Keller Joseph has arrived!

Keller Joseph Boland was born on Tuesday morning at 8:45 am.  God proved his faithfulness once again with the timing.  Mike, Avery and I have been praying for a few weeks that Keller would come at a time that would allow my family to come and help for a few days before school starts back.  The time was drawing near but God in his perfect timing had a great plan!  

I woke up on Tuesday morning at 6:00 and was having contractions about 4 minutes apart. Knowing how fast Avery came I knew we better get in the car.  A friend came to stay with Avery and we left for the birth center around 7:00.  We had a thirty minute drive so we didn't get there until about 7:40.  By  8:20 I needed to push and Keller was born about 25 minutes later.  It was a great experience to be at the birth center where we felt very confident and cared for.  Keller weighed 8 pounds and 4 ounces and was 21 inches long. 

We left the birth center around 1pm and took Keller for his first doctors appointment.  We got back home just in time to wake Avery from her nap and let her meet him. She was pretty quiet at first and just wanted me to hold her but it didn't take her long to warm up to her new brother.  By last night she wanted him every where she was. He even had to go to the bathroom for bath time.  It is fun to see how much she loves him and how proud she is to have a baby brother.

This necklace was given to me at a Mother's Blessing shower here in Orlando.  Everyone that came brought a bead and told something they would be praying for our family. It was such a blessing to know how many people are praying for our us. 

This is Michelle. The midwife that delivered Keller.  She did a great job and was very loving and patient.  
Mike and Keller minutes after he was born.
Everybody says he looks just like Mike!
He is such a blessing!  We are so excited to be adding a little boy to our family!  Thank you for your prayers for the delivery. Please continue to pray as we begin the journey of raising our little ones. 

Beach Blast

With only two weeks until baby Boland was due to arrive Mike and I decided to take Avery to New Smyrna beach for one last alone time with Mommy and Daddy.  Since we have moved to Orlando we feel like we have been full speed ahead.  It was such a blessing to slow down and really enjoy our family.  Avery was elated to have all of our attention. 

Things are still going really well here in Orlando and we are feeling more and more settled everyday.  We have already made some great friends and feel very loved and accepted.  Avery is adjusting pretty well also. This week has been a little harder as we talk more and more about the baby coming.  She seems excited on one hand but a little unsure on the other.  We are praying that God will help her transition go as smoothly as possible.

Mike is still really enjoying his job.  He is also finishing up his assignments from his last class.  He will start Greek I on August 3rd.  I am doing well also.  Trying to patiently wait on the baby's arrival.  We were pretty convinced he would come last week because I am already four cm dilated but he is comfy.  My iron has also been really low so I have been working on that this week and trusting that it will increase before the birth.  We are so excited for the opportunity to have a little boy join our family.  

Thank you for your prayers.  We wouldn't be where we are without you!

Florida Fun

We have now been in Florida almost two months and are beginning to feel like this is home.  We have seen God provide in so many ways!  Mike loves his job at City Church and the church family has really embraced us.  They have showered us with hospitality and generosity and it has made our transition so much easier.  Avery is starting to make new friends and is really beginning to enjoy where we are.  Believe it or not even being nine months pregnant have enjoyed it here.  It is very HOT but we are making the most of it!!!  It was 88 degrees in our bedroom on Sunday. I told Mike that we need to advertise to be a sauna.  

It seems like every day is a new adventure.  We are learning as a family how to make the most of our time and our new schedule. Mike started his first seminary class yesterday.  (Let's hope he makes is through Friday without me having the baby : ) He is sitting in the dinning room right now studying.  It is going to take some getting use to for me to have him as a student. I just want him to sit and hang out : )  We are excited about where God has brought us and can't wait to see what is in store.

We have had lots of company the last few weeks.  Several of our friends were in town this past weekend and we all got to spend time together.  It was fun to reconnect and be refreshed.  Avery had lots of fun playing with  her old pals.
On Saturday we all went to Sea World together.  It was such a joy to see Avery squeal with excitement over Shamu.  She had a blast.  I was hoping that standing in the 100 degree weather would spark labor but it didn't.  I actually had an ultrasound on Friday and he is still pretty tiny.  Right time Mike saw the picture he told me I don't stand a chance because he looks just like Mike.  We are eagerly awaiting his arrival.
Mike and Avery at Elmo.
This is Avery with her friend Abigail at a park near our house. This is one thing I love about Florida. The parks are awesome!!  We have found so many cool things to do around our house.  

I just wanted to give a quick update and let you know that we are thankful for your prayers.  We know that things wouldn't have worked out so well without the prayers of others around us. We have been studying Thessalonians as a Church and Mike and I have both seen and been convicted about how eagerly Paul prayed for other believers.  We are very thankful for you all!

Florida Update

It is hard to believe but we have been in Florida now for three weeks.  The Lord couldn't have blessed us with a more smooth transition.  Mike, Avery and I loaded up our house on April 29th and started on our way. We made it to Florida on May 1st and were surrounded by tons of people from City Church that were ready and willing to help in any way possible.   We felt welcomed and encouraged from the beginning.  

We really love the location of our rental home.  Mike is only a few miles from his office and Avery and I are only minutes from lots of new friends.  We are still learning our way around the city but every day seems a little better. The first week we were here Avery and I drove around for three days looking for the bank.  The funny part is I can look out of our Den window and see the Bank I just couldn't get there : )

Avery is really starting to adjust to the new house and to her new friends.  She did tell us that she likes her old house better because she misses her friends next door.  Mike and I feel similar in many ways.  We are enjoying the new community and feel very blessed to be here in Florida but at the same time have a deep ache for the closeness of our friends and family back in NC and SC.

This was our last meal with our friends in Durham. It was such a bittersweet morning.  I can honestly say that our years with these friends have taught me more about true community and friendships than I could ever imagine.

This is Avery's new room in Florida.  She loves having a big bed. The first night after we got it she hopped in and said "this is awesome!"  When I went in later to check on her she was spread eagle across the entire bed.

Avery on her third birthday!  It is hard to believe that we have a three year old.  It is such a blessing to have her to enjoy!

If you asked her what she wanted for her birthday she would say a Dora cake.  She didn't want anything else : )  Her MaMa, DA, and May got her a very large Dora cake that we are still eating!

Avery got to celebrate her birthday several times.  Our friends Wendy and Riley brought Avery a personal Dora cake and they didn't hesitate to dig in!

On Avery's birthday we had a few new friends over.  We pretended it was everyone's birthday and all enjoyed cake with candles.  

We are really excited about what God has in store for us here in Orlando.  Mike is really enjoying his job at City Church.  He will begin Greek I in August.  We are also eagerly awaiting the arrival of our baby boy.  ONLY seven weeks to go!  

Thank you all for your prayers and support.  We are thankful for your sacrifice so that we can be here learning more about church ministry.  We look forward to staying connected and will continue to keep you updated as we make a new start in Orlando!

Season of Change

It is hard to believe that it has been almost three months since I have made a post.  So much has happened in our lives in the last three months.  Most of you know that Mike and I started praying last summer for the Lord to clarify our next step.  Our passion for the Church has been increasing greatly over the past few years and we feel that God has clearly begun to move us in that direction!  In January, Mike and I went down to Orlando, FL to interview for a City Groups pastor job at a PCA Church in downtown Orlando.  With no expectations and trusting that the Lord would lead, Mike was offered a part-time job at the church.   That was the first confirmation along our journey to Orlando. There is a great seminary in Orlando, RTS, that Mike will also be attending.  His goal is to get a Masters of Divinity and possibly a  degree in counseling.  

Our next step was to put our house on the market and trust that even with the economy the way it is that our house would sale.  Only by God's grace only two weeks after being on the market it SOLD.  With that said we are SOLD that God is leading us to Orlando.  We are thankful for all of your prayers and ask that you would continue to pray for His leading as we make our final preparations.

I can't remember if I mentioned last time but we are also expecting baby number two in July.  That is just one more interesting aspect of our move! We are super excited to be welcoming a baby boy to the Boland household. Avery is elated.

This is Avery on her pet Shampoo! This whale has been taking up a large section of our living room. He also has to sleep in the guest bed at night.  Unfortunately, when we put our house on the market Shampoo had to move to the garage.

Avery with her good friend Madison dressed up like little Princesses.  She told us a few weeks ago that she wants to be a princess when she grows up. I guess we are moving to the right city!

Our little Ham!  She has been so much fun lately and she never ceases to amaze us with the things she says. She is beginning to understand that we are moving and has been a little emotional.  We will really miss our friends here in North Carolina. 

It is hard to believe that the transition is happening so quickly.  We are thankful to have family and friends that are willing to pray with us and encourage us along the way.  Looking forward to including you in the next few months!

Where do We Begin!

I think it has taken me this long to write this blog entry because I honestly don't know where to start.  We have been traveling a ton over the past two months and visited lots of friends and family. Right before Thanksgiving we got to visit Mike's brother Paul and his family in Maryland. We had a lot of fun but unfortunately we came back with the stomach flu.  We recouped just in time to make it to my parents for yummy Thanksgiving lunch.  Thanksgiving really is my favorite holiday.  I feel like I actually get to rest and focus on the ways God has been moving in our family over the year.  The places God has taken us and the friends we have made were probably the highlights of 2008.  After Thanksgiving we returned to Durham for a few short weeks and then we headed back to my parents for a week before Christmas.  We spent Christmas day with Mike's Family.  It was a lot of fun to see Avery enjoy her cousins.  These pictures below are in totally opposite order....My life these days : )

This is Avery with our good friends Wendy and Riley.  After Christmas we took students from NC State, Duke and UNC to Atlanta for a four day Conference.  Mike and I got to experience giving the dating seminar for the first time.  We had so much fun preparing and planning.  We got to rethink our experience and hopefully share some insights on things that worked well and things that didn't work so well.  


These are two of Avery's cousins.  What you can't see in this picture is that Avery is missing her pants (two of a kind).  They  had so much fun playing together. 

This is a true portrait of our little girl. Anytime you even think about taking a picture these days she starts to frown and says no pictures.  She is probably wishing she could ask "you got something to say to me!"  She is such a mess.  Mike and I are blown away daily at how much she has grown in the past few months. She is having full blown conversations with us.  

Yes that is a deer!  This was Mike's christmas present this year.  The night before Christmas Eve Mike went out for his final hunt.  He came back with his pride and joy : )  If you have seen him since then I am sure you have seen a picture.  And yes,  he loved it so much we have his head to show.  If you have any decorating tips for a deer head please feel free to let me know.  We decided he should mount a doe next and we can hang the matching pair over our bed.

This is a true portrait of excitement.  Avery got a dollhouse for Christmas and she loved it.  We had to leave it at Mama and Da's house after Christmas because we didn't have room and on the way to Atlanta she said, "did you bring my dollhouse?"  I said no, but I brought some of the people and furniture. She looked and me and sighed with relief and said "oh Thank goodness!"

So who really watches Barney in our house?  I can't tell if she is more excited about the video or if I am : )

Well this turned out more like a book than an entry but I really wanted to catch up a little.  Please pray for our family this semester as we begin a huge transitional year!  With much prayer and leading we are planning on moving to Orlando this summer so that Mike can begin seminary.  We are trusting the Lord to give us wisdom on how this move should look.  We can't wait to carry you along with us on the journey!

Party Time

On Halloween night we had our first annual Brandermill Cul-de-sac party.  We had a great time with our neighbors playing games and eating well!!  It has been really fun to get to know these families over the past year.  

Boy I love this little monkey!
Daddy had a crazy weekend even though you can't see the exhaustion in his face.  They both look delighted to be together!  Mike spend the entire day tiling the neighbors bathroom. He did a great job.  The next day Campus Outreach sponsored the 1st annual Tangle in the Triangle.  They had students from NC State, Duke and Chapel Hill playing in a flag football tournament.  It was a huge success.  A great way to build relationships and try to build interest in getting students to go to Atlanta for our Christmas Conference. 
This is the grand finale of Halloween.  Avery came in and sat on the steps and went through her bag of candy. She got to eat one thing that night and then chose one thing every day until it is gone.  She is delighted and even though I thought we would never get her in her costume again she asked to wear it to bed.  The next morning she even woke up and wanted to wear it to the Flag Football field.
The Fairy and the Incredible!  What a match.

Such a cute crowd.  Avery loves the Learys!  She can't wait to get to there house in the mornings.
This is a 30th Birthday party for our friend Chris.  We had such a good time decorating and celebrating.

Mike and I have enjoyed watching Avery grow up so much this week.  Even today on the way home from the store she started sighing in the back seat.  I just laughed out loud because I obviously had been sighing.   She constantly makes me think about my reactions to her.  Mike and I have both  seen how we need to watch our words in front of her. Today I spilled yogurt on her shirt and said poopy Snot.  She quickly replied with a repetitive poopy snot.  Oh Well could be worse : )

Mike is working hard on campus.  Things are going great at Duke and NC Sate.  I am plugging away at becoming Bradley Certified.  Hopefully by next week I can have all of my work in to the Academy.  Please pray for energy for both of us. We have been dragging slightly with the chaos of life.

Oh By the way, I know just last week I put the picture of Avery in her crib.  Well today we got some Halloween money in the mail from MaMa and I took Avery to pick out a new pillow for a Big Girl Bed.  She picked it out and when we got back home she climbed in a big girl bed and took a great nap.  She did fall out after about 45 minutes but I helped her back in and she slept another hour and a half.  She went down great tonight also.  Lets hope the novelty doesn't wear off anytime soon!