Getting Back to Happy

Trevor and I are starting to return to the things we love doing. I was very sick the whole time I was pregnant, so we haven't been able to enjoy the great outdoors in many months. This past weekend, we decided to try out a new hiking trail on the grounds of the Carl Sandburg home in Flat Rock, NC. The trail was beautiful and peaceful, and although the view from the top was obscured by overgrown trees, we had a great time just sitting, talking, and laughing.

It's a good thing the trip back to the car was downhill...

Broken

It is amazing how quickly life changes! As reported in our last post, we were elated when we found out in June that we were expecting... and the news got even better from there. We soon learned that we had identical twin boys on the way. Gavin and Cooper immediately became the lights of our lives, and although I was feeling quite sick most of the time, our days centered around preparing for their arrival.

On August 30th, our lives changed again, this time for the worse. I went into pre-term labor that resulted in an "inevitable miscarriage." We had to say goodbye to our boys and hello to very broken lives. We were broken mentally, emotionally, and in spirit, and for a while it was unclear how we would be able to move forward in such a dark time.

However, we have moved forward with love lighting the way. Trevor and I learned just how strong our relationship is, and we both learned how amazing our family and friends are. The outpouring of love and support was overwhelming, and it has truly helped us move out of the darkness.

Today, the future seems much brighter. I am completely healed and healthy, and we have been given the go-ahead to try for another baby in a couple of months, so we are filled with a new sense of hope and promise. A piece of our hearts has been forever lost, but we are so thankful to have been given the opportunity to know and love two little spirits that will be with us forever. I can't say everyday is a good day, but I can say that each day we feel a little less broken.

We're Back!!

Trevor and I are happy to return to our blog! The last year had been incredibly busy with new jobs, school, student teaching, and more school! Thankfully, Trevor only has four more classes and I will be completely done June 14th... that means I have time to blog again!

This new series of blog entries will serve as a journal for the next adventure in our lives. Trevor and I are having a baby! It has been a long, difficult five year struggle, so we are feeling absolutely blessed and elated to be pregnant.

There are few details right now... I am around 8 weeks, but will know more for sure after our first ultrasound on Tuesday. I haven't been sick (yet), but I have no appetite and feel very tired. There is not a history of morning sickness in the women in my family, so I am hoping the trend continues. If not, I will happily deal with whatever comes my way!

We look forward to sharing this experience with all our family and friends. Much love to you all...

Savannah, GA

Easter weekend we made plans to go to Charleston with my parents. When my mom called to make reservations she discovered that the entire city was booked for the holiday weekend! So, we changed our destination to Savannah, Georgia. It was a new city for all of us, and we had a great time! On Saturday, we all set out to see Tybee Island, one of the many islands of the coast. I love lighthouses, so seeing the Tybee Island Lighthouse was a must for me. We were able to tour the grounds, the keepers' houses, and the lighthouse too. It was a long trip to the top...
But the view was well worth it! Then we all made our way to the beach to put our toes in the Atlantic. It was COLD!
After Tybee Island, we had lunch at Uncle Bubba's Restaurant. Uncle Bubba is Paula Dean's brother, and the city of Savannah is very proud of its famous culinary siblings. Our lunch was delicious, and I tried my first fresh oysters. Unexpectedly, I loved them!

After lunch, we headed over to tour Fort Pulaski. The fort was used to defend the city during the Civil War.
Inside the walls of the fort, there were two levels. The living quarters were located on the bottom, and the top level housed many weapons and views of the surrounding area.

The view looking down the barrel of one of the guns used at the fort.

Me and mom at the fort.

Saturday was a great day. The only bummer was that by the end of the day Trevor was MISERABLE! His allergies went crazy and he was not feeling well by the time we returned to the motorhome. The next morning, he wasn't feeling any better, so I set out with my mom and dad to see Savannah's historical downtown. The buildings were amazingly beautiful! This is the Catherdral of St. John the Baptist.

The stained glass murals were amazing.

And the architecture was beautiful.

We walked all around the city, including Forsythe Park.

Here are some of the other buildings we saw on our tour of the city.

This is the Mercer House... it was featured in the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

Throughout the city, there are over 20 squares, which are like small parks. Most have statues of important historical figures.

Later in the afternoon, the three of us went on a ride on the river boat. It was a great way to see the city's coast, and after all our walking it felt good to sit for an hour!This is the River Street area, seen from the river boat.

We had a great day in the city, but we definitely missed Trev! Later that evening, once he was feeling a little better, my mom and I took him into the city so that he could see some of the highlights. Hopefully on our next trip he won't be confined to bed rest!

Home Sweet Home

We are back!! It has been a busy 2009 so far! Trevor and I decided we were tired of the apartment life, and since rental prices are higher here in Asheville than some mortgages, we decided it was time to buy. We found this great condo and fell in love with it. It's on the top (third) floor of the building, which made for a difficult move. But with the help of wonderful family and great friends we managed to traverse the two flights of stairs with all our belongings! My amazing parents came up from Alabama to help. Before moving in, we managed to paint all the walls. I am not one for white walls, so they were gracious enough to tackle the huge painting job so that we wouldn't have to do it after moving in. Below are some pictures of our new home.

Kitchen from the living room -before:

And after:
Living room from the dining room:
View from the entry way - before:
And after:

There are three bedrooms in the condo. We are using the one designated as the master bedroom (with the attached bath) as the guest room. So come visit us!! Here is our bedroom - before:And after:

I finally got my red wall!

The condo development is very pet friendly, so we will be able to have our boys more often!! We will have shared custody with my parents. All dogs should have four caregivers, right?!? They will still spend a lot of time with their grandparents... they love Alabama, all the grass, and spending time in the Man Cave with my dad. Louie, on the other hand, doesn't give a lick where he lives. As long as he has his fuzzy green blanket, he is home!

Charleston

Last weekend Trevor and I decided to take a mini-vacation. Here in Asheville, we are within a few hours of many wonderful cities, but we chose to visit Charleston, South Carolina. Trevor really wanted to see the ocean, and Charleston is the closest coastal city for us. We had never been there, but it quickly made our list of favorite places to visit! The city is beautiful and it is rich in Revolutionary and Civil War history. We spent all day Saturday walking through the historical downtown district. The streets were narrow, and often made of brick or cobble stone, and the houses were amazingly beautiful! Although all of the houses are currently personal residences, most are historical landmarks with plaques detailing when and by whom they were built. Many of them are older than the United States... amazing... they truly don't build them like they used to!
This was one of my favorite houses... even the ivy growing on the pillars was trimmed and gorgeous.

We didn't have time to tour Fort Sumter, but we did stop at a park in the city that commemorated the fort and the Confederate soldiers who fought on behalf of the south. There were statues, busts, and replicas of weapons throughout the park. There were hundreds of churches in the downtown area, all of which are beautiful. We saw the first Baptist church in the south (founded in 1682)...

And St. Michael's, which the church George Washington worshiped at when visiting the area.After a day in the city, we made our way out to the Isle of Palms, one of the many islands that make up the Charleston area. Because it is the off-season, hotel rooms are pretty reasonable. We stayed at a nice little hotel right on the beach. This was the view from our balcony:After a year of living in the east, we finally touched the Atlantic Ocean!! I was great, but a little strange! After growing up near the Pacific, I felt like I was looking the wrong way to be seeing the beach... and it was really strange to watch the sunRISE instead of the sunSET! The tall grass growing along the shoreline really helped set the two oceans apart. Atlantic or Pacific, the ocean is amazing, especially the sound of the waves. Before heading home, we drove over to another island called Sullivan's Island. There, we discovered Fort Moultrie. This fort played a role in both the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. We could have walked around there all day! On the top of the main fort wall was a cannon, and behind it there was a waving flag. I don't think you can tell too well from the picture, but there are only 15 stars on the flag. The shoreline near the fort allowed for a great view back on the downtown area and the HUGE bridge that links the islands with the mainland. It was a great weekend and we cannot wait to go back to see the Citadel, Fort Sumter, and the famous plantations.

Seven Falls

Trevor works for a development company called Seven Falls. They are creating an upscale housing community and Premier Arnold Palmer golf course just south of Asheville. The grounds are extensive, and as the name implies, contain many beautiful waterfalls.

The week before Thanksgiving, we had Taz and Tanner with us. It was great to share our home with them again, even if it was just for 10 days! While we had our boys with us, we decided we would go on a family hike at Seven Falls.

It was a chilly day, and with the lay of the land, there were many areas that never received direct sunlight. It made for some beautiful iced trees and iced falls!

I can't wait to see it later in the winter, with snow all around, and then again in spring when all the trees bloom and green up!