2014 Round-Up

Surprise! I have blogged a total of TWO times this year. OOPS! I smell a resolution for 2015... But, ending the year didn't feel right without taking a moment to reflect on all that 2014 gave us with our annual Round-Up post! This one will have lots of pictures and might be pretty long - I have a lot of catching up to do!

2014 HAS BEEN A GREAT YEAR!

(So great, in fact, that many of these categories have runners-up!)

Our Biggest Accomplishment: House Renovations!

So far, we've redone the kitchen cabinets and countertops, bought new appliances, removed carpet from almost the whole house, put hardwood in most of the house, stained and refinished the concrete floor in one room, and painted the main parts of the house (including trim and doors - which is very time consuming!) We still have miles to go, but we've loved making our house a home.

 

Not the greatest pictures, but you get the idea - they were dark
brown with beige countertops and brass fixtures before!

 

Also, our appliances were mix-matched - so
we finally got all matching stainless!

David hard at work on the floors. Carpet glue is no fun!

Before we put the wood down, we wrote scripture
blessings all throughout on the foundation! 

Preview of the gorgeous dark wood flooring!

New floors! And new blinds courtesy of my parents!

We think Moses likes it in here :)

Runner Up for biggest accomplishment was David starting his own company! He worked so so hard this year (outside of his full time job) - so that we were able to do these renovations... and even upgrade my ride ;)

Our Biggest Frustration: The Blue Jeep 

(She's healed and moved on now though, lol!)

It seems like so long ago now, but in the beginning of the year, we were STILL battling Holt Transmission to get my jeep running right! Finally after countless trips back and forth - and countless days driving David's truck to work - We decided it was time to bid her adieu, and upgrade! So in May, we welcomed this beauty to the family!

We did finally get the Blue Jeep up and running smoothly again - and were able to sell it to David's sister Rebecca. This way, if it has any future problems (which it shouldn't...) at least David can still help her out - it is under warranty for another 2 years!

Our Biggest Adventure: Guatemala 

In July - thanks to God many of our friends and family - we were able to go on a mission trip to Guatemala! This really deserves it's own post...but I'll sum it up in pictures below. We made friendships despite language barriers, spread the Gospel, and even had time for sightseeing in Antigua! It was a trip we'll both remember for a lifetime. (Hoping to post more about this in the future... though I'm already 6 months late!)

SO thankful to experience this together!

Afternoon siesta time :)

Precious Village boys. The one on the left drew David a
picture and gave it to him on the last day.

Always the goofball. 

The Whole Gang

Anderson was our adopted sibling for the week!

David and Tony our driver - these two formed such a great
friendship during the week. Two peas in a pod!

Runner Up for greatest adventure: Courtney's trip to NYC with Kristen! It was certainly an adventure - two southern sisters tackling the Big Apple in 2 1/2 days! But boy, did we do it all! Our favorite show, FRIENDS, set up a temporary Central Perk for it's 20th anniversary - so of course, on a total whim, (and thanks to two wonderful husbands for letting us go!) we packed up and flew out! We saw Central Perk, Central Park, Times Square, Bloomingdales, Rockefeller Center, Little Italy (with Cannoli's!), 9/11 Memorial and Museum (GO see that!), NY Public Library, Tiffany's, FAO Schwarz, The Met, Cinderella on Broadway, got a Cosmopolitan, and even tackled the subways and a tiny hotel in Queens! We totally earned our street cred - no chaperones! :) 

Caroline couldn't come - so we brought her a little blue box!

THE Orange Couch - Just call us Rachel and Monica :)

A little rain couldn't stop us!

These are just a few pics from the trip - for a whole bunch more, click here!

Other great adventures included: Hilton Head for Valentine's Day, Columbia to see Kari Jobe and Rend Collective in concert; Cape Coral, Florida for Thanksgiving; Clemson for a football game; and Spartanburg for Kerri & Aaron's Wedding!

Now, onto the 2014 lists...no real pictures go with these :)

Our Favorite Restaurants: 

They're all tied for first!

Sesame for Burgers, Miyabi Sushi Bar, Moe's, and The Shelter for Sunday Brunch

Our Favorite Music: 

We both love Elevation Worship!

David: Mumford and Sons, Lumineers, Rend Collective, Citizens

Courtney: Kari Jobe, All Sons and Daughters, Frozen Soundtrack

Our Favorite Books Read: 

David: The Tombs, Clive Cussler

Courtney: Return to Tradd Street, Karen White (Runner Up: Beautiful Ruins, Jess Walter)

Our Favorite TV Shows: 

We both LOVE Family Feud!! And Grey's Anatomy on Netflix!

David: The Walking Dead (Runners Up: Impractical Jokers and Prospectors)

Courtney: Tie between Friends and Revenge (Runners Up: Nashville, Hart of Dixie, Gossip Girl on Netflix)

Our Favorite Hobbies: 

David: Learning more on Electric Guitar, Blacksmithing, and still camping, even though we didn't go once this year!

Courtney: Hand Lettering, Painting, and crafting of any kind!

On the Calendar for 2015? 

Cruisin' the Pacific Coast Highway in June! 

More details to come as we begin to plan - suggestions welcome!

That about sums up our year!

We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas, and will have a very Happy New Year!!!

With Love & Blessings, 

C+D

We're going to Guatemala!

Hello Dear Friends & Family!

As you may or may not know, David and I will be traveling to Guatemala in July. We will be going with a group of about 8 others from our church, led by Kristen & David Patrick (It's a family affair, y'all!). 

David has been on a few international mission trips before, and said that they were lifechanging experiences for him. He has traveled to Panama once and Nicaragua twice. Courtney has never been out of the country on missions, but has participated in several trips stateside, which have also been incredible. Since going on those trips in the past, both of us have had the itch to go back. 

We've known our church goes on several trips a year, and the desire to go was always in our minds. We have just been waiting on the "Go" from the Lord, trusting that He would tell us when He wanted us to go. It was actually a very quick decision! David and I both just thought one day, "The July trip. That's the one". Since making the decision, God has perfectly aligned everything for us to go on this trip.  David had to renew his passport, and it came in earlier than expected. We both got approved for the full week off work... paid! He has already begun to reveal himself to us - and we haven't left U.S. Soil yet! We feel so blessed to be called into the global mission field. We can't wait to get outside of our "home" and spread the good news of Jesus Christ! 

We will be serving a small, unreached people group called the Chorti, in a tiny mountain village named Chanco, high in the Mountains of Guatemala. We don't know the specifics of what exactly we will be doing yet, but we're trusting the Lord. Another team from our church is actually returning from the same village soon before we go, so we look forward to getting some more direction, suggestion, and guidance from them.

Here's where we need YOU! Will you prayerfully support us? Please know, that our number one request is prayer. To cover us and our team in prayer as we travel and serve - that God will protect us and bless our efforts as we minister; and to cover the Chorti people in prayer - to have open ears, eyes, minds, and hearts to the grace and glory of the Gospel. We serve a BIG God who LOVES hearing from His Children - so please pray for us!

Our other need is financial... Any trip out of the country is costly, so we are asking our family and friends to consider helping us out a little! Would you consider making a small donation to help fund our trip? A donation of any size will help! You can donate online by clicking the "Give Now" button at the top right of this page, or you can mail checks to First Baptist Church Mt. Pleasant, 681 McCants Drive, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464 and include "David & Courtney Irvin - Guatemala" in the memo line. Either way you would like to donate is great with us - we try to make it easy. 

We are so grateful for our huge support system of family and friends! We thank you sincerely in advance for your prayers, your donations, and your love. 

With faith & gratitude,

David & Courtney

2013 Round-Up

2013 HAS BEEN A GREAT YEAR!

Our Biggest Accomplishment: Becoming Homeowners!

We bought our first home back in October. It was definitely a lot of work...and I think several trees were killed in the process (SO much paperwork!). We are now beginning the long road to renovating & updating. Will try to be better about blogging and posting before and after shots as we go! 

(...thanks, Google Maps...)

Our Biggest Change: Church Switching

Earlier this year I blogged about leaving LifePark and heading back over to FBC Mt. Pleasant. It has been a huge adjustment, but we are happy, growing spiritually, worshipping more than ever and definitely feel confident that the Lord has us where He wants us. We still miss our LP family though!!

"The Foundation" - Our LifeGroup at FBC!

Our Biggest Adventure: Jamaica!

We went on several little trips this year - Myrtle Beach, Columbia, etc. as usual, but our one big trip was our Honeymoon/First Anniversary week in Jamaica! It was the vacation of a lifetime - we climbed a waterfall, snorkeled, danced, ate great food, enjoyed fun drinks, visited Negril, shopped, and most of all relaxed and enjoyed quality time together!! It was everything we hoped it would be!

Sunset over the water, Rick's Cafe, Negril

Our Biggest Frustration: Holt Transmission

I probably shouldn't state their name on here, as they still have not fixed the problem we took to them a MONTH ago. Seriously, I have not had a car for the whole month of December. We took it in with transmission problems and they said they needed to rebuild the transmission, which would take about 3 days. You'd think, by the name of their company, they know how to do that (You had one job....). Don't let the name fool you, they have no idea what they're doing. Bonus, they'll break your AC for you while they're at it!

I do have it now, although it needs to go back for a third time, but I'm just being stubborn and refusing to give it back just quite yet. It's ok that is shakes while in reverse, and sometimes cuts off, right? (Kidding...I know that's bad.)

Our Favorites:

Bands: The Lumineers, Mumford and Sons

Worshipers: Kari Jobe, Rend Collective, Elevation

Restaurants: Still Miyabi Sushi Bar! And The Shelter on Coleman for Brunch

Worship Songs: Give Me Faith, Elevation Worship; Steady My Heart, Kari Jobe

TV Shows: Grey's Anatomy, Duck Dynasty, The Walking Dead (D), Hart of Dixie (C)

Book read this year: The Book Thief, Marcus Zusak (C); Caliban's War, James S.A. Corey (D)


On the calendar for 2014? 

Guatemala - July 2014
We are going on a Mission Trip (My first one out of the country!) for a week in July with our church. David's always had a love for global missions, (He's already been to Nicaragua and Panama), and I've always wanted to go out of the country (My US missions trips have been phenomenal too, though!). Pray for us in the months leading up to our trip. We're SO excited!!

Happy New Year to all of our friends and family!!

C+D

Making a Switch

You all know that David and I have been very plugged in to our church, the Church at LifePark for the past few years. We've been student ministry adult leaders, worship team members, student band leaders, bible study members and I do a lot of design work for the church.

But in recent months, David and I have really been wrestling with where God wants us. We have been questioning where we can do the most good in ministry. Where we can be used best. Where we will grow the most. We've been asking and searching for a clear vision of where the Lord wants us in this season of our life. The idea of changing churches began forming. Is LifePark still the best fit? Should we go back to McCants? Or, should we search for a new church all together, maybe closer to home? Are we really open to what the Lord is asking? What is He asking?

Since then we've felt a stirring that God might want us to go back to our original campus, First Baptist Church of Mt. Pleasant, (aka McCants) in the Old Village. So we began to pray. Unbeknownst to us, so did a few of the staff members. How COOL is it, that while we were praying about this decision, a few of the staffers were also chatting about us, and praying about us. (FYI: That's a God thing.)

After all this seeking and waiting and praying and resisting and accepting and second-guessing and getting excited and questioning and committing (yes, we ran through all of those stages), our answer was clear: go back to FBC McCants Campus.

We feel the Lord leading us to be foundational in the young adult ministry that's springing up over at McCants. (Check us out on Facebook and join us!) We have been a part of a small group for a while now, and have really loved watching it grow. We also know we can bring our gifts in worship to McCants, and step in there when needed. You all know our passion is worship, and we feel God calling us to help further the worship service over there, in whatever capacity we are needed. 

We feel like we helped plant LifePark, and were a part of getting it off the ground a few years ago, and we hope we have helped to further the Kingdom out there. I have no doubt there are people waiting in the wings to fill our void. But at the end of the day, we really feel confident in our decision to commit to McCants, at this stage in our life. We feel the call, and feel confident that we're being obedient. We love LifePark, we just aren't sure it's where we're supposed to be serving in this season. After speaking with Julianna yesterday (LifePark worship leader, my role model and my buddy) I felt her blessing and a peace. Then we spoke with Chip last night (McCants Associate Pastor, another role model and friend) and felt even MORE confident in our decision. Still, it will be a major transition, and we will miss the relationships and people and environment and everything out at LP. Mainly the relationships. It makes us sad to think about not seeing all of our friends and loving on each other each week. (So pray for us in that, will you?) Although we've already formed really great relationships back at McCants, we'll still miss our LP family. 

So for the LifePark-ers who may be reading, don't worry, we'll still be around, and will definitely pop-in every once in a while. And if you miss us, we're still a phone call away! And remember, we're one church, with two campuses, so we're still the same body. LP Ladies - keep me in the loop! :)

And for the FBC McCants friends, we hope you'll be ok with seeing our faces a lot more often. We can't wait to do life with you!

Will you pray with us and for us? We're so excited for this coming season. We're excited to be on board with what God's doing in the local church!

Peace & Blessings,
C & D

Thankful Thursday 5.30.13

Whew! I'll begin by saying I'm thankful it's almost June! :) Though I'm not sure June is bringing much of a reprieve in the busy-ness category...Going to have to work on that. We're supposed to slow down in the summer, right?

May has been a whirlwind...Seriously, how is it already the 30th? I've been off the blogging bandwagon pretty much all month (as per usual, I'm afraid to say. I just can't for the life of me find the time or think of something important enough to post more regularly) BUT that's also because we've had SO much going on in the real world lately! 

So, take this as our Month-of-May Update and List of thankfulness. :)

We're thankful for our dear friend, Devin, who graduated from USC this month! Been a long time comin'!

We're thankful for my awesome Momma, who celebrated another birthday this month! No, Momma, I won't tell them how old you are ;).

We're also thankful for my Momma's best buddy Beth, who also celebrated a birthday this month! We won't tell them how old you are, either :).

Momma & Beth with their beards at Beth's
Duck Dynasty birthday party! 

We're thankful for this beautiful weather lately! THIS is why we live in Charleston. 

We're thankful for our Health! Thankful for our Great Physician and Healer.

We're thankful for our Mothers - and that we got to spend time with BOTH of them on Mother's Day. 

We're thankful for being a part of our precious niece Lyla's first trip to the beach! Watching her take it all in was pure joy. 

Watching the wave coming!

Just LOOK at those little running legs! :)

We're thankful for the opportunity we had this year to lead our Student Band at LifePark. This past Sunday was "Student Sunday" and they got to lead worship for all three services! And, let me tell you, we felt like Proud Parents! Watching them grow in the Lord and grow in worship since last August was so rewarding - all to culminate in watching them lead our whole church body in worship (excellently, I might add!) was so rewarding. So we're SUPER thankful to have had that role in their life!

We're thankful for all the extra work we've been doing. (Eww, what?) No, we're not always thankful in the moment, but in the big scheme of things, we ARE thankful for all the side jobs both of us have been getting, to help us get ahead in our savings a little bit! And both of us love what we do, so it's not bad :)

We're thankful for all of our great veterans who fought and died to give us the freedom to live the way we do! We don't have to only appreciate and honor them on Memorial Day!

I'm personally thankful for quality time I've gotten to spend with special, Godly women this month! I got to spend a few hours with my Mother in Law one day, and a few hours this past Saturday with my best bud Jenny. I admire both of them so much and truly, truly enjoyed having "Girl talk" with both! So blessed to have these two as such important women in my life!!

David's thankful for: "My new job [still] - Working for a good company that has owners that care about their employees. And for my beautiful wife!" (awww...Can I add that I'm thankful that he responds to my "What are you thankful for" texts each time I make a TT post!?)

Peace & Blessings,

C + D

Thankful Thursday 3.28.13

This post is probably going to be LOADED, because 

A. I haven't blogged in a very long time, 

B. March is a big month for us, and 

C. A lot has happened in the past month-ish that I've been on this writing hiatus! ;)

That being said...it's time for....

This week, David's probably the most thankful. He's thankful for his NEW JOB!! That's right, he's no longer with Fogel Services, he now works for Carolina Chillers, Inc. It's a commercial HVAC company versus residential. Huge step up. Better hours, better pay, better benefits, better environment, and better bosses (who love Jesus!) He's LOVING it so far, and I know he will be great at it! He's very thankful already for the relief of having this new job. Therefore, I'm thankful for it too! I'm thankful I'll be able to see him more, he won't be working as much, and he'll just be all around happier. I'm so proud of him!

This month, we're thankful for the long break we had for our First Anniversary/Belated Honeymoon trip to Jamaica! It was absolutely perfect. (Minus the 3 hour delay on the way home, putting us in Charleston at 3 am!) The resort was awesome, the weather was gorgeous, and most of all, our quality time together was just so so good. Good for the soul. A week away from everything - completely removed from reality - is priceless these days. Especially when it's spent in paradise! We came home even more in love than before we left. I'm so thankful for a husband who I love SO much, and who loves me back just the same! (I'll do a whole post with pictures from our trip one of these days...be on the lookout.)

While on our Jamaica trip, we're thankful we celebrated our FIRST ANNIVERSARY this month. Can you believe it's been a whole year!? We can't! They say the first year is the hardest, but I don't buy that - because it felt like a piece of cake to us! We've enjoyed every minute of it. I'm not saying we're the perfect couple who never disagrees on anything, but seriously, I'd say we've passed with flying colors. I know life will throw us curve balls and we'll go through tough stuff - I'm not that naive, but all I'm saying is our first year was a breeze! Thankful to Jesus that he made us both for each other. We're the perfect match. 

Also this month, I'm thankful for David's life! His birthday was March 20, and it goes without explanation that I'm happy he was born. So thanks, Mrs. Cheri, for bringing that blonde headed baby boy into this world 28 years ago! Happy Birthday to the love of my life!

And this week, we're thankful for Jesus! (Well, every week we're thankful for Him...but this week especially). Thankful that he sacrificed everything, took our sin on His perfect shoulders, to be crucified...only to rise again and defeat the grave! Our prayer is that everyone will remember what it's really about. Not bunnies and eggs (although those are cute and fun) but about Christ and his ultimate gift of Grace. 

Happy Holy Week, Everyone!!

Also, if you're in the Charleston area and don't have anywhere to go Sunday, we'd LOVE to have you join us at LifePark! Let us know. 

Thankful Thursday 2.7.13

This week, I'm thankful for prayer.

As I mentioned in the post earlier this week, a lot of big things are on the horizon for us. And the doors keep opening. My gut reaction? Fear, apprehension. If these things work out, it could be life changing and awesome. If they don't? We'll still be A-okay. How do I know this? Prayer. Seems I've been in constant prayer this week. I'm learning that when I pray for "trust" or "faith", God's not going to magically give me those qualities. He's going to give me something to build my trust and faith. I'm learning. It seems David is much better at this part than I am, as he's ready to dive in head first. Me, I'm getting there. Exciting things are coming. 

(And no, it's not a baby for all of you inquiring minds, haha!)

This week, David's thankful that God seems to be opening doors to a better life. 

This ties in with the above. Not that our life is bad in any way, shape or form. We have a great life. He's just thankful that God seems to be pushing us toward an even better one!

This week, I'm thankful for my job. 

I got to travel to San Francisco last week for a conference. While it was a work trip, I still got plenty of time to be a tourist. I went in high school, but when I got back, lost all of my photos that I had put in an album. So, I'm thankful I got to go back and take replacements! It was a great trip. It's a great city. And the pacific ocean is still really cold on the toes :).

This week, we're thankful for each other.

We've been apart a lot for the last couple weeks, so we've really been enjoying our time together this week! Marriage is awesome. And it's almost been a year already - how crazy is that!?

To Trust or not to Trust...

February 5

"Seek My Face, and you will find not only my presence, but also my peace. To receive my peace, you must change your grasping, controlling stance to one of openness and trust. The only thing you can grasp without damaging your soul is my hand. Ask my Spirit within you to order your day and control your thoughts, for the mind controlled by the spirit is life and peace.

You can have as much of Me and My Peace as you want, through thousands of correct choices each day. The most persistent choice you face is whether to trust me or to worry. You will never run out of things to worry about, but you can choose to trust Me no matter what. I am an ever-present help in trouble. Trust Me, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea."

"So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace." Romans 8:6

from Jesus Calling, Sarah Young

Don't you love it when your devotional PERFECTLY aligns with your life?

Some pretty big things are on the horizon for David and me. I cannot go into specifics yet, but I will say it involves David more so than me. Good big things. Exciting big things, but still scary things. Just last night, David and I were having a long discussion about these things. His stance is confidence, excitement, and motivation. Mine is more timid, wary, and questioning. (I am my mother's daughter). While I am excited, I found myself so quick to be the "devil's advocate" so to speak, than the trusting faith-filled Christian I am supposed to be. After realizing this, David said to me, "Babe, we are children of the King, He will direct us, and take care of us where He directs us" (Sidenote: How awesome is it it have a husband who speaks like that...who reminds me that I am a Child of God!?) To which my response was, "You're right. I know you're right. I really need to work on myself, and my trust and my courage." (Keyword here: Trust). 

Then I read that devotional this morning. It's Like God was there in the bed with us last night in our conversation! He heard me say I need to work on my trust. He knew I needed this devotional this morning. Or, he knew this devotional was coming, so he orchestrated our conversation last night. Either way, (I'll say it again) Don't you love it when your devotional PERFECTLY aligns with your life? Hey Jesus, thanks for speaking to me today, it's so good to hear from you.

Courtney

Order the book here! You won't regret it! :)

2012 Round-up

2012 was filled with high points, low points, challenges, rewards, emotion, love, life, work, play, rest, prayer, and adventuring. So I've made a little round-up of our year :)

Favorite Picture: This One!

Favorite Month: March 2012 (obvious choice!)

Our Wedding! 11 years and 2 months after first meeting, we became husband and wife. The day was perfect - the weather was perfect - the ceremony was perfect - and our mini-moon was perfect! (Until we both came home with the flu, but we were warned - when you're married you share everything!)

Least Favorite Month: November 2012

The darkest month of our year. We lost David's Great Aunt Coleen, My Grandma Fraylick and My Grandma Young - all within a 9 day period. Seems unbelievable? Yeah, it was tough to swallow. BUT, by the Grace of God, and the LOVE He showered on us, we made it through! And we can rejoice that all three of these beautiful women are in Heaven!

Favorite Meal: Chicken Stir Fry with Peppers & Pineapple

One of David's Specialties - we discovered that adding pineapple to chicken teriyaki stir fry gives it so much more flavor. We made this meal most often this year!

Favorite Restaurant: Miyabi's Sushi Bar!

We may or may not have a standing VIP discount. And, we may or may not have received a Christmas card from them. And, Sota, our favorite sushi chef, may or may not be bringing us a present from Japan when he goes in January. :) Let's just say, it's like our second home!

Favorite TV Shows: Hart of Dixie & Revenge; Dexter & Walking Dead

I'm sure you can guess which shows belong to which of us. 

Favorite "Bucket List" Item Checked off: Recording in Studio!

I've blogged about it before, but we got to each go into Charleston Sound Recording studio to record our Life Songs for a real album! Super cool experience - and fun thing to do together with each other, and our friend Jenny!

Favorite Weekend Activity: Getaways & Mini-Vacations!

We LOVE to get out of town and spend some quality time together. Since getting married, we've been to Myrtle Beach for a quick weekend, Clemson for a Game, Camping in North Carolina, and to Greenville for a weekend.

Favorite Worship Songs: How He Loves (David), How Deep the Father's Love (Court)

We chose these two songs as our life songs this year. If you want to know the reasonings, just ask us sometime!

Favorite Accomplishment: No Wedding or Honeymoon Debt!

With the help of my parents, David and I were able to pay for the majority of our wedding, and save up enough to completely pay for our upcoming honeymoon. All without having to sell anything or open any credit cards. Apparently, wedding debt is really common. We're pretty proud of ourselves that we made it all work out beautifully!

Favorite Overall Moment of the Year: Getting Married!

By and large, in the future, when we think of 2012, we'll undoubtedly think "Our Wedding".  So it will always go down in the books as one of the best years of our lives! As our pastor Chad says, it's the second most important decision of your life (behind accepting Christ as your Savior). I think we made the right choice ;)

On the calendar for 2013? 

Honeymooning in Jamaica in March! Looking like it's going to be a great year!

Happy New Year to all of our friends and family!!

C+D