Most eventful month of my life so far

In the past month (end of May/beginning of June), I moved all my stuff to another state, cleaned a house for two days, back to back, planned/emailed/made phone calls almost constantly, and got married.

And the pace of things changed quite a bit after that.

Now I'm lounging around in a little cottage in Santa Barbara, spending some quality time with my husband (still weird to say that), updating this blog because I now have the time to do so. So far we've walked along the beach, gone to Six Flags: Magic Mountain, eaten whatever we felt like, spent an entire afternoon in the quaint little town of Solvang, and slept in just as late as our bodies would let us (which, for me, is about 10AM). It's been glorious.

But I'm ready to go home. And I'm even MORE ready to go to my NEW home. All my stuff is in boxes in the front room, and I can't wait to unpack it and give it a place to belong. I am excited to get back to my own bed...well, now it's OUR bed, but you get the idea. Vacationing is fun, but it doesn't feel like married life is REAL yet. Perhaps it will finally sink in once we're there together going about normal life...work, buying groceries, going to church, etc.

All that is still a couple days away. First, we're going back to Phoenix tomorrow, where I will recant all the negative things I've said about Santa Barbara's weather (cold/humid). We'll finally get to Albuquerque on Tuesday, where we'll have several days before I start work on Friday. Man, all this life stuff is coming up fast.

I changed my mind. I want to continue lounging around here in Santa Barbara.

How I'm sure I appear to others...

I ran across this picture today. I'm afraid to admit that, yes, it's probably true for me...

The end is finally here!!!

So it's the end of the semester. I've been done with school for awhile, but that hasn't meant that I've been free from its effects. All of my roommates have been hard at work with projects and finals, hurried and stressed and stretched a bit thin, and my love has been busy attending to his own academic responsibilities, not as free to talk with me as earlier in the semester. BUT THE END IS FINALLY HERE!!!

I am thrilled that everyone now gets to sink into the bliss that is summer in Arizona (yes, there's a little sarcasm there), but I am most excited because tomorrow I get to see Robbie! He's driving into town with his friend, Rob, to go to a concert and then they are both coming to my graduation the next morning (Rob is SUCH a good friend to sit through a two hour graduation ceremony for me). Then they are both hitting the road back to Albuquerque again. It'll be a brief encounter, a sip of water on a scorching summer day. But the all-to-soon-again absence will be quite bearable, because just five days later, Robbie will be coming home for good.

Now wait, you may say, doesn't he have another year of school in Albuquerque? How is he coming home for good? Well, as he told me the other day, home isn't here in Arizona; home is simply wherever I am *heart bursts with mushy affection* It is less than a week until we will be together for good. I can't believe it!! It's been a long ten months of long-distance relationship, of visits and breaks and difficult goodbyes. No more!

So, while I may not be rejoicing in the streets or on facebook that finals are FINALLY over, I am ecstatic beyond belief that this chapter in our lives is AT LAST coming to a close and that the next chapter of life together (marriage!) can begin.

Last times...

We're getting to a point in the collection of countdowns where we are experiencing a series of "last times." I am boarding a plane to head home after visiting Robbie for the last time. Unless my ears become suddenly overwhelmingly wax-ridden, I bought Q-Tips as a single gal for the last time two weeks ago. In a few hours, I will have addressed a wedding invitation for the last time. And this past week was the last time I'll be stuck in Albuquerque without a car. I'm sure I could think of others, but you get the idea.

Robbie, too, has joyfully spoken of some last times in his life as well: last time the quintet performs this semester, last time he has to do a homework assignment in his class, last time he has to spend time with me at "our" apartment before it's officially ours, and last time we have to say goodbye before being together for the forseeable "forever" of the future.

I really like that last one.

A brief thought

Random movie nights with a small group of friends is something I will miss when I move away. The laughter, the shoulder rubs (and hand rubs and arm rubs and head rubs and resulting crazy hair), the oddball snacks, and the comfortable atmosphere are all absolutely amazing. I have been truly blessed during these college years. And even though I will be leaving soon, moving away from my family for the first time and from my friends for the first time in almost 16 years, I will treasure these simple memories and truly savor keeping in touch with these wonderful people through facebook and Skype. And hopefully, through this blog as well.

So . . . Max, Bry, Andy, and David, thank you for a wonderful, spontaneous evening :)

 P.S. If any of you read this and have a great picture from the evening, send it to me and I will add it to this post ;)

Countdowns

This semester has been a season of countdowns. Graduation, weddings, and even just the next time I'm hopping on a plane to Albuquerque have all merited slowly decreasing numbers. It's been fun, amusing, and helpful when it seems like some things will never ever arrive. But still, I'll be happy when the countdowns are past. It'll be the first time in a long time when I won't feel like I'm counting down to something big.

Most of my life has been stepping stones of important dates. Semesters ending, recitals, and, of course, every child's constant countdown to the next birthday and Christmas. When life feels more defined by events than phases, it's easy to let the experience itself pale in comparison to the milestones. But I'm determined to alter my outlook. As I enter this season of work, no school (which I'm already experiencing for the most part) and, more significantly, this season of marriage, I pray earnestly that I live my life in the moment, investing in every day, only counting down in the back of my mind to exciting events, and treating every weekend with my love as something worth a countdown itself :)

My husband to be . . .

And here's a glimpse of how happy he makes me...

Anticipating the beginning . . .

So, there's this guy. His name is Robbie. And he's . . . well . . . every good and wonderful adjective in the book :) My life has been so blessed by him and, in exactly 75 days I get to be his forever!