Hello Houston!

Just in case anyone out there didn't get the memo, we made it safely to Texas.  We've been here for a couple weeks now and are loving it more than we expected.  I feel like I should have a lot to say about christmas and driving across the county and settling in to our new home.... but I'm having a hard time putting it all into words.  It has been a whirlwind of a month, thats for sure.  Suffice it to say, we had a fabulous christmas and were throughly spoiled, the drive was long but rather uneventful and our new place is perfect!

I guess the biggest and most important thing I can say is just how thankful I am for how blessed we've been.  I truly know that God's hand was in our decision to move down here and he watched over us as we did our best to make it happen.  Looking back, what we did could easily be described as crazy.  Our life in Provo was comfortable, secure, and stable.  We left that all for a life in Houston that is initially filled with discomfort, insecurity and lots and lots of unknowns.  See, crazy!  But in addition to being crazy, I also believe it was the absolutely best thing that we could have done at this point in our life.  And for that knowledge, I am grateful!

I'll try to give you a peek into our life here with a bulleted list of things I am grateful for.

I am grateful....

• That everything we packed fit perfectly into our small trailer
• That we had so many friends come help us pack up the trailer so I didn't have to make as many trips up and down all the stairs
• For the generosity of the people at the U-haul store in allowing us to store the trailer safely (and for free) with them over christmas weekend
• For Brett's parents/brother for helping by driving with us 
• That the pick-up made it over the two 10,000 ft mountain passes in Colorado while pulling the heavy trailer.  We were a little naive about the "rocky mountains" and didn't find out until it was too late.  There were multiple times we didn't think it would make it as we drove 30 mph in the lowest gear with the second fan on to keep the engine cool.   But the Yoda pulled through for us!  
• That after the rockies the roads were flat and straight!  
• For beautiful weather during our three day trip. No rain or snow.  We couldn't have asked for better weather and we would not had been able to do it during a "normal" winter season. 
• That our apartment was clean and nice and smoke free and safe and most importantly BUG FREE.  For those of you who were not aware, my BIGGEST fear with regards to this move was our apartment.  Renting a place sight unseen is a scary process especially when you are moving to a state that is notorious for having bugs.  I am pleased to report that we have yet to see a single cockroach or any other critter in our place!  
• For a friendly and welcoming ward who noticed us the first sunday and has truly made us feel welcome.  
• That we were able to find living room furniture for a good deal.  We are no longer sitting on camp chairs and it is GREAT!
• That my husband is a rock star and is absolutely excelling at his teaching responsibility.  The full time teacher he is assigned to didn't initially know he was coming so the start was a little rocky but Brett has been teaching all week and comes home from school happy, energetic and with great stories.  
• The opportunity that Brett has to also help out with coaching the baseball team.  He was very excited about that and I love seeing him excited.
• For the beautiful weather!  We had one day of rain but the rest has been sunny and nice.  The pleasant weather sure has made the transition easier. I do not miss the snow/freezing temps one bit. Nor do I miss the dry skin.  
• For a strong marriage that although is not perfect has become so much stronger during the last month.  In addition to working together during stressful times, living without cable/internet for 2 weeks also helped.  
• That our internet and cable is finally up and working.  Brett enjoyed this last night especially as he was able to watch and cheer on his 49ers to victory. 
• For the free time that I have had to try our new recipes and practice my "home maker" skills.
• That there are so many yummy looking new restaurants to try out once we get income again.  
• That I have been finding multiple job openings that sound interesting and match my skill set.  No job yet, but I'm feeling good about it.  
• And although we miss all of our dear friends in Provo, I am especially grateful for everyone who has touched my life over the last 6 years while I lived in Utah.   

All in all, life is good.  :) I'll work on getting some pictures of our new place and we can have a little virtual house warming party/tour soon.