Texas Roots

Well, I just can't seem to stay away from Texas.  I was born in Houston, something I thought was cool when I was younger.  We moved away when I was 5 years old.  I thought coming from Texas made me awesome.  And then I moved back in 2007 as an adult.  And I didn't love it.  I could make a huge list of reasons I didn't like it, but if I keep focusing on that stuff, I'll be miserable.  (And then I won't be able to convince my friends they should live there too if given the opportunity.)  We've made our decision, and now I have to accept it or spend the next couple years of my life depressed.  One thing I've decided is to just not make friends.  It will be easier to leave.  It has been SO hard to say goodbyes.  The longer we have been here, the deeper our friendships have become, and I will truly miss the people here.  So if I just don't make friends, it will be easy to pick up and leave in a couple of years, which really isn't hard for me to do.  I'm quiet, and know how to keep to myself.  But I have my kids to consider.  I shouldn't have started writing this.  Now I'm just getting all depressed again.

Anyway, Josh's company was purchased earlier this year.  In April his boss heard about this opening in Houston with the new company.  Every time we have heard the word Houston come up in conversation we both seriously gag a little inwardly.  We have said many times how we are so glad we are not there anymore, and we will never, ever go back.  So when his boss said Houston, we were like, no way.  But then the job description was too tempting.  Josh hasn't been very happy with his job lately, and has wanted a change.  The job is more of what he wants to be doing, so he decided to accept.  We would not be doing this if we didn't feel right about it.  With all of our moves we have spent a lot of time praying, and we always go where we feel we are being led.  As much as I don't want to, this time has been one of those times where everything has fallen into place, and I feel like the Lord couldn't make it anymore plain this is what we're supposed to be doing at this time.  There has been one sign after another, so as much as I don't like Houston, I'm actually really looking forward to what is in store for us.

Josh will be traveling to Colombia, South America a few times a year.  Our hope is to someday go work international, so we're hoping this will open some doors for us, especially since the new company he works for has a lot of international jobs.  Who knows if it will lead us there, but if not, it will be good experience.  He'll be going to a city in the Caribbean, so if anything, he better let me tag along once or twice!  The other thing is that we should only be there for about two years.  If I knew right now that we will end up there longer, you couldn't get me to go.  I worry we'll get stuck there longer.  Let's hope that in 5 years I'm not looking back asking how in the world are we still in Houston?  Although the older the kids get, the harder it will be to move around.  We can't keep it up forever.

There are about a million things on my mind that I can't possibly write.  A part of me wants to go pout in my bed, a part of me is excited for a few reasons.  Jayden was devastated at first, but he has gotten more and more excited.  I was surprised how excited he got so fast.  Sidney is excited too.  They don't know my true feelings, I've been trying to play up all the fun things we'll be able to do.  Texas isn't all bad.  There are cool things about it, I'm just not looking forward to the weather and the lack of seasons, and the traffic.  I'm also disappointed because we were hoping our next move would be back out west.  I was content to stay here for a few more years or go back west, but I'm beginning to believe it's not meant to be.  And even though I wish sometimes I could see the bigger picture, I'm pretty content knowing we'll be ok, because the Lord has always taken care of us.

How's that for a jumbled up, random post?  My thoughts are all over the place.  Ok, to focus on the good....Some of our BFF's from college live in Houston.  We were next door neighbors for a year.  Our favorite memories with them are cutting down Christmas trees in the mountains in a snowstorm, trips to their family cabin in Yellowstone, watching the first season of The Apprentice together because we didn't have cable, and that was the only channel we could pick up with our antennae, and hearing his confession that he had broken into our apartment while we were gone one night so he could borrow something.  They'll be an hour away (yeah, Houston is ginormous, 6 million people, did I mention I'm a small town girl?), but we're excited to get together with them again, it's been about 7 years.  We told Jayden they have a boy his age, so he's happy about that.  We are very excited!  Other good stuff.....We'll be closer to the temple, and it's really beautiful.  And that's about all I have.  And Josh's job, I keep forgetting about that.  It will be a great move, right?  Please come visit!  We'll be two hours from Sea World, and an amazing water park, it will be fun, I promise.  And we'll be an hour and a half from Galveston, where we can jump on a cruise ship.  See, Houston is awesome!  So here's to me embracing my Texas roots.  Next year's family pictures we'll have to get all decked out in cowboy attire.