Crazed

What a crazy few weeks it has been!! I have been running since December 29th, and I feel like I can finally relax, at least somewhat. I will have more updates to come, but let me give you highlights of what's been going on.

I closed on my house on Dec. 29th. Was supposed to be the 28th, went to closing, signed everything but I didn't get the keys. It's a somewhat long story, but let's just say that we weren't told everything that was going on and were blindsided at closing. My amazing realtor worked his tail off that night to make sure I closed on the 29th and I did! My dad spend the next 3 days painting, while Mom and I unpacked the boxes. I would not have gotten it done as quick as I did without them.

On Jan 7th, I had friends come over and help me move. That was uneventful as well thankfully. Greg, who is from North Dakota, gave me a great compliment when he told his wife, "Well, you can tell they are from the north, that was the most organized move I've helped out". That is so fun to hear! Hey, if you are going to give up your time to come help me move, I am not going to waste it - I will get you in and out as quick as possible. Thankfully everything went smoothly and as planned.

The next week was spent putting all the decorative things out, hanging things on the wall, finalizing the look of the house. It's been so much fun watching it all come together. I LOVE living there, and am so thankful that God opened up this opportunity for me. I'm also very thankful that He had me wait (instead of my time frame 3 years ago), because I appreciate it more than I think I would have back then.

We had a week to get everything together for Sarah's shower that I helped throw at the house. Yes, that's right, I scheduled a baby shower at my house a week after I was supposed to move in. Without my family, it NEVER would have gotten done. Everyone was shocked that I moved in only a few weeks before. My friend Mandi said "if you come to my house, you can judge because I've lived there two months and it doesn't look like this." That girl cracks me up! The shower went off without a hitch! We had a lot of fun, and Sarah got a lot of things off her registry. IT was very low key and just time to hang out and chat. Sarah doesn't' like games, so there weren't any, we just ate, opened gifts, and relaxed. Sometimes no agenda is the way to go.

I am so thankful that I got to see my Lancaster peeps again! 7 of them came down the the shower, Deb, Sara, Lilly, Meghan, Leslie, Mandi and Marilyn. We had an absolute blast with them! They haven't been down since Ben and Sarah's wedding 7 years ago. I am still amazed that we have been friends for my entire life! No matter how long we are apart, we pick up right where we left off. There were several times where we laughed until we cried, we shared hilarious stories, and now have several inside jokes. I love them to death, and was sad to see them go.

I think that is all for now, I will try to upload some pictures of everything soon....

Gratitude

How do you thank people for the things they do for you in life? How do you thank

the Mentor - who gave you two years of her life, meeting with you weekly and helped you grow in all aspects of your life?
the Realtor - who gave you 5 months of his life to help you find your first home, make sure you understood everything you were signing?
the Siblings - who are there through thick and thin, make you laugh, support you, listen to you vent, and let you ask thousands of questions
the Parents - who have been there your whole life, who are great examples, who have gone above and beyond for you, encourage you and give great advice
the PA Friends - who make you feel like you are home when you are with them, who pick up right where you left off?
the SC Friends - who are there in an instant if I need them, who will help me move, who are there with a hug and a smile whenever.

How do you thank these people? You can write a note, give a hug or a gift, and just out right say it, but it's not enough! There is no way to thank these people for investing in your life. You can show you care and appreciate them in the way you live your life, but I don't know that you can ever truly express how much they mean to you. I have been struggling with this.

My parents have devoted the past 3 days solid to helping me with my house. They have been working so hard to make sure it's everything I have wanted it to be. My dad has done so much manual labor that the poor guy was really hurting today, my mom has given so much decorative advice, and helped me place things. I couldn't do it without either one of them, and there is no way to properly thank them.

So, to all those people listed above, THANK-YOU from the bottom of my hear! You mean more to me then I can ever express!!