Recap on the end of 2008!

The past four months have passed like a whirlwind. I'm amazed that God has brought us through so much transition so peacefully and with such amazing provision.

In October we decided it was time to take a huge leap of faith and accept a position in Spring Lake with http://www.libertybaptistchurch.com. I was able to blog about our first nights here. It was adventurous to say the least. I was very uncertain about our decision as we traveled down in an RV for who knew how long. Living day in and day out in a little 28 foot RV would challenge any persons sanity not to mention a marriage! But by God's grace we made it through sane and stronger. It is definitely something we will NEVER..I repeat...NEVER forget. It is also something I really would not ever want to do again!

We were in the process of trying to sell a home in Boone and find a home in Spring Lake. It's a great time to buy a house, but a terrible time to sell and we had no idea how God was going to work this one out, but of course he came through once again. One day in November I receive a call from a school in Fayetteville that wanted me to interview for a position in 6th grade. Anyone who knows my teaching history knows that last year I taught 5th grade and was less than enthused with the attitude that seems to develop in those preteen years. I was less than thrilled about the idea of a 6th grade room but went to interview. After talking with all 4 principals I decided that I should just take the position. 45 min. classes, teaching Comm Skills and Social Studies (both non test areas for the state of NC), and 2 planning periods! Why not....sounded like a breeze compared to Elementary Schools where I had to teach everything!! It was going to be a challenge, but more to come on that. After receiving the job that put us having 2 incomes and what we needed to live and pay two mortgages (not recommended by the way) and before Christmas we had an offer on a home in Spring Lake and a home in Boone! We were completely trusting that God had brought us here for his Divine purpose and would work it all out.

One week before Christmas we closed on the home in Spring Lake and headed to Boone to pack up all our belongings and empty our wonderful home at 400 Knollwood. That was a bittersweet time. Being in the mountains and back in what felt like our home made it difficult to leave and difficult to want to pack up. We were blessed by our new church with the ability to hire a moving company and I highly recommend it to anyone moving! It was so much work to pack it in boxes but to not have to load it and move it was HUGE! You don't realize how much stuff you have until you box it all up and begin to collect it together! I never imagined we would fill up this big truck when it arrived, but when the last pieces were being put in, they were running out of room! AND WE DON'T EVEN HAVE KIDS!

We love our new home. It's the first time we have lived in a neighborhood where we could really see our neighbors and their houses are close enough to ours that we know where our yards meet. We really don't see our neighbors much though because they are all military families and I think some of them are gone.

The holidays were wonderful with our families. But we were so exhausted, that we really didn't take that many pictures; Unheard of in the Berry home! But here are a few snippets of precious Ella! We're never short on pics of her!

2008 closed with amazing provision from God. We could hardly wait at that point to see how we would adjust to a new home, new church, new friendships, and for me a new classroom!