I've had several blog posts swirling around in my head for awhile now. I even have some new pictures to post to add to the excitement of the posts on the bench. BUT in lieu of those pending stories I must share some pressing news.
Just about 10 months ago Chuck and I tied the knot and officially became husband and wife, with a free pass to finally live together! Glorious! The Sunday after we married, we drove 5 hours to our new home. We had found an apartment pre-wedding, but I went to my parent's house before it was officially ours to move into. Therefore Chuck did the laborious task of moving in all of my stuff and his stuff without me. Once we arrived at OUR new home, I was hooked.
Chuck had organized the boxes, set up his twin bed in our living room (it became our couch for several months!), set up our bed, and even bought us a cactus to add some life to the new place. (Woops! He quickly found out I had a major aversion to cacti as I'm always afraid of getting stabbed. Good-bye cactus! It was sweet of Chuck to buy you.) It was perfect.
On top of all the new items we had received at showers, we even had wedding presents to open still, which just added to the excitement! I spent the next several days unpacking and settling in. I organized our home room by room. I made many phone calls to my Mom about which cupboards to put my plates in, where the linens would fit best, and how to clean the fancy stove top. I kid you not, setting up our home was beyond anything I had ever dreamed about! Each day I would find new treasures to put up around our cute little apartment and proudly show Chuck my progress for the day when he came home from work.
I have spent the last 10 months blissfully adoring this place Chuck and I call home. Every time we go out and return I smell the familiar scent of our home and my heart lights up with joy to be back where we belong. We have had countless friends over, guests from out of town, dinner nights, movie nights, dessert nights, cook out nights, breakfast mornings, coffee dates, you name it, we've utilized it!
Not to mention this is the home where Chuck and I came immediately following our honeymoon. It was where we had our first married dinner (spaghetti and sauce I got at a shower) while sitting on the floor at our coffee table. It was where we had our first fight, first cry, first breakfast, first cup of coffee in our new machine, first time to use our dishes, first time to use our new sheets and towels, first time to do everything as a newly married couple. I've truly felt like our apartment this year has been a vacation home.
But now, that will all come to an end in 8 weeks. Our lease is up and it's absurdly expensive to rent month-by-month. (Almost $2,000/mo for a ONE bedroom, I think not.) We have no idea where God is leading us next, but I guess we'll get there sometime in the next 8 weeks!
I trust God and I have complete faith that God has the right youth position for Chuck out there. But, my heart hurts at the thought of leaving this, our very first home. I've spent the last 2 days crying off and on about it. It hurts too much to picture putting it all back into boxes. One thing is certain, I will NEVER forget this haven. Never.
