Drive-by...

Just a quickie to let you all know I haven't fallen off the face of the planet.  Life has been, as life always is, incredibly hectic!

Just a few highlights...

~We've moved.  That's a blog post or twelve in and of itself.  Let me just reiterate how much I despise the physical and mental/emotional process and act of moving.  It blows.  But, we're all moved in and slowly but surely getting everything settled.  Bonus: I now have an 8 minute commute to work and a less than 10 minute drive to my parents' home.  

~My Grandmother's health is continuing to decline due to Alzheimer's.  It sucks, and I'm not sure exactly where we stand with it all.  

~Please pray for someone very near and dear to me.  I can't give information (mutual friends read this blog, and the story isn't mine to tell).  God knows what the prayer need is, so please pray for my friend.  

~If you can spare them, I could use a few prayers as well.  I'm going through a rough patch personally and could use some guidance and clarity.

I will come back in the next few days to elaborate on things, but I just wanted to touch base and let y'all know I am still here!

Love and hugs to all!

Getting settled...

Well, we're finally all settled in the new apartment. 

We still have a box or two to go through and organize, and we need to hang up some pictures and personalize the place, but it's coming along nicely.  I tried to take some pictures, but the light wasn't very good when I was taking them, so I'll have to post some later.

I think the physical act of moving residences blew the dust off of some issues I've been hanging on to.  I've been moving them back and forth in my mind, trying to reorganize them back into their respective boxes and not succeeding very well.  Let's just say it's been an emotional week for me.  I had a good cry on hubby's shoulders last night about some of them, and that did make me feel somewhat better, but I still have a little lingering "emotional hangover" today.  I'm sure with a little time and some extra prayers I will be okay in a few days.  

Sorry for the quick disjointed post, but I just wanted to let you all know I am still around, reading if not commenting on your blogs and keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers. 

We'll talk soon...off to knit!

Home is where the heart is...

Wow, I've managed to make it almost a month without posting. I am alive, contrary to popular belief.

It's been a crazy few weeks. Good and bad, fun and stressful. But, I'm somehow managing to make it through it all with a remarkably positive attitude. Maybe I'm just deluding myself, but I prefer to think I'm just learning to handle the heat with grace...with a lot of help from The Man Upstairs.

On the good end of things, Matt and I are close to finishing up our Confirmation classes. We have three more classes and our Confirmation is scheduled for August 22. Not that I'm glad that the classes are ending, because I'm not. I have really enjoyed them. A lot more than I thought I would. I have learned so much and feel like I've grown in my faith more than I could have without taking them. I'm so glad we chose this particular church to attend back in December. I feel we were led there for a reason. I believe it is where we are supposed to be.

Also on the good tally...I'm almost done with the baby gifts I've been knitting. I'm pretty sure she's due in the next couple of weeks so I need to get my hiney in gear and get them done. As usual, pics and details will be posted when I know she has received them so the surprise isn't spoiled! I've had a lot of fun working on these baby gifts, not only because they are for a good friend, but also because they are totally new patterns to me. It's always interesting to go out on a limb and not know how something is going to turn out only to be happily surprised when the end product rocks!

And now for the not so good.

We are moving.

We pretty much have to.

They're foreclosing on our house.

Now before you get all upset, we are looking at this in a positive light. I know that might sound mighty Pollyanna of me, and you might be wanting to scream at me to take off these damned rose colored glasses I must be looking through, but that's not the case. We have been teetering on the brink of foreclosure for over two years now. We're simply victims of this crapass economy. I've been working my ass off trying to work repayment plans, making double mortgage payments, working overtime to make ends meet and we finally came to the conclusion that we can't do it anymore. We're both tired of fighting for something that isn't worth our sanity and stress. We haven't been happy in this house for a while. There are so many repairs that need to be done that we simply don't have the money or knowledge to do, and we certainly can't afford to pay anyone to do them. We decided we would rather walk away now and make a fresh start. Yes it's going to damage my credit, but honestly...there's not much more damage that can be done. It already sucks.

This is not an end. It's a beginning. A new start in a new place where BOTH of our names are on the lease (I bought the house before we met). A place where we can start over that holds no memories of "before we were married" or "when we were separated". A place where we can begin anew, together. We both like the idea of that. And our theory is: home is where we are together. I know a lot of people have this image of the "American Dream" of the house, yard, picket fence, all that jazz. That used to be my dream too. But dreams change. People change. We just can't keep up with the maintenance inside and out. And we don't want to.

So last week we started looking for apartments. We found a few that we liked and went to look at one in person on Tuesday. We both liked it and put an application on it (credit, employment and reference check). We got the call yesterday that we got it! I was so relieved. It's a really cute place. It's about 150 sq ft larger than our current home (most of that is because of a HUGE kickass kitchen!), and it's about $200 bucks cheaper a month. A bonus is that we only have to move about a mile away!

What's very strange to me in all of this is that I'm not upset about it. I feel like I "should" be just beside myself. When I think about this situation, all I feel is relief and peace. I've given the situation to God in prayer and trusted Him to provide. And He has.

So now the fun begins...packing and moving to our "new home". Wish us luck!!!