The Best Christmas Present Ever!!!

After 3 years of trying and many many prayers and tears and doctor appointments and fertility treatments Marcus and I are expecting a baby!!! We are so excited and so thankful that God has blessed us with this precious miracle and especially at Christmas time. We have both said that we dont' need anything for Christmas because we have already got the best gift ever!!! Thank you to everyone who helped us pray and were there for us.....we really appreciate it. We truly have the best friends ever.
Stay Tuned for more baby news!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

Marine Corps Marathon

It all started at 5:30 on a cold Sunday morning in Washington DC with the sound of the alarm buzzing. We get out of bed with mixed emotions...Marcus was excited and I wanted to crawl back into bed. We got ready, checked out of the motel, loaded the car and then walked to the metro. By 6 in the morning the place was packed out with standing room only, if that, on the train. We took the short ride into the city and got off at Arlington National Cemetary where the race was to begin at 8. We hugged the guys goodbye and wished them luck and then went to the starting line to wait for the race to begin. The wheelchair group started first, I have a lot of respect for those people, most of them were military servicemen who had lost limbs in the war, it was awesome to see them ride in this race. Then at 8 sharp the cannon went off and all 30,000 of the runners took off for a 26.2 mile run around DC. Jenny and I jumped on the metro again and went to starbucks and enjoyed a nice warm drink and something to eat. Mile marker 18 wasn't too far from where starbucks was so we walked down there and waited on the guys to cheer them on. We got to see the first wheelchair people and then the first runner as they crossed the 18 mile marker......after looking at some of them I was so happy to be standing on the side lines cheering and not running! The first runner hit mile 18 in 1 hour 38 minutes. After a while we saw our men and started screaming and hollering and it was good to see them still smiling....although one of the first words out of Marcus's mouth was "Where is the ibuprofen?" HAHA Who could blame him and Travis for wanting some relief after pounding the pavement for that long. We then ran to down the street to see them run between mile 19 and 20 and again we were met with smiling faces. We decided it would be best to just go to the finish line instead of trying to go and meet them at mile 23 and that was probably the best idea we had all day! Seriously the metro was a nightmare and I thought we were never going to get on. For some reason they decided to shut down the escalators....stupid idea but I wasn't in charge. HA We finally got on the metro and had to stand in a small corner squished together with everyone else....you would think there would be a limit to how many people they could get on that thing. OH...the smells that you smell on those things are horrid...you can tell those who take showers and those who don't....it was disgusting just take my word for it! Anyway~we got to the finish line and waited and finally we saw them coming in with their little space blankets around them to keep them warm after sweating for so long. They did awesome and crossed the finish line in 4 hours and 10 minutes and were still smiling and laughing. Good Job Marcus, Travis, Matt and Conner...ya'll did a great job!! All in all it was a great weekend and we had a blast. Marcus is planning on doing it again next year.....ya'll should come and join him. He is trying to get me to run it with him....HAHAHA that is a huge laugh!!!!

HAZARDOUS TO YOUR WAIST

WARNING: This could be dangerous to your diet. There may be a chance that you will go over your calorie count for the day. This may cause dissapointment when you step on the scale the next time.
Ok Ok....so I'm just being a little funny but seriously you have got to try this recipe. I have felt for awhile that I have gotten in a rut with my cooking and decided to do something about it. I promptly went to the nearest bookstore which happens to be Barnes and Noble and started looking for something that would help me out. I found it!! The book is called "America's Most Wanted Recipes". It is full of recipes from resturants. I have had a great time experimenting with some of them. Some we didn't like so well and others, like this one, we have loved!! I just thought I would share. (I tried to find a picture of it but the resturant didn't have one on their site and I forgot to take one)

Blue Mountain Grilled Chicken Sandwich

4 hamburger buns
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 tablespoon plus one teaspoon of Cajun seasoning (I used Tony's)
Teriyaki sauce
Bacon
Swiss Cheese
Lettuce
Safari sauce (I will give the recipe for this at the end of this one)

Rub the chicken with the seasoning and then pour some teriyaki sauce on top and marinade them for 30 minutes. Place them on the grill and grill them till they are nice and done. (I made sure that I kept putting more sauce on them while they were on the grill)
Assemble your sandwich with the chicken, bacon and cheese and the safari sauce. You can put lettuce, tomatoes, pickles or whatever your little heart desires.

Safari Sauce
One 8 ounce jar of Mango Chutney
1 cup of mayo
1/2 cup of yellow mustard
1/2 cup of honey
2 teaspoons of curry powder
Dash of Tabasco sauce
I couldn't fin the Chutney anywhere in this town so I used Orange Marmalade and it was yummy! The sauce has a little zing to it but it taste like honey mustard.

I hope that you enjoy this as much as we did!!! Let me know if you tried it and what you thought!!

Wow!!

Ok~so I looked at the date that this was last updated and I'm so ashamed of myself!! It has been WAY too long!! I have made myself a promise that I will keep up with it better.
So where do I begin to catch up??
Well in June Marcus' niece Diane graduated from high school. It is so hard to believe that she is that old already....makes me feel really old. She is attending Penn View Bible College this fall. We drove to PA to attend her graduation and enjoyed spending time with all of Marcus's family. We decided to take a vacation while we were out there so we drove to Lancaster and visited the Amish community. I have a great appreciation for those people....they are better then I am because there is no way I could do without electricity and air conditioning and my internet...gotta get on facebook! (or crackbook as Marcus likes to call it) Marcus's brother and family and his Mom went with us and we spent a whole day touring Lancaster. The next day we drove to Hershey PA and enjoyed touring the chocolate factory there. I was in Heaven with all the chocolate surrounding me...it took all I had not to buy lots of it!! While we were in PA we drove to Penn View and picked Janae up and took her out to dinner. She had just gotten back from her trip to London and Ireland and it was good to catch up with her. At the end of June Marcus started school to learn how to fly a new helicopter. The one he was flying was old and the Marine Corps decided to do away with it and the V-22 Osprey is taking its place. The Osprey is a tilt rotor aircraft...meaning it can be an airplane or helicopter. It is a pretty cool aircraft! So needless to say we are back to all the studying and feeling like we are in flight school all over again. I can't wait until the school is over with in Nov. Keep praying for him that he will learn this and that God will keep him safe.
Well in July it was just busy busy with Marcus studying and Jill coming to stay with us for a few weeks. We went to the beach (ask Jill sometime about her first experiance there) and went swimming and just had a good time. It rained alot in the afternoons so we weren't able to go to the beach or swimming pool as much as we wanted.
In August I got a HUGE surprise!! My WHOLE family came and visited us for a week. I knew that Brent, Jalynn and Zack were coming and Jill was still here but I didn't know that my parents and Janae were coming. It was the best surprise ever!! We had a great time while they were here. Let me just say this....Thank God for 3 bathrooms!!! Except that sometimes that wasn't enough!! =) When you have five women in the same house you need alot of bathrooms. We went to the beach several times, drove to Wilmington to shop, played games, grilled out and just had a blast with them here!! It was the first time that Marcus and I had met Zack and let's just say that we fell in love with that little boy. In fact Uncle Marcus talks about him all the time and spoiled him rotten along with Grandpa and Nana!! He did not lack attention that is for sure. He barely touched the ground while he was here. After everyone left it was so lonely around here....we are getting used to it being quiet and just us again. I can't wait until Christmas so we can be together again.
Well I think that about catches up with everything so far. I will do better from now on because this was just a long long post! =) I do enjoy reading all of yours and am trying to become inspired from all of Brittanys spray painting.
Hope everyone has a great weekend! If you have a chance swing by this website and look at our pictures that we had taken while the whole family was here.......http://www.abeautifulmoment-bymegan.com/moyer.html

Homey

I am having a hard time coming up with titles for things...so I'm sorry for the cheesy title for this.
This week Marcus and I have been working on the yard and the flower beds. We found these rocking chairs at Wal-mart and promptly bought them, brought them home and put them to good use!! =) The chairs and the hanging flowers make the front porch look so inviting and homey. We have really enjoyed sitting on the front porch in the cool evenings listening to the crickets and big ole bull frogs. The flower beds are almost finished and I will post pictures of them when they are done.
Hope you all have a good week!!

Little Toy Car

I got a new car!!! It has been over a year since we have had two cars and so I'm enjoying buzzing around town in my little bug. It is so funny to see it sitting beside the truck....polar opposites.

Fun in SC

We drove down to SC for Mother's day weekend to spend time with Marcus' family. We had alot of fun spending time with everyone there. Friday night we all went out to eat at Outback and we got to see one of Marcus' cousins, Jack and his girlfriend, that he hasn't seen in years. They had a good time catching up on what the other has been doing. Then on saturday we had a great time hanging out with Matt and Susan, Clark, Dalton and Duncan and Loretta. We had brunch at Cracker Barrell and then went shopping!! Thanks ya'll for the good time and hope we can do it again soon.

Lovin' on Uncle Marcus

Duncan riding high.

Enjoying Uncle Marcus' monster truck!!

~Happy Easter~

I just want to wish each and every one of you a very Happy Easter!!! I'm so humbled on this day for everything that HE did for me and for you. When I sit and think about it it brings tears to my eyes knowing what Jesus went through just for me.

I thought I would share this story of my Mam-ma Bullocks story about when she got saved. I'm blessed beyond measure for the heritage that I have!!!

During my lifetime I have forgotten a lot of things, but time can never erase from my memory the great change that was wrought in my heart and life the day I came to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. As I reminisce today it is still fresh in my mind. That day was February 13, 1949--a little more than 60 years ago.
There were a number of things that led to this change. My husband and I were raised in a small town in East Texas and were nominal church members; however we knew nothing of real salvation. We were doing the things the world did and were headed in the wrong direction. I had lived for the day when I would be grown and could go to all the places and do the things that those who were just a little older than I were doing. It looked like such fun!
Well, I reached that age and started doing those things, but they didn't satisfy! It seemed so vain and hollow, and left such an empty void in my life. I would go home at night thinking, "Is this all there is to life?" "I've lived for this and now it seems so empty." There was the feeling of disappointment as tears would drop on my pillow before I went to sleep. There was a deep longing for something better, but I didn't know where to find it.
During my senior year in high school I started dating Foy Bullock shortly before he went into service during World War II. Because Foy was from a broken home I only knew a part of his family when we were growing up. Little did I know that his mother was a praying christian lady.
In 1944 we were married and my husband went overseas. He made the landing at Utah Beach during the invasion of France, and after the war was over he returned home
in December, 1945. We moved to Dallas where we secured employment and my husband attended the University of Dallas. In 1947 our home was blessed with our first son, Rex. When he was about a year old I went back to work and my husband's mother came to live with us and take care of Rex while I worked.
On Friday nights we took Mrs. Bullock across Dallas to the home of a friend who lived near her church. She was a part of a prayer band that had Friday night prayer meetings at the church. We didn't know it but our names were on their prayer list.
My husband and my youngest brother were attending a new church near our home where they taught Sunday School classes. By this time I was feeling conviction for sin and was searching my heart. After they left for church I hooked the screens so Rex could play around the house as I prayed. I began to tithe, sending it one Sunday with my husband and the next with his mother to her church.
In a few weeks I prevailed on my husband and brother to go with me to Mrs. Bullock's church. After they consented to go, I called my best friend, with whom I had grown up in East Texas, and asked her and her husband to go with us. The service was wonderful--God was everywhere and I cried all during the service. When the altar call was given I asked my husband to go with me, but he said, "No." I thought I wouldn't go either, but the Holy Spirit was dealing in such a way that I suddenly felt I wanted God and the forgiveness of sins more than I wanted anything in this world. I quietly made my way down that long aisle and knelt at the altar. My mother-in-law came and knelt beside me and as I lifted my heart to the Lord, asking him to forgive my sins and make me His own, He came. I knew in a moment that Jesus was the one I'd been searching for all the time. He slaked my thirst! Jesus was real to my soul! That load of guilt and condemnation that I had carried for so long was lifted from my shoulders and I became a new creature in Christ Jesus. That night my husband was saved! It was wonderful! It literally changed the course of our lives. Our love for one another deepened and took on new meaning as we started on this path with the Lord as the center of our little world.
Soon we heard preaching on sanctification and we were candidates for all God had for us.
We committed our lives to Him for time and eternity. No turning back! We had entered this race to win.
Shortly thereafter my husband was called to preach and the next step was a move to Bethany, Oklahoma, where he entered Bethany Nazarene College (now Southern Nazarene University). From graduation in 1953 came our first pastorate, and in time God gave us another son and a daughter. Life was sweet as the Lord led us a step at a time.
Were there no battles? No mountains to climb? No rivers to cross? No valleys? No sorrows? No heartaches? Yes, they were many! Were we perfect? No, never! Did we make mistakes? Yes, numerous mistakes and blunders! But as we walked in the light, read His Word and claimed His promises, one victory led to another and it became a romance to walk with the Lord! He gave us strength to climb the mountains and cross the rivers. He whispered words of encouragement in the valleys, dried our tears, came and blessed us in our souls, and when we made mistakes He picked us up, dusted us off and said, "This is the way, walk ye in it."
When my husband went home to be with the Lord in 1983 I felt that my world had come to an end, but as I leaned on the Lord and sought His face, He comforted my heart and brought me through! He has given me the grace to go on, and has been my Comforter, Counsellor, and Leader over this uneven journey of life. My sins are forgiven, my heart is clean and by His HELP and GRACE I mean to keep the fire burning in my soul. "Too many sunsets lie behind the mountains, too many valleys my feet have passed through, too many loved ones are waiting over yonder. There's too much to gain to lose." My heart is fixed! I HAVE ENTERED THIS RACE TO WIN!

~Tomorrow is the day~

Tomorrow morning I go to pick up Marcus!!! I can't believe this day is here.....it has seemed like a long time coming! I will post some pictures when he gets back of the homecoming.
Thank you all for your prayers and encouragment!!!

Almost Home!!!

We are almost done with this deployment!! I remember the day he left just like it was yesterday! It was a nasty rainy day for saying goodbye to the man you love and sending him away for 7 months. It has been a long 7 months but we have come to the end of it and I'm so happy!!! It seemed like this day would never get here. They are on their way home and should be here in about 12 days! I'm scrabbling around trying to get the house finished up and going shopping looking for a new dress and shoes. I'm SO excited!! It seems like these last two weeks have been dragging by and I just want to fast forward to the day that he comes home. I will have someone there taking pictures for me so I will post them for you all to see!
I just want to say thank you for all your prayers for us while he has been away. We have felt every single one of them. It is great to know that you have friends scattered around the world praying for you. I also want to say thank you to my husband for what he is doing for our country and for us! Thank you Marcus...you are truly my hero!!

New House!

If you have been wondering where I have been....well take a look at the pictures below and you will see!!! I have been moving these last couple of weeks!! We hadn't been planning on buying a house until the realtor of the house we were renting told me that they were selling the house.....so I went looking and this is what I found!! It was still being built and I was able to have just a little say about what I wanted. I LOVE IT!!! I have the kitchen of my dreams and I love the wide openness of it all. We live further out in the country and it is so quiet here. At night you can hear the big ole bullfrogs croaking in the pond not far from the house!! Now to have the man of the house home to share it with me!!! I'm still setting everything up but when it is all done I will post more pictures!!

~John Zachary~

I am a proud aunt once again!! Brent and Jalynn had their baby this afternoon!
John Zachary weighed in at 7lbs 11 ounces and was 21 inches long.
Mommy and Baby are doing good. He has lots of black hair.
Of course you all know that Grandpa and Grandma Batton are
on cloud nine right now. I don't know if we will ever be able to get
them down. They are going to call him Zach.
Welcome little Zach....Aunt Julie can't wait to meet you!!!
Congrats Brent and Jalynn!

~SNOW~

We actually had snow here today!! By the time it was all said and done we had about 3 inches!! (it snowed more after these pictures were taken) They haven't had snow here since 2004. Schools were cancelled and store were out of bread, milk and eggs!! It is hilarious how the people here in the south react to snow!! The roads were clear and they still cancelled schools for tomorrow!! HAHA
This was Gunners first time seeing snow so it was fun to be out playing with him in it. He ran around the yard and I threw snowballs at him and he was having a blast. We just wish that Marcus could have been here to enjoy it all with us.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Marcus!! God has truly blessed me with the best husband ever!! He is the sweetest, kindest person that I know and would do anything for me. I wish he was here so we could celebrate together....I would have fixed him his favorite dinner....steak, potatoes, corn on the cobb and a chocolate cake!!! :) I'm planning on doing that for him when he gets home. We have less then three months left!!
Happy Birthday Babe I love you with all my heart!!!