Falling Into Place...

Ok, back to our time in the super modern U-nigh-tud Stayts (that was the phonetic spelling for all the non-native Okies and Texans.) After our initial long weekend in New York City, Matthew and I parted ways. He hopped on a bus to the other Cambridge (Massachusetts) to meet up with his classmates for their exchange program, meanwhile I made it back to Oklahoma via two short flights. (My flights were free, I might add, because I finally stored up enough American Airlines frequent flyer miles. Woohoo!)

Matthew's time in the Boston area was jam packed with visits to pharmaceutical companies, medical schools, etc. And these were little known, hole-in-the-wall type places - Harvard Medical School, MIT, Novartis, Pfizer. What a second-rate course, huh? (I really hope you are picking up on my satirical tone here. I'm amazed that my husband has been granted access to such prestigious institutions! Not because he is out of place there; I just know how intimidated I would feel to step foot on one of those campuses, let alone all of them.) After the business-filled, networking days, Matthew was able to squeeze in a fair amount of quality time with his extended family in New Bedford. He even picked up Caleb on his way, and I must say I am jealous of how much fun they had together. Matt's cousins, grandparents, aunts, and uncles are ultra Portuguese, super fun-loving, and their New England accents are to die for. As a whole, they are extremely loud, but incredibly close. (I think that's a movie title?) Anyway, Matthew soaked up all the time he could with them, and I think Caleb enjoyed occupying my spot as Matt's significant other. I gave him permission to do so before they left, to which he responded, "I was Matthew's significant other before you were." Touché. Of course, because Matthew is against jeopardizing his dignity by being a shutterbug, I have no photographic evidence of his trip to Massachusetts. Thankfully, Auntie Kelli posted a picture of the cousins to facebook.

How beautiful are they? You might recognize the other Grant to Matt's right as Scotty, Matthew's older brother. He was able to pop over from Oklahoma for the weekend. I know that Matthew misses them already. The last time we saw them was at our wedding in 2010! We shouldn't wait so long for the next reunion.

While Matthew was chowing down on seafood and Caleb was recreating scenes from The Fighter (long story), I was back in the Sooner State. Words cannot describe the copious amounts of Mexican food I consumed, how comfortable my bed was, and the exhilarating joy I felt as Bullitt bowled me over and kissed my face. Precious hours were spent with my grandparents, sister, parents, and friends. I had a spa day with my mom, including a massage and a facial, that was absolutely heavenly. I got a much-needed hair cut, manicure, and pedicure! Basically, it was the royal treatment. Talk about spoiled. Driving my car was an odd sensation. Felt like I was 16 again. But, it was the little things that I took advantage of that I will never take for granted again. For instance, all my dirty clothes fit into two loads of laundry because the washer drum was enormous. And better still, my clothes were dry and ready to be worn again within 2 hours instead of 2 days! Magnificent. There is a fancy contraption known as a dishwasher that cleans the food off your plate for you. Oh, and how could I forget, Wal-Mart and Target??? Shampoo bottles are huge, food is cheap, and you can pick up everything you could possibly need for life in a one-stop shopping experience. Needless to say, I quickly adjusted to being lazy and indulgent. A week at home was the perfect break. It was just enough time to remember all the things I have to look forward to without making it unbearably sad to leave again.

I can't scold Matthew too much for not taking any pictures in Massachusetts because I think this was the only one I took in Oklahoma. (And it was on my Blackberry, so please excuse the poor quality and the light reflection that makes Bullitt look like Cujo.) The last night I was sleeping in my uber comfy bed, I had to let my buddy sleep up there next to me. He was being so sweet, and I think he might have been able to tell that I was about to leave him again. Bad habit to teach, I know, but I couldn't resist. Just this once. Famous last words.

Then, it was onward to Houston! First, I need to start by saying that God is too good to us. Good is not even a strong enough word, but I don't think a strong enough word even exists. There were a lot of big decisions causing me to be anxious and stressed (like getting a job and buying a house all in a few short days), but I should have remembered what Jesus has taught me time and again.  

"I <God> have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for." Jeremiah 29:11 The Message

Let me also say this: had we not found a house and had I not found a job, God would still be too good to us. I'm not singing His praises because He blesses us with material wealth and treats us to an easy life. I love Him because He loved me first, He sacrificed His Son in my place, and He has reserved a spot for me in heaven. All that would still be true no matter the earthly circumstances. Mourning or rejoicing, with a house and job or without, in the desert or in the harvest. For whatever divine reason, God has shown Matthew and I Who He is in very tangible ways. And He floors me every time.

Without going into too much detail, through a wonderful friend, I found out about a potential employment opportunity. A few short emails and one face to face meeting later, I had a part time job at an awesome boutique in an affluent part of Houston. The people I will get to work with are lovely, and as an added bonus, they bring their doggies to hang out in the store. Fashion, interior decor, and pets? I'm there! 

And again, without going too in depth, the house we bought was another miracle. In two days, we had exhausted most of the options in our price range and preferred locations. But on the third day, after much prayer and deliberation, we were able to secure our dream home. Brand new construction, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a fenced yard, alarm system, full brick exterior, front porch, back patio, and landscaping. All of this in a gated community with a neighborhood pool and splash pad. It actually didn't start out in our price range, but it was the very last model home in the builder's inventory, and they were ready to make a deal. Our realtor used her master negotiating skills to get us first dibs (there were two other interested parties ready to make an offer), and we went for it. It had fallen into place too perfectly for us to pass it up.

Please ignore Jason Statham, aka the builder's agent. Anyway, this is the inside of our house! (Staged furniture was not included.)

Such a spacious living area. Bullitt will love rubbing around on the carpet. He loves carpet.

Dream kitchen. I always thought I wanted an all white, cottage style kitchen. Until I saw this one.

A DISHWASHER!!! YAY!!!

View of the breakfast nook (pic is from the website, hence the lack of furniture) and window seat. Can't wait to sew some cute cushions for extra seating and entertaining!

Bay window in the master bedroom looks out into the backyard. I've been doing some online shopping for a cute little arm chair that would make for a nice reading corner.

The master bath is flat out luxurious. I was sold when I saw two sinks, a soaking tub, and a giant walk-in closet.

Matt was sold when he saw a stone shower with a bench.

The back patio is the perfect size for Matt's grill.

And there is more than enough room for Bullitt to run around back here. Of course, we will still take him to the bark park and on other longer walks. But this is a good domain for him.

And these two beauties are perhaps the feature I am most looking forward to utilizing. The words "high efficiency washer and dryer" are music to my ears. Just think how many loads of laundry can be done in one afternoon!

We thought it was funny that the sign said "Gone" instead of "Sold." As you can see, we don't have neighbors to one side of us or behind us. Not yet, anyway. Construction should begin soon.

I guess I didn't include pictures of the other two bedrooms, but we plan on using one as an office/study space and the other as a guest bedroom. One of the reasons we bought a house as opposed to a town home was so that we could have people come stay with us. Consider this an open invitation! We would love to host you! 

We are blessed beyond measure and want to say an enormous thank you to our friends and family for helping us make such a grown-up decision. We probably would have given up had we not had your sound counsel and constant encouragement. It hasn't sunk in yet that we now own a more permanent place to put down roots, but you better believe, I am already mentally decorating it!

"LORD Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you." Psalm 84:14 NIV

"...As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15b NASB