Some new Kirkpatrick news!

Well it's been a while since I have updated the blog, so I figured it was time. We have had massive amounts of rain lately in Tallahassee, and many people in the surrounding counties homes have flooded, which is really sad.

We had a great Easter. We spent it here in Tallahassee and ate with a family at our church. I missed being with family in Mississippi and Alabama, but it was nice to not be on the rode driving.

I do have some news to mention and that is I am pregnant! I am expecting the first Kirkpatrick baby!! John and I are really excited! I am about 8 weeks so not very far along and am due at the end of November. It will be fun to have a baby so close to my sister so they can play together!! I never in my wildest dreams thought Katy and I would be pregnant at the same time!! Ha!! My dad was really funny on the phone when I told him. He said "We are sure going to have a busy fall, but it's a good busy. When ya'll have kids you sure do have them don't you" I laughed at him and told him yea I thought we would bombard him with grand kids all at once. Anyways they are excited.

Being pregnant has had it's downsides lately, especially with morning sickness. They really should call morning sickness "all day sickness". Feeling nauseous it not very fun. I will be happy when all this passes in a month or so, I hope!

Well hate to cut this entry short, but I am pretty tired and in need of a nap. I will try to write again soon!

Well it's been a while since I have written. It's been pretty crazy around here. It seems like it has been raining for weeks. Our garden is really starting to grow, which I am excited about. I posted some pictures of it. We even have a small cherry tomato on one of our tomato plants... it's way to early for tomatoes, so not sure why so we have one so soon... well I know this is a short entry, but I am tired today and in need of a nap. I will write a longer one next time. Looking forward to some sunny weather, until then I will stay in the house out of the rain!

Veggies and Fruit are on the way......

Spring time is already here in Tallahassee and pollen is in full force!! A lot has been going on since I last posted. Last week I drove to Mississippi and visited my parents for several days. I also got to eat and visit with my grandparents and Aunt Kathleen.
I really enjoyed getting to spend some time with family, but sadly I had to come back to reality!!!

This past weekend John and I stated working on our garden. We bought some tomato plants which we have planted in some pots. We also bought some cow manure! Yes, I do mean actual cow manure.... and to be honest I thought it was quite gross, but according to John's Nanny it really helps a garden if you mix it with your soil. So, I hope it will actually help our garden grow some yummy veggies!! We are planning on planting some squash, okra, bell peppers, and tomatoes. We have some other seeds that John's nanny gave us, but I don't want to over do it, since this is our first real try!! I will try to take some pictures soon for you to see.

We lucked out in our yard here in Tallahassee to have a peach tree already planted in our back yard. I honestly wasn't sure how well it was doing based on the looks, but to my surprise it already has small round peaches forming! I was so excited to see these and can't wait till they ripen and we can eat them!! Our neighbor says, is usually produces a lot of peaches every year, so that was good to hear!! Also, a while back I told you about the lemon tree John and I planted in a pot. It has struggled along, and spider mites got on it at one point, but I have slowly nursed it back to health and it looks like it might be getting some small lemon buds forming, which I was very excited about!! So hopefully we will get to have our own lemons and peaches this year!! I never knew growing your own veggies and fruit could be so much fun!!

Saturday, John and I ordered some new counter tops for our kitchen here. John is really tired of look at the old light green ones that have been here since the house was built. We also knew that if we try to sell this house they would need to be updated. We picked out some high definition laminate that will look tons better. It takes at least 3 weeks to come in, and funny enough it is being made in Gulfport Mississippi!! I will post some pictures after John installs them.

Well not much else is going on and I am behind on laundry. I continue to be in awe of all God is doing in our life! Until next time......

Lessons taught during tough economic times

Well it's been over a week since I have posted, so I figured it was about time to write a new entry. Since then we have had a cold front come through the south, which produced snow where John's parents live in north Alabama and my sister and Craig also got snow in starkville, MS. I thought come march things were suppose to warm up a little and I sure hope that happens soon. I have never been a fan of cold weather, which is why I prefer to live and have lived in the southern part of the US my entire life.

As most of you already know and probably have been following, our economy continues to tank and hasn't shown any signs of relief coming in the near future. Yesterday, the Dow Jones and the s&p 500 both fell to 11 year lows. What does this tell us?? It definitely looks like the more money Obama is throwing at these major companies the markets are telling us they don't like it. You would think he would get a clue at some point and quit spending all this money, but that doesn't look promising anytime soon. Also, the job loss rate is the highest its been in years. In fact, in the last two days I found out about 2 different families we knew in Valdosta that their husbands no longer have jobs due to the economy. When I heard this my heart hurt for them, because a little over a year ago John and I were in the same place they are in. When I think back to December 2007, when John found out he was losing his job, I still get amazed and am so thankful at how the Lord took care of us. In fact, if I had the choice to go back and change what happened I wouldn't. God used John's job situation to teach me many lessons. Some of these are, what it means to fully put your trust in the Lord, that worrying is not the answer cause He is always in control, and that His plan for our life is so much better than our own. Jeremiah 29:11 says: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." This was one of my favorite verses during the time John lost his job. I know how hard the uncertainties can be for these families, but I also know that if they put their trust in the Lord, He will not only provide, but He will bless them more than they will ever expect. John and I are perfect examples of this. One of my favorite quotes by Richard Phillips says "The key to trials is to get out of them all that God intends for us." Having this attitude can change your whole perspective on any situation. In our world today, there is a huge distinction between good times and bad times and between sorrow and joy. However, in the eyes of God, they're never separated. Where there is pain, there is healing. Where there is mourning, there is dancing. Where there is poverty, there is the kingdom. God never promised our skies to always be blue, but He did promise strength for the day,rest for the labor, light for the way, grace for the trails, help from above, unfailing sympathy and undying love. I am so very grateful that no matter what circumstance we are enduring, we can still have true joy from the Lord! I pray that God will give these families a peace that surpasses all understanding during this tough economic time of losing their jobs. I know God has great plans for them and I can't wait to see what they are!

I challenge everyone that is not being directly affected by our economy and still has their job to remember to thank God every day, because we never know who this is going to affect next!