~Winter Retreat!~

We had so much fun! We left on Friday and got back on Monday(yesterday). We had a weekend full of fellowship and learning! We had classes and activities that were centered around God. Our theme was "TRANSFORMED- Turning Barriers Into Bridges" We had cold days and

LLLOOOONNNGGGGGG nights! Eric and Curtis decided to bring back "The Candle Thing" and for those of you who have done it you know how touching it can be. Its where the kids get to talk about all the positive things they have experienced in the youth group and about others. We passed around a candle and as it went around to each person the emotions surfaced. I told the kids how much they meant to me and I told each one of them the great qualities that I loved so much about them....... Eric told them how great our year had been with them. These are some of the things that I said about the seniors that went with us.......

Rachel Dunn- She is an awesome leader and all the girls look up to her so much. She has been such an example for all of them.

Stephen- He always knows how to make everyone laugh. We have went through our ups and downs but you know that we care for you very much! We have shared so much with each other and I cant wait to see you grow after High School! We will always be in your life and we look forward to your friendship for years to come!

Becky- Your smile always helps me get through!

Richard- I am so happy to see how you have stepped up this year! You have been amazing with the group and you mean so much to us!!! You are truly a GREAT leader and so many of the boys look to you for help and you are always there to get them through and offer them encouragement! You will be such a great Youth Minister someday! You are such a role model for your brother and he is already following in your foot steps.

We enjoyed a weekend with the kids and the adults that went! We learned so much more about the group! We shared memories this year at the Winter retreat that will never be forgotten! We got snow last year and we were all looking forward to snow this year. However, we didn't gt any. We had below freezing temps but we didn't have the moisture! Some of us were dissapointed when we found out that Prattville had snow and we wouldn't get to see it! Maybe next year!

OUR FIRST YEAR AT PRATTVILLE

As of Jan. 1 we have officially been here 1 year!

I wanted to recap our year for those of you that are interested!
I want to warn you that this is long and a little choppy (rambling) since I did it at work and I went back in the end and took things out and added things in.... but I hope you enjoy!

~~In January I had my first Birthday away from what I call home….. While I was glad to be turning 20 (I was just happy to be out of the "teens" so people would take me seriously) I was VERY homesick…. The adjustment to being married, my husbands responsibilities and moving to a town without my family was HARD! I spent a lot of this month crying at the drop of a hat…. I know it was HARD but Eric comforted me the BEST way he knew how.
~~In February We bought our first HOME! That was so EXCITING! We have a pool…. Which was really NICE since my husband moved me away from the beach. My Mom came when we moved in helped us clean and when she left I cried some more….. Even now that I had a HOME I was still missing the home I had known for 11 years.
~~MARCH- We had our 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY! It was so EXCITING! In your first year you learn so much! When Eric and I were dating I really thought he ENJOYED shopping….. after a few months of marriage I found out the TRUTH! You also find out how kind and considerate that they can be and how much more protective they become when you are their wife instead of girlfriend….. You may be wondering what we did to celebrate this BIG event in our lives…… well, we didn't take a second honeymoon or go on a weekend get-a-way….. Instead we spent our first anniversary at my first Faulkner Jamboree!!!! "The Kids" (youth group) wanted to go so we took them with us. We had a blast…… and as something thoughtful my husband took me to Red Lobster (it was one of the restaurants we ate at on our Honeymoon) for dinner….. (We didn't take the kids. They ate before they came and while they were busy on campus we went to eat).
~~In April Eric had a BIRTHDAY! THE BIG 22! I wanted to throw him a surprise party so Stephen helped me out! Since Eric loves music we decorated the fellowship hall in that theme. Stephen hung old records from the ceiling and Im pretty sure their were Christmas lights (If you know Stephen you know that he carries these around with him) and we decorated the tables with black and blue cloth and balloons! Everyone who knows me knows that pulling this off was a MAJOR task for me….. It took all I had not to tell him about it!

~~SUMMER- The summer came and went so FAST! It seemed like Eric was gone ALL the time. Since, I had taken a new Job at ALFA I was unable to go on any of these trips. It was really HARD for me since I loved going just as much as he did. They went to camp (which is my favorite) and my mom went and did crafts for Eric's FIRST OFFICIAL week of camp as a director…… (He was nervous for months wondering how well he had planned). I have heard so many great things about that weekend since then! Then they had the mission trip…. Which I really hated to miss. But we have so many pictures and I have heard all the stories…. So I feel like I was there. Their were also a lot of little trips in between! I want to add that up until this point I was still HOMESICK. Some weeks were harder than others but I still caught myself talking about "Home" a few times a week and crying at least once a week. When Eric would leave is when it got worse…. I would feel all alone with no husband no family and no friends……. But I did enjoy the pool some this summer and my family came to visit and I went to visit them. Oh yeah and I am closer to my Dad so when eric went out of town I would go and visit him.... which was really great!

~~August is when the kids started back to school and everything seemed to get back to normal (for the most part). We also took our first "Vacation" since we had been married and to none other than .....GULF SHORES, ALABAMA (HOME)! On our way their I started to CRY at about the time we got to FOLEY…. 20 minutes from the beach…… I really missed home and it was great to be back. This was the first time since we had moved. We had an AWSOME time; however, Church on Sunday was hard… They still had not found a Youth Minister since Eric left and that made it harder to see the kids. We spent some time with our FAVORITE people one afternoon,The Thompson's. They had been very close to my family and then to Eric when he moved there. So all in all our trip was GREAT. It was much needed for me and my homesickness….. I had also begun to make friends at the end of the summer….. (They are mentioned in a previous blog). I also quit ALFA in this month…. I was just not cut out for that work….. I don't like sitting at a desk all day with only 30 minutes to socialize at lunch and taking phone calls from "not so nice people".
~~September-Novemeber all just kind of run together. We were so busy with the Youth Group and other Church activities that naming all of them would take me days (And I know you have already begun to wonder when this would be over) lol But I will say that we took a trip with Katie and Matt Griffies and Chris and Tiff Simmons and that was a very Relaxing weekend (Katie and I got a NEW Uncle Larry) I also, started PartyLite in this month…… For those of you who don't know what this is just ask!
~~December- Was crazy I don't think we had one weekend at home except the weekend of the Christmas parties…. Yes I did say PARTIES so that weekend was crazy too! I also got a job at a chiropractor's office (which those of you who know me well you know that this is what I did before we moved here and it's what I love to do). I love knowing that I am working for someone who makes a difference in people's lives! We ended the Year at a 4 day YOUTH RALLY with the kids.... What could have been better?.?.?.?.

So after a year here at Prattville we have several new friends and a lot of great memories! Im still a little homesick but having friends makes it so much easier…. I think the transition would have been easier on me if I had had them from the start! Thanks to all of you and I hope that you are richly blessed in the upcoming year but more importantly I hope you bless someone else in this New Year!

The Move

Eric had gotten a few calls from some people at Prattvile wanting him to put his name in for the Youth Minister job at The Prattville Church of Christ. He thought about it and we said no. Then we thought about it more and I cried the whole time..... so we said no. Then we talked about the possibilities and Eric had told me about his dream. He said when I decided to becaome a Youth Minsiter I always dreamed about hopfully being good enough to come and work at Prattville. He said, " I know I wont get the job but can I please just put in for it. We will have nothing to worry about. I really want it but I wont get it." So i said, "Ok." So he did and the day he told me that he applied my heart sank..... I was not ready to move away from my family and the Gulf Shores Church that had always been so good to us! Then a few weeks later my husband told me that "WE" had made it past the first round. The first round of what I asked? Applicants at Prattville. So this went on for a little while (them sending stuff to fill out and Eric making through to the next step) until we had a date to come and try out! AAAHHHHHH! talk about nerve racking! And my husband left out the part about how I had to sit in on the question and answer session from the parents and kids as well as form the search commitee..... complete shock! I was so not prepared! I just had to do the best I could! Then we heard the news..... ERIC GOT THE JOB! Ok so now we were wondering what in the world do we do now? We talked and prayed about it alot! And we decided that if Eric got the job then it was meant to be! God wanted us in Prattville. Even so breaking the news was hard! We loved our church family there so much! And we will never forget "OUR" first group of kids!

March 4, 2006

WE WERE MARRIED!

We had a great time but when it was over I was happy to say, "I'm glad we will only have to do that once!" We had a true ALABAMA wedding! Our colors were crimson and white, the Groom's cake was in the shape of "the Alabama A", and we walked down the isle as husband and wife to Rascal Flatts (a country song)! How great is that! I had some of my best friends from high school by my side and I could not have done it without them! Eric had his brother, brother-in-law (whom was not actually at the wedding, he got sick! Really sick!), and Eric's Two best friends (David Turner-His best friend form the Youth Group and K.P.- His best friend from High School). My Dad and my Step-dad walked me down the isle (they both had such a big part in my life that I could not imagine having to choose)! My mom and my step-mom helped me decide on things for the wedding and they were both their to give me advice! The reception was at the community center and it was wonderful! Eric played the guitar and sang me the first song he ever played me at camp (it was of course a Faith Hill and Tim McGraw song) and then he had surprised my Dad by playing Butterfly kisses while my dad and I danced! Then we were off to Gatlinburg! We had so much fun that week! We went Skiing and to the aquarium! Then for our first week home married we were sick..... we caught the bug that the Simmons' family so graciously brought to the wedding with them. Most everyone who came remembers that darn bug! But We had fun.... and it was memorable for everyone!

How We Met

I want to start off by saying I am so excited about OUR blog! Since it is about the BOTH of us I am going to catch you up on the last few years of our lives together. I hope you enjoy!



Eric was at Faulkner University and he was going to take a class over the summer of 2005 that involved being a Youth Minister Intern for the summer. He would have to keep a log of everything he planned and did with the kids and turn it in for class credit. Well, he knew the minister at the Gulf Shores congregation and then boom their he was... THE INTERN FOR WHAT WAS SUPPOSED to be the summer. Before he came the ministers wife, whom we will call S.J. said, "Haley I'm going to set you up on a date". I told her no thanks and that I just wasn't in the "mood" to date (not in the mood meant I had way too much going on). Then she described him and I was kinda interested but still too busy. But out of curiosity I asked what his name was and she said, "Eric, he is the new Youth Minister that will be here next week." I told her never mind and that I did not want her help. lol Actually, I think my words were something to the effect of COUNT ME OUT! lol How odd would it be to go on a date with the youth minister..... About a week later I saw this really cute guy walking the halls and talking to everyone..... WOW WAS HE GOOD LOOKING! Then S.J. Introduced us and it was then that I realized that this was "the guy". I tried to get him out of my mind but a few days later I caught myself thinking of crazy reasons why I could call him. I kept telling myself that he didn't know anyone and I could just invite him over to eat with our family (after all I did have two younger siblings that he would need to get to know) but I could never find the right way or time to call until my Graduation Get Together. My parents had rented a dinner and dolphin cruise boat for my family and friends (I think it was like 60 people). So it hit me that day that S.J. would be coming to the event so I called her and said, "Eric is new and all and I thought it would be nice if you guys brought him with you. It would be nice if he could meet some of the people from church and it would give him something to do." Well, guess what he showed up. He brought David Turner with him. David had been in town to visit him from Prattville. I spoke to him a little but I was nervous for some reason (this was not like me). After the gathering all I could do was think about graduation and about how I had invited him and didn't even talk to him that much. WAY TO GO HALEY! But to my surprise on Sunday he invited me to go to lunch with him on Wednesday...... I saw him everyday for 2 weeks straight.... HE DIDN'T KNOW HIS WAY AROUND TOWN AND I NEEDED TO SHOW HIM! lol So he would call and need directions to get guitar strings and other odd things (anyone who knows me knows that i cant give directions so...) I would just go with him. S.J. would also invite the two of us places with them as well...... THINGS WERE GREAT! I had never had this much fun in my life! He is also part of the reason that I am a Christian! So....... 5 months later we were engaged (Eric proposed while we were on the beach listening to "OUR SONG"). Yes, he can be romantic if he wants to! And 5 months after that we were hearing wedding bells (yes we had only known each other a total of ten months when we were married on March 4, 2006). But I say why wait, when you know you know! We were not blinded by love, we are deeply in love! Oh yeah...... during the time of all of this Eric had been asked at the end of the summer if he would stay and be full time! This was exciting! He would get to stay and I would not have to move north (just yet). This was Great! The kids and the church really needed him! So everything worked out really well! I worked and went to school and he worked and went to school!