Another post written in San Luis Obispo

I'll tell you two big differences from our time here 12 years ago to now --

1. My parents didn't come with us on our honeymoon but they are here with us this year. (They came back from London yesterday just so they could see us before we leave for Singapore. It only made sense to invite them to join us, otherwise we'd miss half the time that we are all here. I know, kind of odd, but we really enjoy time with my mom and dad so it isn't as weird as it sounds.)

2. How do I say this without giving out TMI? On a scale of 1-10, 1 being worst:
Honeymoon = pretty close to a 1;
12th anniversary = pretty close to a 10!
:-)

The post written in San Luis Obispo

Today is our 12th wedding anniversary!! Exactly 12 years ago Gander and I made a promise to God, each other, and our friends and family that we would love and honor each other no matter what. It hasn't all been easy or perfect but it has all been worth it.

EVERY anniversary we've gone away somewhere for at least 1 night to celebrate. A few weeks ago Gander surprised me by telling me we were going to go back to the same room we stayed in during part of our honeymoon, so here we are in room 300 of the Apple Farm Inn in San Luis Obispo.

The post where I express my gratitude (and some sadness)

I'll be honest. There have been times before we made our decision to move, that I thought I wouldn't really miss my home and my life in CA. I don't know how I could have believed that. I guess maybe the stress and busy-ness of everyday life can make me lose sight of the blessings woven throughout my "everyday" days. As the time for us to leave gets closer and closer, I'm realizing more and more what I am leaving behind. And if that isn't bad enough, I think once I get to Singapore, it will get worse. I know I am going to miss my friends and family most of all.

I don't know how I could have missed seeing what was so clear -- I have amazing friends that I love and they love me. I can't believe how many people are praying for our family and how many people have made genuine offers to help us as we prepare to move. Right now I am making myself at home at my best friend's house (Jenny of "Home is Where you Start From"). Her very talented and generous husband did a whole bunch of work on our house for us as a favor. (That reminds me, I need to post a photo of our beautiful bathroom floor that he tiled.) Several of the moms from my homeschool support group bathed me and my family in prayer on Monday night - - what a beautiful blessing! And they plus others are keeping us in their prayers regularly.

I can't even list all the ways that friends and family have shown their love. (There are lots of other examples I could have listed.) I guess that's kind of the idea though, right? Friends are those that give and bless without condition or expectation of repayment or accounting/keeping track of everything. I don't deserve their friendship and I didn't earn their acts of kindness. Now that I think about it, it reminds me of how God freely gave me life in Him and I don't have to earn His perfect love.

So all that to say to my dear friends and family... thank you for all you do and say to show your love and friendship. Thank you for reminding me of Who loves me beyond all measure.

The post where I check in for just a few minutes

I wanted to let you know that I didn't fall of the face of the earth. I've just been incredibly busy. I knew I would be busy getting ready to move but I didn't realize it would be this bad. The good news is, I *think* I am almost done with a good deal of the craziness. I still have lists galore or things to do, calls to make, etc. but...........(drumroll)............... the house is almost entirely empty!!! And that is a huge accomplishment. I wish I had taken more pictures but, alas, you will just have to trust me when I say... there was an awful lot of STUFF in our house. I mean... how in the world did I end up with 3 different computers, 4 moniters, and 3 printers? (None of which were being used, by the way.) Thankfully I found an electronic waste collection event and was able to take care of all of that fairly easily... if you can call TWO trips with the back of a Jeep Grand Cherokee full of items easy.

The movers came on 7/14 and, silly me, I thought that would mark the end of craziness and I would have time after that to actually spend time with friends before we leave and kind of relax. HA! I know that I am truly a pessimist but, oddly enough, this is one clear example of a time when I was being overly optimistic. Then again, maybe it was just ignorance about how much work it really takes to get ready to move to another continent.

I had better go for now. I need to wake up early to drive from my parent's house to my house in time to clean up some of the trash and dust in our house before the painters arrive in the morning. Hopefully I will be able to post some more soon. I have so much to talk about!

The post where I let you peak

I don't have much time for blogging at the moment but I had to share a glimpse into my world. (Please try to hide your shock and disdain.)

And to think... this is just the tip of the iceberg.

I'll show you what it looks like later. Tomorrow we are having a Fourth of July party (combo b-day party for Elly) so very soon I will be hiding all of our messes in the room we call "the office." Ha, ha!

The post where I explain why

Why did we decide to leave the only place in the world we've ever lived and drag our two daughters away from the only home they've ever known? Pretty much it boils down to 1 giant thing and 2 big things.

#1- Faith - We recognize that God has always led us and helped us grow in Him when we follow. We have put all of this in God's hands and He has been the one that worked out the details. We're trusting that this opportunity comes from Him.

#2- Adventure! I've never thought of myself as the adventurous type. Definitely, Gander, my husband is an adventurer but NOT me.) I can't blame this on him, though. He's not dragging along his unwilling wife and children. Well, maybe one of the children is unwilling but I'm not. I'm excited (and nervous)! I know this is going to be a MAJOR change and it's not going to be easy but, WOW! How many people in North America ever have the opportunity to travel to Asia much less live there? How many families get to develop a wider view and understanding of the world and cultures through first-hand experience? We're leaving our bubble and going to see what's out there for ourselves.

#3- It's called "career advancement." Gander will be working directly for the president of the Asia-Pacific region of his company. He'll get international exposure and gain experience and skill sets beyond what he could get if he stayed in North America. It would be an understatement to say that Gander is an optimist and a dreamer but, even this, I don't know if he ever dreamed of an experience like this. I am so proud of him and I know he is going to do an amazing job!!

The post where I introduce my blog

It was about 1 month ago my husband and I traveled across the Pacific Ocean and set foot on the continent of Asia for the first time ever. Now we are preparing to move there for "who knows ?" how long. We're surrounded by piles and boxes of "stuff" and I am sweeping up miniature mountains of dust bunnies that have collected under/behind our furniture and belongings during the eleven years we've lived in the same home. My nose is stuffy and my eyes are itchy from all the dust. But in about two weeks our house will be completely empty and all of our belongings (with the exception of a few suitcases and their contents) will be either in storage, donated, or ready to ship to Singapore.

Since we made the decision to relocate from Southern California to Singapore, I've had so many people tell me things like, "You'll have to stay in touch. We'd love to hear about your experiences and what it's like in Singapore." I thought this blog would be the best way to let people join in our adventure, in a sense. I'll share about the experience of moving and, when we get there, you can read (and hopefully see plenty of pictures) that will show you what our new life is like. I'll be the crazy American walking around Singapore snapping photos like a tourist -- and all so you can "join me."

So I hope you'll enjoy hearing about everything. Feel free to leave a comment and let me know you're here. I'd love to visit your blog in return.