Small Town Traditions

One of the traditions that I love in our small town is First Presbyterian Church's Singing Christmas Tree. Gary and I went to hear them sing last week. All of the songs were beautiful, and I'd have to say that the solo of "O Holy Night" remains my favorite (even though the train whistle seems to blow during that song every year). We love that this has now become a Christmas tradition for our family.

What Christmas Is All About

Elf Yourself

Enjoy!
Elf Yourself

Weekend in Charleston

I got to spend last weekend in Charleston with some of my favorite girls. We got to meet Sarah Catherine's precious baby, Sullivan, for the first time and had a blast. Sullivan was so precious and so good - we were very impressed. Although he looks like his daddy, he does have his mom's beautiful blue eyes. We all went to the Christmas Boat Show at the harbor on Saturday night. Even Sullivan stayed out with us - the little party animal! We had a great time and are planning on making it an annual event.

While I was gone, Gary got to experience his first Greenwood Christmas Parade. The whole town shuts down for the day and everyone heads downtown or to Grand Blvd to watch. Since I took the camera with me to Charleston, he didn't take any pictures. I got this one from a friend - only in small town Mississippi will you see farm equipment featured in the parade. Ha!

Thanksgiving 2007

Gary and I had a great Thanksgiving week with the Dyksterhouse side of the family in Charlotte. The whole family was there, which hasn't happened in longer than any of us can remember. We can't believe how old our nieces and nephew are getting and are really enjoying spending time with them. Gary got to play golf and basketball with our nephew, Jacob, and I had lots of fun coloring, having tea parties, and playing hair dresser with our nieces. Sorry I don't have pictures of my lovely hairdos. You'll just have to use your imagination. :-) I do have pictures of Gary and Chris with the older kids (poor Ainsley was sick that day), and of Emma dancing with her Uncle Gary. We really cherish our time with the whole family and were glad to have a few uninterrupted days with everybody.

On Friday, we drove from Charlotte to Nashville to cheer on the Deacs as they played Vanderbilt. Since my dad is a Vandy grad, we have a great family rivalry and all went to the game together. There was a great showing of Wake fans, but it was hard to tell which team everyone was pulling for since our colors are both black and gold. The Deacs pulled through to a 31-17 victory. Even though he was very sad about the loss, Dad was a very good sport. He even got up to dance during half time (I couldn't resist putting this picture in. Can you see me laughing at him in the background?)

November Vacation

Last week, Gary and I got to experience something that was new for us. For the first time in about 5 years, we got to go on vacation during basketball season (well, actually, part of our vacation was to watch KSU play Auburn, so I don't know if this one counts :-) ). We started with a few days at the beach in St. Simons. It was very quiet and relaxing there. This is our favorite place in the world and we always love it when we get to go for a few days.

On Saturday night, we went to Atlanta to spend some time with friends and family. It was so encouraging to go to church on Sunday morning and see both old friends and new faces. The church is growing very quickly and it is so exciting to see all that God is doing with that body. For those of you who were out of town, we are so sad that we missed you, but hope to see you the next time that we're in Atlanta.

On Monday morning, Gary went to play golf with three of his friends, and I got to spend the morning with my friend Shannon and my godson, Carter. I have never posted a video, but had to try to get this one up. Carter's vocabulary is growing and he has finally learned how to say "Kathryn". I haven't been able to figure out how to rotate the picture, so you may have to turn your head to see it. I also had to include this picture of my mother-in-law. We did some shopping for some parties that we were hosting, and she found this in the store. I just had to post it!! :-)

We really enjoyed our time at Gary's parents' house. It is so nice to have them in Atlanta because they are not that far away from Mississippi at all. We'll actually be seeing them again this week for Thanksgiving. It almost feels like we see as much of them now as we did when we actually lived in the same town.

We ended our vacation with a trip to Auburn to the Kennesaw vs Auburn basketball game. Although we did not win the game, the guys played very well. And it was so great to see our "Kennesaw family" again. Here I am pictured with coach's wives Lisa Smith and Jeanne Ingle. Being back at a game made Gary and I both realize how much we miss being so involved in basketball, but we are also really enjoying all of the time that we are able to spend together now.

October

I'm sorry that I haven't posted in such a long time. I'll try to catch everyone up on all that has happened over the past month. During the first week in October, I (Kathryn) got to go and spend a few days with my nieces in Knoxville. My sister-in-law, Catherine, was out of town for a few days, so I got some great one-on-two time with the girls. It was such a precious time for me to get to know a little more of their personalities. At the end of my visit, I had a new appreciation for mothers of young children, but I had a great time and really didn't want to leave.

In the second week, Gary and I got to attend a dinner hosted by the Boy Scouts honoring my dad's family. We got to see alot of friends and family from across the state. It is always such a blessing to be able to reflect on the lives of grandparents while they are still living, and this was a great occasion for that. Former Mississippi Governor William Winter was the keynote speaker. Gary and I really enjoyed it and appreciate those of you who traveled to be there.

Perhaps the most exciting thing that has happened in our family in the month of October was the last day of harvest!! Gary has been hard at work over the past few months and we are grateful for a reprieve. As we were in the final few weeks of harvest, I realized that colleges were entering their first days of basketball practice, and I became very thankful that Gary was finishing up his busy season rather than just getting started. The farmers were pleased with this years' crops and are now preparing the fields to plant wheat. Here is a picture of the two of us in a cotton field that is right across from Gary's office.

Last Friday, Gary and I got to go to Pillow Academy for a Pep-Rally paying tribute to all of the senior football players, cheerleaders, and dancers. To my sister Susanne's great embarrassment, my parents donned a tutu and coach's uniform to take center stage and dance to the tunes of High School Musical. After many hours spent perfecting the dance and getting their outfits together, they did a great job and succeeded at both humiliating and honoring Susanne. Copies of the blackmail video will be available for purchase.

To our friends in Atlanta, Gary and I will be coming to town in a few weekends, so we hope to catch up with you all soon.

Atlanta Young Life Golf Tournament

We had a chance to take a quick trip to Atlanta this Monday so that Gary could play in the Atlanta Young Life Golf Tournament at Hawks Ridge in Ball Ground. This is one of the top 100 courses in America and Gary has been wanting to play there for years, so he couldn't pass up the opportunity. I got to spend the day with Shannon and Carter. Carter is growing up so fast!! Although it was a long way to go for such a short time, it was definitely worth it! And to our friends and family in Atlanta that we didn't have a chance to see (sorry Mom and Dad!), we hope to be able to make another trip soon.

Go Deacs!

What a game!! For those of you who may have missed it, Wake Forest had an amazing comeback and beat Maryland 31-24. To those of you who were actually able to be in Winston for that game, we are very jealous! Go Deacs!!!

Has It Really Been 5 Years?!?

Gary and I just went to Winston-Salem for our 5-year college reunion. The years have really flown by! It was great catching up with old friends and getting back for a football game. We beat Army 21-10 for those of you who don't follow Wake Forest football (although I know that all of you do, right? :-) ). To those of you who couldn't make it, we really missed you and hope to see you next time. Go Deacs!

YoungLife

Last week, I started working with Delta Urban Young Life. Quiana, the area director, started Young Life in this area about 5 years ago and I am very excited to be a part of this ministry. Right now, the main focus of the ministry is in Tchula, MS (about 30 miles down the road from Greenwood), but the goal for the next few years is to bring a Young Life Club to the high schools in Greenwood. God has already started to stretch me in the past few days, and I am very excited to see all that He will do with this ministry in the coming years. You can click here to see the Delta Urban Young Life website.

Labor Day Reunions

Even though Gary thinks that Labor Day means "a day when everyone continues to labor" since he has never actually had this day off, we were able to get together with friends and family that we hadn't seen in months. On Saturday, we went to my Uncle Sykes and Aunt Cindy's big Labor Day Dove Hunt party. This is an annual event that we have been hearing about for years, but this was the first time that we have been able to attend. It definitely lived up to the hype - great food, great band, great company. We especially enjoyed catching up with my cousins Micajah and Lee and Lee's husband Hyde.

On Sunday night, we spent some time with our good friends David and Niki Flanagan. David was one of my best friends in high school and in recent years, he and Gary have bonded over fantasy sports. We also got enjoyed our captivating conversations with their four-year old son, Reid, and our first meeting with their adorable four-week old daughter, Mary Abbott. This is a picture of Mary Abbott with my sister, Susanne.

Home At Last!

Well, after months of waiting, we are finally in our new home! We closed on our house in Atlanta (after a few delays) last Friday, and then closed on our new home in Greenwood on Monday. I have spent the week unpacking boxes. Slowly but surely we are starting to get settled. Although it feels as though we will be living among boxes for the next year, it's a project that I am grateful to have. The "K&G" is now open for business and we are expecting all of you to come for a visit soon! Thank you all for your prayers and support throughout the process. We are thrilled to now be able to call Greenwood home and are looking forward to this next chapter in our lives.

5 States in 14 Days

After a long trip around the southeastern US, Kathryn is finally back home - well, for a few days, anyway. My parents and I first headed up to Asheville, NC to visit my grandparents. Although they live in Mississippi, they spend their summers in Asheville, and I hadn't had a chance to see much of them since Gary and I came to Greenwood. It was great few days. We had great weather, great food, and a great chance to catch up. Grandmom, Mom and I got to spend our last afternoon there visiting the Biltmore Estate. It was my first time to go there and I was very impressed!

We left Asheville to spend a few days with my Aunt Pat, Uncle Jim and cousin Claire at the Reserve on Lake Keowee. Susanne also joined us there for the last day. Again, great weather, great food, and great company. A couple of highlights of the trip were a day out on the lake and croquet and ping-pong tournaments at night. Claire and I also learned alot about the area by getting lost a few times. :-) We decided that we were doing everyone else a favor by figuring out the shortest routes to and from town. However, I'm not sure if anyone else saw it from our viewpoint.

While in the Carolinas, we made several trips to Camp Greystone to visit Susanne. The area was as beautiful as ever and it was good to go for a visit and see a few old friends. Susanne was in the Synchronized Swimming Water Show and was the Lieutenant of her team for the summer, so we got to see her in action. She had a great time and I know that she is sad that her summer break has almost come to an end.

From Lake Keowee, we left to go to St. Simons. Most of my dad's siblings were there with their families, and it is always great to spend time with them. As my generation of cousins has gotten older, it is becoming more and more difficult to get us all in the same place at the same time, so we really appreciate the time that we do have together. The weather was perfect, and there wasn't much downtime between the golf, tennis, and swimming. I did, however, have time to squeeze in a couple of books as well.

Finally, I left for Atlanta to celebrate my brother-in-law Jimmy's birthday. Nearly the entire Dyksterhouse clan was there - we were only missing my better half. For many of us, this was our first chance to meet Andy and Kelly's foster child, Hannah. She is adorable and a great addition to our family. Hannah makes the fifth grandchild, which certainly adds to the excitement around the house. Most of our time was spent at the pool, but there was also the birthday party (of course!) and games of ping-pong, shuffleboard, and touch football in the backyard. Although Jacob (aka "Big House") was a tough contender, the girls won by one touchdown with 3-year old Ainsley running in our final goal.

While I was busy playing, Gary was at home working in the 100 + temperatures. They are in the process of cutting their corn which has required many long and hot days. He is quickly becoming acquainted with the unmerciful heat of the Mississippi Delta. He is enjoying his time, but also looking forward to the end of the harvest season.

Please be in prayer for us as we are in the process of packing and moving our things in Atlanta and preparing the house in Greenwood. We are excited about finally getting settled into our new home, but are not particularly looking forward to the moving process. Pray that packing is as painless as possible and that things go smoothly at each of our closings. Hopefully by my next post, we will be able to say that we are official Mississippians!

We have a contract

Yes, after being on the market for almost four months, we have a contract on our house. For those of you who have been praying along with us that the house would sell, thank you! The timing is actually perfect as we will be able to move directly into our new house in Greenwood. We will be spending the majority of the next month packing, planning, moving, and closing. Kathryn will be in Atlanta almost every weekend in the month of August while Gary stays in Mississippi for the harvest season. We are very excited to be able to look ahead and anticipate moving into our new house. Praise God with us for this answer to our prayers.

Best Wishes Steve and Rachel!

Thanks to all of you who have been checking our blog. I apologize that there has been a delay in the posts. We just returned from a trip to Lake Norman in North Carolina and Atlanta. Two of our close friends got married last Saturday. We are able to say that we have been a part of their entire relationship (we were with them on their first date) and were so excited to be able to celebrate with them on Saturday. It was also great to get to see and catch up with alot of our Wake friends. Best wishes Steve and Rachel!

We also stopped in Atlanta on our way back home so that Gary could play in the Kennesaw State Men's Basketball Golf Tournament. He played with his dad, brother-in-law Chris, and friend Phillip. They finished 4th place in the first flight. While they were off golfing, I got to spend some quality time with my friend Shannon, Gary's mom, sister Catherine, and our precious nieces Ainsley and Emma. It was a great trip, but we are also very glad to be back home!

A Taste of Mississippi Culture

We have been very busy the past couple of weeks. We went to Memphis to the PCA General Assembly on June 13 to hear R.C. Sproul speak. We sat with our good friends Mike Glass and Matthew Means and were very encouraged to catch up with them and to hear about the great things that God is doing in both of their churches. We were also able to eat some of those famous Rendezvous Ribs for dinner before the service began.


We went to Jackson on June 15 to celebrate our anniversary (5 years!!). We had a great dinner and then went to Jubilee Jam, which is a music festival that features both local and national artists. We heard several bands, including Black Stone Cherry, Galactic, and The Black Crowes. It had been awhile since either of us had been to a concert, and we had a great time.

Gary has been busy at work and he has been bringing some delicious corn home for us to enjoy. The picture of a corn field that I have attached is not one of ours, but I promise to get some pictures of Gary's crops on here soon. I am waiting for the cotton bolls to open so that you can tell the difference between the cotton and the soybeans (I still have a hard time distinguishing between the two plants). And Gary has found continued success in his task of bringing the rain - we had a big storm earlier this week, and were even concerned that we may get too much. Now that he has learned how to turn the rain "on", he needs to find the "off" switch!

Last night we went out for dinner and theater. We went with a group of friends to a new restaurant in town to eat fried and grilled quail. Neither of us had ever tried quail before and we were not disappointed - it was very good! Then we went to the Greenwood Little Theater's The Music Man. It was a great performance.

We have quickly discovered that, just because we have moved away from Atlanta, we continue to have many opportunities to be culturally enriched.

In the Swing of Things

Now that we've been in Mississippi for almost four weeks, we're starting to get into the swing of things. Gary has been working hard at perfecting his rain dance as we are in a drought and have desperately needed rain on the farm. We had a great rain last week and Gary takes full credit. He's already demanding a raise.

I spent last week helping out with Vacation Bible School at our church. We had 104 children attend (27 in my 5-K class). It was a tiring week, but I enjoyed getting to know the children and seeing them get excited about the gospel. Although Gary and I aren't in many pictures, you can go to http://www.wpcgreenwood.org/Photo/PhotoAlbum.aspx?guid=5380e281-378b-478a-93f2-4103a6a22909&pagenum= to see the children and the decorations.

The PCA General Conference is in Memphis this week, which is only a couple of hours away. We are planning to go on Wednesday night to hear R.C. Sproul speak. Although we miss Atlanta, we are making some great friends and enjoying our time here. Please continue to pray that our house in Atlanta would sell quickly so that we can get moved into our new house in Greenwood.

Sweet Home Mississippi

We arrived in Greenwood, MS on Friday, May 18th, and are officially living in small town USA. I started work today (Monday, May 21st), and Kathryn is busy trying to settle in our spacious one room apartment on Grand Blvd. For those of you who are not aware, we have officially moved in with the parents until our house sells in Atlanta. Thankfully, Kathryn's parents (Walker & Lanie) don't mind hosting us for a short while during this period of homelessness.

Speaking of our home in Atlanta: we have had solid but unspectacular interest from visitors to our home in the past several weeks. As the school year ends, we are hoping that the number of people interested will increase, and that God will provide a purchaser for our lovely home. We miss it already. We have already put a contract on a home in Greenwood, and fortunately we were able to work out a contingency that allows us to wait until our previous home sells, before having to purchase the new one. Regardless, we are looking forward to completing the move from Atlanta, and truly starting to make our home in Mississippi.

We were greeted with a significant surprise upon our arrival to our church home this past Sunday. At the end of our first church service as Mississippians, the pastor made the announcement that he would be resigning from his post as teaching elder of the congregation. Obviously we did not see this coming, and based on our experiences with him on the pulpit, we are sad to see him go. Despite this shock, we are very excited with the Grace based gospel that is preached both on the pulpit and in the relationships that we have already been able to form.

All in all it has been an eventful weekend, and we look forward to some normalcy in the coming weeks. Here is hoping that our house sells soon, and that within the next month or so we are able to finalize our move to the great state of Mississippi.