The Sheltons

I am not sure where to even begin with this post. Four years ago this month, Ryan and I bought our first house together in a small town where we knew very few people. The only person I could actually claim to really know was Erin Michelle (Erin Creasman), my college roomate from UNCA. I had also begun to know Megan. We met our first day of grad school at WCU.

We chose Brevard, well God chose Brevard for us. At the time, I think we would say that we moved to Brevard because Ryan was working in Cashiers and I applied to the school systems around and landed at job at Rosman Elementary. Little did we know, merely four years ago, that our lives would be this different now. Since that day, when we signed our lives away on this house, we have been blessed with two remarkable kids, a church family that we can't begin to describe, and countless friends that we now consider part of our extended family. Thru these huge transitions in our life, we have been blessed with gentle hands to guide us, words of encouragement, prayer, laughter, long phone conversations, walks, tears, playgroups, dinners, festivals, shopping trips, hikes, weddings, births of friend's children, showers, and countless other memories. I never could have imagined the friendships that we would be given here. The Lord knew exactly where he was plopping us! Brevard is certainly the best small town in the world and filled with the most incredible people ever.

It is hard for me to believe that we will soon be saying goodbye to the town and friends that we have grown to know as home. We will be moving back to my original "hometown" in August. This transition and this decision was probably the hardest decision we have had to make. As I type this, my heart is in my throat and tears are streaming down my face. There are so many mixed emotions that come with this move. You see, my hometown (Mt. Ulla) also has a very special place in my heart. It seems a little ironic that this Most School Spirited Senior, is now going back to her alma mater to hopefully instill a passion in the next generation. I feel enormously blessed for my kids to have amazing grandparents, that they will now get to see on a regular basis (my parents may feel it is a little "too regular" come August if our house hasn't sold!).

I can't begin to write how blessed I feel to have had the support that we have had over the last four years and the tremendous heartache I feel to leave some of you. We have prayed long and hard about this decision and know that it is truly what the Lord wants of us. We must answer His calling and know that He will not abandon our friendships.

Know that we love each of you "Townies" from Brevard more than you know and that you have touched our hearts in so many ways. We will forever remember the love you have shown us and the growth we have encountered thru knowing you. AND HOW COULD WE FORGET YOU....YOU WILL BE VISITING REGULARLY AND WE WILL BE ViSITING BREVARD AS WELL!!!

So goodbye to this beautiful town