Merry Christmas

So this is what we've been up to lately:creating a home. Our dear friends Kristina and Sean have spent nearly every weekend with us in the past couple of months working on our house and providing us with company. Walt and Sandra, who we are living with, have done the same. We are overwhelmed by their generosity.

Here Sean is pictured tearing out the subfloor in the the entryway. There was a 10 by 10 foot wood floor when you first walked in and since we are replacing it, Bob thought it would be a quick tear-up job. However, the wood was glued down and proved to be a frustrating problem. They ended up tearing up and replacing the plywood since it was easier.

Below: Okay, so our wood flooring is beautiful. Bob has already installed a ton of it, but for some reason I don't have a good picture. Here is the first strip being laid. I love it and it is going to transform our house. It really is amazing all Bob can do. It is fun for me to watch him work. This is where having a perfectionist for a husband can pay off! This is our dining room.

Below is the pink room being transformed. Today I painted it a very light blue color. Light blue is a stretch for us (as you can see most else is some version of tan), but it is the guest room so we are trying something new and figure if we don't love it, that's fine since we won't really hang out in it. The chair will go in there eventually so we wanted to make sure it matched.
The lovely Sean and Kristina. And the lovely Bob. And the lovely gold chandelier. Right.
Our master bedroom! I love how it turned out. We picked a gray color and we both love it. We painted the bathroom the same.
I changed all the doorknobs from gold to rusted bronze or whatever it is called. That cost a pretty penny. Luckily I had gift cards, but it really has transformed the whole house. It's the details, as any girl knows.
We had our kitchen cabinets painted white and I added knobs since those had been stolen by the people who moved out. Good riddance and thanks, since they were probably gold anyway. It looks like a whole new kitchen. We will probably have to wait a few months to get granite counter tops because we have been spending so much money and can live without them.
Bob added beadboard to the breakfast nook and did such a good job. It transforms the room. Another beautiful gold chandelier.

So those are probably the biggest changes. I am finishing painting the rooms and Bob is working on the wood flooring, then we will add carpet upstairs and will hopefully be in by the end of January. I can't wait to add little details and color since my palate is like a blank slate.

With all this work, it has been hard for us to really prepare for the holidays. Bob wanted to work all weekend, but I told him we HAVE to take Christmas off! We are looking forward to spending some time at church, relaxing, and eating good food with the Devaults. Then off to CA to celebrate my dad's 70th!

Merry Christmas.

On the job

Here is the house after we cut down the forest outside. You can actually see it!

Below: Here is my first mistake (it is a learning process, right?) I was so excited to get in there and started on something that I came over to the house before Bob was off work and started tearing down wall paper in the master bedroom. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be. Then Bob came in and said, "Oh no, Jamie, that is not wall paper, that is dry wall you are tearing down." Whoops. At that point I didn't even know what dry wall was. Now I do and am a master since I tore it down on purpose in the garage.
Walt, who we live with, and his friend Andy, have been a tremendous help to us in this process. They helped us fix the water heater and cut down trees and fill up the dumpster.
Bob starting to tear out drywall in the garage. We had to wear masks because of the dust and because one of the reasons we were tearing down the dry wall is that a lot of it had mold.
Me tearing down drywall on purpose! The previous owners had turned one of the garages into a room, so we are making it back into a garage. Bob laughs at me because I held the hammer with both hands. Buy me a tool belt, someone, because I am becoming a master at using them!

Process

We are having fun ripping things out of our house, cleaning it up and making it ours. So far we have torn out all of the dry wall in the basement, including the room they made the second garage into. We have lifted the sagging porch, torn out carpet, torn down some wall paper, cleared out mold, cut down the jungle out front, and have filled 2 dumpsters full of trash.

It is definitely a work in progress and will be a while, but we are having fun and it is ours. Here is a link to all the pictures I have taken so far, if you are interested.

https://picasaweb.google.com/106338896800545130178/OurNewHouseWorkInProgress?authkey=Gv1sRgCLvFt6fkiJunOw

On a funny sidenote, the other day in class with my 5th and 6th graders we were talking about aging and a student said, "I heard everything starts doing downhill after 30." I told her that while that may be true, I am almost 30 so that gives her a picture of what 30 looks like. She quickly changed her mind out of embarrassment and said, "Well, I mean 45. Isn't 45 senior citizen age?" I said, "No, dearest one, that is 65." Blessings to you, my child, for making me laugh so hard and be able to tell this story over and over again.

Guess what we did

We bought a house! Here is the first of many BEFORE pictures. The Lord blessed us tremendously and gave us most of what we had been waiting for for so long to find in a house. It is a foreclosure, which we had never really planned to buy, but we fell in love with this place and with its potential. Bob and I both joked that of course with the nature of our jobs (him being a counselor and me being a teacher) that we would find a place that we desired to blossom.

The structure of this house is good and while it is very photogenic, it needs a ton of work. It has not been lived in for almost a year and needs nearly everything replaced. We are extremely excited about doing the work together and ourselves and making this into our home. We are truly gifted because as I mentioned before we are living with a couple from church and so we have all the flexibility and freedom to take as long as we want to in fixing it up. There will be many more pictures to come, it was just taking forever to upload. Thank you for all of you who continued to listen to our saga of emotions over this place and all that it involved (and who will continue to do so).

Family: With both of our birthdays and Christmas coming up, if you desire to get us a gift, all we really need/want are gift cards to Home Depot! (I never thought I would say that). Bob of course will use it for tools and manly things, and I will use it for things that a man might deem "unnecessary", like good-looking door handles and hinges, fans that match the house and don't have gold on them, etc.

We virtually welcome you to our new home!

Friends and cupcakes

Since moving, we have been just far enough from our friends that we don't get to see them very often. So Saturday, we planned ahead and got together for dinner. Kelly suggested a place in downtown Roswell, which is a quaint little place with fun restaurants, live music, and lots of people out for the evening. It reminds me a lot of downtown Orange, where we used to live. Bob and I live a lot closer to downtown Roswell now and will probably frequent it for date nights. The shop Kelly took us to is known for their bakery and fun drinks, but they had delicious sandwiches and salads to. I had been craving a cupcake for weeks, so I was so excited when she told us we were going here. The decorations inside were girly and fun (the boys didn't mind too much) and our waiter was absolutely hilarious.

He ended up bringing me a bib because I told him the mark of a good sandwich is that the sauce that is on it starts to drip down your arms (note: Ruby's club with ranch is the BEST for this!). Anyway, we had a lot of fun and here are some pics: Kelly and I were the only ones who ordered cupcakes out of the 8 of us that were there, which was so sad to me. For those of you that know me, I am a sharer (or a sharee) and I love tasting everything. So only two cupcakes means only two tastes. Kelly got the chocolate chip cookie dough one and I got the lemon one. They were delish, but not worth the $4 that they cost. Seriously, $4 for a cupcake?

Before:
After:

A long day

Yesterday was a long day. Bob has been working so hard on working out the details of the foreclosure we are trying to buy. We have had a little taste of how the government is run (or lack thereof) in dealing with this and there is so much paperwork and a lot of glitches along the way. I am working two jobs right now hard core, trying to finish up on this UTQ project and teach two days a week. Needless to say, we need breaks. Lots of them.

Enter Walt. Walt and Sandra are the couple that we live with and they are constantly blessing us. It has been a pleasure to just be able to rest in their home and for Bob to be closer to work. Walt had the BRILLIANT suggestion that we go for a night ride in their pontoon (spelling?) boat. We cruised on over to the lake in his convertible, with the top down of course, stopped to pick up something to grill and were off. Here is the captain below:
I was calling Bob his co-captain, but I quickly got made fun of, and told that co-captains are for football, and first mates are for boating. Right. Here is the first mate:

The night sky. We missed the sunset because we got there a little late, but it didn't detract from the beauty at all. It was so serene out there and you immediately felt a peace and sense of God's presence. We drove around a tad, then anchored and ate, enjoying the setting. No one else was out on the lake. Time slowed down for the first moment all day.

My love.

More pictures of the shower

Here are some more pictures from Misty's shower. Misty lives in a house with three other girls, one who just bought and renovated this house. It was fun for me to see all the little details that went into it. It is also fun for me to stay there for the night because it has been SO LONG since I have lived with girls. It is nice to go back to that for a little, but I have always found it easier living with a man--Bob in particular, I guess.

Since I have moved here, I have also been able to see my auntie more. She lives in Arkansas, but we get to meet up with each other at Misty's house sometimes. It has been fun for me to have girly time when we are together. I wish my mom was closer so it could be the four of us. Sometimes my aunt reminds me of my mom, though, it is uncanny. I appreciate her because she can talk so openly about the past and about things pertaining to women. I bring a lot of questions to her, and she is always bold to answer.

Here are some of the girls left over at the end of the shower. There were a lot more to start with, but we didn't think of picture taking until later.

Here is most of the lovely spread. The food was so delicious and her roommates were so thoughtful to put this altogether for her.

Misty's bridal shower

One of my FAVORITE things about moving out to Atlanta is that I get to be closer to my cousin. Misty and I are 3 months apart exactly and got to see each other about once a year growing up. Now, since she lives in Charlotte we are only about 4 hours away and I get to see her every couple of months! I have also had the privilige of getting to know her boyfriend turned fiance. Things change so much when a girl meets her man and I am glad that I have gotten to be a part of it.

I went to Charlotte this weekend for Misty's shower and got to spend time with her and my auntie who came out from Arkansas as well. I love some girl family time. It was a blessing and I can't wait to celebrate Jared and Misty's marriage in October!

Watch out

This just made me laugh and I wanted to share because we can all use a laugh now and then. On our tortilla chip bag it says that they expire December 3, 2011 at 8:49 a.m. So what do you think happens at 8:50 a.m.--they spontaneously decide to go bad?

Crazy

I realized how stressed I am today when I saw a lady smoking a cigarette and I wanted one, something, anything, to relieve this sense of being so overwhelmed!

Bob has been working and we have been going to church a half an hour north of where we are living now, so he has been driving there 6 days a week. Our lease ends at the end of August and it was our goal to buy a house by that time so everything would fall perfectly into place without much overlap. Right; I forgot that I don't get to write my own story. We do not yet have our own house to move into, but through this uneasy time, the Lord has continued to provide blessings. A couple from our church who have an apartment in their basement have graciously offered to allow us to stay there for any amount of time needed until we find a home.

We did find a home! And we put an offer on it which was accepted, but it is a foreclosed home (just what Bob wanted so he can get his little hands on it and fix it up), which means a lot of waiting. And as of now, we are waiting to get a signed contract back. So it is sort of ours and sort of not ours. Even when we do get the contract, there are still lots of steps to make sure that the home is in okay condition and habitable. So more waiting for us. You'd think I would get good at it after all this time, but not really. Still working on it, Lord.

In the meantime though, we will be using my UPS box address that I have for work. So for all of you who read this blog AND want to write me a letter (I know the numbers dropped off significantly there), the best address to use from now on is :

4355 Cobb Pkwy SE

Suite J446

Atlanta, GA 30339

I can use all the love notes I can get!

Comes the Dawn

After a while you learn the subtle difference
Between holding a hand and chaining a soul,
And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning
And company doesn't mean security,
And you begin to understand that kisses aren't contracts
And presents aren't promises,
And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head held high and your eyes open,
With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child.
You learn to build your roads
On today because tomorrow'ground
Is too uncertain for plans, and futures have
A way of falling down in midflight.
After a while you learn that even sunshine
Burns if you get too much,
So you plant your own garden and decorate
Your own soul, instead of waiting
For someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure,
That you really are strong
And you really do have worth
And you learn and learn... and you learn
With every goodbye you learn.

-author unknown

A little more than a walk in the park

Sorry, no pictures again. Still working on it. Today, I spent a workout morning with my new friend Kristina. Kristina is actually sort of an old friend because she is the sister of my roommate from college. Kristina and her hubby Sean moved out here from California a little over 6 months ago so we have been spending some time together, mostly going on walks and such. However, Kristina had much more than a walk planned for us today. She came up with a whole series of workouts to do in the park that overlooks the river. We did high knees, sit ups, push ups, leg lifts, lunges and more, and I tell ya she is a driver. She should be a trainer the way she can get you to keep moving.

I thought it would help to be overlooking the river, that it wouldn't hurt as much or be hard in such a serene setting. Not so much. I am sore already and it is only an hour past when we worked out. I never know if I like this or not, because it reminds me that I am out of shape and getting old. Yes, I am having issues with approaching the big 3-0. I have a little over a year still, but I am preparing for it, the downhill body from there. I have heard that's when most of the metabolism stops. So thanks to Kristina, who is helping me get ready by blasting drills at me and making me laugh in the process. I love her spirit and the fact that she brough a list of items to get done on our workout agenda and practiced them on her husband first.

Clear as mud

It has been dreadfully hot here. Like the kind where it is too hot to go outside, or even go in the pool because the water is too warm to be a relief. The only kind of escape we get is when it rains, which has started to happen more frequently. In the middle of the day we will get a quick storm and then the heat dies down and you can feel normal again.

Yesterday, I was driving home and talking to my dad about the latest saga on our house hunting adventure--more of that later--when it started raining. Fine by me, I thought, because it meant that it wouldn't be such a nasty scorcher for the rest of the afternoon. Plus there was the added bonus that rain=no exercise, because you can't possible go for a jog or walk in the rain, right? Fair weather walker, that's what my California walking friends would say. But since the weather was always fair in California, we were always walking. Anyway, I digress.

I was talking to my dad and turned on the windshield wipers, and immediately the whole window was too muddy to see through. Now, those of you who know me know that tidyness is not a virtue in my book, and I don't really know how long it has been since I have washed my car. So my immediate thought was, this muddy windshield is a result of the dry dirt that was probably caked on there mixed with the rain; a logical conclusion. However, the more I drove, the more muddy it continued to get, to the point that I could hardly see through my windshield. I was starting to get nervous so I slowed down. Then it got better. So I sped up. Then it got worse. The cycle continued, until I finally pieced together that the truck in front of me was the cause of my clouded windshield. When I put two and two together that I was driving behind a DIRT TRUCK, it made sense that the muddy film on my window wouldn't go away unless I slowed down. My dad and I laughed about it for a while. Comic relief is such a God-send. I wish I had more of it in my life.

Guarding solitude

"I hold this be the highest task of a bond between two people: that each should stand guard over the solitude of the other."
-Rainer Maria Bilke.

I read this quote on someone else's blog today. I loved it and immediately sent it on to Bob. We are always working at managing the balance between togetherness and solitude. It is such a hard concept once you get married and sometimes you don't realize the need for solitude until it is too late. When we first got married I feel that we lost ourselves in each other and I think within the last few years we have realized the NEED for individuality, remaining who we are, and how that can contribute beautifully to a marriage.

I always wonder what our kids are going to see in us. I can't think of anything more reflective than having other people live with you and know you and look into your lives. How will they say we connected? Did one of us give in too much, lose ourselves in the other? Or do we remain ourselves and greater capable to love WHO the other person is? I hope it is the latter, we are sure working toward that.

Separate time is always good for us. We always come back more refreshed, more in love and thankful for the other person. We reconnect with God, who we are, and the things that he is speaking to us individually. I am realizing that a good relationship does not mean all time is spent together, but rather who each of us brings to the marriage, which is reshaped by solitude.

Raw oatmeal

I know that oatmeal is good for you, but I have always found it too high maintenance for a breakfast food. Instant oatmeal has basically been depleted of all that might be healthy, not to mention the flavored ones that add in all that sugar. And when I have tried to make oats on the stovetop or in the microwave, I always end up with an overflow of mess when it boils over. Then it is too hot to eat so I have to wait for it to cool down. It then usually cools down too much and becomes hard. See what I mean, high maintenance.

A few months ago a found a recipe on a blog for raw oatmeal. I wasn't so sure about it but liked the idea. Just a few weeks ago, I tried it out and have been eating it almost every day since. I have kind of made up my own version that I want to share with you:

First, for one serving you soak 1/2 cup oats in water overnight (I usually store it in the fridge, but am not sure if you have to). In the morning you dump out some of the excess water and put oats in a food processor with anything else you would like in your oatmeal. I usually include a dash of vanilla almond milk, almonds, walnuts, flax seed, agave nectar, and cinnamon. Then you process it until the items are blended together and look like creamy oatmeal, put in a bowl and serve. It is delicious and has made the perfect summer breakfast because it is cool and healthy. I guess if you wanted it hot you could put in in the microwave for a tad, but then it wouldn't be "raw" anymore. Happy eating!

Sabbath

I think we had a perfect Saturday. It started when some of Bob's colleagues and their wives asked us to go on a bike ride with them. And this wasn't just a casual stroll of a bike ride. We rode 16 miles, dodging construction and other sorts of obstacles along the way. The best part about a bike ride is that although it is exercise, you don't realize it (until after when you are sore all over and cannot walk). The other best part is that you can talk to the people you are with. Unlike running, where every ounce of breathe is needed to finish. So in the couple of hours that we rode, I got to personally talk with every person on the trek. What a great way to get to know someone!

We weren't quite as "experienced" of riders. I didn't know bike riding was so technical, since about everyone learns it at the age of five. We did not have padding on our shorts, so our bums got sore faster, we did not have helmets, which was actually fine with me since we never fell and I still think they are so dorky, and we did not have a place to hold water bottles on our bikes. So, luckily our friends shared the water they had. Dehydration is bad on a long bike ride in the summer in Georgia.

We took a pitstop to enjoy some homemade blueberry muffins, made with fresh ground wheat from a food mill. Yes! Then all the men and women tried to convince Bob why we needed to get a mill, which is what I have been trying to tell him for months. The muffins sold themselves, really, but the help of everyone else didn't hurt. I think we are one step closer.

At the end of our ride, I had a near death experience with my chain falling off while I shifted gears. Not really near death I guess, but embarassing. Everyone else was way up ahead and Bob had to come back and get me. After we finished and got our land legs back, we went to McDonald's (I know) for a smoothie. After getting over the fact that we were investing money to that establishment, I admitted I really did enjoy the smoothie. Probably because it has more sugar than an ice cream cone, but it was good. And I didn't feel guilty because I had just biked 16 miles, which probably sounds like nothing to a REAL biker. We had such a great time that I hope every Saturday involves a hard, fun workout with fun people.

Bob and I then made our way to Costco, which is my favorite place to go on a spontaneous date. After loading up with samples and goodies, we made it home just in time to get rained on when we unloaded our stuff. We spent the afternoon reading Harry Potter, our new obsession (I know we are late in the game), cooked lots of food and rested. On the Sabbath. It was awesome. I wish every Saturday could be as fun and restful.

Schmorgasbord of color--no blocks of white!

Today I organized my closet. Color coded it actually. My friend Jennie would be proud. But I don't like it. It looks like Jennie's closet, not mine. Although we have half of the same clothes anyway, by accident mostly. Although one time we went shopping and bought the same shirt on purpose. Then we both wore it on the first day of school when we co-taught. It was fun.

Anyway, seeing my closet color coded makes me nervous for some reason. It feels like it has lost its spunk of color and pattern woven throughout. I actually get to see how many white t-shirts I have when they are all in one chunk. I still don't think you can have too many, but my closet is trying convince me otherwise. And then Bob can come in and argue that I do have too many because half of the shirts hanging are white. Which you cannot see when they are interdispersed.

Well, it was a try. I guess it will go back to the old organization soon enough. Which really isn't much organization at all. Except maybe tank tops to the left, then short sleeves, then long, then sweaters. With skirts and dresses on the bottom. See, I am organized after all! How do you "organize" your closet?

Be Still My Soul

We went to a Wednesday night service at a beloved church the other night, where they set aside the whole time for space to listen to God, journal, pray, and hear music (no preaching). At the end, they sang this song and I was so moved by it. After I told Bob that I often feel that sometimes my anxieties take over what my soul knows as truth, and you do have to commit your soul to be still and remember.

Here are the lyrics and below is a link to the song:

"Be Still, My Soul"by Catharina von Schlegel, 1697-?Translated by Jane Borthwick, 1813-1897

1. Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;Leave to thy God to order and provide;In every change He faithful will remain.Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly, FriendThrough thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

2. Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertakeTo guide the future as He has the past.Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake;All now mysterious shall be bright at last.Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still knowHis voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

3. Be still, my soul, though dearest friends departAnd all is darkened in the vale of tears;Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,Who comes to soothe thy sorrows and thy fears.Be still, my soul; thy Jesus can repayFrom His own fulness all He takes away.

4. Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening onWhen we shall be forever with the Lord,When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9zHn4QSH-8

May your soul be still today even in the midst of whatever is going on.

Peanut Butter Jelly Time

Why is peanut butter and jelly so good? I sit here eating one with an iced latte and really nothing could be better right now. Well it could, if I were on a beach with Bob eating a peanut butter and jelly but that is beside the point. Whoever created this is a genius. Once in highschool I ate peanut butter and jelly for breakfast AND lunch for a month. Why is it considered a kid's food? Are kids the only ones that can enjoy something delectable? Come on people, it's time to bring pb&j back. So next time I come over to your house for lunch, I am going to expect this high quality food.

When Bob and I first got married, one of the running arguments we had was over how peanut butter and jelly should be made. I made it the "normal" way of peanut butter on one side and jelly on another and then marrying the deliciousness by putting the two slices of bread together. But Bob challenged what I had always done, urging me to make his pb&j with both elements on each side. Preposterous--but absolutely delicious. I finally gave in once I got over a)the fact that he was right b)it is double the peanut butter and double the jelly, making a bit of a more high calorie sandwich. Now I don't make it any other way. No more soggy bread because the jelly bleeds into it and then is nowhere to be found when it is supposed to be combine with the peanut butter. And the pb&j mixture sort of seeps out with every bite, which in my book is awesome. So, if you can get over Bob being right and adding some extra calories to your sandwich, try it!

Sad

My heart is so sad right now. Over the last few weeks I have heard countless stories that just break my heart. Both my hurt and the hurt of others can make me feel so overwhelmed. I am amazed at how much pain we suffer in this life and how we still, somehow are able to overcome and have moments where we really live. Sometimes I don't want to be an adult. I want to go back to childhood to the moments where I was carefree. But even when I think back to that, I realize that life was still painful and I now still suffer the wounds that began in childhood. I feel like the more people you know in life the more pain you can feel because you enter into other people's stories that aren't perfect, who suffer. And relationships themselves are painful. These are the times I feel a strong push to allow myself to mourn. To realize that life, myself, my family and friends are not all that I expected. God is not what I expected. And yet there is still beauty, there are still moments of joy and freedom that are glorious because they are escapes from pain.

But today I hurt. I hurt for myself, for the things that have happened to me and for the things that I have caused that are not beautiful at all. I hurt for the stories of others, the circumstances they are in, either afflicted on them mercilessly or based minorly on things they have chosen. It cannot be escaped. I cannot change these circumstances for my friends or myself. But I can enter the fears it brings up in me, and notice the ways that I constantly try to distract myself rather than face the reality: it hurts and I need to mourn. But sometimes there aren't tears. What do you do when there are no tears? Can you still mourn?

I appreciate when friends share their pain because it is connecting. It helps me to know I am not the only one who suffers, the only one who makes poor decisions, the only one who feels like they sometimes have to pretend like they are okay or people will think they are too much.

So today I am sad. I am sad for your story and sad for mine. I wish things were different, that we felt different. But I have learned so much. And so have you and I am glad we can share what we have learned and know that we will never know it all but we get to be on the journey together.

Colorado

We stopped in Denver for a few days on our way back to Atlanta to visit with our good friends the Strobels. Kelli and I have been keeping in touch for years through writing (yes, by hand) letters but haven't gotten to see each other much because they have lived in Scotland and then Denver for the last 5 years. It was such a pleasure to meet their little one, Brighton, and to share life with them for a few days. Brighton was such an awesome baby, very easy going and fun to be around and it was really fun to watch Kelli be mom. She is such a natural! Aren't we cute with Brighton above. Someday soon, Lord willing, we will be our own cute family!

Brighton especially took a liking to Bob.

We went to Garden of the gods, a rock formation area, walked around, and had a picnic lunch.

Bob calls these the praying hands.

Our friends Whitney and James from Atlanta moved to Denver a year ago so we got to catch up with them over dinner at their house which was really nice.

Bob had never been to Colorado before and I had only been when I was young. It is so beautiful there, very home on the range-ish. It also is so dry and because of the elevation, very difficult to breathe. I made the mistake of going on a run there. I was so exhausted by the end! It was a hard adjustment coming back to humid Atlanta from dry Denver. It made me realize that there are so many beautiful places you can live out there. I was so happy to see that a couple of friends have made a life out there for themselves and really enjoy it. It is fun having friends all over to visit.

California love

These pics are not in order, but we flew into Orange County and spent about a week with family and friends there, and then we headed up to San Luis Obispo to see Tyler.
My friend Carrie has a traveling gnome she sent with us. He likes to see different parts of the world. He met friends really easily in San Luis Obispo :)

Jerome on the beach in SLO

At the Avila Pie Barn. This place was so fun. They had animals and a shop there. It was so southern that I keep wanting to go back there thinking it was in Georgia then I have to remember that it was not.

With my bro.

Picture of the beach on our train ride to SLOBob and I on the beach. It was cold!The bench in SLO where Bob asked me to be his girlfriend about 10 years ago!! So crazy!

At a vineyard near SLOWine tasting.

With the Whitsells!

We did so much more with family and friends and I am so sad that I don't have pictures of it all, but alas, I am not good at remembering (or desiring really) do pull out the camera everytime we hang out with people. I am working on it!

Dad's visit and Bob's Graduation (Again!)

We went to Dialog in the Dark, an experiential museum into what it would be like to be blind. This quote was on the wall, and I liked all the levels of its meaning.

Here was our guide and us with our walking sticks. We didn't get to see our guide until the end, we first met him in the complete dark and so it was very interesting to put a face with the voice and what we kind of pictured him to be like in our mind. The crazy part is that even in the light, he didn't really get to do that with us. All the guides are legally blind, most of them have no sight but our guide had a tiny bit of sight. He had lost it about 6 years earlier from disease.

The bodies exhibit Bob and I went to a couple years ago was right by Dialog in the Dark.

Bob and his friends.

The proud wife.

The proud father in law (trying to steal his food??)

We had such a great time with my dad out here and celebrating Bob and all of his hard work these last couple of years.