octolilly [through the years]

Daniel and I accidentally fell asleep early in the evening and then suddenly woke up around 11:30pm tonight (well, Wed night) and so we’ve been watching the Olympic coverage and trying to convince ourselves to go back to sleep because we have a long drive ahead of us in a few hours.

We’ll be waking back up around 5:30am to start packing (everything is washed and ready, I just need to organize the suitcases), Daniel has an eye appointment, and then we are hitting the road for Baltimore, Maryland where we will be staying with the Bergey’s and then also visiting Pennsylvania on Saturday to get the keys to the house and I’ll be seeing the house for the first time. It’s crazy how all of this is suddenly HAPPENING. 🙂

Yesterday Kerry came to the Valley and spent awhile with us. We ended up going back to her farm yesterday evening and Daniel toted Drew around while we visited the horses, goats, sheep, turkeys, chickens, cats, and dogs. Drew called everything kitty-cat. It was so cute. I also got bitten by fire ants AGAIN. That is twice in one week. I freaked out when I felt them biting and kicked my sandal off and saw them all over my foot. Kerry brushed them all off and then graciously got them all off of my sandal, too. I was worried that Drew was going to get in them but Daniel quickly moved away and neither he or Drew got bitten. Thankfully!

So, now I am making myself get off the Internet and try to sleep. 😛

Life has been slightly lazy since Jason arrived to spend a few days with us.

Jason and I met for the first time (in person) in May of 2003 right before my graduation from BJU. Through the years, he’s proved to be a really strong supporter of what is right and true in my life. I’m a bit fickle and headstrong and he’s always been quick to remind me of that. 🙂 Gentle, but always truthful. Our friendship has stayed constant even though we have only met in person a handful of times.

It has been wonderful to watch Jason interact with my parents again and see him spending time with my husband and little boy. Drew loves to laugh at him and Daniel is thrilled to have another geek in the house.

We’ve spent considerable time reminiscing about so many things. What blogging was like back in the days. Memories of our first visits. How life has changed so much. Of course, it certainly helps that Autumn is alive and well in The Valley and so we are all feeling creative, spontaneous, and adventuresome. And very talkative.

Daniel, Mom, and Jason are finishing up a Scrabble game in the family room. I had to leave because I can barely keep my eyes open. I am so.very.tired. It’s bordering on obnoxious-silly-annoying tiredness. That bad. But I couldn’t go to bed without writing about how much I’m enjoying his visit.

Stingy Bees & Limping: About a week ago, I got stung by a bee and found (through much pain and limping) that I am allergic to bees. Thankfully, my reaction wasn’t as horrid as it could have been. It is only necessary that I keep Benadryl with me, not a shot.

Telling Friends Goodbye: Hannah, who I have known for all of her life, left for college this past week. Our so-long was bittersweet. The Open Road is a blessed gift but also quite overwhelming. She and her twin sister, Heather, have been dear friends to me. They’ve been my after-church-supper buddies, the girls who shriek by me in their green car, the girls to ask about where the cutest purses can be bought and Hannah (with her soulful sax) and Heather (with her rich clarinet) have played with me in the church orchestra for years. Heather is facing her own Open Road (with school beginning in January and a Boy on her arm). I’m excited about their new chapters but also cautious because I know that it is most difficult to keep your soul steady during the winds of change. Hannah and Heather – my prayers for you haven’t stopped and I love you both dearly.

New Beginnings: New Beginnings is a class that was just started at Grace. It is unlike any Sunday School class I’ve attended – and it’s uniqueness is enjoyable. Pastor Jeff is leading the class and we are basically soul-searching on the truths we hold dear. Daniel and I really like the class and I think it’s just what we need. Perhaps my only hesitation is that I’m sadly surprised at my lack of depth in reiterating why I believe what I believe. Hopefully, these morning sessions will help me grow.

A New Home: We’ve found the apartment where we are going to live and it’s about 25 minutes away from The Valley. I’m going to have to get used to a different post office, restaurants (Cracker Barrel is building right beside us), dry cleaners and yet the beauty is that I am minutes away from I-85. The apartment itself is adorable (3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, dining room, living room, lots of linen closets and a balcony with french doors) and the complex seems to have a warm, friendly atmosphere. Lots of kids running about, jump-rope games, smiling faces and great parking! What is really overwhelming is to think about all the packing I’ll be doing in the next four months.