....Knoxville, TN! Well, actually Gatlinburg for now, but Knoxville eventually. I am so excited to finally be able to share this news. I've been holding it in for about six months now. Here's the story.
As you all know, Cary and I have been here in NC for seminary since 2007. It's been a long and trying six years, but God has never failed to show us his love, faithfulness, provision and guidance during this time. Cary has felt the call to ministry since high school. He just wasn't sure, at that time, what that meant or where he might end up. Since then, he has had several different ministry opportunities, including, leading worship, teaching SS, being a counselor, etc. When we got married, Cary knew he wanted to go back to school for his master's degree and after researching and praying, we felt God leading us to seminary and that's how we ended up here in NC.
I have to get on my soap box for a minute to praise my husband. He is AMAZING! When we moved here, within a month, we both had jobs at Starbucks. It was a huge blessing to find jobs that fast. Within two months, I got a promotion. By the next summer (08), Cary also got promoted at his store. This ended up being more of a blessing than we realized since I got pregnant that fall. While I was on maternity leave with Connor, Cary got promoted to Assistant Store Manager (09), and six months after that he was promoted to Store Manager (2010) at the Spring Forrest store, where he has been for the last three and half years. Not only has Cary been in school full time, during all of this, but we have also had two children. So for about four of the six years we've lived here, Cary has been a husband, father, full-time student, and working 40+ hours a week. It has not been easy, but we've grown a lot as a couple, as parents, and individually. I cannot tell you enough how thankful I am for this man. He is a wonderful father to our children, and an amazing husband to me.
Back to the story.
A little over a year ago, Cary and I were discussing our future plans and where we felt God was leading us. It was then that Cary told me he felt led to start his ministry and asked how I felt about it. I was a little apprehensive at first. After some time of thinking it through and praying over it, I knew this was the direction God was leading us. I knew this would mean a lot of changes and possibly moving out of this area. Originally, we talked about finding a church somewhere around here, or within a couple of hours so that Cary wouldn't have so far to drive back for class. As we discussed our options, we just kept feeling pulled back to TN. We've had a few rough times here and not being close to any family, other than my mom, who is still six hours away, has made it harder. We made the decision to move back to TN to be closer to family, and we chose Knoxville. Cary will have to drive back for class once a week when he starts his doctorate and six hours was kind of his limit. We have several friends that will be staying in this area for a while so he will have a place to crash just for a night, if needed.
Back in February, we contacted the guy who is in charge of the Knoxville area Southern Baptist Association, and he sent us a list of churches that are currently looking for pastors and youth pastors. Some full time and some bi-vocational. By the end of March, we had resumes printed, stuffed and addressed. I put 13 in the mail box, and the waiting began. In May, we got our first call back. It was from a bi-vocational church and the lady Cary talked to was on the search committee. She asked him a few questions and seemed very interested. She was going to pass the information along in the next meeting. Cary has talked to her a couple more times, but the last we heard was that they were still meeting and taking their time with the decision. At the beginning of June, he got emails from two other churches saying that they received his resume and would be in touch. It was at the point that we decided to take a leap of faith and just go ahead and move.
We knew that we would want to buy a house once we moved this time. Since we've been married, including this move, we've moved four times in almost seven years. That's a lot of moving! With the uncertainty of when Cary would get a job, we thought we may have to rent for a while once we got to Knoxville while we looked for a house. My mom and step-dad had recently finished flipping a house in Gatlinburg, with no intent to make it their own. After several months of thinking and praying and weighing out their financial options, they decided to move into that house! It is much bigger than the one they used to live in and with four grand babies between me and my brother, we would need more space during the holidays. Cary and I talked to them about living there until we found a job and a home of our own. They agreed! What a HUGE blessing that will be! We will have to put our things in storage for a while, but it will be totally worth it! We really have no timeline for how long we will live with them. We are thinking at least six months, if not longer.
As for a job in the meantime, Cary has decided to stay with Starbucks and step down to barista. He has already contacted the Starbucks in Pigeon Forge and talked with the manager. She has a spot waiting for him when we get there! Such a blessing! We will be able to keep our health insurance and we will still have money coming in to help with groceries, utilities, etc., while we live with my mom and step-dad.
We are sad to be leaving NC and the wonderful friends we have made over the last six years. We have been truly blessed by the lives of those around us and we are looking forward to this new chapter in our lives. We are excited about new friends to be made and being reunited with others! We will be so much closer to family, as well.
Our new adventure will take place in five short weeks! Eek! We load up the truck on August 23rd and head out August 24th. What an amazing journey it's been here, but we are looking forward to what God has for us as we begin this new chapter. Please pray for us and with us as we make this transition, that it will be as smooth as possible.
God's grace is sufficient.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Potty Training Central
Oh me oh my! We are finally down to only one set of diapers in this house!!!
About nine months ago, just before Chloe was born, I posted a blog about Connor finally being ready to potty train. We even went to the store and bought two packs of underwear. Well, no such luck. His interest changed before we could even get started. We were really disappointed and discouraged. We were hoping he would be trained before Chloe arrived or shortly after. Over the last nine months we have asked and encouraged and he just didn't want to. We did not want to force him, but we knew this needed to happen soon. Finally, out of desperation, I asked some local moms if they had any advice to offer. One mom posted a link to another blog that she said was a great help to her. After reading it, I felt like a weight had been lifted. It made so much sense! We discovered that part of the reason Connor did not want to potty train was because we were not excited about it. I mean, let's be honest, who is excited about constantly asking their child if they need to pee, or cleaning up when they don't make it to the potty in time. He is definitely old enough and we knew he would catch on pretty quick, but our lack of excitement was not helping. Another thing her blog mentions, is letting them pick out their own undies and constantly talking about undies. Once we decided to go forward with this, we picked a weekend that Cary could take three days off, and everyday until then we talked about undies, with over-the-top, bubbly excitement, I might add. We told him he could pick them out, we told him how his friends and family members wear undies, we wear undies, etc.
Finally this weekend came. Thursday night after dinner, we headed to Target. Connor got to pick out two packs of undies. He chose Angry Birds Star Wars, and Lego Star Wars. We also let him pick out a new movie to watch for peeing in the potty. The blog said to have some rewards set aside just for going potty. Now we were all set for the next day.
Friday
As soon as we got up, we took off the last diaper my boy would ever wear! He picked out his first pair of undies to put on. We showed him how excited we were about him wearing big boy undies and going potty and the rest of the day was spent asking him if he needed to go. It turned out much better than I expected it to. We only had three accidents, one was our fault. He was at the table eating lunch and we asked if he needed to go and he said yes and we asked again to be sure and he said no. We should have gotten him up and let him go. By that night, he was really starting to get the hang of it. We put Pull-ups on him at nap and nighttime. We put him to bed that night and told him we were so proud and he was doing such a great job. He smiled from ear to ear. After about 10 minutes, he called for me. I went up to see what he wanted and he said he had to go pee. I have read that this can be a difficult situation during potty training because children say they need to potty just to get out of bed. No my boy! He called for me three times that night to go potty and he went EVERY. SINGLE. TIME! Overall, the day was huge success!
Saturday
He completely surprised us that morning. We got him up and let him go potty and had breakfast. A little bit later, without either of us asking, he went to the bathroom and tried to get up on the toilet all by himself!! We were both amazed and so proud of him! We praised him big time and showed him how to put his stool up to the toilet so he could climb up and go. We repeatedly asked him throughout the rest of the day, but there were several times when he would just go on his own. We only had one accident that morning. By the end of the day, we was going all by himself.
Sunday
By this time, he was a pro! We still ask him occasionally, just as a reminder, but mostly, if he needs to go, he just goes. I cannot say enough how PROUD I am of him. This weekend went so much better than we had expected. Other than a few dribbles in his undies, we did not have any accidents and we haven't had any since.
We are still working on pooping in the potty, but we've got the first step down!
About nine months ago, just before Chloe was born, I posted a blog about Connor finally being ready to potty train. We even went to the store and bought two packs of underwear. Well, no such luck. His interest changed before we could even get started. We were really disappointed and discouraged. We were hoping he would be trained before Chloe arrived or shortly after. Over the last nine months we have asked and encouraged and he just didn't want to. We did not want to force him, but we knew this needed to happen soon. Finally, out of desperation, I asked some local moms if they had any advice to offer. One mom posted a link to another blog that she said was a great help to her. After reading it, I felt like a weight had been lifted. It made so much sense! We discovered that part of the reason Connor did not want to potty train was because we were not excited about it. I mean, let's be honest, who is excited about constantly asking their child if they need to pee, or cleaning up when they don't make it to the potty in time. He is definitely old enough and we knew he would catch on pretty quick, but our lack of excitement was not helping. Another thing her blog mentions, is letting them pick out their own undies and constantly talking about undies. Once we decided to go forward with this, we picked a weekend that Cary could take three days off, and everyday until then we talked about undies, with over-the-top, bubbly excitement, I might add. We told him he could pick them out, we told him how his friends and family members wear undies, we wear undies, etc.
Finally this weekend came. Thursday night after dinner, we headed to Target. Connor got to pick out two packs of undies. He chose Angry Birds Star Wars, and Lego Star Wars. We also let him pick out a new movie to watch for peeing in the potty. The blog said to have some rewards set aside just for going potty. Now we were all set for the next day.
Friday
As soon as we got up, we took off the last diaper my boy would ever wear! He picked out his first pair of undies to put on. We showed him how excited we were about him wearing big boy undies and going potty and the rest of the day was spent asking him if he needed to go. It turned out much better than I expected it to. We only had three accidents, one was our fault. He was at the table eating lunch and we asked if he needed to go and he said yes and we asked again to be sure and he said no. We should have gotten him up and let him go. By that night, he was really starting to get the hang of it. We put Pull-ups on him at nap and nighttime. We put him to bed that night and told him we were so proud and he was doing such a great job. He smiled from ear to ear. After about 10 minutes, he called for me. I went up to see what he wanted and he said he had to go pee. I have read that this can be a difficult situation during potty training because children say they need to potty just to get out of bed. No my boy! He called for me three times that night to go potty and he went EVERY. SINGLE. TIME! Overall, the day was huge success!
Saturday
He completely surprised us that morning. We got him up and let him go potty and had breakfast. A little bit later, without either of us asking, he went to the bathroom and tried to get up on the toilet all by himself!! We were both amazed and so proud of him! We praised him big time and showed him how to put his stool up to the toilet so he could climb up and go. We repeatedly asked him throughout the rest of the day, but there were several times when he would just go on his own. We only had one accident that morning. By the end of the day, we was going all by himself.
Sunday
By this time, he was a pro! We still ask him occasionally, just as a reminder, but mostly, if he needs to go, he just goes. I cannot say enough how PROUD I am of him. This weekend went so much better than we had expected. Other than a few dribbles in his undies, we did not have any accidents and we haven't had any since.
We are still working on pooping in the potty, but we've got the first step down!
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Pad Thai
I don't know about you, but I love some good Thai food. Really, just about any kind of Asian food is good. My all time favorite, Pad Thai. The saltiness of the peanuts and sauce, mixed with the fresh lime and cilantro. Simply, amazing. Sadly, I cannot remember the first time I ever had Pad Thai, but I do remember the first time I had it at Pei Wei. Life changing! It was so delicious and the portion was big enough to make two meals out of it! I would eat there at least once a week if I could. Since we do not have the money for that, and eating at home is always a healthier option, I decided to try a recipe I found on Pinterest. It turned out way better than I expected and it was so simple! I have always thought of Pad Thai as this really intricate and complex dish. I guess that is why I have waited so long to try this recipe. I'm glad I finally did.
Chicken Pad Thai
1 1/2-2 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-2 inch strips (cut them kind of thin)
1- 8oz box Thai kitchen brown rice noodles (these will be in the Asian isle)
4 Tbsp brown sugar
6 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
4 Tbsp lime juice (I used the bottled lime juice and it tasted fine, but fresh would work too)
1/2 tsp hot sauce
3 eggs, well beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 green onions chopped, whites and greens separated. Whites chopped thin, greens cut into 2 inch strips.
1 lime, cut into wedges
Small handful fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
1. In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, soy sauce, lime juice and hot sauce. Set aside and stir occasionally to help sugar dissolve. You want to it to be dissolved before you add it to the pan.
2. Fill a large pot with water, boil and add your noodles. Set a timer for 4 minutes. If they cook too long, they will be mushy. Once cooked, drain and set aside.
3. While you wait for the water to boil, heat a wok, or large non-stick pan over medium heat and add some oil. Saute' chicken until cooked. Transfer to a plate.
4. Using the same pan, add a little more oil. Add garlic and onion whites and saute' for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
5. Add in your eggs and scramble them with the onion and garlic. Once the eggs are cooked, transfer to a plate and set aside
6. Once again, in the same pan, add your drained noodles, onion greens and sauce to the pan. Stir it around and let cook for about a minute. Turn the heat down to medium-low.
7. Add in the reserved chicken and scrambled eggs and stir to coat. Cook another minute or two, just until the eggs and chicken are heated through.
8. Garnish with peanuts and cilantro. Squeeze a lime wedge over and mix well. Enjoy!
Here is the original recipe that I followed. I changed a few things to my liking and I doubled this recipe.
http://browniesfordinner.com/2010/05/11/easy-pad-thai/
Monday, June 3, 2013
Update: Mullen happenings
Well, I've managed to do it again. It's been almost nine months since my last post. I do not intend to use my blog as an "update only" on our lives, but as with everything, if I don't make it a priority, then it doesn't get done. But since it has been so long, here are some pics that capture the last several months.
For the first time, since we've lived here, sadly, we FINALLY went strawberry picking! It was so much fun. Connor had a blast. Chloe, not so much. It was pretty windy that day and she was not a fan.
September: Our sweet little girl, Chloe, was born. This was the day we took her home from the hospital.
October: Chloe ditched the paci and chose her thumb.
December: Christmas time! Here is our tree and stockings
Our gifts. All but two of the kids gifts came from Bayleaf's Toy Chest. Such a blessing!
January: We took our annual trip home to see family. This is Connor and his sweet cousin, Ryleigh.
I just really like these next few pictures.
I'm going to get this one framed.
Sibling love.
April: We went to my mom's for Easter. Here are all the eggs we dyed, which later became deviled eggs for dinner!
Since we were so close, we made a dinner date with these crazy kids. Love them and their family so so much! Lifelong friends for sure!
Me and my bestie!
May: Cary's little sister graduated from MTSU. We decided to go and surprise her for her special day. It was really great to see family and spend some time with them.
We have some close friends in Murfreesboro who just bought a house. It worked out nicely that we got to stay with them and visit with them for the weekend as well.
My other bestie. College friends for life!
Chloe also turned eight months in May.
Not only did Chloe decide to start crawling
but she also decided to start pulling up!
For the first time, since we've lived here, sadly, we FINALLY went strawberry picking! It was so much fun. Connor had a blast. Chloe, not so much. It was pretty windy that day and she was not a fan.
June: I'm only one week away from finishing my C25K. I got some nice new running shoes to keep me going!
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