Traditions

My younger sister just told me the family set up the tree the other day. I hate not being there. I hate missing that. Mama always has Christmas music playing while we decorate and then brings out a plate of those amazing Christmas tree cakes! A little Martin family tradition. 

I can't wait until I graduate on the 18th and head home! I love Christmas at my house! I was actually thinking the other day, I can't wait to be married to Sebron and bring our Christmas traditions together and start some of our own that will be just special to us and our family. I am so blessed to have him in my life! I am so grateful he will be celebrating this year with my family and not up in West Virginia working on some frozen cold ski mountain, making snow. That was last year, this year he's with me! 

Engagement Session

Some good friends of ours gave Sebron and I a portrait session for our engagement gift! We had been wanting to get some taken, so this was a huge surprise and a blessing! Seeb and I were a bit nervous as we started, neither one of us had ever done something like this before. 

Our photographers were a sweet married couple who put us right at ease right away and made us feel completely comfortable! They drove out to Sebron's Dad's beautiful farm, the home that Sedren grew up in. It was a lot of fun shooting pictures with Sebron and I am so excited to share a few with y'all! 

I'm Thankful

Thanksgiving was very different this year, but it was wonderful. Sebron and I left school Tuesday evening and stopped on the way out of town and had dinner with one of the guys from the cross country team and his family. It was a lot of fun and Scott's mom made a wonderful dinner! We arrived at Sebron's dad's right before midnight. 

Wednesday was spent raking and blowing leaves and mowing the endless grass on his Dad's farm. We had an appointment to get engagement pictures taken that afternoon, so we worked right up until an hour before. We rushed around and got showers and dressed and finished right when they showed up in the driveway! 

We had the pictures done at the farm, and I look forward to seeing how they came out and will hopefully put some up here. 

Thanksgiving morning we had the traditional Jessup Thanksgiving Breakfast. I had only met a couple of Seeb's Uncles before, so it was good to finally meet the rest of the extended family. 

We spent the afternoon getting up firewood with Mr. Jessup. He lives in an old farm house and still uses wood to heat his home. 

We drove to my house on Friday and spent the rest of the weekend with my crazy but amazingly wonderful siblings! (Mom and Dad were on a date weekend) Painting Joy's bedroom was the main activity, but we took time to have some fun too!

Back at school now for the last three weeks! Then home for good (until May at least!)

Can't wait to see everyone at Christmas and meet my new nephew! 

Just keep RuNnInG!

Yesterday afternoon was Raleigh's big Old Reliable Run 5k/10k Our cross country team competed in the 10K but because it was sort of last minute, we had a really small turnout to race. 

<- Me, Sebron, Scott, Ethan, Nick, Alan, and Lew.

I hadn't raced that distance in a couple years, so I was interested to see how I'd do. 

Usually before a race I'm all nervous and have the jitters and Seeb is always so cool and calm. This go 'round it was Sebron who was all jumpy and me who was calm. It was funny to see the roles reversed for once!

Right before the race started, Sebron pulled me up close and he prayed for us. I love my Man who is not afraid of praying in public over a meal, a broken car, or even before a race. 

Right at 1,000 runners, we were all squished together at the start. The gun sounded and we were off! It's strange how ever race without fail, around the 1-2 mile marker, I get so discouraged and start thinking what a dumb idea racing was. Running is such a mental sport and Seeb is always reminding me not to let it get in my head. I said a little prayer and remembered that with Christ I can do all things. 

The way the race was, once the lead runners started on their way back they passed the other runners. Close to the 4 mile mark, I saw the first runner coming over the hill. He passed me and I looked up and there was a little cloud of red! It was Sebron and Scott! They were battling it out with another runner, heading down the last 2.2 miles. Soon after them I saw the rest of our guys run by! I said a silent prayer that they would all finish strong.

The rest of the race was a blur of endless hills and heat.... The Lord was good and I finished under the time that I had hoped! Coming in 4th in my age group! 

Scott and Sebron came in 2nd and 3rd OVER ALL! Their time was 36:11 for 6.2 miles! I was so proud of them! 

<- The two winners with their gift cards! 

Congrats to:

Ethan- 11th over all, 3rd in his age div!

Alan- 13th over all, 5th in his age div! 

Nick- 14th over all, 2nd in his age div!

Great race! 

With Jesus

This past weekend one of the homeschooling fathers from our area passed away. He had a heart attack while he was mowing his lawn. His wife and youngest daughter (12-years-old) came home from a mother daughter retreat and found him in the yard. 

It hit our whole homeschooling community pretty hard. He was only 55 and he and his wife had just celebrated their 31st wedding anniversary a couple days before. 

I grew up singing in the homeschool choirs with his children and played soccer with his sons. He has five children and a new little grandbaby. 

When Mama called me and told me my heart just broke for them. As I am preparing to marry Sebron, I cannot even begin to imagine what the wife is going though. You love this person so much and assume you will have forever together to enjoy your children and grandchildren. 

31 wonderful, blessed years together. I know Mr. Williams is in the presence of the Lord, but It just made me think how often we take life for granted. We just go about our busy days, pushing loved ones aside at times to focus on the matters at hand. 

Each day is a gift. Live it for Him.

May 16, 2010

As I look towards May and all that it holds, my heart feels like it will burst! It seems like forever away and I can't wait to start forever with Sebron! 

I went wedding dress shopping with Mama and Joy not to long ago, and I felt so young! All the other brides seemed to be in their 30's. They were all giving me odd looks as I tried on dresses. I know I look a whole lot younger than I really am, but it was interesting for me to see all these soon-to-be-brides. 

Our country's culture now is for a woman to have a degree and a career before she gets married. That is what everyone is doing. Here at school I do not have more than 2 girlfriends that want to get married before 30, have children before at least 35. 

Getting married to that special, incredible guy that the Lord had for me was what I always looked forward to. I can't wait to be a wife and mother! Yes I am getting a degree, but I do not intend on using it for a huge career. I plan on using it to help my husband on our own farm someday. 

I literally cannot wait for May! I have a lot to do before than- I am looking forward to moving back home after graduation in December to be with family and enjoy that special time with them before Sebron and I get married. 

So Blessed

I have been meaning to post about my adorable little nephew! He was born Oct. 2nd a little after 4pm. I had been waiting on the phone call all day, and he was actually born while I was racing with the XC team.

My sister and her husband had wanted to do

 a natural birth, but after doing a stress test on the baby the Dr.'s found that his heart rate was low. This was taken from something my sister wrote:

"I went in for a non-stress test at 41 weeks, and Isaac's heart rate went down during the monitoring. They rushed us up to L & D, and decided to induce me that day. After 17 hours of labor, I had to have an emergency c-section because Isaac wasn't handling the contractions well. We were disappointed that we didn't have the birth experience we'd planned, but that has been totally outweighed by the fact that we have a healthy, happy little boy! We're so grateful to the Lord."

Little Isaac Michael Childress is a beautiful little boy with loads of dark hair! Because they are based at Ft. Hood, TX I wont be able to see him until Christmas. I can't wait to get my hands on him and kiss those little cheeks! 

The N.C. State Fair is in full swing and I've been working everyday. I love the agricultural aspect of the fair and seeing all the different farms and ranches that are being represented. I've watched a few of the lamb shows, and have decided if at all possible, I would love my children to show livestock growing up. Those tiny kids with their huge lambs! Too cute!

The weather has been rainy and freezing the past two days, but this morning when we were washing the dairy cows just at sunrise, the rain stopped and a rainbow arched over the entire fair grounds! It was beautiful! The sky cleared partly for the rest of the day, but remained very cold. There is something wonderfully "fallish" about a fair when it's cold! I've been thinking about Thanksgiving these past couple days. Looking forward to that time with the family.... and the food! 

On another note- I love being engaged! I'll be working at the fair and my ring with catch my eye and I'll just start smiling! It surprises me sometimes! I'm just like whoa! : ) Yes, God has been amazingly good to me!