moving

I wish that moving was my excuse for the lack of blogging, but it's been about two months since this happened! 

I can tell you a bit about our experience, though. 

For advice on moving across the country, I found this post helpful. 

Zack and I were packing up our rooms at our parents' houses, a storage unit, lots of stuff from our parents' garage and basement, and WEDDING GIFTS. We each came at this from different angles and with different attitudes (lessons on marriage. . .). It totally stressed me out to pack from five different places and try to get everything to one place. I think we're about 85% there now. Truthfully, now that I have a well equipped kitchen all to myself to share with Zack, and my clothes live here, I'm pretty content with the move.    

Unfortunately, Dan didn't go with us that time. He stayed with my parents until a few weeks later, when we returned, rented a UHaul trailer, and made another trip. Actually, both of our pets came with us that time, but that's another story. 

This guy was my passenger on the 7+ hour drive. I am so thankful that Zack drove the truck! We rented a 26 foot Penske truck, which was the size recommended for 5-7 rooms, and it was the right size for us. We packed most of the furniture we would need for a four bedroom house in that size truck. We've purchased a few things since we moved in, but as you can see, there was some extra room, had we had all of our furniture. 

Zack did an awesome job piling things up to make sure we had room. He and his dad loaded the furniture. They worked so hard!!! We hired movers on the back end of the move, thank goodness. 

Homeowners! Newlyweds! Are we crazy?! 

One of the first things I unpacked were my "snake boots" -- absolute essentials for taking the dog out or for living in a new place with unfamiliar fauna. 

Speaking of which, this is the snake Zack found in our neighborhood. I was at home wondering what was taking him so long when he FaceTimed me to show me THIS. 

I joke that our house is a mix of antiques, college boys apartment, and sorority house. That 32" TV seemed huge in my college apartment bedroom . . . not so much in our living room. 

Dan finally got here, but we had to wait a while to get our fence completed. We went back to the days of the "umbilical cord" as I tied him around my waist to do things around the house and yard. 

After two months in our house, we are still getting settled. Right after our move, people asked me often, "are you all moved in?" or "are you all settled?" and I would usually laugh. It made me feel better when most of them commented "we've been in our house two years and still have boxes," etc. 

Earlier today I was reading the Bible and meditating, and suddenly, I felt thankful for the process. There are some bare spots, and I don't like many of the plants in our yard, but I'm looking forward to gardening. Many of our things are still in boxes, but we get to decide where we want to put them. There will always be things we need, things to get rid of, things to clean, and things to organize. Living with someone else and making decisions together is a challenge--one that is growing us, as we merge our lives. It's easy to complain that I want things done, but maybe I'm forgetting that the process itself is rewarding. I will have to pray that I remember to enjoy it! 

Though I'm not rushing, I look forward to having pictures on our walls and a room without boxes, and I do plan to share more of our hand me down style home then. 

thankful Thursday: downtime with my love

I definitely need some perspective in the midst of what's felt like a never ending search for a place to live. I went down to where Zack lives last week and made a little progress on our home search. 

The very best part of my visit last week was that I actually got to spend some time with Zack! His work schedule is pretty unpredictable, and he was out of town the first night I was there, but then he got to come back! I was basically jumping up and down I was so excited to see him. I rushed to the airport to meet him when he landed, and I just barely missed getting a video. I was so disappointed. The next morning, I went with him to work and got a video of him taking off (!!!) AND I went back to pick him up and got a landing on video. It was awesome to see him flying the Learjet! He's so cool.   Then he gave me a ride on the tractor, tugging Learjets around.

I'm so thankful that we got to spend some time together, even if it was just a few hours between shifts. 

friend time

This thankful Thursday I'm on the road. As soon as my bff Lindsay said she was sad that I'm moving away, I reminded her that I'll be just as close to her as I have been, AND her house is the perfect stopping point halfway to my new home! 

I'm so thankful that I got to spend time with Lindsay and Tom. They offer me a place to stay and even better, quality friend time. I am trying to spend my last few single weeks the right way, and precious time with friends is important! 

thankful Thursday: a visit

I feel like I'm finally getting in a rhythm with this long distance engagement. Last weekend, I had the chance to go visit Zack for the first time in his (soon to be our) new city. Another first -- I took my first solo flight. I mean I piloted an airplane without passengers for the first time long ago, but last weekend was my first time taking a commercial flight without traveling companions. The crazy thing is that made me more nervous than flying an airplane by myself . . . 

It was so nice to spend time together planning for our future and seeing each other face to face. I may actually have some answers now for all of you who ask what it's like where I'm moving. 

After so much excitement leading up to our visit, I didn't take one single picture of us together all weekend. I did deliver many important documents to Zack from home, including this drawing. One  of my students always asks about Zack and one day pulled out of his folder a drawing he'd done of "Miss Kathryn's boyfriend" and wanted me to give it to him. Weeks later, I finally got it to him, and I had Zack send me photo proof. 

Just six months after our first date, I was heading down to research places to live with my husband to be. Wild. If there's a lesson others can take from our story, it's that your life can change so quickly. Enjoy the season you're in, and live it to the fullest. I didn't do that perfectly as a single woman, but I'm so glad that I drew boundaries and made room for my husband even though I had no idea who he'd be or if he even existed. He is the sweetest person on earth, and he deserves the best of me.