Summertime... and the living is easy

Well, it's not quite summertime yet, but i've made it to the end of my super busy months. After the mission trip to Jamaica in April and the trip to Virginia, Doug's cousin Suzanne's wedding, and my move in May, I'm ready for a little bit of down time. Of course even as i'm thinking how nice it is to have some time to relax i'm looking at the calendar that just seemed empty and seeing that it is filling up quite quickly. But the good thing about summer is that the calander becomes filled with things I love... like camping trips, play time at the ocean or lake, and other outdoor activities. So perhaps as i'm unpacking and beginning the season of fun activities that won't take up quite as much time as my last two trips, i'll get around to posting some pictures from Jamacia and telling you a little more about my trip. Of course my best friend Hannah is also moving back into the great state of Washington in under two weeks... so i'm sure she'll be keeping me busy as well!

As for my move, it went wonderfully. Thank you thank you thank you to the helpers i had! I couldn't have done it nearly as easily if it weren't for Doug and his friend Bill - who was quite the task master and showed up with a giant truck that he has for transporting llamas (fortunately it was llama-free that day!). With those two guys and the help of my new roomie Sarah and friends Pam, Erin, and Valerie, we finished the actual moving in just about 2 1/2 hours! Amazing! Anyway, it feels good to have the big things out of the way and smaller exciting things to look forward to, allowing some time for resting :) At least for a few weeks anyway!

Trying out the world of blogs...

Well, i had never even heard of blogs before last November... but i've always been into trying out new things on the computer... and well i like the idea of having a journal of sorts online. So here i go. I was really inspiried to try this out after reading a few of Doug's friends blogs. Since i've been in his life he hasn't been much of a blogger - i guess i take up too much of his time :) But perhaps if i get involved his friends will stop giving him a hard time about not keeping his blog up to date. ;) I'm also more motivated because i just got my first laptop. And i have to tell you, it's sure nice to be able to lay in bed and type rather than sitting at the desk. Can't say that that will be so good for my wrists or my sleep in the long run but it seems much more convenient at the moment. Well except for the fact that i keep pressing the caps lock key instead of shift and then having to go back and retype... no fears... i'm confident i'll eventually get used to it!

So thoughts for tonight... i came home from BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) tonight to a bare apartment. Doug and I spent the weekend packing up my place and beginning to move things to my new home. I'll be moving into my friend Sarah's house in the Fairwood area of Renton next Monday. Although i'll miss living right by Lake Washington, it will be nice to have a roommate again, and i think i'll enjoy house living again (for the first extended time since i was 18). Since moving to Washington 3 1/2 years ago this will be my 5th home - so i'm rather used to moving. But somehow it never gets much easier. With the walls bare it seems to be such an empty place... but it has been a great apartment. I do often become nostalgic when i'm moving - thinking back over all that has happened while i've lived here. I must say that God has been totally faithful to me here. When i first moved in i left my apartment with my dear friend Mindy, as she was preparing for her wedding. That move was with mixed feelings - i loved living with Mindy and i didn't really want my own place, but didn't have many options at that time. However i enjoyed living on my own more than i expected to. I've had a few good friends move away, and have grown to know new friends in this time. I have grown closer to God and gained a new understanding of trust and comfort in the Lord over the last 15 months. There was a time of struggling with my singleness, especially after a short time of dating that seemed amazing but ended quickly, and then growing to truly accept and embrace my circumstances. Several months after that God brought Douglas into my life and i am still amazed with our relationship and how it is constantly growing and how i'm falling more in love with him all the time. God is good... and he has proven that to me many times this last year, within these walls. Although i'm not moving far, i will still take many memories with me. I suppose all of this moving i'm doing kind of segments my life and allows me to take time to process things a year or so at a time, and i thought i'd be done with that after graduating from college. :)

Gee i'm rambling quite a bit here... And as it's 1:30 in the morning i better stop my new hobby for now. This could be a fun adventure...