Uff-Da

Is it really possible that we're done moving? A month and half after leaving NJ behind, we finally have all of our belongings in one location. Do not underestimate how big of a victory this is. While we closed on our house over two weeks ago, Brian and I still slept at the apartment we rented until we found a house. We have spent every day since the purchase of our house ripping up carpet, painting, installing closet racks, installing a washer and dryer, hanging a pot rack, ripping out baseboards-sanding them-painting them and installing laminate flooring in two bedrooms and a hallway. (And this house isn't even a "fixer-uper"!) Now that we actually have flooring in our two bedrooms it's now possible to put a bed in our room and sleep over. Yea!

The journey we've been on coming back to MN is something only the Lord could have scripted. The house we're in now is only ours because our first offer on a house fell through after the housing inspection. We almost let this house pass us by but said yes after realizing we'd be crazy to let an open floor plan, a HUGE deck, instant access to a 35 acre dog park, less than an hour commute for Brian (it's crazy that less than an hour commute is a plus), and $50K cheaper than our first house offer, go. We have been learning a lot about home ownership and sweat equity. Most of the sweat has come from Brian and my Dad as they labor over flooring and other too technical installations. Our neighbors are a wonderful diverse mix of races and ages. We are sandwiched in between two retired Bob's that are just delightful to chat with.







Another example of God's great blessings is a second job interview for a part-time mentoring coordinator position in N. Minneapolis. I had about one week to job hunt and send out resumes before I moved into full-time house mode. This position would give me freedom to explore other passions and interests yet still make a difference in the lives of youth. My anxieties and uncertainties of what my future will look like is starting to come into focus.

Things are starting to come together. I think we're going to like it here.

Where did all this stuff come from?

Our house has been in a flurry the last couple of days as we get ready to pack up our lives and head for MN. We've had a lot of support as we prepare to leave, but I would say the greatest support has come in the form of professional packers and movers. The fact that I don't need to stress about boxing everything up and making sure it all fits snuggly on a moving truck is a luxury that is priceless. It has allowed us to be more fully present with friends and even allowed Brian to go camping this weekend with some of the fellas. Brian took Bella along and he got to learn more about her personality. She loves orientering and retrieving all of the discs during a game of frisbee golf (which makes playing a bit hard). Brian felt like God was telling him last week that there's more to be done here in NJ/Philadeliphia. That can be interpreted in a lot of ways since cleaning and packing come to mind right away, but we've come to experience it more in regards to our relationships with friends. It's been important to Brian and I to put aside the to-do list and spend as much time with friends as possible. They have been the ones that have shaped us the most in our time out here. We've been blessed to have developed such meaningful friendships in a short time and can only hope that we find a similar community when we return home.

And on to another bit of exciting news: our offer on the house we looked at in St. Paul was accepted. All that stands in the way of having a permanent home is a housing inspection. But that feels like ages away since we have moving, a 20 hour road trip with the dog, a wedding, moving into temporary housing and another wedding still ahead of us.

Change is a-coming

The last couple of months has brought about significant change. The largest change being that NJ will no longer be home. In a few short weeks, we are packing up and heading back to the good 'ol Midwest. Now that Brian and I have given our notice to our jobs and we've finally got the moving company scheduled, it's sinking in; especially as we fly back today to MN today for a house hunting trip. I can't say I'm too eager to trade in 80 degree temperatures today for cold and snow, but long,miserable winters comes with the territory; MN is home. (My enthusiasm for the frozen tundra will soon wear off next winter). I knew keeping my MN license plates on my car would come in handy. Except now I have to show up at the DMV tomorrow and pay for two year's worth of renewals.

Since we're keeping all of our stuff in storage until we buy a house, it is limiting the amount of stuff we can move back with us. Our solution so far has been to check extra luggage on this trip, full of extra clothes. This sounds great in theory, but I am quickly realizing I don't know how to reduce all that I need for the summer into a few suitcases. You think years of working as a camp counselor and Youthworks staff would prepare me for moments like this, but unlike Brian, only packing five

outfits for the summer seems a little daunting.

The last few months has also given us some time to really maximize the sights and beauty of the east coast before we leave. I take for granted how close we are to so many great places--places that most people take vacations to go visit because they don't have the convenience of making the visit a day trip by car. I had hoped to see a Broadway play in NYC before we left, but time is running out. Good thing MN has a good theater community.

(from left to right) day trip to Baltimore, Washington DC during the Cherry Blossom festival with Melissa Q. and her family, a trip down memory lane on the Appalachian trail and a day of learning to be a circus star in Philly.

Anticipation

I put the Christmas tree up this weekend. Which is way ahead of schedule. I mean, it's still November and I feel like it was just Halloween. My festive mood could have been sparked by the neighbor down the street that strung lights on every piece of foliage imaginable and then used his flood light to display baby Jesus. Or it could have been having extra time, since I had a four day weekend. But what's more impressive is I did it with the absence of snow. Don't get me wrong, one of the best things about moving to the East Coast was saying goodbye to the harsh, nine-month Minnesotan winters. But one thing was pretty much guaranteed: it was going to feel like a winter wonderland when you got ready to decorate the house. For some reason, dead grass and a pile of leaves in my yard didn't spark the fuzzy feelings I remember associating with the Christmas season. I think what I'm trying to say is, I kind. of. miss. snow. But just until Christmas is over.

So, for whatever reason I decorated early, I do know this: I want to be more engaged with the true meaning of Christmas this season. This Sunday was the beginning of Advent. The word Advent means "coming" in Latin and is an old church tradition that is a time of preparation and anticipation for the birth of Christ. I want to anticipate much more than what presents I'll receive or the big amazing meal I'll share with my family. My earliest memory of Advent was opening the Advent calendar, and if I was lucky, getting a chocolate to go with it. That definitely created anticipation, but not the right kind. So I kind of like the fact that my Christmas tree is set up early because it serves as a reminder of where I should place my focus this season.

Real Simple

I was inspired to de-clutter after listening to the radio today. I came home with a mission to simplify our lives. I wanted to start with the den since it is an overflow of nick knacks, random sheets of paper, and stray post-it notes. The fact that it takes ten minutes just to clear a working space on our desk discourages me from using it. So began the process of cleaning up. After I gained momentum and Brian jumped on board (really, it didn't take much to convince Brian to help out since his nickname is Danny Tanner) I decided it was time to hang our pictures up on the wall. We've lived in our house for over six months now and our wedding photos and framed pictures have sat collecting dust. Until now.

It felt good to reduce the clutter. I completely related to the radio announcer when he said life can feel out of control when there's too much clutter and stuff in your life. It's incredible to think that the amount of stuff we have right now has expanded into all 1800 sq feet of our house, whereas before we had to manage with 1000 sq feet. With the recent upgrade in room I know we've also acquired more things. I admire Brian when he made a vow to himself not to buy any new clothes for six months. I look back at my Target bill and know I've failed miserably. I do think the most joy comes when we can resist the urge to buy or if we do need to buy, buy second-hand. Our greatest finds have been cheap couches from Goodwill and a $5 printer at a garage sale. One man's trash is another man's treasure. And after today, Goodwill will be receiving a sizable donation from us. Ahhh...the joys of simplifying.

The fear that creeps in the night

We're dog sitting a big red Golden Retriever this week and the energy level in the house goes from WWF style matches to loud panting on the ground. Right now it's the calm before the storm so I figured I'd take a few minutes to update the blog.

Brian wasn't feeling well last night. The poor thing is having to adjust back to sleeping normal hours again after a week of working 11pm-7am. He's still awake at 3 am, not sure if he should lay in bed or get up. He's been opting for the latter and has been running on little sleep for the past few days. (And I thought recovering from all-nighters with teenagers was hard!). Anyway, last night he told me he was going to bed early, and since my body can't quite force itself to go to bed at nine, I gave him a kiss and said goodnight. About twenty minutes later he resurfaced. The look on his face had more worry in it than a look of death (which is how I prefer to look when I'm sick). Basically the fear of what was wrong with him took over. All those what if's and worse case scenarios we often think about, were robbing him of sleep. I don't always have this response, but instead of turning to Web MD or getting the Nyquil out, I offered to pray.

I realized after last night how much I undervalue the power of praying together as a couple. The fruit that comes out of a time when two people are surrendered to God in prayer is incredible. After praying, talking, and meditating on some bible verses we both were ready for some sleep. Brian's not 100% today, but the peace that both of us possess is much greater than it was yesterday. I feel more united and more connected to my husband than I have in awhile. It felt good and right to focus our attention on the One that is the Solid Rock, the ultimate Healer, and the one in perfect control.

As for me, I look to the Lord for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me. Micah 7:7

tired

I so desperately wanted to update the blog since it's been awhile, but I got carried away with changing the template of the blog for something fresher. When I didn't like any of the default templates from Blogger I attempted to search for better ones online. That process turned into a longer ordeal than I wanted and didn't end well. And so I came back to the original default templates that I started with. All that being said, it is now late and I promised myself I would do better at making it to bed earlier tonight. Brian is working third shift all week, 11pm-7am, and without him as my alarm clock to go to bed, I really just find excuses to stay up later. I apologize that the post you're reading lacks any real content or value for your lives. I will write more later when my brain isn't so slow and tired. Switzerland pictures and more exciting life stories coming soon...