She's Sun and Rain

Merry Christmas from the McCulloughs! We took this at our church last weekend when we had our annual "O Holy Goat" party. (I do take credit for coming up with the name 3 years ago!) It's an event for the student ministry and since we both volunteer as leaders, we happy attended! It is a fundraiser to raise money to purchase goats in other countries to feed needy families. It's also a great way to teach the students they can give and make an impact in the world. We had a fabulous Christmas seeing lots of family and just enjoying the season. We are so thankful to celebrate Jesus' birth! What a great gift to all of us. I'll post more 'catch up' photos soon as this has been a busy season and I haven't seemed to keep up. It is snowing here in NC as I watch the weather channel and my husband is asleep on the couch, the tree is still lit, and of course, I'm a night owl and am wide awake ;). I have never seen a white Christmas before so what a gift thi...

Congrats to my cousin Zac for winning the State Championship in High School Football. He played at Charlotte Country Day this year. So most of you probably know I have a younger brother named Greg that I am always very proud of. He played baseball at Charlotte Christian and is now a Freshman at ECU. I also have two younger cousins Zac and Trent, and they too, are kindof like 'little brothers' to me. I'm very proud of Zac and enjoyed getting to watch some of his games the last 2 years. I'm so thankful they have moved to Charlotte :) Here's a picture of the team! And here's a picture of some of our family that was there. Notice, I am wearing Leonard's Clemson hat. Which...I almost went to school there and my family are big fans, so I'm not ashamed :) I love my family :)

I love December and Christmastime and all the things about it. But this year has blown my mind and continues to do so. I hope to ring in the new year with a new attitude and hopes for a more 'calm' year maybe? Who knows. I haven't posted in a month or so and it has been insane. I am organizing, babysitting, selling Mary Kay and basically just trying to function. I am tired. Hopefully after tonight (my MK open house) things will settle down a bit. The only thing I have figured out for 2011 is that it will be the year of scrapbook catch up. I am tired of all these photo boxes. Gotta get it done. Well... as non exciting as this is...gotta run. Happy December! BTW - can someone tell me how to make my blog post titles not orange?

 This year Adam and I got to go to Villa Rica for Halloween weekend. Adam was asked to preach at his parents church and so we were able to do the 'trunk or treat' with our niece Ava. She was tooo precious. Tinkerbell of course.  Tinkerbell with Uncle Adam  Mom and Dad and Tinkerbell  Getting candy out of the pool  The cake walk! Man that cake was good!  Mostly she just wanted to swing :) With Aunt Ginny :) I love being an aunt! My non-techy self can't figure out how to rotate the video. So, here it is sideways. She loves Phil Collins. LOL.

 This is us at our storage unit in Leland, NC just outside of Wilmington. We had our stuff here because we 'thought' that was where God was leading. Turns out he did, but just for a short time. We were so blessed because we were able to spend time with the Smith family. They were generous enough to come help us move out of the unit along with my mom.  Eli loved the ramp that moved up and down. He wanted to ride on it with Papa!  No more storage! Hurray!  Now, let's head to Charlotte!  Consider all of these the "Before Photos". :) Coming up - a few After shots...when it starts to look like after shots :)

This fall we went to Adam's hometown for a visit and went to the Villa Rica Gold Rush festival. He grew up in a small town west of Atlanta. Here are a few fun pictures from the parade :) Sweet Ava.  The family at the Parade in the back of Adam's dad's truck.  I love that they still say "In God We Still Trust". SO Important.  Villa Rica was the site of Georgia's first gold rush.  We also went to the Carolina Balloon Fest in Statesville, North Carolina this year. We have both been wanting to go, so we finally did. Two 1/2 hours later in traffic and a lot of cash, we were there and enjoyed watching the balloons lift off. It is definitely beautiful and something everyone should see once.  On our way out...we saw this. The irony of the Mona Vie sticker (supposedly helps you live healthier longer....) and the wheelchairs in the back. I'm sorry if this is offensive, but it made us laugh!

Something spurred (is that the right word) in me today thoughts about stages of life. I was talking on the phone last week with a friend about how even though we are married women now, we don't want to exclude ourselves to only talking and hanging out with married women. When I was single, I hung out with singles, married people, people with children, old people...whatever :) I notice however that some people choose to only hang with people in their 'life stage'. I find there is something completely wrong about this. That's my opinion and I'm stickin' to it! Although I am not as fun of a playdate as someone with children, I think I'm pretty fun. ;) I'm kidding. But seriously, I think that sometimes people can get into this phase where, because they relate better with someone in their life stage, they choose to only spend time with them. There is much to be learned and shared with others in their different life stages. I love being around moms with childr...

This weekend we will move into an apartment! I cannot contain my excitement :) But then again, why should I? We have been out of our house in Augusta since June so we've been staying in different places...and we are so ready to be settled again. It's been a huge blessing to stay with friends and learn to be content in any circumstance but we are looking forward to our own little space. I house-sat for so many years that my stuff was in storage for 4 1/2 years before we got married. I still have stuff that is in boxes from 2005! Needless to say I am ready to unpack and organize and decorate. Just part of being a woman, wanting things to be "homey". It's hard to believe that this season of our life is coming to an end because it has been such a whirlwind experience. We have learned a lot about life and about each other. Our marriage is definitely stronger from it all. What a first year! We will definitely be celebrating come November! We sold the truck this week so ...

In lieu of my own post today...I'd like ya'll to see one of my favorites. Visit Rachel in Raleigh for a great recipe and fantastic way to reach out to your neighbors. No better way than with sweet treats!

My last 'update' was more of a mini-update...so here is my full blown McCullough household update. :) We did move back to Charlotte and in with some friends from church. They have been wonderful to offer up their home for us to stay in. It has been fun staying with them and great being able to share food costs and split up cooking nights. Brad has been able to help us with some automotive work as well, we are so thankful! (Especially when I backed Adam's truck into a pole in the parking lot at my job and now he definitely needs a new bumper!) Speaking of my job, I did end up working for Philip...a friend from high school who owns a printing company. I am helping with his office work/quickbooks etc. In addition to all that, and most importantly...Adam got the job we mentioned in a previous post! Praise the Lord!! He went through a lengthy application/interview process and last Monday they offered him the position. He will be working for the Hartford doing commercial underw...

As of yesterday, September 10th...I finished reading the new testament! Every single word! For some of my readers (whoever you are out there...) you know I have been working on this for a long time. I think I started when Adam and I got engaged last May (09). So, obviously it took me a while, but I did it! It has definitely helped me be more disciplined with my quiet times in the mornings. Most of my life I have had a hard time with what to read or study for quiet times. It was always easy at a camp or retreat when someone gave you something to read with follow up questions. I would definitely recommend trying something like this. I was never one to stick to a specific bible reading plan but taking it at my own pace and just one day at a time was feasable. I think Adam picked up with me somewhere in Romans or Acts when we got married so it has been fun to read along with him too. I do think I'm going to do some studying on revelation because it left me confused of course. But other...

It's very comical to me that the older I get, the weirder the things are I get excited about. This week for example: our house rented. YAY YAY YAY. This means a lot of things. It means that we will actually be able to pay our mortgage, the water bill, and the rental company with what the renters are paying. This is an amazing thing. We are thrilled! We are getting better at using coupons and saving money. Now, I'm not the type to announce to the world on facebook every time I save a few bucks, but we are excited to be better stewards of what God is giving us. I never knew that I didn't have to spend a fortune at the grocery store to still cook well for my husband and have the things we need. That is something to get excited about. :) I also never thought that I would be the type of person to make a menu for the week, but the truth is, when you do...you save money. If I can save money on food to buy a new....(insert cute clothing item or house decor here) then I'm all ab...

Here it is the end of August and tonight, what's on my mind is, Christmas. We started talking about the Biltmore House and I've always wanted to go. I know it's probably gorgeous in the fall, in the summer, and especially in the spring. I bet though, that I would like Christmas time the most. I love the holidays. I love everything about them. The smells, the Christmas tree, the holly, the wreaths, the LIGHTS, decorating, family time, music, and celebrating Jesus's birth. It's all just great. It's pretty much the only thing I look foward to about winter, that, and the fact that there are less bugs. So, here's an early start to thinking about my favorite time of the year :) Happy: Christmas in August.

Today was an emotional day for me. I'm sure in part because I am a woman and certain times call for certain emotions, but also because my not so little brother left for college today. Excuse me, August 1992, weren't you just here? I was 11 when my brother was born and we actually shared a room for a while when he was little. I babysat many a nights/days and then once I could drive became a taxi driver sister :) I wouldn't take back a day of it, it was such a blast. I was 'cool'. I was cool throughout high school and college. I think I'm still cool but I'm sure that is debatable in the eyes of a college freshman. You see, I am my brother's biggest fan. I watched him play t-ball, basketball, take horseback riding lessons, more baseball, went to awards banquets, graduations, you name it...I was there if I could be. I am so proud of my brother. He graduated from HS with a great GPA, lots of awards in sports, and most importantly, great character. I took him ...

Well...yes they are. We are staying positive. Positive people that is what we are. ;) Adam has had several interviews with a company and we are continually praying that works out, if it's the Lord's will. Looks like I might have at least a temp job working for a friend helping with his business, getting it organized. I like organizing you know :). We are enjoying being around friends again, having a support system, people to work out with, pray with...it has been GLORIOUS! Adam got to go mountain biking this week with Brad, have lunch with the other Brad, we have been able to go to the gym and work out with friends, and I've been able to have some girl time. YAY for being around people. Love it. Alot. Alot. We are moving in with some friends come Saturday. We are excited about it! Thank you for friends who cheerfully welcome friends into their home. We are grateful. We have looked at apartments and trying to find the best deal if we can get settled sooner than later. We st...

We went out on the waterway and the Lockwood Folly with some friends before we left Wilmington. Here are a few pictures from that day. More to come! :) A day at the beach.  Provision Company.  Some kayaks on the canal. Lots of seagulls.  The pretty marsh on the river.  The pretty sunset.  We sure do love the coast of Carolina!

So, (sometimes I just really like starting sentences with that word)...our dear friends Nick and Meg invited us over for dinner one evening and asked us to bring the Guacamole! I had not really made guacamole yet and succeeded so I thought I would give it a try. I texted a few friends, the first being my friend Josalynn who is an incredible cook and she immediately responded with her recipe! It was very fun to make - as a couple too! Adam pitched in and helped. He really likes chopping things and using gadgets and electronics so a food processor was just up his alley (yea yea, pun intended). Here are a few photos from our guacamole experiment. I highly recommend trying it!

Let's replay. Fall/Winter 2008 - Adam and Ginny start dating February 14 2009 - Adam buys a house in Augusta February 22 2009 - Adam starts in Augusta at new church March 13 2009 (Friday the 13th exactly) - Ginny has no job May 1 2009 - Adam and Ginny get engaged November 21 2009 - Adam and Ginny get married, she moves to Augusta March 25 2010 - We resign from the church and house goes on the market April 4 2010 - Last day at the church June 6ish 2010 -  Move to Wilmington July 29 2010 - Move to Charlotte .....now here's where it gets interesting. During the time of April 4 2009 and let's say...Now, we have been on a roller coaster. Not a smurf one or flinstones, but like...the Viper of roller coasters. Our house has shown a zillion times, but with no offers. Some interest in renting. An agent that was no good. Thankfully now we have a great one. Then we felt the Lord leading us away from Augusta after no luck finding jobs there and it wasn't healthy for us...

People? One thing we have learned through this process is that there are two kinds of people. There are the ones who are only uplifting and encouraging through trials. They only have kind, nice words to say and keep your spirits high. We are so thankful! Then there are the other kind. You know what I'm talking about. The have nothing good to say, why aren't you doing things like this or like that ...or are you sure God really told you to do that...maybe you should think about... I wear rainbows...would you care to try them on? Praise the Lord for the people who have kind, encouraging words. We have been blessed by many of these. Nick and Meg, Thank you! Taylor, Thank you! Heather and Chad, Thank you! Jay, Thank you! Kristen, Thank you! Kristi, Josalynn, Lauren, Katie, The Russell and Newton fam, Rebecca, our parents and siblings, I could go on...but seriously, thank you to everyone who has encouraged us along our journey. We have yet to reach our destination ...

Wisconsin was a no go. Back to the drawing board. Waiting on the Lord.

Yep, that is a question we are actually asking. Wisconsin. Madison. And a company named Epic. I thought I would blog about it because we should hear whether or not this week if they are going to fly Adam up there for a face to face interview. About a month ago they emailed him. Apparently they found his resume on Career Builder or Monster and said he might be a good fit for one of their positions. They are a healthcare software company and would want him corporate education. He likes to teach and they would train him with the software. We talked. Wisconsin, haha, um, okay, sure, why not apply? So he did. And they emailed back for him to take an assessment online. And then a phone interview. And then another test. And this week we will hear if he gets flown up there for the 'last step' of a face to face interview. So, I am one step away from moving to Wisconsin? Yep. It could happen. Or, it might not. Truth is, I think I'm okay if it does, and then if it doesn't I'm ...

The original plan: to go to the Beach Saturday, working on Sunday would end with fireworks downtown on the riverfront, and Monday we would spend the day in Southport experiencing all the fun festivities I have tried to make happen a million times and never succeeded. What actually happened was: Saturday we walked around downtown, Sunday I worked and we did do fireworks at the riverfront, Monday...Adam had a drug test for a job and then we spent a few hours meeting with some friends in the afternoon. Someday I will make it to Southport. That seems to be a theme of my life. Will I ever get to Southport? Anyway, here are a few photos from our night Sunday.  Our view from the sidewalk.  Pretty fireworks. A star. A heart.  A smiley face.  Perfect. Red, White, and Blue. Finale. Happy 4th of July!

I saw this video on a friend's facebook page today. The words are fitting of our season of life. This is my prayer. John Waller - While I'm Waiting (Official Music Video) from Provident Label Group on Vimeo . I'm waiting I'm waiting on You, Lord And I am hopeful I'm waiting on You, Lord Though it is painful But patiently, I will wait I will move ahead, bold and confident Takeing every step in obedience While I'm waiting I will serve You While I'm waiting I will worship While I'm waiting I will not faint I'll be running the race Even while I wait I'm waiting I'm waiting on You, Lord And I am peaceful I'm waiting on You, Lord Though it's not easy But faithfully, I will wait Yes, I will wait I will serve You while I'm waiting I will worship while I'm waiting I will serve You while I'm waiting I will worship while I'm waiting I will serve you while I'm waiting I will worship while I...

No news is not good news, haha. We are still in limbo. Still staying at my aunt's place and still on the job hunt for Adam. Our house is still for sale. We ask for prayers that our house in Augusta will sell as soon as possible and that God will provide Adam with the right job. We are waiting on His 'perfect timing'...and we're hoping that the perfect timing is really soon!

...is this Pottery Barn Duvet cover. Allow me to explain. I love Blue. All shades but I really love light blue. My bedding at my house in high school...blue. College freshman dorm comforter...solid blue. Sophomore year...white wicker with guess what?...a blue down comforter. I loved it. I love when my room feels like I'm at the beach even when I'm not, how it is calming, how when the ceiling fan is on and the windows open, it just...well it makes me happy. Onward to our wedding registry. There were things I knew I'd want when I got married someday. White dishes. Is that weird? I knew I'd want white because it never gets old and I wouldn't waste money buying more than one set. I knew I'd want blue bedding. Well, that didn't exactly happen. We picked out a more colorful ivory duvet with orange and brown flowers. It was a compromise. Lol. Not too girly, not too manly...whatever. :) It was at Crate and Barrel, which is where we registered because I liked it, it ...

Over the weekend my aunt Sharlene got married. All my family was in town for the wedding. On Saturday evening Adam, Carrie and I went downtown to the riverfront to take some pictures. I've been emailing my girlfriends Tay, Shae, and Kristen about how much I really love working downtown. It's a casual downtown, not uppity like other places. It doesn't matter what you wear, what designer names you represent, or how you present yourself. You just BE yourself. I love that. Here's a sneak peak. This is Kilwin's Ice Cream. It is fabulous! Sometimes we go get Pizza at Slice of Life downtown and then get Ice Cream. :)  This is the Wilmington Riverfront. It's the Cape Fear River. You can walk from one end of Water Street to the other on the river. It's awesome. A Sailboat on the Cape Fear. A Trolley that goes through downtown.  The Cotton Exchange. A building full of cute shops and restaurants.  The U.S.S. North Carolina Battleship at sunset. Baby Bugs! This is the ...