Memorial Day Weekend

God has blessed us more than we will ever be able to comprehend :)

Steven and I never expected to feel as welcomed and loved as we do here in our new little town. We had sort of prepared ourselves, as best we could, to slowly adjust to our new surroundings and find a few people to hang out with, although we thought that might take a little while. However, since moving to the little town of Asbury (the area that Weyerhauser housed Steven and I until we can find a place of our own in town), we have felt nothing but warmth, love, and God's hand upon our lives. The people here are wonderful. They truly care about each other, and long to see each of the members of the community grow closer to each other and to the Lord. I thought that it would be really hard to spend a holiday weekend without either of our families or friends, but the Lord has provided us with a group of people that have quickly become like family :)

Friday night, Steven and I went with Bryan and Bridget to their friends Sherry and Billy's house for a fish fry. Apparently, Billy is a big fisherman and "the best darn fish cook in eastern Carolina." After eating, I agree whole heartedly with that statement. Although the food was excellent, the company was better. We spent a couple hours getting to know Sherry and Billy and sharing a lot of good laughs.

On Saturday, Steven and I got out the GPS and drove around town until lunch time looking at "potential" homes in the area. We saw quite a few that we liked, and had a great time "house-dreaming" as I like to say :) Later, we went to a place called Smithfield's for a Bar-B-Q sandwich, which was good, but we both whole-heartedly agree that nothing will ever touch Alabama Bar-B-Q. After lunch we went downtown and took a long walk through the historic district and around the river. It was a beautiful day, so we did something sort of spontaneous (and if you know Steven well, then you know this is true), and drove to Fort Macon on Atlantic Beach, which is about 40 minutes from town. We drove down the strip and up to the fort. Later, we went to eat seafood at this place called the Channel Marker, and then went for a long walk down the coast before heading back to our apartment.

On Sunday, we went to church with Bryan and Bridget, and truly felt the spirit of God move in us while in our Sunday School classroom. It's funny how God can speak to each of us in a variety of different ways...Later, we went with a big group to eat lunch and found out where we could play a round of golf that wouldn't cost an arm and a leg. When Steven and I made it out to the course later that afternoon, we found out why...the course was a little run-down, but it suited us just fine since we were both out of practice. We had a great time!

Steven was invited to go deep sea fishing for Blue Marlin with Bryan and some friends of his, so of course he jumped at the chance. The boys left at 3:30 this morning (ouch!) and made their way to the coast. While they were gone, Bridget and her mom, Marietta, took me to Greenville to eat breakfast and shop. When we got back, we layed out at the pool and cooked food for the family cookout they were hosting tonight. Everything was wonderful, and I felt truly blessed to be there.

All of this is just an example of God's goodness and faithfulness to us. He has blessed us to abundantly. We had a wonderful weekend :)

The Big Move

Hello All,
Last week, my life changed dramatically. I said goodbye to all of my family, friends, and co-workers in Opelika, AL, and said hello to my new life with my husband in New Bern, NC. Last year when Steven started the application process, I knew the probability of us staying in Opelika/Auburn area was slim to none; however, I held out hope that we would at least be close to our home state. As time progressed, Steven and I began to see God opening doors (and closing others) to a cute historical town called New Bern. Steven was hired on at Weyerhaeuser (Timberlands), and I was blessed with an oppertunity to teach 11th grade at West Craven High School next year. Being a teacher, I am an avid researcher. I can occupy so much of my time (if allowed) to finding out information on a subject, in this case, our new town. After a lot of research, we decided to visit New Bern in February and we both really enjoyed it. We stayed in the most precious B&B called the Aerie, which was located downtown. Steven went on a tour of Weyerhaeuser, while I toured the shops, boutiques, and markets. Later, Steven and I went to meet the people that would be housing us for our first few months in New Bern. They were so wonderful to us, and we immediately felt a peace about the situation. For the first time, I felt like this new place, so far from my original home, could be where Steven and I would call home for years to come.
So here we are...Steven is working 8:00 to 5:00, while I am off for the summer season. We have the greatest landlords, named Bryan and Bridget. They have truly been helpful in our transition. Steven came up a week earlier than me to start his job, so Mrs. Theo drove the 12 hour trek up here with me. It meant so much to me that she was willing to keep me company on such a long trip. Steven and I are definitely having to get used to the country life. Although we intend to eventually buy a house in town, we are currently residing in a little bity town outside of New Bern called Cove City. Although I grew up in an area much like this, I have grown accustomed to living in town (close to conveniences that you take for granted in the country). My poor husband, on the other hand, has never experienced life at this slow of a pace, so it's definitely going to take some getting used to for him...
We want to thank all of those who helped us pack, label, and store all of our stuff because we couldn't have done it without you. We miss all of our friends and family so much it hurts. Can't wait to be reunited with you all again very soon!

All our love,
The Meadows