1. It is HOT & HUMID.
2. It is not as brown or flat as I anticipated.
3. There are not cowboys, tumbleweed, or dude ranches everywhere as I had expected.
4. Rolling bunny hills are apparently topography.
5. When it rains, it gets hotter later.
6. People are so incredibly friendly.
7. It's refreshing that so many people talk openly about God, religion & faith around here. (Very different from Seattle!)
8. They certainly make and do everything BIG in Texas! From stores, shopping centers, homes, events, and indeed, hair!
9. People make Obama jokes like, woah.
10. It feels significantly cooler when it is around 95 degrees, compared to the 107s we've been dealing with. Never thought I'd wish for a 95 degree day.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
My Summer Vacation
In a few short days, if not already, grade school teachers across the world will be posing the following question to their energized pupils:
What did you do on your summer vacation?
Some student will dread this questions for fear that their response will pale in comparison to others. Others will eagerly volunteer to brag about an amazing summer vacation.
If Bella had to reply, this is probably what she would say:
(Please read this in your most animated, enthusiastic, sometimes dramatic, fast-paced, chatterbox-y, high pitched 3 year old girls' voice):
This summer we moved to Texas ("Taysas" as she pronounces it). We left my school friends Claire and Steven and Araya and Ravenna. Then we drove for a long time every day, but it's okay because we got treats because I was a good girl.
First we went to Daddy's friend Bob's house where daddy lived on a farm and helped with the "amimals"!
Here we are with Mr. Bob and his camels.
We kept on driving and went to Missoula. We went swimming in the swimming pool and I jumped in all by myself! Mommy and I raced and I was Lightning McQueen and I won! A lot of times!
Next we went to Yellowstone. There we saw lots of amimals, steam, and waterfalls. I sent my friends postcards from there!
After 2 days in Yellowstone, we went to the M and N mountains, the Grand Tetons (Because they look like M and N's all mushed together!). I got lots of mosquito bites! We went swimming and Elin, too. I can touch the bottom now! In the lodge, I beat daddy at my Toy Story matching game!
The Grand Tetons
The next day we went to see lots of big red rocks. (Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs.) Then we went to meet my cousins Autumn, Jordan and Nathaniel. I want to see them again.
My cousins Autumn, Jordan, and Nathaniel
After lunch, we drove to New "Mescico" to see my Memaw, Papa, Grandpa, Barnana and cousin Abbie! I played with Papa, baked with Memaw, got my hair cut with Grandpa Hall, and played ball with Barnana and Abbie! I also took out Great Grandma's curlers. We played and wrestled a lot! I want to see them again!
Four days later, Mommy, Elin and me went on an airplane ride to Lolo and Lola's house. We rode TWO airplanes and I was a good girl and mommy bought me ice cream! I played with cousin Ethan and his tains and cars! He has Lightning McQueen, too! He's my favorite! Lolo and I went fishing and we caught a big fish! He's in the freezer and I will see him next time!
Next we got on another airplane to go see Daddy in Taysas. Our new home has a pool and my daddy bought me new goggles so now I can see in the water!
And that's what happened. (She always says that after telling a story.)
Written August 5th, On the Road
So, in just a few days we will be starting our new life in Texas.
I haven't been able to write my thoughts down about this as it happened for many reasons, but particularly because this has been a shocking, surprising, and unimaginable turn of events.
God threw us a major curve ball.
Things happened so fast, yet so timely. So suddenly, yet so coincidentally. So randomly, yet so logically. Gods hands were all over this one.
But, it doesn't make it any easier.
I haven't been able to write about it, keep any of our friends really up to date, or even put it into words. I haven't had a second to process it.
It wasn't until about two weeks ago when I finally let it plow me over and I haven't really been able to turn the water works off since.
What saddens me the most is that we are leaving behind a great life for the uncertain. We have pulled Bella (me) out of her (my) comfort zones and away from her (our) best friends. My heart feels like it is ripping into pieces when she asks when she will see her friends again. We have left a community of friends that we call family. We are leaving our favorite part of the country, a place we longed to live in for years - a place we thought we would put roots down.
So, in an extremely small nutshell, the story is that Charles received an amazing job opportunity in Texas, one that could not be matched in the Pacific Northwest. It happened so fast; there was an interview, a flight out, an offer, an acceptance, a house hunting trip, and suddenly we are on the road waving good bye to the emerald city; Mt. Rainier shrinking in the distance.
Leave it to the Big Guy to close all the doors in Seattle and give us a green light all the way to Texas. Everything was pointing to the Lone Star State...despite the fact that I clearly declared to Charles that I would never live in Texas. God has a sense of humor, too. (P.S. God, I would "never" live in Chicago, Denver, Seattle, or Colorado Springs, either. In case you want to move us again where I don't want to go...)
On the bright side...
We will be within striking distance of our families. We can get home for weddings, babies, birthdays, etc.
Airline tickets are cheaper from DFW.
Sun and vitamin D
Swimming outside and water parks (reminds me of my own mid western days of old)
Crickets chirping at night
Houses are huge!!!
All our belongings are in storage, some things have been shipped to Albuquerque, and the rest of it is in our jeep.
We left august 2nd, drove to Missoula, stayed the night, drove to Yellowstone, stayed last night and tonight, and tomorrow we are off to the Grand Tetons. We will stop there, then head to Colorado Springs, visit cousins, then off to New Mexico. From there, the girls and I will hop a plane to Chicago to visit friend and family. Charles starts his new job on August 15th, the girls and I fly I to Dallas on august 16. We have corporate housing for 2 months. Once the girls and I get there, the frantic search for child care, a home, and a job begin.
I have to believe that God has a reason for all of this, that there is a purpose. I have never felt more obedient in my life than in the last few months and that is very humbling.
Hopefully all the stars will align in the lone star state.
I haven't been able to write my thoughts down about this as it happened for many reasons, but particularly because this has been a shocking, surprising, and unimaginable turn of events.
God threw us a major curve ball.
Things happened so fast, yet so timely. So suddenly, yet so coincidentally. So randomly, yet so logically. Gods hands were all over this one.
But, it doesn't make it any easier.
I haven't been able to write about it, keep any of our friends really up to date, or even put it into words. I haven't had a second to process it.
It wasn't until about two weeks ago when I finally let it plow me over and I haven't really been able to turn the water works off since.
What saddens me the most is that we are leaving behind a great life for the uncertain. We have pulled Bella (me) out of her (my) comfort zones and away from her (our) best friends. My heart feels like it is ripping into pieces when she asks when she will see her friends again. We have left a community of friends that we call family. We are leaving our favorite part of the country, a place we longed to live in for years - a place we thought we would put roots down.
So, in an extremely small nutshell, the story is that Charles received an amazing job opportunity in Texas, one that could not be matched in the Pacific Northwest. It happened so fast; there was an interview, a flight out, an offer, an acceptance, a house hunting trip, and suddenly we are on the road waving good bye to the emerald city; Mt. Rainier shrinking in the distance.
Leave it to the Big Guy to close all the doors in Seattle and give us a green light all the way to Texas. Everything was pointing to the Lone Star State...despite the fact that I clearly declared to Charles that I would never live in Texas. God has a sense of humor, too. (P.S. God, I would "never" live in Chicago, Denver, Seattle, or Colorado Springs, either. In case you want to move us again where I don't want to go...)
On the bright side...
We will be within striking distance of our families. We can get home for weddings, babies, birthdays, etc.
Airline tickets are cheaper from DFW.
Sun and vitamin D
Swimming outside and water parks (reminds me of my own mid western days of old)
Crickets chirping at night
Houses are huge!!!
All our belongings are in storage, some things have been shipped to Albuquerque, and the rest of it is in our jeep.
We left august 2nd, drove to Missoula, stayed the night, drove to Yellowstone, stayed last night and tonight, and tomorrow we are off to the Grand Tetons. We will stop there, then head to Colorado Springs, visit cousins, then off to New Mexico. From there, the girls and I will hop a plane to Chicago to visit friend and family. Charles starts his new job on August 15th, the girls and I fly I to Dallas on august 16. We have corporate housing for 2 months. Once the girls and I get there, the frantic search for child care, a home, and a job begin.
I have to believe that God has a reason for all of this, that there is a purpose. I have never felt more obedient in my life than in the last few months and that is very humbling.
Hopefully all the stars will align in the lone star state.
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