Moved.

Yesterday three guys came to the house, packed up our stuff and moved it. And as the truck drove away, I was left with a very weird feeling.  I don't know how to describe it, so I'll just write down what I was thinking at that time. "Wow, there it all goes. It's gone. Someone just drove away with practically everything Jordan and I own. And we trusted them to do that and get it where it needs to be. Huh, well, I guess that's it then." Then a few minutes later, I had this thought: "If our stuff didn't get there, I really don't think I'd miss it. It's just stuff. I have my wonderful husband and my dog. That's all I need." And then I looked at our jam-packed car for our trip and had this thought: "So if they're all I need, why do I have all of this stuff in my car?"  Followed by this thought: "Well, I guess I physically need food, a tent to sleep in, and dog food for Layla... let's be real."

Anyways, I'm writing today to talk about how more than just our stuff was moved yesterday.  I think as I started the day, I was only thinking about how everything would get done. But by the end of the day, I only cared about the people I was eating ice-cream with, who selflessly and enthusiastically came to help clean our house last night, who watched our very lively dog for an entire day, who dropped everything they were doing to help me pick up the carpet cleaner, for giving us and Layla a warm welcome at our hotel.... and I'll be honest, I was thinking about sleeping that night.  I am just so grateful for you all. And words cannot express my gratitude.  Words won't do what I'm feeling justice. Except to help me tell you thank you for not only moving our stuff, but for moving me, too.

Christmas letters...

Who do you send your Christmas letters to? Family (immediate, extended, step, in-laws, thrice-removed?).. I was thinking about this on my way to meet a friend for lunch today. For the past two years I have sent out a Christmas letter to update our loved ones on our married life here in Nebraska. It dawned on me that this Christmas my list of who to send to is going to grow a lot as I start sending those letters out to our friends here in NE.   I am brought to tears thinking about how my only connection to these wonderful people may turn into just Christmas letters and birthday cards here and there over the years. I am so sad to know that I won't see these people every day anymore, or every Sunday at church, or just be able to walk down the street and walk in the door.  Sure, I know I'll meet amazing people in AK... because I believe that God is faithful and will provide. But these friends are people I'm not ready to give up yet, not ready to say goodbye to... people I just met barely two years ago but have changed and touched my life in ways they may never know.

To all of you:

Thank you for everything you have been to Jordan and me during our short stay in the midwest.  Thank you for being the shoulder to cry on, the instant friend when I needed another band wife to connect with, for introducing me to French Silk ice cream, for giving me the chance to love your children (all of them!), for being role models to both of us of what healthy, Christian relationships look like, for influencing me and inspiring me to go into ministry, for giving me the opportunity to be a youth leader, for the fellowship in Jamaica, for pergola building, for photo shoots, for the many dinners at ours and yours, for sharing your love of jet-skiing with us, for teaching me everything and anything I need to know about being pregnant when that day comes (and then some), for an amazing Life Group, for being awesome mentors to me at school, for the opportunity to get my feet wet in the teaching world, for believing in me, encouraging me, and loving me. Thank you for who you are, who you've made me want to become, and for your gracious friendship when I needed it most. You are all way more than an address on my next Christmas letter, and I will never forget the memories we have made here. You all are imprinted on our lives at our first station in the military.

So I'll just get it out of the way now... Merry Christmas you guys:)

Love,

Amy

I'll have a coffee with a shot of anxiety please...

I really hope my anxiety about moving is the only reason I'm not sleeping well right now, and once we get on the road that will go away and I can enjoy our vacation. But then again, knowing me, I'll just be anxious about getting there and what's going to happen when we do arrive. And once we get there, I'll be anxious about making new friends and liking my job.  And once I figure that out, I'll just be anxious about whether or not we'll find a good church and all the time Jordan will be traveling...

I need to remember this verse..." Can anyone one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" Matt 6:27. Duh, I know it's not good for me, but neither is coffee and I'm drinking that right now to counter the worrying I'm not supposed to be doing.

The Calm...

Hi everyone! This is my first attempt at a new blog site to record our trip up to Alaska this summer. I'll just post it to my Facebook and e-mail it out to you guys as we embark on this crazy journey! I should warn you, although I love writing, I am not a very creative writer, so this isn't going to be some spectacular must-read for you guys. But I do hope you enjoy following our trek up to the Last Frontier, and I'm excited to document this trip for our own use!

So yes, the calm before the storm is here this morning. Jordan left for work and I asked him what I could do on our MONUMENTAL list of things to do before we leave in just 12 days! After a brief pause he says "Um, not much." Huh? I know that list is long, but unfortunately, Jordan's got to be the one to do most of it! Which is driving. me. crazy. If you know me, I like to GET THINGS DONE. So to just sit here, having my biggest decision this morning be should I watch Good Morning America or the Today Show, is pure torture.

Here's the schedule for those of you wondering when we're leaving, etc...

Wednesday, June 29th- Movers come to pack and load our stuff.

Thursday, June 30th- CLEAN THIS HOUSE TO PERFECTION... ugh.

Friday, July 1st- Final housing inspection at 9am, prepare last minute things for trip, hold back tears and we say goodbye to beloved friends.

Saturday, July 2nd in the wee hours of the morning- Depart for Rapid City, SD where Jordan's Air Force band will be performing at Mt. Rushmore for the 4th of July!

From there on out, there's a very extensive, detailed itinerary, but you'll get to follow us on that as we drive... and drive... and drive the 4500+ miles to Anchorage, AK.

Enjoy!