Hi everyone!
Finally, here is our first blog post from our new home in Conroe, TX. It has been too long, between moving and finding a place to live and then a couple of weeks of computer/Internet problems after we moved in. But here we are! : )
I think first I will write a short update on the last few weeks, then follow up with some pictures I've taken. After that, I'll get back to more specific/topical posts. Shew, a lot to catch up!
We left San Angelo super late on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. It had been a whirlwind weekend with packing and cleaning. We also felt God's timing with our move ... it was a huge blessing that our move date "happened" to be on a three day weekend. I don't think we could have made it otherwise!
On the road that night, we saw an abundance of Texas wildlife. We saw deer (always a little nerve-tracking while driving) and a HUGE racoon. But the giant rattlesnake in the middle of the road takes the cake!! We were driving along, I was talking to Tyler, and half-noticed something in the road as we drove by. Tyler stopped the van suddenly with a "Did you see that??!!" I said no, and he backed up to shine the headlights directly on a very large rattlesnake crossing the road. He was waving his rattle in the air. Tyler declared he wanted to go look at the snake. I'm pretty sure I begged him not to, but out of the van he went as the snake started to coil up. Tyler tried to take a picture with the Iphone but it was too dark and I was too hysterical to find the camera. He came back to the van and said he wanted to kill the snake and keep the rattle and mentioned maybe finding a screwdriver or something in the back to do the deed. Well at that point, I totally lost it and he finally got back in the van to calm me down. No rattle for Tyler and I guess I am more scared to snakes than I thought.
We stopped before Austin that night, too exhausted to continue. Then we met up with two of Tyler's guys the next morning. They had graciously offered to share the U-Haul driving to give Tyler a break and so I wouldn't have to drive the whole way by myself with the little ones.
Due to a slight route miscalculation, we ended up right by the terrible wildfire in Bastrop. With even more poor planning, we had to stop for gas at the station right by the blaze. It was an absolute madhouse of people, and all understandably upset and mad. This resulted in some slightly scary scenes such as people almost running into each other, getting into shouting cursing matches, and even one man who drove off with the gas pump still in his car, pulling the handle and hose out of the pump. A local reporter accused Tyler of stopping just out of morbid curiosity. It was a very sad experience. It made me think about some of my favorite novels (Christian fiction about life back in the old West/prairie farming days -- my secret guilty pleasure!), where if there was a fire the entire town would rush to help put it out, no matter who the building or land on fire belonged to. It was a little disconcerting to be driving right by without stopping to help, not that anyone would have let us help put out the fire anyway ... but definitely something to think about.
When we arrived in Houston, we left the huge U-Haul at the house Tyler's guys had already rented. We were invited to dinner and to spend the night at the home of my friends from college, Kristen and Justin. They have three adorable kids, Ben 6, Drew 4, and Sara Kay just turned 2. It was really great to reconnect, as I hadn't seen them since they graduated college two years before I did - about 8 years ago! For all of my post college friends, you'll never guess how Kristen and I knew each other -- we were on a drama ministry team together!! Sometimes it's still hard for me to believe I did that, but it was one of the best parts of my college experienced and really something the Lord used to help me grow in lots of ways. And Kristen is the one who put me on the team. : )
Anyway, we all got along pretty well so they invited us to keep staying while we were house hunting. We ended up staying with them for about a week and a half! They were great hosts and seemed to be okay with having us as guests. It was fun to hang out and catch up, and Kristen was also a huge help by baby-sitting Esther while I ran errands and also drove me around to learn the area.
After seeing lots of houses in several areas around north Houston, we finally decided on a townhouse in the city of Conroe. It was a hard call because in this move, I was excited to have a house after the apartment in San Angelo. But the houses we could find were either expensive and nice or cheaper and very not nice. This townhouse was at the cheaper end of the scale but nicer than the houses at the same price. So here we are! It does have its own small courtyard, which I am excited about, and a laundry room, which I am ecstatic about!!
We are still not completely unpacked. Tyler has been working lots of hours and even Saturdays since we've been here and I just haven't gotten it done. But I am getting excited about decorating so hopefully that will be unpacking motivation. And our first MOPS meeting will be on Friday!! I am very excited. I missed the one two weeks ago because I got the time wrong, but I am planning on this one. We haven't found a church yet. It's been a little discouraging spending so much time at churches we don't like on Tyler's one day off a week. I've really missed Daystar in Atlanta - especially the worship - and Christian Church of San Angelo - especially Pastor Beaver and the fellowship. But now we are hoping to find a church that meets on Saturday nights so that Tyler can have one day a week totally free.
That's all for now!!! Pictures and more posts soon to follow ...