Dustin and Jennie Harrell: Dustin's Parents

It seems like it has been months since my last post. The reason I have not posted as often is certainly not because nothing is going on around here. We have been so busy since we moved! Here is an update for you.

Dustin's Job
Dustin is enjoying his new job, especially since he gets to hang out with his dad alot (they even get to eat lunch together). He likes being around all the bike and fitness stuff, and it has really inspired him to get in even better shape. He works from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM on weekdays, and 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturdays. It has been hard to get used to him being gone on Saturdays, but it is fun for him to have a day off during the week (which he gets every week). I am so grateful to Dustin for working so hard for us.

Jennie's Job
I still do not have a job, but it is not for lack of looking for one! I have given up on the tutoring idea after realizing how unpredictable and time-consuming it could be. I started advertising on websites, in bookstores, and in schools in the area four weeks ago, and I have not gotten any response. It has been a little discouraging, but I know that God has a purpose in not allowing it to happen. You may remember reading in a previous post that my goal in this new phase of our life is to be a better wife. Therefore I want my main "job" to be fulfilling that goal. There are alot of people who would see that as a lowly position, but I do not understand that mindset!

When I was a teenager, I prayed that God would show me His will for my life in terms of a career or purpose. After praying fervently and seeking God about it for months, I remember feeling as though it hit me like an eighteen-wheeler. I always wanted to get married and be a mom, but I had never really seen that as a "calling." But one day I realized that God wanted me to focus on that, and to dedicate my life to serving Him in that way.

Some of you may be asking "well why did you bother getting a four-year college degree?" Well, I did that for many reasons. I chose a wonderful Christian college because I wanted to take time to mature and learn more about Christ. Also, I want to homeschool our children when they come along, and I knew that a college degree would be helpful to me at that time. I also wanted to be equipped just in case it becomes law some day that one has to have a degree to homeschool (this law's arrival may be closer than I thought; see my last post). I was also hoping that God would show me my future husband, and He brought Dustin to me during our first semester at Southeastern. It is also helpful to have a degree when you're applying for jobs, as most of you know.

Over the past few years I have realized how much time it takes to be a good wife. Dustin and I do not want to be so busy that we don't remember where the days have gone. To prevent this common state, we have decided that my main goal should be "wife-ing." I am so thankful that Dustin is "bringing home the bacon" by working full-time, and I do not want him help me cook and clean on his days off. I want him to relax when he gets home from a long day, and I want us to have the freedom to have fun and just be together when he is home (although he does still help me around the house sometimes). Therefore, my job is to make sure that the house stays clean, that a healthy lunch is packed, that a healthy dinner is ready when Dustin gets home, that the groceries purchased, that the errands are done, and that I still have energy at the end of the day (which was almost impossible when I was trying to do all of that AND work full-time). I LOVE this job! I feel fulfilled as a feminine woman, and as a wife. What a great feeling.

Make no mistake, I am still looking for a part-time job, but now I know that tutoring is not it. I would spend so much time looking for students (I already found that out), planning lessons, worrying about what to do during the summer when people take their breaks, etc. Ideally, if I have to work, I would like to go to work and come home, and not have to worry about being on the phone or internet at night when Dustin is home. So since I do have to work, I am going to try and find something a little more simple. We knew when we moved here that we did not want me to just "settle" for a job. We are looking for the right one, and we are confident that God will provide it, and that He will provide for us in the meantime. I'll keep you posted on that!

House Stuff
It has been really nice to have so much time while I have been looking for a job. I have gotten alot done in the house (as you can see from some of the posts below). I have been able to clean everything, unpack, organize, decorate, paint, and much more! Right now I am painting all the doors in our long hallway. The walls are a pretty grayish color with white trim, but the doors were brown. So I am painting them white, and it looks so much better! Here is a picture of our dining room right now. I need to move all of this into our guest room until we get the bed set up, and I plan to do that today.

Paint, Paint, Paint.

Fun Stuff
We have had so much fun since we have moved here! We have had more time to have fun together (just the two of us) because of what I have already written in the post, but we have also had so much fun with family and friends. It is great to move to an area where you know so many people! We are very close to Dustin's family, and they are GREAT! We have had alot of fun eating dinners with them, seeing them at Church, watching American Idol with them once a week, etc. I am so thankful for wonderful in-laws and great sisters-in-law. Some people really struggle with these relationships, and I praise God that Dustin's family is now mine too. His parents are like second parents to me, and Kayla and Jessica are truly sisters to me.

I do have to say that I have missed my family LIKE CRAZY. It is definitely hard to be so far from them. We are excited about being with them for Easter. I am glad that my Mom has been here twice to see me, and I am really glad that we have free long distance and I can talk to them whenever I want!

We have also had so much fun with friends! One of my best friends, Ashleigh, lives about 5 minutes away. We were bridesmaids for each other, and she is one of those friends that you can call after not talking for months, and it feels like you just had a conversation yesterday! That had been the extent of our relationship over the past few years, so we are so excited to be close. Dustin and Jon (Ashleigh's husband) get along famously, and Ashleigh and I are constantly laughing at them. We have had a blast getting together with them every Monday night for dinner and games (and one of these days Ashleigh and I WILL win at Spades). They just had a precious little girl about a month ago. Her name is Carleigh Elizabeth, and I call her my niece. I have loved holding her and smelling her. Babies smell so good.

We have also been able to get together with Dustin's cousin Meredith, and her husband Nathaniel. They have two precious children, Eli and Indy, and one on the way! They are a sweet (and funny!) family, and we love them! We are looking forward to seeing them again on Friday night!

We have also met a number of wonderful people at Church! This place is packed with incredible couples and families, and we cannot wait to get to know all of them more!

Church
We have found a Church. Grace Baptist Temple is on Peter's Creek Parkway in Winston-Salem. It takes about 15-20 minutes to get there from our house, and we LOVE this place! Dustin's parents have been going there for about two years (I think??), so we visited there alot when we would come to see them. Whenever we visited we would say "I wish there was a Grace in Wake Forest." So when we moved here, it was pretty easy to decide where to start visiting. Now we are not interested in visiting anywhere else!

One of the things we love the most is the reverence and honor that this Church gives Jesus Christ. They preach from the Bible (not just on random topics), they are more of a "learning and worshipping center" than a social gathering place, they sing both hymns and praise choruses, they give a large percentage of tithes to missions, they send out missionaries and go on short-term mission trips, and the list goes on. Pastor Ed Sears is sold out to Christ, and you can see it on his face during the worship time. He is full of wisdom, humility, and humor, and we cannot wait to get to know him and Mrs. Sears better. The Minister of Music, Jeff, is also both humble and talented. He has a wonderful way of keeping the congregation focused, and he also does a wonderful job of directing the orchestra and the choir.

We have felt so welcome by the people at this Church. They are all so sweet, and so enthusiastic about Christ. People who have met you one time will come up and hug you, and we love that! The last two Sundays we visited a Sunday School class for couples without children, and we really learned alot and enjoyed the fellowship. Last weekend I went to a women's conference at Grace, and I learned so much and met so many incredible women. I will write more on that later. We cannot wait to see what comes of being a part of Grace Baptist Temple. It has been such a blessing so far.

We'll Keep You Updated!
Like I said, we have been really busy! But it has been the "good kind" of busy. We can actually remember our days, and we have already made so many worthwhile memories since the move. God is so good.

I'm off to put another coat of paint on the doors.