ThankYouGrace: 1 YEAR!

BE WHO YOU WERE MEANT TO BE

AND YOU WILL SET THE WORLD ON FIRE.

(St. Catherine of Siena)

Do not conform to the pattern of this world,

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-

his good, pleasing and perfect will.

(Romans 12:2)

It's been 1 year since we arrived. SO much has happened. Although I probably look the same on the outside, I feel transformed on the inside. I LOVE it here. Everything about this city speaks to me.

We arrived with the opportunity to be here for one year. We rented out our house and then rented a furnished place here. I flew across the country with our daughter and my husband drove with our 2 dogs. My husband spent two (2!!!) months in search of a job and then luckily landed a great one. While he was searching we had the opportunity to enjoy an amazing summer together as a family in our favorite city.

At some point during the year we realized that we were settling in and we wanted to make this our permanent home. We thought, and planned, and prayed. We made a final decision and haven't looked back. We will certainly miss family and friends, but we are ever so grateful for the internet and vacations!

My husband drove across the country for a SECOND time! The first time he came with just whatever could fit in the car (around the 2 dogs) and in a cargo carrier. This time he rented a 24' truck and we packed ALL of our stuff in it. It's now here in storage waiting for us for when we find an unfurnished condo to rent.

Here are some things that I've noticed and ways I've changed during this past year:
~I've been outside EVERY single day since we've been here. Previously, I could go days without leaving the house. It was a hassle to pack up my daughter and drive somewhere. Now it's so easy... just walk outside! (which brings me to my next though...)
~ I haven't driven a car in an entire year. And honestly, I never plan on driving again. Maybe I will. Maybe I won't. But right now I have no desire to. No NEED to. It's awesome. I walk everywhere. And if it's too far, I take public transportation. It's not that I won't get IN a car because I do (maybe 3 times a month at most), but someone else is always at the wheel.
~ I hate watching TV. This surprised me a lot. Before we moved here I used to turn the TV on first thing in the morning and leave it on ALL day long. When Grace was first born I think the TV was on 24/7. Now I can't stand it- mostly the commercials. They drive me mad. And, honestly, most of the shows are annoying to me now, too. We do watch shows on the computer and also on DVD. I'm not "against" TV, I just don't miss watching it AT ALL.
~ I love renting! If anything goes wrong, we call the landlord. And we don't have to pay for it! Yay! I also love central air and having a dishwasher and washer & dryer in our unit. SO convenient!
~I've changed my thoughts about beauty products & clothes. I used to think I "needed" certain clothes & certain beauty products. Now that I live in a city where I know no one and also because I'm not bombarded with commercials, I don't feel that "peer pressure" to do things a certain way. And, quite honestly, anything goes in this city! To each is own for sure. I dress in a way that makes me happy, I wear (or don't wear) makeup if/when I want to. And I've cut way down on the "beauty products" that I use. I use one product to wash my hair, body, & face (and also use it instead of shaving cream as well). I have 2 items in my makeup bag. I have about 3 skirts & 3 shirts that I wear on a rotating basis. And I'm happy and feel good about myself.
~ I am in love with food. In a way I never, ever could have imagined. I go to the grocery store at least 5 days a week. I go to the farmers market at least once a week. I have changed the way I think about food and what I eat. Quality wins out every time. And it's so easy to love food in the city. Everyone does. It's such a food-proud city.
~I'm confident in my choices. I feel strongly about certain issues. I have passions. I don't feel bullied or swayed by my peers or the media. All of these things are so awesome. I used to feel somewhat lost as a person. NOT ANY MORE! :-)
~ There are SO many opportunities for my daughter here. The library, museums, parks, the zoo, hiking trails- all at our fingertips. And since we are out and about every day, she also gets to watch me interacting with store clerks and people on the street. She notices everything. We talk about what we see as we are passing by- cars, trucks, motorcycles, buses, trains, birds, trees, flowers, dogs, people, stores, houses, condos, parks, food at the grocery store. Her language has flourished (I know that's mostly due to her age & the natural maturation process, but I'm sure it wouldn't be as noticeable if we were holed up at home all the time). She loves her special times with daddy at the water park near our house or playground or just a simple walk.

I have no idea what this next year will hold. I remain OPEN to whatever comes our way. And I'll keep you all posted! Thank you for reading my blog during this past year. I hope you'll stick around. :-)