Accepted Compuware's Offer

This might seem a shock to some of you, but yesterday I accepted a job offer with Compuware located in Nashville, TN. I will be doing contract work with other companies and Compuware will manage my work. The contract, with American Healthways, that I want needs me as soon as possible, so I put in my 2 week notice today and I will start on November 14th.

When we drove down to Nashville for my job interview, we also looked at houses in the area. As a result, we started paperwork on a house in the Riverwalk community that is being built and will be completed in March. The neighborhood has a pool and a neat walking path that parallels the river circling the community. Since it’s early in the building process we are able to upgrade some features of the plan to fit our needs. The house is actually in the same neighborhood as Andrea's Paternal Aunt and Grandparents. Since Andrea is a full-time mother, it will be nice to have family in the neighborhood as Abby grows up. My Paternal Uncle and Aunt ( John and Susan Manor ) also live in the Nashville area and Andrea's parents live 2 hours away in Jackson, TN.

Although this is exciting and great news, it is also scary and sad. Not only are these very big changes, but we are also leaving a lot of great family, friends, and our church here in Arkansas. We have grown to love you all so much on a personal and spiritual level. We will miss you all tremendously!

Remember to keep in touch and check out my blog on a regular basis! I plan to keep it up to date.

Chris Tomlin Indescribable Tour

Along with what seemed thousands of other people, Andrea and I attended the Chris Tomlin Indescribable Tour ( with Matt Redman and Louie Giglio ) at the Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock.

While we were there we ran into several people from our past ( member's from Coventant Fellowship and Little Rock Church ) and present ( member's from CrossWalk Family of God ).

The event was much more than a concert. All of the lyrics were displayed on the overhead screen which allowed for audience participation. It was really more of a worship time than anything else. I really enjoyed Louie Giglio's message during the middle of the night. He had a great way of expressing the vastness of God and how we are very tiny specks in comparison to Him. He had some great insights into that concept that I had not thought of before.

I want to thank BJ and Carina Arnold for taking care of Abby while we attended the Indescribable Tour. We have some very great and giving friends and the Arnolds are definitely on the top of the list. Thank you again!

Of Mice & Men

As the second installment in our season pass to The Rep Theatre, we saw Of Mice & Men.

Andrea's oldest sister, Alissa Brandon, babysat Abby while we went to the production. Our seats were much better this time.

The play was well performed and had a powerful ending. We enjoyed ourselves very much and we appreciate Alissa taking care of Abby while we were out.

Since we have seen several different plays, it is really neat to see some of the same actors perform. There are some very talented actors at The Rep Theatre and Murray's Dinner Playhouse.

Homemade Baby Food

Andrea's oldest sister, Alissa Brandon, came to visit for several days. She helped take care of Abby and made homemade baby food with Andrea ( as seen in the picture ).

It was nice to have Alissa around. Andrea and Alissa had fun together going on errands, getting massages, and other activities throughout the weekend.

I am thankful that Alissa was able to come. She was able to give Andrea the rest that she needed. Thank you very much Alissa, and you too Mike for letting her come and taking care of the boys while she was here!

Abby @ 2 Months

Believe it or not, Abby is 2 months old today.

She can lift her head up ( as seen in this picture ), she can stabilize her head when propped up, she smiles and coos, and she can even sleep through the night ( a huge plus )!

Abby has her 2 month pediatrician appointment tomorrow. I am going to take off work for the day. In addition to Abby's appointment it is also Andrea's birthday! When Cari Harris found out that it was Andrea's birthday, she offered to baby-sit so that we can go out on a date. Cari is very sweet for thinking of us and babysitting. Thank you Cari!

Father-in-Law's Award

On October 3rd, 2005 ( during Freed-Hardeman University's appreciation to Fine Arts Week ) John Hall, my Father-in-Law, was awarded the "Fine Arts Service Award".

John Hall was responsible for starting the Madrigal Singers ( later to be known as The A Cappella Singers ) in 1970. Over the years The A Cappella Singers broke ground by traveling around the United States and overseas ( Ireland, Scotland, England, Romania, Hungary, Belgium, France, and Italy ). Besides their global presence, they were invited to sing in Washington D.C. for the Cherry Blossom Festival, the National Christmas Pagent of Peace, the Fourth of July Celebration on the Mall.

In addition to The A Cappella Singers, John Hall pioneered the FHU radio station ( WFHU ), the Student Alumni Association, and produced FHU's very first Makin' Music show. All of these ventures are now a huge part of FHU's culture and identity.

John is blessed with having great vision and energy. He is able to clearly share his vision with others and get them excited too. In the words of his loving wife, "He has a great faith in the abilities of others to excel when they buy into a dream."

John has left very large footprints at FHU that will remain for generations to come. Not only has he impacted FHU, but more importantly, through his Christian service and servant leadership he has instilled a love of the Lord in his children and family.

Little Rock AFB Air Show

This weekend Andrea, Abby, and I had a blast at the Little Rock AFB Air Show.

We went with some friends ( Brandon, Hannah, and Will Siegel ) from Church, CrossWalk Family of God.
During that time we saw many different great performances by the Thunderbirds, the Red Baron Pizza Squadron, the 82nd Airborne Paratrooper Drop, and many more! We were able to see many of the aircraft displayed on the flight line such as the C-5 Glaxay, the F-16 Falcon, and the B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber.

Overall, we stayed at the Airshow for about 5 hours. The weather was great and the Airshow was awesome! We had such a great time that we are looking forward to going again next year!

For more pictures visit my Little Rock AFB Air Show Yahoo! Photo Album.