I have found my new home

So it's been a decision I have been pondering for about a year now. I have now decided to join my husband's church that he grew up in, Jefferson Avenue Church of Christ. I am so excited to finally have a church home to call home, it has been a long time. The biggest thing for me has been the decision to be baptist or church of Christ. I was raised in a baptist church most of my life, and when Jonathan and I got married he was church of Christ so we naturally began attending a church of Christ.

We previously attended Baxter Church of Christ but have not been there for along time now. We have been visiting occasionally at Jefferson Ave., and every time we have been I have really enjoyed the preacher and the people are so kind and loving. It seems like every Sunday that I am having an issue with something or wondering about something, the preacher has preached about that exact subject. Well last Sunday they announced that they were needing help with the toddler class for a teacher to rotate every 9 weeks and a full time assistant, and obviously I was extremely excited about this. I've been telling Jonathan for awhile now that I wanted to get back into teaching a class in church. So I called the church on Monday. They were excited about me wanting to teach but I was told that I had to be a member of the church to do so. So without hesitation I said yes I would like that very much so. I feel like this is God's plan, to tell me this is where he wants me...where he needs me, and I am so happy about becoming a member at Jefferson Ave. We met with the elders tonight after church and now we are all officially members. I am ready to serve my Lord and let him use me for what ever he needs, rather it's teaching or something else, I know that he has a plan for me. I am also excited to have a steady place to raise my children up in.

This morning a young man got baptized and I think it was the "moment' that opened Erik's eyes about becoming a Christian. He asked me a lot of questions, and I had explained to him that Jesus died for all of our sins, and Erik told me that he loved everyone and that he would die for everyone too...That's amazing for a 10 year old to say. So I pray that I will be able to guide him and lead him the right way, and that he will be a man of God. He's already off to a good start, and I am very proud of him.

How my life as a mommy...and wife began

Well as most of you that do know me, and for those of you don't, I want to share my story of how becoming a mommy, then a wife changed me. When I was 19 I became a mom. My first son, Erik was born, and I was single (well not married, but in a relationship with my boyfriend of a yr). It's not something that I am very proud of, but it is something that became the turning point in my life. When I first had my son Erik, it was very hard for me...I really had no idea how to be a mommy. Sure I knew the basics...to feed him, bathe him, make sure he was safe....but really no idea what all it took to shape and mold this new life. (Keep in mind I was a single mother and I lived at home). Well I finally decided to move out on my own with my son and I moved to Cookeville. It was the scariest thing I had ever done, but I had decided it was something I had to do. Before I had moved to Cookeville I had already met Jonathan, my husband, and we had been dating for about 6 months. I moved to Cookeville and I had my own apartment and he had his own place. Well after moving to Cookeville I was working nights and he was working days, so he would watch Erik in the evenings while I worked. We continued to work and had discussed marriage. As time went on Jonathan and I had talked about him adopting Erik. So in August of 2002 we had went to a child support hearing, where Erik's biological father had decided he wanted to sign his rights away to me. Which I was extatic...not that I didn't want Erik's father to not have anything to do with him...he never did have anything to do with him...and Jonathan had grown to love Erik and take care of him as his own...I just felt it would be easier on all of us. So little did we know the "laws", but we were told in order for Erik's father to sign his rights over to me I had to be married, and my husband would have to adopt him. So during the break Jonathan and I talked about it...and he told me "Let's get married." I was really shocked, cause yes we had been engaged for almost 10 months...but I knew we didn't have the money saved for a wedding just yet. So I asked him how....and he told me just go to the courthouse and get married. I was so shocked that he was so agreeable, cause most of you that know my husband know he's not very spontaniouse, lol. So when we got home we called around and found out that we could have someone come out and marry us...so 2 days later we got married...and dare I say this, on our lunch breaks. Luckily at the time I worked at Goody's and a girl I worked with picked up my evening shift, so we were able to go to dinner that evening (my sister watched Erik), and go buy his wedding band. Pretty red-kneck I know...but it's our love story and we're stickin' to it. So on to the lawyers we go the following week, and we were able to get the adoption papers drawn up...but it wasn't so easy trying to get Erik's father to sign them. I think it was a total of 10 months, and finally our lawyer had the paper's taken to him to be signed...and then we were done. Erik was now officially a Carter.

OK so along the way I forgot to mention. We were married August 14, 2002, and then in January 2003 (the day of Jonathan and Erik's birthday) we found out we were expecting our first child. Yeah that was quite a shock. So our son JD (Jonathan Draper) was born September 13, 2003. Life has been great, we've been busy with both the boys playing tball and soccer...and around the end of 2007 Jonathan and I had decided that we were content on just having the two boys and didn't want to have anymore. JD would be starting school in the fall, and I could finally get a real job...no more daycare expense....woohoo!!! Well my step father passed away in March...and we decided to go to the funeral, in Illinoise. The week before we left, I had started kinda suspecting something wasn't right...I was sick...and oh so tired....amongst other symptoms, so I decided to go see my doctor, all amongst I was just thinking maybe it was my nerves or something like that. Uh no...I get the news "Well Mrs. Carter, you're pregnant." I nearly fell off of the table. So I was so nervous about telling Jonathan, and then my sister called to tell me about our step dad...so I thought to myself...maybe I should just wait till we get back from the funeral to tell him. So I kept it to myself...of course I told my mom and sister while I was there...but after we got home, I finally told Jonathan. You know the funniest thing is...all he could say is "your joking right?" LOL...yeah like I like to make up a joke like that. SO after the shock wore off...all he could say (with a grin from ear to ear) was..."well it better be a girl."

So as the rest of the story goes...yes God blessed us with a beautiful baby girl...and now our family is complete, and yes there will be no more children for us, I am sure of that. But our life with 2 boys and 1 girl...it's the most amazing thing in the world, and I love being a mommy...and of course...when I have time a wife...just kidding, lol.

Well here we go....

Well, I finally broke down and I have decided to start blogging. I always have a lot to share but not necessarily a lot of time to do so, so hopefully I will be able to keep up with this. While working on setting this blog up, I thought and thought about what I wanted to blog about, and one of the most apparent things that my life evolves around are my children and husband. So I have decided that I will blog about the every day life, and it is hectic, that we have, did I mention that it's hectic???. I tell people there's never a dull moment in the Carter house...rather it's something funny or just down right serious, we have something always keeping us hopping around here. Though I feel that sometimes my journey as a wife and mother is tough and I could literally just lose my mind, I would never change it for anything in the world, and I love doing it. I look at my life and I wonder where would I be if I did not have my children and my husband....and to tell you truth I can't even imagine my life without them. I have concluded over the past 10 years of my life, that being a mommy is one of the hardest things I've ever done (or will continue to do), but it's one of the most rewarding things I've ever done, and my children remind me of this daily. I love my kids and I love my husband, and I hope you enjoy our journey....as much as I do.