I wanted to note all the things I have now that I didn’t have at our old place – just to remind me to continue to be grateful.
Walls inside that make rooms
More than 1 bathroom
Dishwasher
Ice maker
Washer/Dryer
Garbage Disposal
Double Sink
Front and back doors
Seasons
Cook Out
Bathtub
Storage
There’s only a few things missing that I used to have and are no more, like family and friends in the same town, Dick’s Wings (I miss you), a yard for the dog, couches. That’s about it.
I really only wanted to write this so I wouldn’t ever forget. Now, if I can only remember that I once had a blog . . .
Honeymoon #1 – Orlando
We were married Saturday, May 2nd of 2009 at 4:30 pm at the Bell Farm in Harleyville, SC. After the reception, we drove back to our apartment in Jacksonville, FL to spend our first married night together. The next morning, we arose and traveled 2.5 hours to Orlando, FL where we checked in at a Time Share thingy. We were given our appointment to meet with someone to listen to all the benefits of owning a time share and went to unpack in our nice 2 bed, 2 bath room with a jacuzzi tub and flat screen tvs. There was also a kitchen and den area.
During our three day stay there, we played putt-putt, went to the movies, spend a day at Islands of Adventure, went out to eat, rented a movie or two, went out to eat more, listened to a woman try and sell us a time share, stopped to ask the price of bunjee jumping (for hubby only, I’m a scardy cat) and then eventually came home where we opened presents and watched our wedding video.
Honeymoon #2 – Key Largo, FL
This one was only sort of a honeymoon, and mostly not really one at all. Hubby’s family went on vacation together to Key Largo at the end of July of 2009 and we tagged along to join in on all that family fun. His parents rented a house right on a canal there. We went out to eat once, but mostly his mom cooked dinner and his brother & sister in law cooked too. We spent the first few nights in the loft and then switched with the brother & sister in law for the bedroom with the tv the last part of the week. We went on a glass bottom boat tour that really wasn’t as fun as I had hoped, snorkeling which was awesome, sort of deep sea fishing where I caught a little guy and hubby caught 4 eel that were gross and snake-like. We played games with his family and I think that’s about it.
Honeymoon #3 – Montana (our REAL honeymoon)
This trip was meant to be taken in July, but due to miscommunication with the people we were booking with, we had to wait until October of 2009. We had fun and plan to go back – in the summer. We had our own cabin that was 2 bed, 2 bath with a loft, kitchen, den, and hot tub outside on the deck. We enjoyed a fire made with real firewood nearly every evening. We travelled all over the Flathead Valley and ate steak almost every day. We loved the little hole in the wall restaurants. Once I had a buffalo steak and hubby had an elk burger. We went shopping at the neatest antique/consignment shop where we found some great Norman Rockwell stuff. We even took a day to drive over to Idaho to see my uncle and he fed us steak! We went to play frisbee golf and enjoyed the racoons and deer in his front yard. There was a cold snap while we were there, the coldest temperatures in 30 years! We went on a 4 hour horseback riding tour in 7 to 12 degree weather. We had a hot air balloon ride scheduled but the weather wasn’t condusive to flying so we were considering a helicopter tour but it was rainy and cloudy by the end of the week so that was a no go too. We did make it ino Glacier National Park one day annd spent a lot of time driving on the Going to the Sun road, but it was closed halfway through so we did some off roading on scary dirt roads that hugged a cliff. We went to see a Hungry Horse Dam which isn’t much different than Hoover Dam, but hubby had never seen a dam either way so he was excited. We took lots of beautiful pictures and went to the movies one day. We even went to a cemetery where my Grandfather is buried, but we couldn’t find his headstone because there was about 6 inches of snow covering the whole park.
When we go back, we want to go white water rafting, mountain biking, horseback riding, hot air ballooning, and all the fun outdoorsy things we couldn’t do due to the cold. We almost went hiking one day, but didn’t quite make it. We’d like to go on horseback to see the actual glaciers, but hiking uphill didn’t sound very exciting . . . more like tiring.
Oh, and we stayed 7 hours away from the airport, so we really did get a wonderful scenic tour of a lot of Montana. It was wonderful and we had a blast. Even though it may not sound fun – we had the time of our lives!
So I am going to finish what I started (as I pat myself on the back). A few posts earlier I started a blog about freedom but then had to leave the computer abruptly as is the norm now. Although we have three working computers, only one is connected to the internet now due to a wireless router issue. We found a way around it though and now we have both laptops going.
I do plan to talk about freedom, just let me ramble, k? Now that we are comfortably situated here in my beautiful NC, I have had time to stop and smell the roses… or at least this cool crisp air! I didn’t realize what a hellacious year I’ve had. Honestly, I didn’t even think about everything I was going through until after I was through it. There’s still maybe a little hurdle to jump, but after this past year it looks more like a molehill.
We made a surprise visit down to Jax to see a guest speaker at our church there. It was phenomenal! However, we stayed until Tuesday when the last church meeting was Sunday so we could spend time with our family and friends. That was fine, but we were SOO ready to come HOME. It’s amazing how much a place can feel like home when you know that’s the place you’re supposed to be. We miss our friends and family – sometimes a lot. But there is no place else we would rather be.
Since being here, neither of us have had jobs and our rent is still paid! That’s only one small reason we know we are in God’s will – His provision speaks for itself! Anyway, we feel that one reason we have been jobless is so we could travel to Montana for our honeymoon and go down to Jax for the meetings, but mostly to help out the pastor and his wife here. They both are working and would have no other help with their kids. Now that one of their jobs is slowing down, I might possibly be starting work. It’s all so divine!
I’m kind of just swimming around here and don’t really have much of a point to get to. I had doubts about being here for a while. Hubby was always sure. I was sure too in my heart, but sometimes the voices in my head influence my thinking abilities. After our trip to Jax, there’s no doubt in my mind. I am in my place. Also, being jobless and on this adventure has been wonderful for our marriage. We have had the opportunity to spend SO much time together. The pastor’s car has been broken so we lent him mine and hubby and I even have to go everywhere together in the same car. It’s been wonderful!
I told my mother that I feel like a kid that’s just gone off to college. I finally get to be on my own and use all the wisdom and discernment I’ve learned over the years from my pastor and others that have laid their lives down to pour spiritual riches into my life. I get to actually use that stuff in real life situations. It’s not like I never did before, but I’m the type of person that will sit back and let others do the work if they want to. Here, on my own so to speak, I am not spoon fed. I have to get it for myself . . . and I can due to what I’ve been taught.
Before we moved, I didn’t realize how suffocated I felt. That was no one’s fault at all. That just happens when you continue to grow and keep the same coat and shoes. It was time for me to go out and get new clothes that I can grow into. It’s so comfortable and free! I am free to search avenues of discovery and learn from other streams of belief. I am deeply grounded and rooted in the theology I was raised on. I own it now. I’m just saying that it’s nice to have the freedom to explore and not feel guilty or like I’m being unloyal to a particular belief system. I enjoy listening to different speakers and music and people that have had their own walk with the Lord for many many years. I don’t always agree and usually take the stance of what I’ve been taught – not because I believed at face value, but because I’ve proven it and walked in it. The revelation shown to me became my own revelation when I saw it unfold in my life experiences. I’m not trying to change my mind about anything I believe – I’m only trying to develop it further.
Not only that, but in being married I don’t feel such a deep need to prove myself to anyone or seek out approval for every decision. Trust me, I do still need accountability in my life and appreciate the wisdom of my pastor. I also sometimes struggle with wanting his approval. But most of the time, I know my husband is my biggest encourager, ultimate protector, and closest friend on earth. He has become my sidekick on this journey and we have so much fun figuring it out on our own.
I’m not sure I’m being very clear about this new found freedom, but I don’t really have any words to express it. I’m doing my best with the words I know – they just seem to be getting all jumbled up and confused once leaving my fingertips. I don’t want to sound at all like I’m leaving the path less traveled. I love the path that leads to righteousness and redemption. The path paved with suffering and dealings and hedged by joy and peace is the only road I ever want to be on. Only now, I find myself actually enjoying it. I love being in the way God has me. It’s not always easy and often I question circumstances in my life because circumstances are almost always louder than faith. The world we see influences so many people rather than the Word of God. I choose His Word, His promises, His way. In His life, I find true liberty, joy, peace, fulfillment, and utter happiness and contentment.
