I'm Alive

In case you were worried, I am still alive and well, very well. So well that I've been waaaay too busy to keep up the 4 day a week blogging thing. It was good while it lasted, right? Anyways, I'll update later but for now, just know that we made it home. HOME. And we're happy. That's an understatement, but you get the picture. I think I've had enough of this short, choppy, grammatically incorrect babbling. Maybe tomorrow I'll make time for a little something involving thought and effort. Maybe...

I Must Be Crazy

Today Michael and I took a little adventure to Panera Bread for a little breakfast date turned study session. It was wonderful, and for some reason I was giddy. It may have had something to do with our seats by the fireplace, PLUS there was an outlet nearby...score! So we posted up there and enjoyed our breakfast sandwiches on really yummy bagels. Oh, and did I mention the whole back wall was glass, making for an absolutely gorgeous view of the mountains. Yes, I will miss the mountains very much. And the weather. Speaking of, it was sixty and sunny today. Be jealous all you Indiana folk!

I'm sure right now you're all probably wondering, "what exactly will you miss about Colorado?" So I'll tell you...in no particular order...

- Jamba Juice (I know, other places have these too, but not Crawfordsville)
- Chipotle
- Super Target
- Basically all the perks of living in a city...
  the proximity to anything and everything you could ever imagine
- Looking at the mountains
- Camping in the mountains
- Skiing in the mountains...which, ok we never even did but I'm still going to miss that
- Driving through the mountains
- Aspen...it's in the mountains
- The mountains
- 300 days of sun
- The Kenyon family and Truman
- Watching J & C play basketball
- The Stevens family...I don't even want to think about not seeing Caleb every week. Sob fest.
- Jan, Gordon, Faith and David...especially Faith's storytelling
- Aunt Laura and Don

That covers all the major bases...but I'm sure there are a thousand little things I will miss once I'm not here to take them for granted anymore. 

I must be crazy for leaving this.

This is what our room looks like...

 

I packed everything in one day. 

As if we were leaving tomorrow or something. 

Except we're not.

But we could if all that mattered was having everything packed!

I feel like I did when I was ten, packing for Disney World two weeks before leaving, and then having to unpack half of my stuff because I still needed it.

That's me right now. Just waiting to go to Disney World and look at Magic Kingdom in wonder at how I ever lived without it. 

But there is one major thing that's different now from when I was ten. 

When I was ten, the days passed slowly, threatening to never end.

These days, on the contrary, are flying by faster than I can understand. 

Because this time, I'm not just leaving my little town for a quick vacation only to return the next week. This time, it's more like leaving Disney Land to live instead at Disney World. Leaving a place I love and never thought I would leave for a place that suits me just a tiny bit better. I'm trading a good thing for another good thing.

And although I'd rather it be this way than another, it still means that I have to leave good things behind. Very good things, that I wish I could just pack up and take with me. Unfortunately, they're all people who would probably notice if I tried stuffing them into boxes... 

I Remember...

every Christmas Eve, my sister and I would build a fort in one of our rooms and stay up as late as we could to try and catch "Santa" in the act. One year, it finally paid off. Sure enough, Santa came peaking in on the two little girls pretending to be asleep. Only he wasn't your typical Santa dressed in red...he actually looked more like my dad in his underwear. Que uncontrollable laughter from two little girls trying to stifle snort inducing hilarity in a silent house...unsuccessfully. I guess Mr. and Mrs. Claus must have been deaf that night because shortly after, we heard them hauling gifts to the living room. And once the coast was clear, what did we do? Uhuh, tip-toed right out there to lay eyes on all the pretty gifts under the tree. Oh the good old days :)

Sorry dad, I can't remember if we told you about that one yet...but it's true, and now the whole world knows!

Random Monday

So I think last week went pretty well, don't you? At least I'm pretty proud of myself what with blogging four days out of the week and all. Many pats on the back for me. Now on to the randomness that is Monday, or should it be miscellaneousness?

I'm sick again. As in, my throat hurts like crazy, my body won't stop aching, my head won't stop pounding and I swear my tongue has doubled in size. Thank you, immune system, for being worthless.

Michael and I might have jobs once we move back. It's still in the works, but we are still pumped! PTL and thank you Mama.

I will be chopping off half of my hair soon. If anyone is interested in the other half, just let me know. Really, why do I have enough hair for four people?

I am mysteriously feeling the urge to paint my nails.

And eat dinner. If possible, through a feeding tube to avoid swallowing.

I can't stop daydreaming about everything I want to do once we move to Grandma's house. Oh the paint choices!

Michael is taking a nap next to me. It's 6:15 and he's supposed to go play basketball. I keep waking him up, but he ain't budging. And when he does wake up, guess who he'll be mad at for not waking him up? What's a girl to do?

I'm really not a fan of the "new profile" on Facebook.

I really need to get behind the camera again.

I've been laying at the foot of the bed all day watching HGTV in between naps.

Ok, I'll be back with another life altering post tomorrow. But right now, my tummy is yelling at me.

Sleep, My Mammy, and Taco Bell

It's Friday and you know what that means! Oh, you don't? Well, it means it's 7:38 and I am ready for bed. No, not just ready, past ready. As in, I could have gone to sleep an hour ago. Legitimately people, I just had a conversation with Michael that I don't remember whatsoever. I texted him to ask if I hung up on him. Because really, I don't remember saying goodbye, or anything except for that he called me. I'm runnin' on empty. What I wouldn't give for twelve hours in pitch black silence.

Why, you ask? Because I can't sleep. Because my mind refuses to pause from it's whirlwind of thoughts and dreams and ideas and what-ifs. So basically I'm an insomniac. I can't really complain though, I'd much rather have it this way than close my eyes each night with nothing to dream about.

Aaannnnd if you're wondering why I'm posting this two hours later than when I started, it's because I just got off the phone with my momma. aka my inside woman, my marketing agent, my co-dreamer, my MAMMY (that was for you, mom...enjoy). Anyway, we just had a nice little chit chat about all the ways she's been hooking us up back on the home-front. Let me tell you, she is quite the string-puller. And then, mid convo, she made my dad drive all the way across town to Taco Bell since he was going to get a slurpy (at 10:30 pm mind you...normal) from the gas station that's two minutes away from my house. And on top of that, she ate it right in my ear and talked about how good it was. So now I'm starving...and going to Taco Bell.

And then I've got a date with the Sandman.

GOOD NIGHT.

How did it get to be Thursday?

Well, apparently Wednesday is my new skip day. Sorry about that, and I'm still not sure how it got to be Thursday. And since I have SO much to fill you in on, I guess Thursday is as good a day as any to be an "update day."

Now for the update. Wait, hold on one second, I need to do another happy dance to get rid of this excitement long enough to finish this post...

Ok. Really, if I could insert a drum roll, I would. It's that big. Just do it yourself.

.....................................insert dramatic silence.....................................

WE'RE MOVING BACK HOME IN LESS THAN THREE WEEKS! LIKE INDIANA. AS IN MY GRANDMA'S FARM HOUSE. A HOUSE. BY OURSELVES. I AM A GROWN UP!

Ok, deep breath.

So, Michael and I will be moving back to Cville indefinitely, and we couldn't be more excited! (in case that wasn't already clear...I really feel like writing this entire post in capital letters in order to properly express my enthusiasm, but I think that might get a little overwhelming)

Anyways, I know you're all dying to have details, so I'll try. But cut me some slack, so much has happened in the past two days that I'm sure I sound like a rambling nutcase... BUT, basically, we I have been stressing out, looking for "real" jobs and housing in CO in time to have our own place by mid December. No such luck. Every door was closed and we were beginning to wonder if maybe we weren't supposed to be here after all. And on top of that, Michael decided not to finish grad school as it is not necessary for his career, and right now it's just not in the budget. So really, we have nothing holding us here (aside from the family and friends who we will miss waaay too much).

We were in a season of waiting for a solid month where we were seeking and praying that the Lord would give us direction and discernment and then provide a way for us to follow in His instruction. We were totally content in knowing that He would provide in His time. We knew that He knew, even though we hadn't the slightest clue. But even knowing that, it's hard not to feel the pressure, and when time seems to be running out it's not super fun having no idea what your next step will be. And now that we know, I could not be more thankful, relieved, excited and just amazed by His goodness.

Anyways, after talking to my dad for a good while the other night, we learned that my grandma's old farm house will be vacant sometime in January, giving us the opportunity to have a home to live in for an unbelievably affordable price. And on top of that, we get to be back in Indiana, back with our family, our friends, and our church. We get to be home. Although Colorado is beyond gorgeous, and arguably one of the most amazing places to live in the entire US, it's just not home. Home, for us, is a place surrounded by family and friends, a small town with land to be farmed, teams to be coached, people to be photographed and lives to love on.

It's amazing that in just two days so many questions have been answered and so many doors have been opened. God is good.

And remember that house I was wishing for, oh, three days ago?! The one with walls and doors and doorknobs and windows? It's here! Granted it's not really our home in the sense of ownership. But, it's not just any home either. It's the home my grandma raised my daddy and his seven brothers and sisters in. My aunt's and uncles who I love so much. I'm so amazed. So thankful.

Proverbs 3:5-8 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct you paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones. 

***disclaimer*** I'm not actually a real grown up, I only try really hard to look like one. But sometimes I eat popcorn for dinner and cookie dough for breakfast and sleep in too late and listen to silly music and basically act like I'm eleven. It's a miracle that I manage to get the bills paid on time and keep up with laundry. But truthfully, I probably need adult supervision more often than not. But hey, that's why I married a 25 year old!