Houston Here We Come!

We just arrived back in Flagstaff after an incredible week in California for Luke's 1st birthday party (which I will post about next). Back in this tiny town and quiet apartment, the excitement has died down, my hair has deflated, and the wind is blowing at about mach one outside. We even came home to a dead baby bird on our doorstep (it had fallen out of it's nest). I kind of hate this place. But I'm in luck! Because I will only be living here for another 2 weeks! That's right, after 11 months in Flagstaff, we are taking our show on the road and moving to Houston, Texas! Jeff got a job at General Electric as a Lead Engineer and I couldn't be more excited - both to be free of Flagstaff and to be moving to Houston. I think it will be a perfect fit for our family.

It's interesting, I didn't fully realize how unhappy I have been living in Flagstaff until I found out we would be moving. I have been well aware that I have had to fight a lot harder to be happy and cheery since we have been living here. I just don't do well with loneliness, boredom, and snow for months on end. There have been many moments of happiness and gratitude throughout this past 11 months, but there have also been far too many moments of loneliness and downright depression. I have been completely sincere in the past when I have said that the people here in Flagstaff, especially in our ward at church, are some of the kindest, most sincere and loving people that I have ever met and I am truly so grateful for them, but that just was not enough to offset the hours alone with Luke cooped up in our little apartment because of the terrible weather outside and the serious lack of available activities. We have had some really fun weekend adventures, hiking, biking and exploring our beautiful surroundings and we have been grateful to have those things so nearby, but we are ready to move on. This is a fantastic place to vacation and enjoy the outdoors, but it is just not a long term home for our family.

Spending this past week in California with family, beautiful weather, and plenty to do and see, I was so happy, so content, so grateful. I need family, friends, sunshine, and fun in my life. Some of those things were pretty hard, if not impossible, to find here in Flagstaff, but in Houston we will have them all! Jeff's parents will likely live only about 20 minutes away from us and Jeff's brother Ben, Ben's wife, Caitlin, and their two little girls, Bethany (3) and Becca (1) will probably live within about a half an hour or so (We haven't found a house yet, but that's where Jeff's job will be in relation to them). Yay for family, cousins for Luke, and regular babysitters! Yay for date night!

I am remembering now what a happy, positive person I used to be. There were times (lots of times) over the past 11 months that I would just be kind of down for no apparent reason and I would have to consciously try to snap myself out of it. Alternatively, over the past 2 weeks, since Jeff got the job offer in Houston and we officially decided to accept, I have found myself being happy to the point of bursting at the most unexpected and random times. I love that feeling. And make no mistake. I have had that feeling on occasion here in Flagstaff when I look at my husband and my sweet little boy and realize how blessed I am or when we spend all day having adventures out in the sun or when I feel the Spirit so strong and know that my Heavenly Father loves me and is always there for me. I haven't been completely miserable. But now I'm remembering that I used to feel this way pretty much on a daily basis and I am so happy to have that "I love my life!!" feeling back.

The night Jeff got the official job offer from GE, we went out to dinner at Oregano's to celebrate. Here I am making a 'Pros' and 'Cons' list.

Luke got bored and a little sleepy as we spent several minutes adding mostly 'pros' and a few 'cons' to our list.

Out thoughtful server brought Luke a ball of pizza dough to play with. That livened him up.

Luke played a game with himself as Jeff and I talked. He would dump the dough off of the plate and turn the plate over. Then, he would put the dough back on the plate. Next, he would dump the dough off of the plate and turn the plate back over and replace the dough on the plate. And repeat. Again and again and again.

Jeff and I decided that with a life-changing choice like this one, we'd better go to the temple to pray about our decision to move to Houston. So that weekend, we drove down to Mesa and Aunt Linda babysat Luke for a couple of hours while Jeff and I had a wonderful experience at the temple, receiving confirmation through the Spirit that our decision was the right one for our family.

So happy outside the temple after making our official decision to take the job and move to Houston.

When we got back to Aunt Linda's house, Jeff, Luke and I all went for a nice long swim in her pool. We had so much fun! Luke loves the water and the three of us just had a blast laughing and playing for a couple of hours before driving back up to Flagstaff. It really was the perfect day.

I am so proud of my hard-working and determined husband for never giving up finding a new job in a location where we could be happy as a family. After he realized that this was not the job for him or the place for us, he immediately got to work looking for the right job and home for our family. He applied for multiple jobs each and every day for weeks. We were surprised that so much time went by without any responses. Jeff literally fit every requirement to a T for some of these positions. But Jeff did not get discouraged or quit. He just kept applying for job after job. And all of that hard work and determination paid off when he was offered the position at General Electric.

Houston is a long way from California and there a few things I will miss (my family and friends, the beautiful beaches that were once my home away from home), but we will visit as often as we can and I know that this is the right move for our family. Jeff is excited about his job, the Church is strong in Houston, the schools are great, we have family nearby, the people are very nice, the weather is great (the humidity will take a little getting used to, but my hair will be big, curly, and fabulous), there is plenty to do, housing is cheap, and there are beaches, even if they aren't as nice as the ones in California. I know we will have a wonderful life there and we are just bursting with excitement to embark on this new adventure together.