It's been a while....

...Since my last blog. My blog was locked for more than a week and I still don't understand how that happened! In the past couple weeks, we have been getting ready for the holidays and also, we've been on the road (big surprise!).

Last Thursday we left for Branson, MO. Matthew had a steering committee meeting for Winterfest. While he was in his meeting, Jenn (whose husband was also in the meeting) and I went to the outlets to shop and catch up -FUN! Later on we met the guys for dinner and walked around Branson Landing (more shopping). Then we got in one car and went to see a Christmas light display (2.5 miles on the mountain). We had a great time!

The next morning, Matthew and I drove to the Chicago area. We stayed with a friend in the suburbs over the weekend. This trip was for my birthday. Although my family traveled quite a bit growing up (my mom was a travel agent), one city we never visited was Chicago. Friday night we were invited to a Christmas banquet and the next day they took us to the Radio City Rockettes Show. It was fabulous! We couldn't take pictures during the show, but the costumes and choreography were so elaborate.

Later on Saturday, Matthew and I drove into the city. He and his family lived in Chicago Metro over ten years ago, so he had visited and even remembered how to drive to certain places (I was impressed). We found deep dish pizza at Giordano's and walked around and shopped on Saturday night. Although we walked past the Sears Tower, we didn't go to the Observation deck. On Sunday, we started at Navy Pier and from there we walked to Michigan Avenue (Magnificent Mile). We visited Millennium Park and shopped. I took a lot of pictures because the city was decorated for Christmas and it was snowing some, too. It was beautiful!

We drove home on my birthday and stopped in Des Moines for my birthday lunch at PF Changs. We had such a wonderful weekend and I'm so thankful to have a wonderful husband who is always full of surprises!

YUM!

Thanksgiving

This year was our first Thanksgiving away from our family. Matthew and I both saw our families a few weeks ago, so we decided we'd wait until December to take another trip to the East Coast. We went to the home of a couple who attends the church plant. They graciously invited us to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner at their home with their kids (who are around our age). We had a wonderful day. I'm so thankful for our family and can't wait until Christmas - to see them all! I didn't take any pictures, but we had two turkeys and a table full of food. Also, we saw our first Omaha snow this weekend. It snowed Saturday night and some on Sunday - very pretty!

Our Latest Trip

Over the past week, Matthew and I have been all around. Like I mentioned in my last post, he had a conference in Myrtle Beach and while he was there, I spent a few days in Virginia with my dad and step mom. I had such a great trip! I enjoyed relaxing at their house, celebrating my birthday (a month early) and eating at restaurants that I miss frequenting. I also enjoyed the shopping (more like browsing) I did while I was in Roanoke. With the luggage restrictions (and additional cost) on airlines, we always have to be careful about the items we pick up during our trips. I was able to see several friends during my visit.

I had lunch with Melissa, Logan and Lea. I can’t believe how much those kids have grown up. L and L are so well behaved! Happy belated birthday to Lea - she turned 1 on Sunday.

I also met up with my friend Dawn (her husband was my youth pastor) and her kids (Madison and Harrison) and we had dinner together. Mark was at the same conference Matthew attended. It was so nice to see them – it’s been a while! Dawn and I had fun catching up and I enjoyed hearing what her kids are doing in school – impressive.

After leaving Roanoke, I drove through NC and got to see my cousin Emily. Her house is beautiful! We did some catching up and then went to eat lunch at a wonderful restaurant – one of her favorites. She and her husband just announced that they are going to be parents, so I was able to congratulate her in person. They are going to be wonderful parents!

My road trip ended in South Carolina and it was great to see Matthew – this was the longest we’d been apart. We got to visit with his parents and celebrate an early Thanksgiving. The meal was wonderful! Props to the turkey chef! It was the best. We had a wonderful time with his parents and sister. Unfortunately, we didn’t take any pictures. They also celebrated my birthday (YAY!) since we won’t see them again until Christmas. We have a wonderful family.

The night before we left, we got to catch up with some friends at Starbucks. This year each couple (excluding us!) has added a member to the family. I hadn’t met little Addison yet, so I got to hold her – she’s so cute! Chase is growing up and he’s as handsome as ever. We really enjoyed meeting up with Josh and Brooke and Ryan and Jessica.

Our trip was busy, but I’m so glad we could see some friends and family. Anyone who lives several states away from friends and family knows how special a short visit or meal together can be. I appreciate our family for making our trip so special! Since our flight was delayed out of SC, we were routed through Detroit instead of Memphis (shorter flying time). While we were waiting for our flight in Detroit, we saw some snow flurries and it made me excited about seeing snow (hopefully soon) in Omaha. Who knows, maybe we’ll have a Thanksgiving Snow!

It's November?!?

I can't believe that today's the first day of NOVEMBER! It seems like it was just July and we were moving in. Today I got an email from my stepmom asking for our Christmas lists - and we've already started our Christmas shopping (gotta plan ahead)!

As Matthew and I are watching the Georgia/Florida game, I'm realizing that the holidays will be here before we know it and football will be ending soon, too (Matthew's always sad about that). Living here and having to travel as much as we do, planning ahead is imperative. We're already looking ahead to next year and the weekends we will be traveling. Since we moved, we've been fortunate to be able to see our family pretty often. I have a feeling after the holidays, this might change a little.

I'm looking forward to our next trip. While Matthew is at a conference in Myrtle Beach, I will be able to visit my family in Virginia for a few days. I'm so glad that I am able to travel with him. It will be great to spend some time with Dad and Susan and have a few laidback days in Roanoke. Usually when we visit there, things are super busy or it's a holiday. After my VA trip and his conference, we're going to celebrate an early Thanksgiving with Matthew's parents since we won't be traveling for Thanksgiving.

My Dad - my hero

Yesterday was my dad's 54th birthday (he's the youngest 54 year old I know!) and all day I was wishing I could be with him. I've always been a "Daddy's girl" and although I was very close to my mother, there's a special bond between a father and his daughter. My dad is certainly a hero in my eyes. My Dad has shown me that no matter what situations in life may come our way, we are to be faithful to the Lord because He has certainly been faithful to us. Through everything he has faced, he hasn't ever waivered in his faith. Instead, he has always been such an encouragement to me and those around him. I am so thankful for my family and my heritage.

Sam Belisle - a true, Godly man of his word and I am so glad he's my Dad!

Home

These were taken around our city. Omaha is located on the Missouri River, which borders Iowa and Nebraska. We have some beautiful sights and here are a few....






Nebraska Cornhusker Pride!

Hellooooo Fall!

Wow - It's finally Fall...definitely my favorite season. Matthew and I were in Kentucky and Tennessee (not to mention all the states we had to drive through to get there) almost two weeks ago today. We attended a Church Planting Lab for 4 days and then we were able to go to a wedding in TN - both were friends of our's. I loved driving through the different states (IA, MO, NE, KY, TN, IL, IN, KS) to see where the leaves were changing. It was great to see friends and some family while we were in Tennessee. We've been fortunate since we moved (July) to be able to travel and see family and friends.

Back to the season, I just saw on the news that the high temp next Wednesday will be in the 40's! How crazy is that?!? I made chili tonight and I guess that's one thing I'll be getting better at since there's nothing better to eat on a snowy, cold day than hot soup or chili.

On a side note, Matthew and I went to see the movie Fireproof last night. It has great principles and I would recommend it to any couple!

A Little Bit About Me

My friend Sara did this survey and I got tagged!

Attached or Single? Attached - happily married

Best Friend? Besides my husband, Autumn and Melody

Cake or Pie? Cake - cheesecake or yellow cake with chocolate frosting

Day of Choice? Friday

Essential Item? Starbucks Coffee - Freshly ground and brewed each morning

Flavor of Ice Cream? Rocky Road

Gummy Bears or Worms? Bears

Indulgences? Clothes from Ann Taylor

January or July? July -I just moved to Nebraska! I hear winter will be starting any day now and by January, I might be sick of winter and snow!

Last Movie I saw in a Theater? Nights In Rodanthe - not my fav

Middle Name? Nichole

Number of Siblings? 1 brother

Oranges or Apples? Apples

Phobia or Fear? Falling down the steps or falling in general

Quote? "Our lives are not determined by what happens to us but by how we react to what happens, not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life. A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events, and outcomes. It is a catalyst, a spark that creates extraordinary results."

Reason to Smile? I'm alive! I'm loved! I've been Saved!

Season? Fall - I love the breezy weather, colors of the season and pulling out the sweaters and jackets

Unknown Fact About Me? I like Brussel Sprouts

Worst Habit? Picking at my nails - thank goodness I've stopped biting them!

Xrays or Ultrasounds? Ultrasounds

Your favorite Food? ChicFilA and Mexican

Weekend in Review

We had a great weekend! It started with company on Thursday evening. We hosted Jenn and Chad in our home. We went to eat wings and then took them downtown to see Omaha. We really have a neat city. There are so many beautiful buildings downtown, as well as interesting things to see. After sightseeing, we returned home to eat dessert and talk.

On Friday at lunchtime, after eating at Cheesecake Factory, we left for Des Moines, IA. The regional lock-in was at one of our churches there. On the drive from Omaha to Des Moines, we stopped off the DeSoto exit and found out the birthplace of John Wayne. We drove into Winterset and realized it was also the set for Bridges of Madison County (Madison County, IA). We visited the birthplace and its little museum. The guys really enjoyed it.

After our detour, we drove into West Des Moines (home of Olympic Gymnast Shawn Johnson) and had dinner at one of our new favs - On the Border. It was great! Then we headed to the church for the lock-in. Chad preached for us at the lock-in and we had a wonderful worship service and a great turnout! Chad did a great job challenging the teens to FLEE, FOLLOW, and FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!

I stayed up until 6:45 Am and then I had to take a nap. Once all the teens were picked up and on their way home, we went to IHOP for breakfast. After an afternoon nap, we had dinner and dessert and returned to the hotel. The UGA game was on and by halftime, Jenn and I headed to Target. Matthew was not too happy with the score!

We left on Sunday after lunch. We had so much fun with our friends and enjoyed having them at the lock-in, our first Youth event in the Region. Matthew did a great job putting it together!

Since the move....

I was trying to think back and recall all the things we’ve done since moving to Omaha. I don’t want to bore anyone with all the details, so I thought I’d recap in a few bulleted points (I love lists, by the way).

- Traveled to several regional (IA/NE) churches where Matthew preached
- Conference in St. Louis – got to see friends (yay!)
- Went to San Antonio, Texas for the General Assembly of our denomination
* Saw friends and family – great week!
- Gotten settled into our apartment (most boxes have been unpacked)
- Began meeting with the church plant (8.26.08) at our apartment complex’s clubhouse
- Helped Matthew with the planning of our Regional Fall Lock-in for teens (9.26.08)
- Found Ulta (a hair, beauty, and salon superstore – the salon I used in SC)!
- Discovering lots of neat places around Omaha to shop, eat and spend time
* Buffalo Wild Wings – Matthew’s a happy man
* Village Pointe
* Cheesecake Factory, Charlestons, Jason’s Deli (2), Hector’s
- Meeting new people!
- Went to TN
* For meetings
* Celebrated Matthew’s birthday (9/16)
* Saw family and friends

So, to sum it up….we’ve been pretty busy getting settled and beginning our ministry in Omaha.

The Intro

I know that I'm backtracking a bit, but I thought some might wonder why we moved to Nebraska.

Well......We lived in South Carolina until the beginning of July. We were sad to leave the camp ground, our jobs, family (Matthew's parents and sister) and friends, but felt that it was a necessary move. Matthew was offered a position in the Regional COG office and we’ll also be planting a new church on the west side of the city.

So, to begin our new adventure, Autumn, my best friend came the weekend before the trailer was to arrive to help get us loaded up. I’m SO GRATEFUL! Packing is not the most fun thing to do, but after it was all over I thought, “that wasn’t too bad!) After leaving from SC, we traveled to Virginia where we picked up my dad and step-mom. Since we had already loaded up an ABF trailer with all of our things (you pack, they transport - good deal), we only had our cars to drive to Omaha, NE. My dad and Susan so graciously offered to help us drive, unpack and get settled into our new home. Without their help, I'd still be unpacking and driving Matthew crazy! It was a two-day trip from Virginia to Nebraska and we got to stop in St. Louis on the way and eat dinner with Jeff and Brittany. The drive wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and I guess it helped that I didn't have to drive that much. I think my time totaled 4 hours (at most).
We arrived on Tuesday at 2 PM, but we weren't able to receive the ABF trailer until after 4:30 PM. We had already found a place to live during our June visit (Camp Meeting, etc.) so we already had utilities and the keys to our new place. Our apartment is on the west side of the city (where we'll be planting a church) of Omaha. It's right off a main thoroughfare (Dodge) and we live on the 3rd floor. As you can imagine, once we were able to unload the truck we were thankful it wasn't earlier in the day. It was so hot! The trailer was empty within 2 1/2 hours (thanks to some hired help) and we were exhausted.

My family stayed from Tuesday - Saturday and worked so hard to get us settled. We did manage some relaxation while they were here (sightseeing, fine dining, movies, relaxing at the pool and shopping), but mostly we were hard at work. Seeing them off at the airport was sad, but I knew we’d see them again in about a month so that made it easier!
We’re happy to be here and excited to see what God has in store!

Finally!

I have finally set up a blog! Lisa encouraged me to do this - especially living so far from family and friends. Although I don't think our life is extremely entertaining and exciting, others might want to know how we're doing and how the church plant is progressing. So here it is!