirring well. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25-30 minutes until rice is tender.

You'll never go back to Hamburger Helper! (or Bog*****s)

Luke's 18 Month Stats

This morning we headed to the pediatrician for Luke's well check. I made the mistake of giving the kids apple juice before the appointment and they were bouncing off the walls in the waiting room. We resorted to singing songs with hand motions. I have a singing voice that usually I don't broadcast, so you can feel confident that I was at the bottom of my barrel for activities!

Here are his measurements:

34 inches in length (90 %)

29 lbs. 6 oz. (85 %)

I am thankful he is doing well and the doctor heard no heart murmur this time! Allergies continue to plague us. The past few days I have given him goldfish and they seem to have made him spotted. :) He doesn't appear to be in pain, though. Also, I ate popcorn Friday night and I fear that I may have a corn allergy or some form of sensitivity, too. It might have to do with cutting it out of my diet for so long, but I have been in pain until today.

On a lighter note, I have been amazed at how quickly Luke's language development has progressed. I love the fact that he communicates so well with me. One of the biggest joys is his acquisition of the word "happy." I am not sure where or when he learned it, but if you can't tell by the smile on his face, he will remind you that he is "Happy."

I just wanted to encourage all you moms that have children with allergies to persevere! I know that it is difficult, but I trust they will find a place of happiness and peace (and their parents will reap that reward as well!).

New Commitment for the New Year

Let me start by thanking God for keeping my spirits up this winter. Maybe it has something to do with staying so busy that I cannot wallow in self-pity (and I can certainly be thankful for that) or maybe it has to do with a wonderful job and wonderful friends and a wonderful husband and a wonderful, generous friend and aunt that lives upstairs. Let's just say that I have LOTS to be thankful for! A few days ago I wasn't quite so excited about my circumstances. It could have been hormonal. It could have been high and mistaken expectations. It was not well-received by my husband.

Yesterday, we received a bulletin from our previous church, First Presbyterian Church of Columbia, and there was a covenant for reflecting on as we begin this new year. It is a covenant renewal prayer adapted from one used by John Wesley. I must admit that it was just what I needed. I thought that it might be a commitment others might need to make in 2011, so I wanted to post for you and so that I can be reminded of my commitment to God in the year ahead.

The Covenant

I am no longer my own, but yours.

Put me to what you will,

Place me with whom you will.

Put me to doing, put me to suffering;

Let me be employed for you or laid aside for you,

Exalted for you or brought low for you.

Let me be full, let me be empty;

Let me have all things, let me have nothing.

I freely and heartily yield all things

To your pleasure and disposal.

And now, O glorious and blessed God,

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:

You are mine and I am yours. May it be so!

And may the covenant which I have made

here on earth

Be confirmed in heaven.

Amen.

I will fully admit that the first 10 lines were oh, so painful to type. I don't want to be poured out and surrender the false gods I so easily can come to embrace. My heart so often treasures earthly comfort more than heavenly joy. I draw hope from the contrast that follows "And now." It is a reminder that causes me to take my eyes off of what I may be giving up and place my eyes on the incomparable riches of Him. God is MORE than anything I could ever give up on this earth. He alone is the treasure on which I desire to build my life!

Recap of 2010

Today I was thinking about all our changes this year. Since I have had a dormant blog for a couple of months, I thought this would be a great place to write down some thoughts about all that has taken place.

This has been a very interesting year for our family. In many ways I have seen God's abundant grace, and through some difficult challenges, growth has really occurred in our lives. Here is a month-by-month brief description of what has gone on...

January- Chad offered an opportunity to work at the CFA of Clemson. What does the Lord have for us? Waiting...

February- Our house sells, free living arrangements bestowed, sad goodbye to Pennington friends, warm welcome to Tiger Town, trusting God to redeem, embraced by prayers.

March- New job with new friends, Prodigal God reaches out to us, treasured memories hiking as a family, Clemson baseball, our hearts awaken with the spring.

April- Reuniting with old friends as a new family, crawling boy, imagination blossoms, pouring myself out as a mom, beautiful views, Christ has risen indeed!

May- Tragic slip but miraculous protection, allergies fully discovered, tired Daddy, evening picnics after afternoon hikes.

June- Birthday at the Zoo, evening boat rides, The Happy Berry makes us VERY happy, grilling on our terrace.

July- Chad becomes a manager, Greer learns she is not the boss via swim lessons and Debbie the Drill Sergeant, blueberries, I celebrated my birthday with April, Debbie, Dabo, and the Clemson football players at the Ladies Clinic.

August- Greer goes to Marmie and Poppie Camp with the cousins, trip to visit Ash and Bax in NC, Luke's first birthday, Fan Appreciation Day and sliding down THE Hill, reuniting with the Chick-fil-A sandwich :), Chad moves to CFA of Seneca.

September- First Friday with old and new friends, Daddy and the cows in the First Friday parade, hiking with friends, football weekends with Bax, Ash, and Paul, Community Bible Study, new CP group with the Finleys.

October- a mini-vacation to see the Tigers play in Chapel Hill with Pennington friends, Lazy 5 Ranch with Ash and Bax on the way, continuing the allergen-free diet for Luke, I started working in the CFA office on mornings when Chad was off.

November- Luke discovers the joy of climbing on everything, pumpkin pancakes, Thanksgiving Day with the Tidds.

December- Jesse Tree Devotions, Greer and Daddy date to Clemson Symphony Concert, Greer covers her ears during the entire Christmas program at CBS, early Christmas with the Fowlers in Seneca, my kids scream at Santa, Christmas chaos with all the cousins in Simpsonville (and great food and fellowship!).

Reflecting on the past year, I am reminded on how much I NEED Christ in the midst of my parenting, friendships, time, marriage- just to name a few. This year has been one of new friends and sweet fellowship in our study of the Word. As we sit on the edge of Lake Keowee, I am amazed at how God brought us here and gave us a visual reminder through the beautiful lake of his provisions for our growth.

Greer and I have enjoyed praying each night before bed and each night we entrust our future to God. Usually those prayers are interwoven with thanks for the investment Herb and Karil are making in our lives. Words do not begin to describe how much we appreciate the way they share their lives and business with us. They are great friends as well as mentors in every area of our lives.

Our lives are so rich with a beautiful family, a wealth of people who love us, and so many people that we care deeply about. We trust that God's direction for our lives is good and perfect. We take comfort that He leads our 2011.

Dairy Free Meals

Here is an idea of what I ate throughout the day... (some things are not appropriate for young children)

All day: fresh fruit, dried fruit, fruit juice, nuts

Breakfast: bagels, granola with rice milk or almond milk, cereal, cinnamon toast, fruit smoothie, grits (prior to corn allergy), homemade granola bars (I ate prior to L's peanut allergy diagnosis), dairy-free oatmeal, pumpkin bread, applesauce bread, zucchini bread

Lunch: leftovers, wraps, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, peanut butter and honey sandwich, ham sandwich, turkey sandwich, chicken salad sandwich, baked potatoes, hummus

Dinner: Here is a link to many of the recipes I have used, just modify any milk to rice milk and butter to a vegan kind.

I forgot to mention previously that Ghiradelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips are dairy free, so enjoy!