Here meaning CALIFORNIA. In 6.5 years of marriage, this will be our 6th move. Not a lot for many people, a crazy amount for others, just about right for us.
Every time I felt like blogging about this move, I kept thinking, "Wait, there's not much to tell yet." But I keep waiting for something big to happen "worth blogging about". Maybe in an effort to impress, inform, or draw attention to myself...I'm not sure.
Life is good. If I've learned anything from moving a lot (for me) it is that you find what you are looking for. If you want to feel like you are in a hell hole, you will be. If you want to feel at home, you can. I've had to get over myself SOOOO many times (it's actually a daily battle), but each time I succeed, the grass is always greener on the side I choose to water.
It is kind of humorous to me to look back at how dramatic I can be when change occurs in my life. Of course hindsight is always 20/20, but I think it is good to do healthy evaluations of ourselves and the way we react to things that are a big deal in our lives in an effort to put things in perspective and look for the good, or maybe how to implement the good for next time. :)
When I was in high school and facing a difficult decision at the time, my dad talked to me using the following example: He said, "Ash, I feel like I am at the top of this huge mountain with an outstanding view and can see all the beautiful trees in the valley. It is so gorgeous from up here. Then I see you at the bottom of the mountain staring at three trees that are directly in front of your face saying, "No dad, I don't care what you see, these trees are the most beautiful ones I've ever seen and I don't want to miss out on seeing them to try to get to you." (At least this is how I remember the story). He was trying to illustrate the perspective that life experience brings to us if we let it. So true.
Now that we are MOVED in and are current CALIFORNIA residents, I truly am loving it. I purposely put off dreading the move and thinking about it when we were in Oregon, because I wanted to soak up every last second I could of the people, the beauty and the memories (plus it would have been a complete waste of time not to). However, I knew that once we got in that moving truck, I was in for some sad hours. It was weird. I felt a very profound feeling of loss and sadness for a while. Then about halfway to CA I thought, "Man, this sucks. I feel really crappy." So I read some cards I had received from friends over and again, which always makes a person feel better!! My parents came up the morning after we arrived and helped unpack and situate things. WOW. I was humbled to have them there. I felt kind of paralyzed because I was in such a low mood and being quite self absorbed about this whole thing, so I didn't even WANT to unpack. I'll chalk up the first day to a big giant pity party. Mom and dad however, just chugged along, no judgments or lectures, just loving that we were there. The next two days were similar, but feeling down like that can wear on you. I was so tired, not motivated to do anything, which created that viscous cycle of sugar cravings, contributing to the "don't work out, you have too many other things to do" lie we tell ourselves. So all of that combined: Bad attitude + sugar + no exercise + change = UNhappy me. What a drag. Poor Dallas. And Lincoln. And everyone else within ear shot. In passing, my mom mentioned how awesome it was that the weather was sunny while we were unpacking the house. It was a small comment, but she sparked a motivation to be grateful in the little things. It WAS sunny. REALLY sunny. And I didn't have to worry if it would last more than 5 minutes (no offense Oregonians). If I had to add "rainy" to that previous equation, that would have just topped off the pessimism ensuing. After my mom's comment, I just kept counting the blessings that were ours. AMAZING how that changes things.
So...on to more of the fun and less HEAVY stuff...We LOVE our house. We live in Santa Clara and are renting a house from the Fred and Sherry...best landlords ever. Grandma Geri and Grandpa Jay came up our 2nd week here to help decorate and hang pictures. So fun. Pictures are below of our new place.
This is our guest room for all of you that want to come visit. :) Kyndra made me the "quote wall" pictures above the pillows before I left. GREAT idea, yeah? It has some of my most favorite quotes on it and worked well with the decor. Thanks K!!
I just have to share that one of the many perks of being a Mormon is the networking power. No matter where in the world you move (almost), there is a ward or a branch of the church that you can tap into. The doctrine being taught is the same at each and every location and the structure is in tact. In addition, you have instant friends (if you choose). Our Santa Clara ward is made up of a lot of transient students, but also has some "root" families and older couples that give it a very familial feel. Dallas is always so good at introducing us to the bishoprics in our new wards and letting them know we would like to serve wherever we're needed. So, we are on to making more friends. Never an easy task, but always worth it in the end. I've found that the majority of people are usually engaging and friendly if you TALK to them. :) I hate being at the awkward stage, but soon enough it will feel like home as it's supposed to. Until then, we'll enjoy the journey and appreciate the new experiences.
Here are a few little videos of Linc as of late. I could write another ENTIRE blog post just about him. Cute dude. Strong-willed and determined, but cute. He had 3 time outs in the middle of Costco yesterday. However, all was well when he begged to take a nap and while lying him down he said, "I wuv yee". Oh the joys of parenting. So worth it.
Until next time, be well!
