Scratch That.

Have you ever noticed that if you allow God to be God, there's no telling what can happen? After months of struggling with God for control over my life, He finally brought me to a place in which I had no choice but to cry "Uncle!" And wouldn't you know it, as soon as I bowed out, He stepped in.  

Since moving to Washington, Alan has been hit with closed door after closed door. While there seemed to be a lot of jobs in the social work/mental health field, as soon as he turned in an application the organization would inform him that they were no longer able to hire due to a lack of budget. After a couple months of this, it tends to get frustrating [We do, however, consider it a blessing that his joblessness was not due to his insufficiencies, but rather a lack of hiring organizations]. As a result, he started applying for any and all jobs that we could find...and has been hired!  He is now a proud member of the Best Buy family!  We both are thrilled to have an income [not to mention a pretty substantial discount], and are praising God for His blessings - which always seem to come in the most unexpected ways.  He is still in search of a job in his field, but it is a total relief to have something in the meantime.

And because that means we now have two incomes [I will continue helping my Brother each day], we are in process of signing a lease on an adorable bungalow in an amazing neighborhood. We are planning on moving in sometime in the next two weeks! The incredible part of all of this, was that I had my eye on this house since before we actually moved up here [The house had been on the market for six months].  However, Alan and I had come to the conclusion that we should not be buying, but renting.  On a whim I decided to drive by the house anyway, "Just to show Mom," and, lo and behold, discovered that a new "For Rent" sign had replaced that of it's "For Sale" counterpart. One excited phone call later and we are moving in.

I can't help but think that God had some sort of crazy plan all along. Too bad I can never seem to just let Him work.

On a different note, yesterday Alan and I were able to hear our baby's heartbeat for the first time.  I wish I can say that I cried [I'm pregnant, right?! If I have to fight back tears during Moneyball, you'd think I could cry during a special moment like this], but I didn't. Tears or no tears, it was still pretty phenomenal.  I guess the little bear is really in there after all! 

The Rumors are True.

Alan and I are expecting our first baby on May 28th, 2012! Whoa. 

I have been incredibly hesitant to let anyone [other than my family] in on this little secret on account of our circumstances right now [just to catch you up...the job fairy has not left anything under my pillow].  Throughout the past month or so, I have been waiting "Until we get life figured out" to let you guys know my BIG news. But, after a lot of prayer and patience from the hubs, I have finally realized that my attempt to wait was some sort of mad grab for control.  Really, it's ridiculous that I could make something like this so....complicated.  God will provide for us, baby or no baby. "It's science."

So here I am, letting you in on the secret. Alan and I are nine weeks along and could not be happier.  While we are still unemployed and a bit homeless, we are confident that this baby is a perfectly timed gift.  A week or so ago we had our first ultrasound.  The baby looks just like a gummy bear from the side [Brother is also pretty positive that it has Elvis hair].  And while an Elvis impersonating gummy bear may sound a little creepy, it's our Elvis impersonating gummy bear and we could not be more thrilled to meet him [her?]! 

I'm still not over this, somebody celebrate with me!

P.S. If I did not get the chance to tell you personally, I am so sorry.  There were so many phone calls to make with such limited cell service, and I finally got too excited to keep it to myself any longer. Forgive?

Doors? Slammed.

Well, it has been two months now [almost] and nothing much has changed.  When we first moved up here, we had many job options and career paths to choose from...but lo and behold, each one of those doors has been closed in our faces.  Time and time again, I have found myself frustrated, worried and even a few times, questioning whether or not we made the right decision by moving up here. While praying about this the other day, laying in bed, I was reminded of a quote from [somebody I once saw at Founder's Week].

"Fix your eyes on that which is certain, rather than that which is threatening you."

So I did. I spent the rest of my prayer time focusing on exactly who my God is, and was incredibly comforted.  I was even presented with the idea that this time of unemployment, away from my family and friends, is a gift.  Since then I have been trying to sit back and enjoy the time I get to spend with my husband, more time than we have ever spent together in our married life, and stay confident that the right jobs will show up at the right time. Wish me luck.

Aside from job hunting, Alan and I have been trying out restaurants like crazy.  There are so many yummy places to eat up here, it's ridiculous. No wonder two in three people are obese.

[New] Home.

I am no longer a California resident.  Alan and I have been here for...a week and a half now.  The trip up was uneventful [besides a little "can't back up with the trailer" incident in an In N' Out parking lot...yes, we were still in California].  Thus far we have been applying for jobs, spending time with family and most of all, exploring.  While this city is so different from what I have grown up in and around, I am really enjoying the beauty of it all.  It has started to really set in that this is not just an extended trip, but a real life change.  Wow, I am a Washingtonian...a Washingtanger...a Washingtan? I live in Washington and, this will surprise you, I love it.

Perhaps my favorite part of this entire experience has been being able to spend time with my family. I have never lived near any extended family, so being able to just stop by for a visit on my way home each day has been incredible.  I absolutely love having them so close, and cannot wait for big family holidays, birthdays, etc.

Speaking of birthdays, Alan turned 23 on Saturday.  My grandparents decided that, rather than give him a "thing," they would give him a memory.  So, on Monday, Granny drove Alan and I to Montana [which is only a two and a half, three hour trip], rented us bikes and waited while we biked The Hiawatha Trail.  This 15 mile ride starts in Montana and continues through the Bitterroot Mountains into Idaho along the route of the Milwaukee Railroad.  Dude, it was incredible.  We got to ride across trestles and through pitch black tunnels using only a little light on the handlebars [the longest was 1.7 miles]. Seriously, if you ever get the chance - do this!  The ride was not difficult, the scenery was breathtaking and the memory is priceless.  Come visit and we'll do it together.

Today Keenan, Alan and I went to Pig Out in the Park, one of Spokane's festival type things.  Although it was overcast, we got to eat some yummy food [I had a chicken artichoke crepe] and enjoy Riverside Park [I chased some geese].  

Overall, we like it here and have been really enjoying our "time off." Oh hey, if you need more incentive to come visit, this area is home to the infamous lingerie espresso bars.  Seriously. They even have drive-thrus.  And here I thought I was moving to a more conservative part of the country...

Mushrooms and Garlic

Well, the BIG day is drawing near.  Alan and I have been in a constant state of "pack" this past week, but are far from done.   As we get closer to our moving day, I am surprised to admit that with each passing day, the idea of leaving my home is becoming easier to swallow.  Perhaps it's the tying of loose ends that allows me to start looking forward to our new adventure or, maybe it's the increasing desire to just "be done" with the process.  Either way, I am starting to get truly excited about this move.

Last Monday was my last night at Real2Real, the youth group that I have been volunteering with for the last year.  Unexpectedly, leaving this group has been the single greatest hurdle with this move.  My last night with them was all about me.  No joke. Me. After a few worship songs [Which, I'll admit, were not, in fact, about me], I was able to tell the students more about the move, why we felt that God was asking us to go to Washington, as well as the step of faith this is taking [Ever read Joshua 2, when the Israelites had to step into the river before God would part the Jordan for them? Yeah, it's a bit like that].  I struggled to not tear up while looking around The Warehouse, realizing that I had indeed fallen in love with these high schoolers.  When I had wrapped up, they all gathered around me and prayed for our upcoming roller coaster of a move.  And then, now this is the really emotional part, we had a time [I promise, this was not my idea] in which the students could come up to the mic and tell a story about me, tell me what I meant to them or how I impacted their lives.  Some tears, some [very loud] laughter and a lot of hugs later, I had been able to get a glimpse of why God had placed me in that group.  It was such a blessing to have that last night with those students, but it has made it that much harder to leave them.  Would you believe that some of them even gave me gifts [Including, but not limited to, garlic and mushrooms, so that I can remember this incredible area that I was able to call home...not to mention the lovely aroma]?!  Oh boy, I love those crazy high schoolers.

As of Friday, Alan is unemployed.  Although I know that his leaving his students and coworkers was incredibly difficult and emotional, I really can't speak to his experience.  I do know that he brought home  some adorable gifts, cards and notes, and has not really grasped the fact that he does not have to drive to Fremont tomorrow.  Wow, we really are leaving.

Anyway, I should probably get back to that whole "packing" thing, even though the thought of staring at brown cardboard boxes all night is not my idea of a party.  I mean, really, why do we not have glittery leopard print packing material yet?  Home Depot really needs to embrace it's inner diva.

Here's to the six!

Have you ever read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland? I am sure the vast majority of you have seen the movie, while most have never read the book.  The book, however, far exceeds the beauty found in Hollywood's take on Lewis Carroll's classic.  Perhaps it's the elegance of it's prose, or the complete hilarity of the characters, or maybe it's the simple fact that the story makes no sense and simultaneously all the sense in the world that draws me to this book, but something keeps me entranced by the world Carroll has imagined.  One of my very favorite lines reads,

"There is no use trying," said Alice; "one can't believe impossible things." " I dare say you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” Every time I read that, I smile. Even typing it I found myself grinning, maybe because I find some strange encouragement in the lines. As odd as it may sound, I recite this to myself quite frequently. My world seems to be full of impossible things these days - things which are utterly absurd to expect and yet, I am forced to expect them. But, if the Queen can do it, so can I. I started this blog on the brink of Alan and my latest adventure - Washington. Leaving California means leaving many people that I hold dear.  I can only hope, no, believe that this may bridge the gap a little. My six for today? 1. Leaving our jobs, friends, family and stability for the complete unknown is exactly what we should be doing. 2. Moving up the coast does not mean losing our friends. 3. Washington is the trendy place to be these days. 4. The San Francisco Giants can/will win no matter where I am [Let's face it, it's no coincidence that they didn't win the World Series until I moved back from Chicago]. 5. You can get sourdough anywhere. 6. I'll end up loving the snow ["Flip-flops in the winter?! What a ridiculous notion!"]. I better get at it - breakfast is fast approaching.

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