Road Trips and...Road Trips.

One of the best parts about our move to Indianapolis is that we are now just

THREE short hours from Michael's fam in Evansville.

It's always so much fun there.

We didn't even mind the drive down with no AC...

(thank you, frozen grapes.)

You may recognize these shoes from the very beginnings of my blogging days.

Yes, I bought these shoes in London, so yes, they are three years old.

And yes, I have washed them in Oxi Clean a million times, 

and no, I will never give them up.

And no, I did not really think you recognized the shoes. 

Isn't that sunset beautiful? Nothing is better than a road trip's sunset.

Except maybe a sunrise.

We filled our family time with a pancake breakfast over the fire,

horse rides, camel/ostrich/horse races at the 4H fair (true story), swimming,

barbecuing, mosquito bites (22), chasing nieces and nephews,

being chased by nieces and nephews, great lessons at church,

and just catching up with each other.

Michael's dad turns wood, and he's got some serious talent. 

He made us this beautiful salad bowl out of cherry wood. Isn't it perfect?

I love that it's just right for a salad for two.

Tomorrow is the beginning of an even BIGGER road trip.

In fact, the biggest I've ever taken. And you know I love road trips. 

I leave bright and early (even though I haven't started packing...)

to see my sister in Boston one last time.

Then, she's moving out to Utah to start her grad program next month.

We're going to drive back to Cedar, southern style...

it will do great things for my job search.

Ok, unfortunately false. But it WILL do great things for memories.

Bring on the miles.

I'll keep you posted from the road!

Something old, Something new

Meet Dean. He doesn't want his couches anymore, because he's moving up in the world.

And since we're just getting started in the world, it works out great!

So we loaded 'em up in the little truck, and headed home.

Sorry to everyone who drove behind us...

it just seemed better to go reeeeeeal slow.

And even BIGGER news from yesterday,

(don't go thinking couches aren't big news, our bums are happy happy happy)

Jenny had a BIRTHDAY!

Quite a monumental birthday actually, but maybe I'm not allowed to share details publicly?

But just know that she had one, and she's a wonderful, wonderful sister-in-law.

(and wife. and mom. and friend. and homemaker. and gardener. 

and listener. and baker. and teacher.

etc.etc.etc.)

It was so fun to talk to her and both her kiddos on the phone yesterday.

We enjoyed hearing mid-sentence exclamations from her like,

"Why are we on my head?"

"Did you just rip the dragon's head off?"

She said that Lydia prayed that their November baby could come RIGHT NOW.

That girl is already a three-year-old mother at heart.

Jenny explained to her that that was not exactly a prayer you want to pray.

But who can blame her...we are all so excited for baby boy!

P.S. You should go and try THIS when you want something delicious. Parmesan cheese seems to be the common thread in all my favorite things to eat lately...whoops.

P.P.S. Um, have you seen my shoes? These guys seem to have been lost in the move. How does that even happen? 


Anyways, I miss them. Any information appreciated.

Up and moved.

Coming to you live from Indiana. Woohoo!

After a road trip to Vegas 

(my parents are the best. They have been the victims of just so many road trips to the Vegas airport. I love them!)....

some quick bag rearranging 

(50-pound rule always gets me)...

A 3.5 hour flight in which I started that Harry Potter series again

(I bring in constants to get me through change, don't judge)...

I landed HERE. Indianapolis, Indiana. Home of the...dental school.

It's great! Hot, yes. But spread out and roomy and I feel like we live in the country.

That may be because I'm driving around a pickup for the first time in my life,

and I feel like only country music can be played in it.

Or Radio Disney.

Michael braved the floor for a couple weeks until our mattress came in the mail.

(Yeah, we ordered a mattress online. That's probably weird? But whatevs.)

Add that to the hand-me-down kitchen table from kind moving neighbors,

and we have furniture to our name!

We're thinking of adding couches to the picture once Craigslist cooperates.

Michael is busy at school every day, and I'm...trying to be busy every day too.

We've already done some curtain-hanging and laundry-shelf building, 

so we're feeling good about that.

And I've now officially entered full job-search mode,

with about 40+ applications out there and sparks of hope every time I see an email come in.

And usually it's from Groupon. Dang it.

And do you want to know a true confession? Like, a hurts-my-pride-to-admit-it confession?

I ran out of gas for the first time in my life.

And this comes at a time when I probably have nothing else to do in life BUT watch the gas gauge. 

Dang it again. That's what being un-busy does to you, people. 

When you go from a crazy hectic, full schedule that you love...

to a new place where you don't really HAVE a place yet,

it messes with your mind.

And you run out of gas.

But it's ok. I know that things will come together soon, 

and I'll feel just as settled here as anywhere else I've loved.

When I filed for my change of address, the Post Office sent me this happy little note.

Then I remembered that everything is great.

And Wiser Too

I love a good birthday.

My mom always put the same silver "Happy Birthday" sign up on our wall,

for all our birthdays.

I loved waking up to that sign. It made for a good, good day.

Today, it was Mr. Jaren's #5. It also happens to be my 5th year anniversary of being an aunt!

The events are directly related.

He had a Spiderman birthday, of course. And he chose to go to Winger's for dinner,

because popcorn comes first there. 

Isn't he a cutie? I'm excited for him to be five,

because if you remember, five-year-old boys say the darndest things.

I'm so glad I got to play with this cute family on Jaren's birthday. They mean so much to me.

They let me move in after Washington DC last summer, and took good care of me.

Lehi just feels like another home on my list now.

I'm really going to miss them.

And they're already missing Michael.

Lydia took my phone today while I was talking to him,

then talked at him for a good long while. She'd get angry when I'd ask for it back, saying

"I'm almost done!"

Then she'd search her little head for something, anything, to keep talking about.

She would've married Michael if I didn't beat her to it.

They're just fun. 

My brother and sister-in-law are so nice to let me hang around their cute family all the time.

When my brother and sister and I would fight when we were little,

my parents would tell us that some day we would grow up and be best friends...

so we might as well start treating each other that way early.

We probably didn't believe them,

during those fights.

But they were right.

And they read this, so I hope they're enjoying their

"I Told You So" moment. :)

A Confession

My two best friends are on missions. And I haven't written them a letter yet.

There, now that it's off my chest, I'm going to throw in some justification.

One did up and leave me one month before my wedding.
And one did leave me while I was on my honeymoon.

Poor planning, right? Rude? No?

Ok, it's true. They win.

But now that it's out there in the open, I'll get two loooooong letters off this week. Promise.

Aren't they beautiful? Above is Kindal (Sister Erickson) in Alaska with me,
when we up and moved there for a summer. That was one of the best decisions we ever made.
I miss her like crazy! Multiple times a week I pick up the phone to call her,
then I remember Wisconsin gets her for 18 months, and I get sad all over again.
And writing a letter full of everything I would tell her in those phone calls
will take quite. a. while.

She'll love it :)

And here is beautiful Kendra (Sister Haynie). Last time I saw her was at my reception line,
so it was all a blur. I started to tell her it was going to be the last time I'd see her before her mission,
but she wouldn't let me. Just stamped out that goodbye completely :)

Texas is loving her, everyone does. She is wonderful.
She even called me out publicly in her latest email for not writing her....ouch.

So. Enough complaining about my two besties leaving me for 18 months,

because they're doing exactly what they should be doing.

I love them. And miss them. And will be writing them this week!

Just a Thought

Enough said.
I miss him.

Where You From?

We've been entertaining ourselves lately with my new Celebrity Lookalike app.

It always thinks I'm Asian.

I guess could've guessed that, considering that once a week someone asks if I'm

HispanicBrazilianLatinaAsianHawaiianPolynesianEgyptian (last one's a favorite).

But then, when I put the nephew up for the test, I was a little comforted.

Now I know it's not the most accurate thing in the world,

and I can stop wondering if I'm adopted.

Right?

p.s. Have you read this yet? It's always good to remember how much just one person can do.

Halfway There

Michael made it.

He road-tripped to Indiana this week in his grandpa's '89 Chevy S-10, sans air conditioning.

And he made it. This move is happening!

After one last conference at work next week, I'll head out to Indianapolis.

But I'll take a plane. I think that means I totally cheated.

Change always works itself into a perfectly situated life, right?

But that's ok. All I need for a big change is faith. 

And Oreos.

p.s. When I was little (ok, medium) I thought Utah was the midwest. I think I just thought California had dibs on being "the West"? So I'm glad I'm moving to the real midwest now. I was strangely disappointed when I realized my faulty logic. 

And there's something about the midwest sun, right?