And the winner is...

By a whopping 27-10 margin...










Congrats Brian and Megan!!!

VOTE NOW!!!

Sure the presidential election is right around the corner, but there is an even more important election that needs your vote!! To your left you will find a poll...please vote for which pumpkin you think wins the good ole fashion pumpkin carving contest that took place at the lake house this last weekend. We won't disclose which belongs to which couple (the Laymans or the Coxes) until the results are finally in. Here are the candidates:





This is Pumpkin #1 (the pirate flag)










This is Pumpkin #2 (the smiley face)






Rock the vote, people!

A weekend retreat...

When we went to Ireland in July we met lots of wonderful people. Two families in particular, Brian and Megan and Tom and April, had become immediate friends and we had all planned to get together for a weekend retreat soon. Well that time came this past weekend! Unfortunately Tom and April had to cancel at the last minute (we missed you guys!!!), but the other four of us met anyway at a house on Smith Mountain lake in Virginia.

The weekend was spent playing games, carving pumpkins, eating like kings and queens, visiting a local winery, and other fun stuff - not to mention the wonderful fellowship we share as brothers and sisters in Christ. We can't wait until the next time we can get together again! Here are some pictures...

We're moving to Cary, NC in DECEMBER!!!

Here's an excerpt from an update email we sent out this afternoon:

We had been praying specifically that we could find a small apartment (1 bedroom) in the $700/month range ($250 less than we pay now) so that we could have the ability to save some money while we transition from seminary to non-seminary life next year. Well, last weekend, while we were staying with [some friends] in Cary, we were prompted to visit a complex near their home. To make things short, we will be living there in a 2 bedroom apartment for $704/month! This place is actually more square feet than we have here in Charlotte and was actually cheaper than their one bedroom apartments. We weren't nearly as surprised as the leasing agent was, to say the least! Join us in praising the Lord for his awesome provision!

For those who live in the Raleigh/Cary/Apex area, you are heretofore coridally invited to help us unload a moving a truck on December 20! Sure, it seems a long time away, but it will be here before we know it. (Don't worry, Dan will send a reminder email...) Megan promises to have plenty of cookies and hot chocolate available! :-)

Thanks for praying for us and please continue to pray as Megan seeks a job in the area.

Pumpkin Carving

We took a trip to Apex this weekend and spent the afternoon Sunday with our good friends, the Peedins. The task for the afternoon was to carve pumpkins! Here are some pics of the fun (yes...Dan did carve a Saluki logo into his pumpkin!):

WW update...

Megan: down 14 pounds in 9 weeks...

Dan: down 24.6 pounds in 9 weeks...

Gracie: happy to eat for us...

Our fifth...

So last Saturday, October 4, Megan and I celebrated our 5th anniversary. I planned a relaxing weekend getaway to Blue Ridge, Ga - the very same place we honeymooned - to stay in a cabin up in the mountains. We had a really good time just catching up on The Office and reflecting on all the good memories we have been blessed to enjoy. We also played some pool - I won two games and lost five (don't ask...let's just say Megan didn't win any...) and I managed to slay a scorpion with a butter knife (again...don't ask).

We also managed to attend a Weight Watchers meeting in Ellijay, Ga. Wow, that was a bit different than the city-fied meetings in Charlotte. I did learn that a caffeine free diet coke counts as a serving of water. Seriously?!?! Oh yeah, and the colder the water, the more calories you burn by drinking it. Really?

We are blessed by the Lord to have a great marriage! We both look forward to many many many more years.