Something I did for church.
Song: Under the Weather
Artist: KT Tunstall

Busch Gardens!

This past weekend Paul and I, along with some friends of ours, ventured to Busch Gardens (hence the reason for the loads and loads of laundry.) On Friday morning we ventured out in a 37 ft. RV for the 2 hour journey to Tampa. We bought season passes for only $5 more and enjoyed the park for the whole day. It was really nice, and very much less crowded than I'm used to for amusement parks. The longest line we stood in was 20 minutes, which is incredibly short compared to the 2+ hour long waits we've become accustomed to from Cedar Point. Although no park, in my opinion, can compare to Cedar Point, we had a lot of fun here. We even saw giraffes, zebras, elephants, hippos, and tons more crazy animals. We also got to go to a beer tasting where we tasted Anheuser Busch's newest and oldest creations. After the day at the park we went to our hotel in Tampa and just hung out around the pool before retiring for the evening. The next morning we woke up and went to the Florida Aquarium, which was less exciting than anticipated due to the fact that the shark and big animals tank was closed for construction. Booo.

Our Newest Obsession...

Paul and I have recently started watching The Office. We now have Netflix again and all the seasons of The Office have been at the top of our queue for the past couple weeks now. Our goal was to knock out all four seasons before the season 5 premiere...although we didn't make the deadline (which is tonight) we are dang close. We just finished season 3 and we have season 4 waiting to start when Paul gets home from work tonight! :) (It's EXTREMELY tempting not to watch without him--sitting here all day...) I can confidently say that The Office is the funniest television show I have ever watched--we can't get through an episode without busting a gut at least 4 times. I am now recommending to all our blog followers to watch The Office, if you haven't already. Do whatever it takes to do it--you will NOT be let down. And now, a little preview.

(This will does not contain any plot ruining spoilers.)

In a previous entry I shared that Gracie is growing up soo fast! She is now 5 months old. We played around today and had a little "photoshoot". (She is quite photogenic, fierce. Tyra would be impressed.) I've included a preview of some of my favorites...you can view the rest here.

First Recipe Entry!

Hello! I've been doing some pondering lately, about what I can do to get us to post on this blog more. Most of my day (currently) is consumed by household chores and my favorite one of these chores is cooking and exploring recipes. I've decided that I will now start randomly sharing yummy recipes I find or make with you (this may be more for my enjoyment than yours..)

One of our new-found favorite restaurants to eat at lately is Arizona Pizza Factory. They have excellent gourmet pizza's, cal-zones, pasta, salads, and breads of all sorts. My favorite dish to get from there is the Chicken Penne with Garlic, Sun-dried-Tomatoes, Spinach and Feta. It is absolutely DIVINE! I decided recreate my favorite dish at home last night and it turned out very yummily, and it was VERY simple. My recipe is as follows (by the way, I am not a measuring cooker, so all ingredients are eyeballed..)

What you will need: (will feed 4-6 people, depending on how

much you eat)

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or as Racheal Ray says, EVOO...I will just call it Olive Oil)
  
• Finely Chopped Garlic (I used 6 cloves, I LOVE garlic and since there is no sauce in this dish, the garlic adds LOTS of flavor)
• 2-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 Box of Penne Pasta
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder
• Spinach (you can use frozen spinach, or a bag of salad mixture spinach leaves)
• Chopped Sundried tomatoes (if they are dehydrated you will need to re-hydrate them by soaking them in olive oil for a couple hours)
• Feta Cheese (crumbles, or a block cut into cubes)
• 1 Lemon

Directions!

• First, you will need to cook the pasta in salted water. While the pasta is cooking, cut your chicken into bite sized cubes and season with salt and pepper and garlic powder then set aside. Then, use the olive oil from the sun-dried tomatoes and put a spoonful into a small skillet on medium high heat, and about 1/3 cup into a large skillet on medium heat.
  
• In the small skillet, cook the chicken. In the large skillet first add the spinach (if using fresh spinach, allow it to wilt while stirring it). Lightly salt the spinach, then add the garlic and sundried tomatoes along with lemon zest.
  
• When the chicken is done cooking, add it to the large skillet.
  
• Drain the pasta, then add that to the large skillet and squeeze 1/2 of the lemon's juice into it. Mix everything well, then add the feta cheese and mix that too (it won't melt.)
  

Voila. Very very simple and SOOOO tasty.

What's New?

It's been awhile since I've posted, and like Rochelle in the previous post, we're horrible bloggers. But let me update you all a little bit. We had a great time in MI and a huge thanks to all our friends who carved time out to see us. Our friends Mitch and Sunny got married in Korea this year and decided to have an American Reception. The reception was incredible, great food, great friends, great people. Mitch, Sunny, and their band played for us and it was great to see them do what they do best.


We also got a chance to hang out with some friends that we haven't seen since our wedding, well most of them. On top of that, we met some very cool Koreans and I got to see my friend Julie who I haven't seen for like 5 years. She thought Rochelle was pregnant because of Facebook and ended up getting us a card and shirts from L.A. Where she's from. I had to tell her Rochelle wasn't pregnant. She was pretty embarrassed but I thought it was hilarious.



We definitely had our fair share of family and friends time and we were sad to leave some of our best friends in the world. I was able to go down to Indianapolis that Thursday to see some of my closest buddies from college. Two of my best friends Dave and Tyler rode down with me to meet up with my best bud Jesse, Conrad, and our friend Matt. It was a great day of catching up, reminiscing, and watching a vulgar movie, Step-Brothers. Unfortunately I didn't get any pics. On Fri, we spent the majority of the day hanging out with Brian and Bets and their triplets, Jake, Caleb, and Gwen. I'd post pics but they're just too cute for the screen. That night Brian had a show and he asked me to play it with him which I gladly accepted. It was a great feeling to play a show again with one of my closest friends.



That Saturday I got to hang out with one of my best friends from High School Zack! We always have a great time catching up when we can and it was great to see him. Unfortunately our lady friends couldn't be there but we managed to make it through without them. Zack and Steph are getting married in like a year and they are perfect for each other. We had a good time talking about relationships and I'm honored that Zack asked me to be in his wedding and share in their big day! Well, we got to spend Sunday with the in-laws and I wish we had more time with them. We miss them a lot but, we figured we had seen them for a whole week a few months earlier, we should spend some time with my mom. We had a great time with her(the few times we saw each other) and even saw my Grandma for a few. We hung out a little with our Kentwood friends that night and it was off to FL the next day.
Since we've been back not a whole lot has happened.


For about a month now we've been hanging out with some good friends. I've mentioned Shane and Amy before but we've been hanging with 2 other couples as well lately. Aubrey and Nick who have been dating for 3 1/2 years and still aren't engaged, and Josh and Lilly who live in the same place as us so we've gotten pretty close with them. A few days ago we went out to Sanibel beach with them and played frisbee in some gross shores. Labor day we hung out at our place, all 9 of us, including our good friend Noelle who lives across the hall. We had a good time and the girls cheat at every game.


In other news, today Rochelle and I went to VW to look at leasing a car. About a week ago traveling to church my brakes went out. Luckily it's a stick and I could just downshift to slowdown. My buddy Shane helped me fix it but we decided it might be time for a new ride. Well, after about 4 hours at VW we are proud new leasers of a brand new, 2008, 24 miles, Jetta! We're very excited. This is the first new car we've ever owned. We're proud and very thankful to have family back us up on this.




Well until next time(about a month I'm guessing) that's about it...
Grace, Peace, and Love.
Paul

Summer in the rearview mirror...

Okay, I'll admit it. Paul and I are the worst bloggers ever. I always get in these stints where I'm like, "Oooh! Blogging! That sounds fun! Pictures, YES! Woo!" Then I forgot about it. Our apologies.


Summer has been here and gone (although when you live in Florida, it's kind of like summer year round.) We've been up to quite a bit since my last post on here.

Gracie is now 4 months old! She's getting sooo big, and growing up sooo fast. She's pretty much potty trained, although she has accidents every once in a while. Right now she's sleeping on the couch and really, she looks like a human. Her paw is covering her eyes. It's very cute. She has been a bit of a hassle at times, but she's growing up and calming down. She's very funny.

Most recently, we enjoyed our first trip to Michigan since moving to Florida. It was a lot of fun, and it finally felt like we were real adults going on a real vacation. We spent a week in Lansing, and a day in Grand Rapids. We got to visit with all our friends and family. The main reason for our trip was for our friends Mitch and Sunny's wedding reception. They got married in Korea this summer, and celebrated here in the states that week. It was a lot of fun to hang out with them, and we are very excited for them to visit us over Christmas/New Years time! We have also decided to make a trip to Korea next year sometime! YAY!




On June 30th, we celebrated our first anniversary as a married couple! (And we're actually coming up on a our 3 year mark in a few days here!) For our anniversary, since Paul got me my new camera, we decided to keep it small. We just hung out all day--watched a movie, went shopping, and went out to a delicious dinner. We also ate a splendid 1 year old cake (which actually was REALLY delicious.) Overall, even though we didn't follow the traditional guidelines with gifts of paper, it was an absolutely wonderful day. =D


A recent discover/obsession of mine has been The Twilight Saga. Twilight is this wonderful book series about a vampire love story. Yes, vampires. Now, I'm not really a sci-fi girl...not at all, so when I heard about Twilight from about 20 billion of my friends, I wasn't really that excited about it. When I finally got around to picking up the first book to read it, I couldn't put it down--not that or the other books in the series. The final book of the series finally came out on August 2nd, and I went to the book release party. I happened to win the store trivia (over 40 questions, then a sudden death round) and I was able to win a free copy of the final book. Imagine my excitement! In conclusion to this section, you REALLY need to check out Twilight, become addicted, then DISCUSS with me. Thanks =D


AND FINALLY, I've spent all day today cleaning out my computer and reorganizing my iPhoto stuff. Along with this, I've decided to start keeping picture albums online (rather than just Facebook.) I made a Picasa account and have uploaded some albums there for your viewing pleasure. It can be found here. =D



And that is all for this lengthy update on our lives. Expect more soon. I hope.


Rochelle =D

Gracie Mae Yerrick

The new addition.

Gracie Mae Yerrick
Born April 17th, 2008
Adopted June 20th, 2008

Look out summer, here we come!

Hey everyone,
It's been a little while since we update but it's been a crazy few weeks. Rochelle and I have been doing dinner parties, hosting debutant balls, and loving the upper eastside. We're looking forward to our summer in the Hampton's but have a few more things on the agenda before we take off.

Actually, that was a lie, but we have been having a great time down here. The ministry is finally taking some shape for me and I feel like we've got a clear direction. Not only have we been working a lot, we've been playing. Our friends Shane and Amy just bought a house and we're all having fun pitching in trying to get them into it as soon as possible. We've also gone kayaking with them, fishing, shooting pool, etc. Rochelle and I finally sprung for a wii. I've been playing xbox 360 for so long, it was about time that we found a video game console we both liked.

We've also started working out. I've been getting pretty fat so we decided it's about time to put a stop to that. We've been running and lifting and my good pal Zack is my accountability partner. We make sure that neither of us become too much of a pile. Well, it's been good catching up. A few days ago, Rochelle and I were stimulated by Uncle Sam in a non-kinky way. We got our stimulus check in the mail and decided to do something special for our anniversary. Rochelle has been wanting this Nikon D40 camera for as long as I can remember so... I finally decided she should have it. Now we'll be able to document anything and everything like we've been wanting to for a long time. Thanks for all your prayers. We're eager to have Rochelle's family down in a couple of weeks. I can't wait to see them because it's been way too long. We miss everyone back home. I miss my parents and family but God has definitely provided us with great friends down here and an awesome community. Also pray that some of our best friends Sam and Kyle will move down here for a police position. Payce! Paul

Busy busy busy!

Hey Guys!!

I guess we've been a little busy lately. We're definitely keeping ourselves entertained down here, and trying to get all the outdoor activities that we want to try before summer is here and the heat becomes death! We've been doing lots of things--some just us, and some with our new friends!

Last weekend we went Kayaking (in the ocean!) at Sanibel/Captiva Islands. Sanibel is one of Travel Channels top 10 beaches in the country, so you have to believe it was absolutely gorgeous! We had a lot of fun, and it was an AWESOME day to spend in the ocean! We also saw lots of sea creatures, including but not limited too manatees, dolphins, and jumping fishies! After kayaking, we went to dinner at a much talked about restaurant, The Bubble Room...unfortunately it wasn't as good as expected. (Highly overpriced)

We also went fishing with some friends this past weekend. I caught two fish, one more than Paul! We even saw dolphins AGAIN! It was a lot of fun, unfortunately we got eaten alive by little fruit fly type bugs, and now we're itching like crazy people!

We're going fishing again tonight, from kayaks this time instead of just a dock--which makes me super excited! I love kayaking!!!

OHOH! Also, some exciting news--I've been working out daily now (for the past 2 days)...and unlike last time I tried working out, it feels really good! It gives me a lot of energy throughout the day and helps me feel motivated to eat healthier too! We have a workout facility right here in our community that's free for us to use, and is NEVER busy...most of the time I'm the only person in there. I go in the morning and watch my talk shows, and my hour work out time FLIES by.


That's all I have for the update on our lives...Hopefully next time we'll have more pictures to post. My camera dies after like 2 minutes of being on, so hopefully we'll work on that soon ;) TOODLES!!

Juno, lights, and sites...

So we've been watching a few movies lately. One of our favorites is "Juno." If you haven't seen it, it's a must. It's hysterically funny and yet touching as well. Another one of those movies that is a must see is "Dan in Real Life." I could watch this one over and over. Steve Carrell is so funny in this movie. Definitely a good one.

Our neighbor's dad came over this last week and helped us put up some lights in our place. They were a little hard to figure out and if you don't know, electrician is not on my resume. The lights we picked out we like a lot especially the one in our living room. Very fun.

I'm hosting this new webblog called freechurchmedia.blogspot.com It's sort of been a dream of mine to put free stuff on the web that churches can use. A lot of times, the really quality stuff you have to shell out a lot of money for, so I decided to put what stuff I do have on this site for people to get a hold of. So far, no one has really used it, but I'm hopeful that it will at least be a blessing to the ones that do find the site.

We're off to Coconut Pointe Mall now, a little date night for the two of us.

Love you all.
Paul

Uncle Paul and Aunt Rochelle

Well, Rochelle and I got a notification yesterday that we are officially Uncle Paul and Aunt Rochelle to the newest member of the Herdklotz family, Cameron Henok Herdklotz. My sister Lori and brother-in-law Jimmy adopted a little boy from Ethiopia and just arrived back home. My sister Lori said that when he first saw them that he ran up to her and gave her the biggest hug and just wouldn't let go. My three other nephews(left to right) Bradley, Austin, and Jonathan are incredibly excited and they will make great big brothers... and little for Bradley. Rochelle is super excited because Cameron will only ever know her as Aunt Rochelle... instead of, Uncle Paul's girlfriend... now Aunt Rochelle. This is a huge blessing for my sister and brother-in-law and a huge blessing for our family as well. I've looked up to Lori and Jimmy for a long time. They've been great parents to Bradley, Austin, and Jonathan and now to Cameron. I'm already very anxious to meet my new nephew and so is Rochelle. This is very exciting. Rochelle knows how much I adore those boys and now I get another one to call a nephew. RIGHT ON!!!

My Cheesecake!

Hey all!!

I've become quite the baker in my day...haha, just kidding. Anyways, last night I had the Pastor's Wifes over for the monthly gathering, while Paul was out catching crabs--it was nice having company here. I made a cheesecake for the occasion that I was quite proud of, so I felt the need to share it with you guys!

Friday Disappointment

So for about 2 weeks, I've been waiting to go salt water fishing. Yesterday I woke up, spent about an hour reading salt water fishing tips. Went out afterwards, got my shrimp, hooks, weights... stuff I needed for salt water fishing. At around 5 o'clock I headed out to the pier and started my fishing. I fished until about 8:30 and this is all I caught...

A little bit of this...and a little bit of that!

Hey Everyone!

 

A lot has been happening with us lately, but we just haven't found time to update. I've been working very hard at getting this blog all organized and getting some photo albums together online so we can keep you all updated--so hopefully everything will be updated VERY soon!

Anyways, as promised--I have a few pictures of the move and the new place for your viewing pleasure.

Meanwhile, we've been working hard at getting settled and getting into the swing of things. I think we're finally getting used to the weekly schedule. It's weird, I feel so grown up--we wake up at like 8:30 every morning, naturally, with no alarm!! Paul works Monday-Thursday and Sunday, of course, for 2 services. I am currently not working, I'm a "home-maker" as Paul calls it...and I'm hopefully going to go back to school in the fall (for Culinary Arts!!!) I wouldn't mind getting a part time job until then, it would be nice to get out of the house, but we only have one car currently, so that wouldn't be very easy. 

Last week, The Sherman's (Tyler and Nicole) were in Kissimmee for a vacation with her family, so we drove up there and visited with them Sunday and Monday. We had a TON of fun, and it was soooo nice to see them for a couple of days. We just pretty much hung out, talked, and ate steak. Haha. Paul and I also got a chance to visit Disney!! I'd never been before. We were driving and made a wrong turn (it was POUURRINNGG) and the next thing we knew, we were in Disney...then we turned around and left. Hopefully, next time we can stay a bit longer and maybe actually enter the park. =)

Umm..I think I'm done typing for now--congratulations if you made it to the end of this thing!! We'll try to keep updated more frequently though!! BYE GUYS!

Video

This is a video I shot for church to the song "I'm Not Who I Was" by Brandon Heath

Wow! It's been a lonnggg morning.

We've had the plumber here since about 7 this morning...(he is still here, by the way). Last night we had the misfortune of finding out that our toilets were clogged. That's right--toiletS, plural. 2 of 2 toilets out of commission.

We tried everything possible last night to get those things unclogged--2 plungers, an auger, draino, boiling water, 2 times mopping, several paper towels, and lots of wet pants later--we called the plumber.

He called back at 6 this morning...and showed up around 7. Nearly 3 hours later--we find our toilets are clogged by a rag. A stupid, little, rag. WHO PUTS A RAG DOWN THE TOILET.

Paul and I racked our brains, and in the past 2 weeks that we've been here neither of us ever, EVER flushing a rag down the toilet. We now blame it on the people who built the place.

I think this is God's April Fools joke on Paul because he got sarcastic with Him during our supper prayer last night. Don't mess with the big guy...don't mess.

Getting Settled

Rochelle and I have been having a great time getting settled in. Easter was a very long weekend but my first official week at CCF went great. I've been able to hang with a couple people from my team and also start working with a guy who will most likely lead our first branch service starting in about a year. We've been given a very warm welcome here by our new church family. My ministry here is wonderful. I'm working with great people and I'm really beginning to see why God brought me and Rochelle here. Today they introduced us to the church and we were welcomed with open arms after Wes prayed for us. We're very happy and thank all of you for your prayers. We'll keep you updated and we'll hopefully have some pics of our new place up soon.

We made it!!

Hey Guys!!

We made it. All is well in beautiful, sunny, warm, Florida! We're in our new condo and getting unpacked...slowly...very slowly.

I'm in the process of painting the kitchen a wonderful shade of guacamole, as well as trying to put all of our CLEAN clothes (which will be a rarity no more) into our closet (which might be about the size of our old bedroom.)

We should have pictures soon, once we get all settled and unpacked--I'll be sure to include one of the view out my window when I wake up in the morning (palm trees waving in the breeze and water sparkling in the sunshine.)

Ok, ok....I'm done--I'll let you get back to the snow. =)

More soon...promise...

Rochelle =)

Oh...one more thing--yesterday we saw Dolphins!!!! REAL, LIVE DOLPHINS in the ocean. It was incredible.

Ready... Set... GO!!!!

Well, we started off our crazy week with my in-laws coming into town. It was really great to see them before we left. We probably won't see a lot of our friends and family for at least 6 - 8 months. We hung out a little, went to Ruby Tuesdays, a family favorite and Glen and Sue got us a new cooking set for a house warming gift. Got to hang out a little with the bro-in-law, that was pretty fun. Overall it was just a really cool weekend. We had Good Friday service this weekend, a week early, and it was really cool. I had to say goodbye to a lot of people this weekend. It was pretty sad, but overall, they were very happy for me and Rochelle. We'll miss all of them dearly, especially the ones I worked so closely with. I've been telling people it's bitter sweet.
Today I pick up the moving truck with my bff Jesse. Then two of my other friends, Phil Holland and TJ Eubanks are gonna help us load the big stuff. The other things Rochelle and I can handle. I'm grateful for these guys because with everything going on, my head is spinning and I'm sort of this boiling pot about to boil over. I've been a little temper mental but it's because I have to worry about everything... well, I don't HAVE to worry, I just do. A lot of little things make to a few really BIG things. I'm pretty tired already but I'm sure I'll go into adrenaline mode once we get there. The other night Rochelle and I were just sitting around and I couldn't contain my hoots and hollers. We're moving in A day!!! Prayer for safe travels. My mom is currently on a train to Chicago and then on a bus to Louisville to help us move. I'm very grateful that she'll be around to help Rochelle out and keep her company as I will be MIA for about 3 days, or at least until Easter is over. Then Monday, my day off, we'll take my mom around town and show her a good time... maybe we'll go to the beach, I've been meaning to bust out my speedo for awhile!

Life is Crazy!

So, we've started the packing process or at least tried to start it. We don't have that much stuff, but that's exactly what it is... stuff. I feel like throwing everything away but that wouldn't be too smart. So, we've got a pile of boxes and a ton of little things to pack. It feels like I'm taking crazy pills. We're still at Southeast meaning early mornings and busy days. I've got to cancel everything that links us to Louisville and start everything that's in Cape Coral. So far I still have to cancel our cable, internet, and electric here in Louisville and start up our electric in Cape Coral. Cable and internet isn't a necessity at this point down there. I just reserved a hotel to break up our trip down in Ashburn, GA. We're staying at a cheap Days Inn arriving most likely really late on March 18th and leaving early on March 19th. Everything is taken care of regarding our new condo. Tonight Rochelle and I are going to Lowes for a few things to clean up our apartment. I've got to get spackle and she wants to look over paint colors for our new place. Prayer for us because we rarely agree when it comes to decorating. To be honest, I wish we could just disappear for a few days, regain our consciousness and then appear back down in Cape Coral. All for the cause baby. But, in all, life is good, God is great, and we are very weak.

Life is Crazy!

Our Plan

What colors should we use?

Few New Things...

1. We're moving in 8 days! That means that in 9 days, we'll be unloading all our stuff into a brand new condo, in a brand new place, with brand new people... exciting and very scary at the same time. My mom is arriving around 6am on Tuesday March 18th to help us with our move. This will be a huge help because the first few days that we're there, I'll be running around trying to get everything done for Easter. Very exciting time. It will also be good for Rochelle to have a painting partner. She plans on painting our whole condo those first few days we're there... yikes... I've got a bad feeling about the carpet. Oh well, she'll have fun doing it and so will my mom. The first few days are going to be a little crazy for me. Here's sort of a summary of what I've got to get down when I get there. We will arrive around 4pm on Monday. We'll get a tour of our new place and get the keys to everything. We'll start moving all of our stuff in that evening. Thursday I'll head into the office and start getting my stuff together. Move into my spot there(I don't know if I'll have an office or just a place to set my stuff). I'll have meetings all day, hopefully have some time to get home to see progress on the condo, then back to church for the rest of the evening for rehearsals. Friday I'll be working on the stage, videos, and meeting new people through meetings etc. Saturday we'll be setting up outside for our services out there. We'll be having 2 services inside and 2 outside. We start set up around 10am. Then, that night a few of us will be staking out to guard all the stuff. Sunday morning we start at 5:30am setting everything up again outside. Our first service is at 7:30am. 2nd is at 9:30, 3rd is at 10:00, and the last service is at 11:00. They do staggered services so I'll be running around like a mad man. After this, take the girls out for an Easter lunch... or just make something at home... then, sleep. Monday I have off so I'm going to take mom around town. Sounds like fun.

2. I'm getting fat. But I'm starting the work out program in.... 8 days.

3. I'm gonna miss Southeast.

4. Florida here we come!

Happy 5 year Blogoversary!

My boy Zack has been blogging for 5 years! It's been pretty much a day to day thing, it's almost religious. I have a hard time remembering to put on clean underwear everyday let a lone write in a blog. Anyway, yesterday was his 5th year Blogoversary. Cheers. I've known Zack for a long time. We sort of met in Junior high but really started hanging out my freshman year of High School. It's really been a long road for us. We were great friends in High School along with another one of my buds, Nate. Well, my sophomore year I joined tennis with Zack and continued to play doubles with him until we graduated. I've got many many memories in High School ranging from band class to getting beat by the handicapped kids in a "sure win" doubles match. Although many good memories come from High School, I think our best come from College to the present. It's been cool to watch our friendship grow from extremely immature to a close and real friendship. It's one of those friendships that will live through time. My boy recently got engaged to a very cool girl. It's crazy to think about the two of us actually finding women who like us, who really really like us... but who are totally out of our league. We're pretty stinking lucky. So, here's to your 5 year blog buddy! I think we might actually make it in this crazy world. You can check out Zack's blog here!

Life Update

Well, last week Rochelle and I were in Indiana for our friends Kyle and Sam's wedding. We had an awesome time catching up with them and seeing them get hitched. A few things went a little hay wire during the ceremony but really, it couldn't have been any nicer. The girls were stunning, the boys were incredibly hansom, and Kyle and Sam both looked incredible. It was great to see them tie the knot. It was funny because Kyle said that he wouldn't start crying until he saw one of us start. As soon as he saw Sam walking down the aisle he started balling like a little irish school girl. It couldn't been because I had just told him that he'd only be sleeping with one girl the rest of his life... but I think it was because they're just the right fit. We couldn't be any more happy for them.
Things for the move to Florida are moving along. The condo is getting squared away. Truck and trailer rentals are coming along. All we got to do is pack. It sounds like a small job but the other day I put all of our books in boxes and I was ready to just stay here in KY. We're having fun with it though. Rochelle has been thinking about colors for the condo. I've been thinking about how crazy my first 4 days will be when we get there. We've got 4 services on Sunday that have staggered times. I'm excited. We've been trying to figure out what we should do for a second car too when we get there. Lease... or own. Any suggestions?
I'll be gone for 4 days. I'm leaving tonight for a retreat called Faces of Christ. I've got mixed feelings about going. It's sort of a requirement from my boss but he said it'll be a really great and memorable experience. I trust him but I'm stilled a little bummed that I'll be away from Rochelle for that many days and that I'll be missing the whole visit of my buddy Dave. He's coming down to do some consulting for Jesse's church tonight and staying till Sunday. We'll be able to hang out on Sunday, but that's just not enough time with my boy. Oh well... life is good any way you look at it.
Grace and Peace.

Sam and Kyle's Wedding

Well, this weekend our good friends Kyle and Sam are getting married. Rochelle and I both are in the wedding and we're really excited to be there to support the two. When we were still in Lansing, we hung out with them almost everyday. We're gonna miss them like crazy when we move to Florida.
Plans to move are moving slowly. We've still got to figure out how we're gonna scrape the money together for the security deposit and first months rent. It'll all come together I know, but it's still a little nerve wrecking. Once we get down there we'll be fine, we just have to get down there. We're planning on selling Rochelle's car so that will help a little and I'm sure we have some other things we can get rid of too. We'll see, it will work out.
Well, for the short time that I had in Lansing, very short time, we were able to have dinner with Rochelle's family. It was nice because we won't see them again for a long time. We went to Cheddar's, my absolute favorite restaurant in the world. Rochelle's parents got me new Chaco's for my birthday. They are exactly what I need for the new job. They'll be my work shoes. It was sort of funny because as soon as I saw the fam. it looked like everyone was going to cry because we all new it was our "Last Supper." We had a great time talking about her parents cruise, our new job, and just life in general.
Well... everyone, keep in touch. We'll try to do the same.

HEY GUYS! It's Rochelle again...

I was reading my old Xanga the other day--back in my prime, I was a blogging phenom--now I'm strugging...a lot...to keep up with Paul...it make take me a while to get back in the swing of things.

Well, this weekend Paul mom, brother, and nephew are coming down for a visit. They should be here late tonight. It's going to be a CRAAZYY weekend. All 5 of us in our tiny 650 sq. foot apartment, with only one bathroom. It shall be fun. (Paul and I are currently house/dog sitting at Paul's bosses amazing, AMAZING house--I will make it totally obvious that we are newlyweds/college students by adding in that I'm excited to do laundry for free!!!)

After the weekend is over, I shall ride with Paul's mom back to Michigan so I can spend the entire week with my friends/helping Samantha with anything she needs for her wedding. Paul will be joining us in Michigan on Friday afternoon.

I'm very excited for what this next week holds, and even more excited about what the next month holds! ...I think that about all I have for you...

Until next time!

Rochelle

Official

Well, it's official ya'll. My last official day on the job here at Southeast is March 18th, 2008. I had a great talk with both Brian and Greg and have their blessing. This morning I discussed it with Brian and he was so happy that we had a place to go. I guess he had thought there wasn't really a time they absolutely needed us. But as soon as he found out he was more than happy to send me off to our new ministry. He said that there's no reason to feel guilty because this is what the internship was all about, equipping me with the tools necessary and sending me out. Rochelle and I are very excited about the move. We'll pack up as much as we can and move down on Wednesday and hopefully arrive very early Thursday. That'll give me a few hours to get ready for rehearsal that night. We'll keep you updated on the move. I've gotta figure out moving expenses etc. and we've got to start packing. Thanks for all the prayers. God is good.

FLORIDA

Cape Coral, here we come. Rochelle and I are officially going to Florida. I talked to Wes and he assured me that we have a place there no matter how long the wait. Now, they'd like us as soon as possibly, but they'll wait if they have to. They've already been telling people that the search is over and that they have picked us to fill the position. As happy as I am, I'm still waiting to see when we'll be able to go. It's hard to get both of my bosses together at the same time to talk about the Florida thing. Hopefully by the end of this week we'll know. Thanks for all the prayers.

I'm here!

Hey guys!

I'm just letting you know that I'm here--it's not all Paul! =) ...Apparently he just has a lot more to say than I do...or he just gets to it faster. Oh well.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes, I had a fabulous birthday. I'll be venturing to Michigan next week, so hopefully I will get a chance to see some of you throughout the week.

Alright, Toodles!

A Bump in the Road...

Well, my current boss talked with my future boss yesterday. Though I'm grateful that they finally had a conversation, I'm bummed at the outcome. The church wanted Rochelle and I down before Easter so we could lead that weekend and get settle in. After a quick conversation between the two, it sounds like Southeast won't release me until May 1st. Although this time at SCC could never be replaced, I was hoping they'd release me a bit sooner. I love the fact that I'll be able to have more time here(there's so much more to learn) but my heart is already in Florida. There's still a chance that they could change their minds but I'm doubting they will. My only concern is that CCF will be upset about this decision and make it harder for me to stick around. Either way, I'm hoping my attitude won't change around here. That I'll keep a positive attitude and good spirits around the office. It won't be hard because I love Southeast, but when you want to be somewhere else, it's hard to not let that show. Either way, I'll be leading at CCF Easter weekend.

Looking for a Place...

Rochelle and I have been looking at Condos and Houses for rent down in Cape Coral. The search is harder than I thought it would be. There are some great places down there and the prices are pretty decent. The only problem we're facing is that we want to save up money to put on a down payment. Anyway, we'll have some time to think it over once we get down there(if we ever get down there. My bosses STILL have to call them back) because there's a chance we'll be able to stay in a condo until we can find a place of our own. We have found a place that has really caught our eye though. The community is called "The Isles of Porta Vista." Here's some pictures of the place. They have a few floor plans and we can't decide which one we would like better if we moved there. The two with the bigger floor plan has two different set ups. One has a really large living room, 2 bedrooms, 2, baths, and laundry room. The other is the same except the living room is split creating a den. If we end up moving there, there are pros and cons to each setup. Here's some pics of the place. Some of the really cool features are that it's a gated community, a lobby entrance to the apartment, individual security alarms, and the washer and dryer are included in the condo(Rochelle's fav. part.) Anyway, here's some pics.

Happy 21st!!!

Happy Birthday to my girl. 21st birthday is always big. Looking forward to a fun day!

Rochelle's Birthday

Tomorrow is Rochelle's 21st birthday. Seeing as this is one of the most important birthdays we'll be doing something really special. Tomorrow morning, we'll be waking up before the crack of dawn to start our romantic day. We'll get ready together and then we'll be going to work. After a great day at work together, we'll come home and rest for a while. Then we'll have a nice expensive dinner at California Pizza Kitchen we're Rochelle will experience ordering her very first Alcoholic beverage. After I get her completely drunk, I'll take her home and the rest is censored... joking and joking. We are looking forward to having a good time though and celebrate this very important birthday.

What?!?!?!

This is the e-mail I got from my good buddy and supervisor Brian tonight...

"Had a good talk with Dennis from Cape Coral, by the way... -B"

No other information was given... nothing, nada, zilch, zero.
So I called him up... said he'd fill me in on everything tomorrow. So tonight I'll be wondering what my boss said to possibly my future boss. Stink!!!!

Update:

Well, I've talked with the guys a few times from CCF this week. I'm getting really anxious about this whole thing. I'd like to finish out here in Louisville because that's what I said I would do and because there's a lot more things I could continue to learn. But, I'm really eager to move out to CCF and start the next phase of our lives. It's not too often that you find a place that you really feel you could lead but also find a place that your wife loves and would feel like she's a part of your ministry. Oh well, we'll continue to wait and pray for God's timing.

Cape Coral Florida

Well, the interview in Florida went really well. They flew me and Rochelle down last Thursday for a long weekend. Thursday night I had rehearsal with the band. Minus all the tech. difficulties with monitors and such, rehearsal went really well. The people on the team really really fun to work with and I think there is a ton of potential within the creative arts team. Well, I got back to the condo they set up for us around 10pm Thursday night. Friday morning, Rochelle and I woke up early to make an 8am meeting. We met with the senior minister and 2 board members. After answering questions for around a hour and a half, Dennis, the senior minister took us for a stroll around Cape Harbor. Amazing view and great weather. Cape Coral has more canals than anywhere in the world, even more than Venice. So after we toured Cape Harbor, we headed out for the day with Wes and Bonnie(and Max their little boy.) We had a great time hanging with them for the rest of the afternoon. Later that night Rochelle and I headed inland to a nice little shopping center where we had some time to just chill at a cool coffee place. Saturday was sort of our day off. So Rochelle and I got a late start and took our time getting up and around. We spent the rest of the afternoon cruising Cape Coral, looking at all the cool homes and taking in some good mexican food at Iguana Mia. Later that night we hung out with the Furlong's and the Hegedus family.
Sunday morning I got up around 6:30am to make it to church by 7:00am. We quickly ran through the set list and had a few minutes to catch our breath before service at 9. After bother services, a number of people came up and thanked me for coming out for the weekend. It was great meeting some of the members and I had a blast with the team. After the 2 services, one at 9 and the other at 10:30 we went to a young married couples picnic. We ate, played ball, and just had a good time meeting new people. Later that night we had a dessert reception at the senior minister's place with the rest of the staff and their wives.
Overall, the trip was a huge blessing. It's a place that Rochelle feels really comfortable and a place that I feel like I could really contribute. The creative arts ministry has huge potential and hopefully Rochelle and I will be able to take part in it. After talking with both the Teaching Minister and Senior Minister, it looks like Rochelle and I will be heading there soon to start the next phase of our lives. We still have a few things to sort out, but if all goes well, Cape Christian Fellowship will be our first ministry. Pray that the right decision will be made on both sides and that God is the center of it all. Rochelle and I both loved the people and the place and are excited about the possibility of moving.

Our New Site...

This is where both Rochelle and I will be posting about the new blessings and adventures God's been placing in our lives. More coming soon...