The reason I have not posted in over four months is that we have had a long, drawn-out adventure in house-buying. We decided to start looking right after Christmas, just seeing what was out there, not really knowing exactly what we were looking for. We found a few houses we liked, but my wonderful father-in-law (really, what would we have ended up with without his guidance?!?) quickly found the long term problems with them and so one by one we checked each house off the list. We found one we really liked in January and signed a contract, but got out quickly during the option period after seeing the inspection report (Is it a problem if a tree is growing into the house? How much does it cost to remove it? Is an in-accessible room in the attic really a third bedroom???). So we started out again, disappointed but wiser. We found some okay short-term starter homes and were about to drive down and make an offer only to find a house that had gone on the market the day before! This house, from our walk-through, seemed perfect. It had 3 bedrooms, a big backyard, and no city taxes! But we were, of course, leery of all houses at this point. We went ahead and made an offer which they accepted and then got an inspection, where the whole house was pronounced in "good condition" Definitely good news!

So the loan process began, they told us they could have it done by the last Friday in February, but they kept needing more and more (and more and more!) information, and it looked like it would not close in time. Finally, 1.5 weeks after promised, they were able to finish it, and yesterday we signed all of the papers and were given the keys to our knew home! We drove our moving-truck down to take stuff out of last night, only to drive by and see the sellers were still moving some stuff out. Ha! It really was very fitting considering how this whole process has gone, but now that it is officially ours, I do not mind waiting a little bit. Hopefully we can get a lot done today!

There are a lot more details, but the main point is that we have a house that we really like, and the whole experience has taught me patience and also so much thankfulness that this worked out. We have so many hopes and plans for the house, and while I understand it is just another "thing" I think we can definitely use it in a way that will please God :) So here's to a hectic, exhausting, fun day! I will (hopefully) post pictures soon :)

As far as fall goes, Texas is not known for the brilliant, breath-taking colors of the season. It ranks somewhere between Florida (which shows NO signs) and New England (which I haven't seen, but heard is amazing). However, I love the beautiful glimpses I do catch, whether it's a patch of trees along my morning commute or the orange, red, and bright yellow bursts hidden among the boring browns and dull greens on the way to my hometown. Each unexpected moment makes me thankful that God has made this sight just for me to enjoy. And this week has been so nice, it's the kind of week that reminds me why I do love fall in Texas- afternoons in the 70's with crisp, cooler mornings and evenings. It feels and smells great.

Cody and I decided last minute to go camping yesterday and make good use of the weather, who knows whether we will have a weekend like this again? I guess everyone else decided to go too because when we pulled into Isle Du Bois state park at Lake Ray Roberts, there were only a handful of campsites left. The cool/challenging thing about this park is that you have to park your car and then walk in to get to the primitive campsites. Both times we have gone here, we've chosen the one that's farthest away, so it makes for quite a walk with all the camping gear. But we brought our bikes this time and were able to get everything in two trips. Definitely easier! The place we chose was at the tip of the land that extends into the lake. so we pitched our tent about ten feet from the water. We made it just in time to see the brilliant sunset that was right in front of us and unobstructed. That alone made the trip worth it. Then, of course, we built a fire and had the typical hotdogs and s'mores and sat around it until it was reduced to glowing coals. It was really getting windy so got in the tent, hoping it would be warmer, but the vents at the top sent the wind whooshing through and we had to huddle in the sleeping bags and listen to the lake waves slap against the shore. It sounded like we were out in the middle of the water, but the cold hard ground reminded us that we weren't :) We got about as much sleep as you can without a mattress (I know, us spoiled Americans) and then I got up to try to start the fire. Wet wood, no fire starter, and continuous wind made it impossible to get it going. so we gave up after the second box of matches and decided to hit the bike trails instead and eat brunch after. I'm sure our deserted camp will provide a good laugh for the next campers who will see the hundreds of burnt matches, empty match boxes and discarded twigs and know we were fire-building failures. Oh well.

So we packed it all up, made the bike trips to the car and then found a trail to take off on. Wow, it is so much fun to head out on a trail covered in fall leaves. The crunching sound and earthy smell of dirt and spice surrounded us, and we only met one biker on the way. Side note, the biker was definitely more practiced then us so, after letting him pass, we debated how old he was. I went with 40 and Cody said he was 70. Either way, he schooled us, but that's okay. And I only collided with a tree once, with minimal damage. There were thorns inches away, but I avoided them! After that we returned to the car, loaded up the bikes, and headed out. We stopped at a breakfast diner we've been wanting to try, very busy with plastic menus, cheap red booths, and plenty of southern breakfast favorites. We chowed down and then headed home to wash the camp dirt and smell off.

I love fall :)

I seriously can't believe it's October. I love fall! It's always such an unexpected transition from the hot summer months, and the weather is so energizing :) Except when it's all stormy of course, but even then it's at least entertaining to watch. I have been working for Plano ISD for a month now, and I feel truly blessed to have this job. I have the best OT mentor that I've ever had. She really goes above and beyond to show me the ropes, and is SO positive all the time and knowledgeable in the school area. She welcomes my questions and has sat down with me so many times to look over things. I was really expecting to be shown the ropes quickly and then thrown out there (I'm contract), but she keeps being there for any and every question. So I'm just trying to soak up all I can for now and prepare for my next job- when and wherever it may be. I think I'll stick with schools for awhile though, because the stress level is much more manageable and I feel like I kind of know what I'm doing (still so much to learn), and it's hard to mess up too badly. After all, you can't do any real damage by giving a kid the wrong pencil grip :)

Unfortunately I'm battling a sore throat today, so I took the day off to get better. There is a lot of junk floating around in the area. Services were even cancelled last night because of the high level of swine flu sickies. We didn't know until we arrived in an almost vacant parking lot with just a few very confused people driving up and then leaving. I guess it would be unfortunate for any more people to get sick.

My brother is coming in this weekend and I am definitely looking forward to seeing him! Fall always makes me think of being with family anyway, especially because thanksgiving is just around the corner! I know there is other stuff going on (especially because I have epiphanies every day when something happens and I think "This would be perfect to post about!") but my sleepy brain can't think of anything else at the moment.

Happy October!

Colorado to be specific. I just returned from my second trip there. Second time in the Denver airport, second time to see the amazing wildlife, second time to smell the pine trees and bask in the cool air, and second time to hang out with my husband. But it was the first time to hang out all weekend with all of my wonderful in-laws, first time to be part of a surprise trip hidden from my mother in law, first time to drive to the top of a mountain, and first time to drive a four-wheeler. So much fun!

My father-in-law decided about a month ago to plan this surprise trip and we all cleared our calendars and tried not to breathe a word. Inspite of some funny goof-ups, we made it and she was very surprised and happy! We had a great time, which says a lot about that family, I think I'm lucky to be a part of it :) Plus I got to make two trips to Colorado- no complaints here! Cody and I joke that we're gonna plan to head there in a couple of weeks again.

In other news, i started my Plano job today after a LONG, drawn-out fight to get my finger prints. I won't go in to all the details, but it finally ended when I drove 90 minutes away to get them done and then triumphantly presented them to the PISD administration building and walked out with my ID badge. I am now official! They are thrilled to have me there and I am thrilled to be there- a promising combination :) And here's to school holidays- I already get next monday off :) Yay for school employment!!

It only looks like i was attacked by a mountain lion. Do not be fooled by the countless scratches and bruises covering my arms and legs. The true experience was slightly less painful (or payneful?) as I want flying into a thorn bush after falling from my bike. Cody and I decided to take up mountain biking (and we are now semi-experts on how to buy a good bike after talking to many people at many bike shops). And what better place to mountain bike than Colorado? I had not ridden a bike in 4+ years, but we love to camp and most camp grounds have cool trails to hike and bike so we decided to look into it. We ended up fixing my bike that I bought at least 10 years ago (turns out it was a great brand- Raleigh), and then finding one for Cody on Craigs List. We also got the essentials: water bottles and holders, extra tire tubes, back pack, bike pack, helmets, bike rack and air pump. We then went to the local Salida bike shop to find out about trails. The sent us up a windy dirt path to near the top of a small mountain. The lady described the initial trail as "easy", so you can imagine my surprise when I searched around until I discovered a single track (which means there is only room for your tires plus a little more) descending steeply down a mountain and then cut along the side of a mountain with an extremely steep drop off on the side. Cody took off and I just sat there staring at the track, trying to get the courage to move. I gingerly inched the wheel forward and then immediatley slammed on my brakes when I started pick up speed. I finally began to panic, remembering all the times that I have lost control of moving objects (cars specifically :P) and figured it was only a matter of time before I went careening off the path and rolling down the side of the mountain. Needless to say we ended up packing up and leaving, and I felt terrible. All of this work, and we weren't going to get to bike!

However, we decided to search the internet and found a path not to far from where we were staying which was also described as "easy". So we went there and there was a path almost as big us a road with more of a shoulder and a gradual incline. I felt safe with it, so we took off and got worn out along the "up hill all the way" track, however we soon found it was worth it when we reached the end and turned around and got to glide all the way back. What a rush! I was totally hooked and ready for the next big adventure which we did the next day, 9.3 miles called the Midland trail which was also good for beginners except for the 3 "advanced" spots. We again took off and enjoyed the wonderful views while going through mini canyons and valleys. However, the advanced spots where made up of incredible steep and rocky hills. I navigated a few by holding both hands firmly on the brakes and keeping my left foot out. I was still thrown from my bike 3 or 4 times and ended up walking up or down the hills and pushing my bike. It was all a blast though until I got into a sandy patch and I soon found out that the plant that grows best in sand is a thorn bush. So I have some cool battle wounds and earned some sympathy from my husband who was also pretty proud that he thought to bring a first aid kit ;)

All in all, Colorado was wonderful and we will definitely be back. There is nothing like climbing out of bed in an August morning and seeing that the temperature outside is 36 and you'd better grab a jacket. Wow! Now we are back in Texas and it looks like I have a school job lined up as of today, I'll say when it's a for sure thing, but I am pretty excited about the possibility and the therapists I could work with.