The Beginning of the End . . .

Today marks the first day of classes for Don's last year of seminary!!! We are truly blessed with an easier schedule for both of us. Don has only four classes to complete to be eligible for graduation. He was going to be an over-achiever and squeeze in another hard class this semester because he loves the professor, but he decided against it (to my great delight). Next semester he has one main class that all seniors need to take before the end of their seminary career and we are also planning on going to the Biblical Counseling Training Conference again this year held in Lafayette, IN. Don receives an elective credit for taking this course, and it's great because I get to attend with him and it is a really great learning time for us!

I also have a slower schedule. As many of you know, I am no longer teaching 2nd grade. It is really neat how the Lord continues to prove over and over that we are in the center of His will. I ended on a great note, I had a great class and we had a lot of fun. I am now working from home. I had a friend who got me into what she was doing. I make my own hours and the pay is not bad (especially because I can do it in my PJ's!!). I am trying to still work part time (20 hours). I am also staying busy with the volleyball girls. The volleyball season has just begun this week and this is my last year coaching them. I am already sad, and it is just the first week. I love being with these girls. They are a lot of fun and are so sweet!

Godiva is still up to the same old routine. She begins her day with a stretch outside, going potty, a little breakfast to give her the strength to make it to the office floor, where she then proceeds to lay down and nap. This basic pattern occurs all day. Thankfully she has enough energy to now follow me around as I do the laundry or other various tasks of keeping up the home! I think she is grateful that I am home too, so she is not stuck in her 2'x3'x3' cage for eight to ten hours a day.

Thanks especially to family and friends who have been praying for us as we have gone through this seminary experience. God has been very gracious and He has proven Himself over and over to us. I can't speak for Don, but I know that He would never take back these years he has put into his further education. I am so very proud of my husband as he has followed God's direction and has excelled in what he has put his hand to.

Post Dedicated to: Shannon Conley - who gave me the inspiration and idea for this post! Congrats again on your little "Jason Bourne Conley"!!

The view from my backyard . . .

I am about to admit something that I found today that was absolutely horrifying in my backyard!!! Don and I are working on a project that will be revealed sometime this month on our blog (it is almost finished!!). As I was about to begin my stage of the project, I noticed Godiva shoot around to the side yard. Not completely out of the norm, since she is a huge chaser of anything that moves even grass and sticks sometimes. When she returned to the main yard, she was not alone. She was preceded by a young robin that was flying low to the ground. It was squealing bloody murder and as I continued to watch this saga enfold before my eyes, I realized why it was screeching so awfully. . . GODIVA! Out of nowhere her paw batted the bird back to the ground and continued the chase on her level. She continued to play cat and mouse throughout the backyard. The bird then brought backup. I had several other robins sitting on the tree limbs, surrounding fences and shed all squawking at the hunter and yet helpless in their attempt to free their friend. Godiva paying no mind to anything other than the prey in front of her amused herself by grabbing the bird by the wing and flinging it. (You are probably thinking, "Katrina, for goodness sake, do something, anything, for the life of this helpless bird rests in your hands!!") So being the quick and independent thinker that I am, I picked up my cell and called Don! I held the phone up in the air so he could hear the chaos coming from our small backyard and explained that our dog, yes dog, not lion, had caused this ruckus. He brought me back to the sobering reality that Godiva is a Labrador Retriever. She is bred to retrieve birds and that I should tell her "good girl" and put her in the house and we'll deal with the defeathered carcass later. To which I submissively responded, okay. But I couldn't do this before I got some good photos for those who are visual learners! =) I then had to call the mother of Godiva's best friend to explain that I don't think our dogs are good for each other anymore (completely joking!). Godiva has taught Cali some naughty habits, and now it seems as if Cali is teaching Godiva a thing or two about a dog's life (Sorry Sarah, your secret is no longer safe!)





For those of you who are still worried about the bird, I brought Godiva back into the house; I pulled out the shovel and freed the bird into our neighbor's yard. However, I don't believe this bird will make it back into the tree. I never thought of my sweet Godiva being so cruel. Fly hunter, yes! Cockroach killer, Yes, Yes! Cricket smoosher, fine and dandy! Grasshopper chomper, that is just grand! Bird torturer, I'm not too keen on this new development! This now concludes the episode of "The Circle of Life at our Chesapeake Home"! Excuse me as I go and wash out Godiva's mouth, which is suppose to be one of the cleanest mouths all of the animal kingdom, but is now infected with all the diseases that the bird might have been carrying with it!

Happy Birthday to Don . . .

TOMORROW!!

But since we'll be involved with our church later on this evening and all tomorrow, I thought I would celebrate blog-style today.

Last weekend we began our celebration early. Since Don had the weekend off and his fishing buddy, TJ, was free; we did something that we have wanted to do since we moved to Virginia Beach. I decided that Don has enough stuff and no where to put more stuff, so I decided the biggest part of his present would be a charter boat fishing trip. We also found a coupon for buy one afternoon fishing trip, get one free!!! Now that is our style! =)

We had a great time pulling up fish after fish! By the time all was said and done, we had a bucket of Croakers. Each of us even caught a sand shark! A few others on the boat caught Flounders, but they had to be a specific size in order to keep them. Another guy caught a stingray! It was a lot of fun, so much so that even the less experienced fisherman could have a great time as well and even catch some fish.

Here is a few pictures from Don's Birthday Celebration Day - the week before his actual birthday!



A picture of where we will be fishing. You can not tell by the picture, but it was storming like crazy when we left the dock and in this picture. But as you can see by the rest of the pictures, we escaped the rain, thunder, and lighting when we got further out into the Bay.



The Happy Couple!



Heading out of the marina and out to the fishing spot. We were fishing out by the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (which has three tunnels and many miles long!!). We were out to the second tunnel and around the bridges.



Our fishing companions - TJ and Shannon! Shannon is holding up her "dukes" that have been wrapped with the "Seabands" that are suppose to prevent motion sickness. Let's just say she won't be endorsing them anytime soon!



The first shark caught - by your's truly! Look Mom, I'm holding it! Aren't you so proud!



The Birthday Boy's double catch!



TJ and his big catch of the day! This is a black sea bass.



Our bucket full of fish!



Don's Shark!



The guys in their glory!


Thanks again, TJ and Shannon, for coming and celebrating with us!


AND . . .

Don, I am so glad that I have a chance to celebrate with you another year of eldership! I love being married to you and I love how the Lord has brought us together and given us such a strong bond! Happy Birthday Donny!