Hello Seattle

Here we are almost June! Obviously slacking on my blogging lately, considering the last time I posted something was in November! I actually read my journal that I pulled out of a dusty drawer yesterday and I was amazed at how much my life has changed since then! I have done more blogging since my last journal entry and I can't decide which to focus on doing more. I love doing them both because it helps me see my life from different vantage points. So I want to start blogging weekly if I can and record what our life is like as time goes on. I also want to start journaling more of my personal and spiritual experiences for my own recollection in my cute dusty book. No better time to start then now!

Hello Seattle....

(A cool picture I took after finishing a run! Pretty! )

It's been months since our new life started in Snoqualmie Washington and it has been a great experience for us! At first when we decided to rent here, I wasn't too sure about living so far away from "city life".  It was weird to think we would be living in Snoqualmie?? But it is very different then what I remember. There basically is a whole new city called the "Snoqualmie Ridge".  It's all brand new and growing fast with a lot of young families moving here.  It's also is only 10 minutes from Issaquah which has all the big shopping places we go to, that works out great. There is no doubt that Washington is beautiful. Sometimes I can't imagine wanting to live anywhere else! The air is so clean and everywhere you go it's green and full of life. Ah it's just beautiful! BUT. Yes. I did not realize how the endless cloudy days of winter/spring would affect me.  Growing up in Seattle the rain was just part of my experience here and I did not really think much of it. But living in Utah for 4 years and coming back, I realized I'm not as immune to the rainy gloom as I thought I was. All I really think it is, is the fact it doesn't ease up.... for months! Ahhhh. I started to remember what winter/spring were like here, but transitioning from spring to summer is where all your hopes and dreams come true! Then BAM! You can't see yourself ever wanting to leave! Right now we are going through that process and we are so excited to get out and enjoy those sun rays! Well enough with the weather...

A big change this has been and it hasn't been easy. But the good news is I really feel like we have adjusted well to our new life!  It was really hard at first. We had such a fun time Provo with amazing friends that we truly love! Not to mention a lot of our siblings were there which was a blast! And leaving all that behind us and starting over was more of a real challenge for us than we expected. When we arrived it took a week or so to get all settled into our new house. And then our schedule set into motion, and I guess I was not too thrilled about it at first. We started going to bed at 9:30 (you wouldn't have believed we were the same people who spend every night watching "Chopped" till 11:00 in Utah)
and we got into what I thought was a "mundane"routine.

But I really kick myself for having a...well...we'll call it a less than appreciative attitude for the first couple of weeks. And I would be lying if I said I didn't have a couple of emotional breakdowns during those few weeks. At one point, I saw it as we had left behind our fun days with people who we can relate to very well. And that we had left the stage in our life where we could enjoy "being young". I'm embarrassed for thinking that because for one its not true (we can still be in this new stage of life and do fun things) and two, yes our lifestyle is different and won't be the same, but we are taking a step forward and I should be appreciative! It was a HUGE blessing for us to be here in the first place. For Steve to get this job right out of school and for it to support us like it has is a tremendous blessing that I just needed to be grateful for.  Sometimes, we surprise ourselves with how we see past our blessings and focus on our trials.  I had been so, so grateful before we left because I knew that Steve would be able to support our family with this job. And no matter where we went, we would have the Church and each other to rely on. But I just lost sight of that for a while. But I'm so happy that didn't last long, because I have so much that I owe to my Heavenly Father for! We have Abby and Joel here for crying out loud! Thank goodness!  We love them so much and love spending time with them! I also have such a stronger relationship with my amazing husband! We relied on each other so much and we have never experienced that kind (level) of dependance before! He is my everything and my best best friend :) And  I'm so happy he understands me so well. Almost as well as Ashley understands me....

Kidding love! ;)

To wrap it up we are super duper happy right now and have a lot to look forward to! Yay!