Humidity and moving

You can't move in this state without being drenched in sweat due to the high humidity.  I am curious what it will be like in Grand Junction when it is just dry heat instead of high humidity.  5 hours into moving day--everything is boxed up, all the furniture is in the truck, and we are just playing tetris with the boxes now.  On track to finish tonight or tomorrow morning.  Feel free to come on over and say bye (and lift a few boxes).  :)

Dress Shopping, Full Meals, Multiple Hugs, and Hours on the Road

What a wonderful trip to Arkansas!  I took a week off from packing and drove throughout Arkansas visiting family and friends.  I wish that I could have seen everyone, but there just wasn't enough time.  First I stopped in Carlisle for BBQ with my good college friend, Buffalo.  Then I stayed with my best friend, Lindsay in DeWitt.  I then got to have lunch with some former students and talk about how God was working in their lives.  How wonderful!

I finally made it to Fayetteville and got to have some wonderful time with my family.  I had a whole day with my 2.5 year old niece, Scout.  We conquered the library, pool, and Chick-fil-A.  I also got to go wedding dress shopping with my youngest sister and then celebrate her upcoming marriage at the engagement party.  I had fun taking pictures with my new camera and participating in the fun games.  I ended up winning the freethrow contest with one hand behind my back.  :)

On Sunday, I traveled to Russellville to go to my home church.  There is just something so special about being there.  All of the people in that church are like my private little cheering section.  They are always so happy to see me and to support me in my adventures.  I know that I would not have done all the things I have done if it was not for their encouragement.  The worship and message was exactly what I needed to hear and I left feeling very refreshed.  I then hung out with my Russellville family, the Musser's.  We played games, shot Nerf guns, and welcomed Karissa home at 2:00AM from Costa Rica.

On Monday, I was able to visit with Elaine from the BCM and catch up just like we used to.  I even sat in the BCM office talking to her like I did for 6+ years while at Tech.  I then walked through the PE building at Tech and visited with a few professors. I was then blessed by a wonderful lunch and visit with Dr. Jackson before heading back to Tennessee.

I ate a lot of food on the trip, but I had so much fun with all of the visiting and catching up.  This will probably be the last time I have so much time to travel through Arkansas and visit people.  I spent a lot of time on the road but it was worth it for the wonderful memories.  Next time I drive on I-40 I will be headed to CO!

The goodbyes start

I have started saying goodbye to my TN friends.  Thanks to Facebook and emails, goodbyes aren't so hard anymore because you know that you really will stay in touch.  Still, it is hard to know that you won't see that person on a weekly or daily basis anymore.  Relationships will slowly become more distant so that room will be made for new friendships.  It is sad, but it is a part of life.  Of course, I wouldn't have met all of my Tennessee friends if I hadn't have been willing to move from Arkansas.  That thought alone gets me excited for all of the great people that I am going to meet in Colorado!

Looking back to move forward

So a friend of mine was reminding me of my old blog posts.  This inspired me to go back and read a few years worth of posts.  It amazed me at how much things can change in just a few years. 

I wrote a post in September 2006 about hoping and praying for my future husband and wanting to meet him soon.  Exactly two years later I had met him and we were talking marriage. 

I wrote about how much I enjoyed teaching college students and "molding" them into great PE teachers.  And now I have a degree in that and will get to do that job for the next 35 years.

I wrote about getting my dog, Annabelle and what our first night was like.  I have now had her for five years.

I wrote about seeking after my Savior and wanting to know Him in a more intimate way.  I am still working on this.

Reflection can sometimes be a very healthy thing.  It shows you where you came from and reminds you of all of the blessings that God has shown you.  It is the reflection on my past that encourages me to move forward.  A cross-country move, a new town, a new university...it is all a little scary.  But God has sustained me through so many previous adventures, I have no doubt that he will do the same for this one.

The Moving List

It seems like when you are getting ready to move, the "moving list" is never ending.  I have 16 days left till the move and I feel like every time I cross something off, three more things get added.  Yesterday I crossed off:

1. Find people to unload rental truck in GJ
2. Pack up shoes
3. Schedule utilities to be shut off

Things that got added were:

1. Find new home for my houseplants that won't survive the trip
2. Write out instructions for fish that I am leaving to the new renters
3. Make creative recipes from food left in freezer and refrigerator.

Austin laughed at me a few weeks ago when I was blessed by finding someone who gave me all of their packing boxes and material for free.  I got very excited about having uniform sized boxes instead of random boxes pulled out of dumpsters and recycling bins.  He thought it was funny that I would get so excited about some cardboard boxes.  They now sit under my dining room table, organized by the three sizes.  It makes me happy just to see them each morning.

Returning to blogging

It has been many years since I have had a blog.  I remember writing stories about my experiences in China while my faithful friends followed along.  As I get ready to start a new adventure (moving to Colorado), I thought it would be fitting to get back into the blogesphere and chronicle my escapades again.  I hope you enjoy the ride.