Sweet settlement

Hey, it's starting to feel like home. The town fell right back over me as I rolled down 82, but the apartment, with its loud air conditioning and creaky floor and odd smell was different and new and not home at all. But oh people, that's changing. We've been hard at work trying to make this place home, what with carpet cleaning and painting and making spaghetti. There have been other firsts, like:

our first load of laundry,

our first house guest,

our first meal together where we defrosted sauce cooked,

the first time we made a sign to welcome our fourth roommate (probably the last, too),

and our first day back at church (also, our first picture on the balcony! too many firsts for one picture, I'd say.)

Other than obliterating all of these milestones, I've just been taking it easy, enjoying the few slow days before the crazy busy of the next weeks. Trust me, crazy busy they will be, but I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to them, with classes starting and friends reuniting and dinner being cooked nightly.

It's a lot. 

The best, the most, the first.

It's been one year (+ two days) since I left my hometown, my family, my best friends. It's been one year (+one day) since I met Janie and Gracie and Joanna, since I made up my mind to love it and then figured out that it would take care of making me love it all on its own. It's been one incredibly breathtaking, challenging, surprising, amazing year.

So much changed, so much transpired. There was so much fun, so much growth, so much learning. There was losing, but there was so much gaining. There was struggle, but there was so much joy. Things were taken, but blessings were so rampant that even now, I have to stop and catch my breath and pray, "It's too much." And it is.

I don't know if the girl up there would recognize the girl sitting here now. There was just no way I could stay the same, no way I couldn't grow up and become more than I was. There was no way my heart couldn't become bigger when I have all of these incredible people to love, no way that I couldn't draw closer to the Lord in the face of everything He's giving me and teaching me, in the way that He leads me as we walk. I do know one thing, though: That girl up there would be proud of this girl. She'd smile at me, laugh with me. Love me. She wouldn't think of what wasn't accomplished, what didn't go right; no, she'd be over the moon for everything that is so perfectly complete. That girl would want to know this girl.

                                      

It has been such a blessed year that I can't even find the words to get it across to you, even if I go to thesaurus.com. I've got tons of growing and learning and transforming to do, that's for sure. But this year, these people, this place- it has been everything I never could imagine. It's been perfectly imperfect.

My life is stressful, my life is fast, my life is gorgeous. I can't wait for the second year. 

Bring it, life.

First things first: AFTER pictures!

My favorite part, for sure!

The purple blanket is not an accessory/decorative feature, but my lovey. There, I said it. Blanka ftw every time.

Bright + cheery= a great reason to hop in the shower at 8 a.m.

I got this nightstand at an antique store. I fell in love the moment I laid eyes on it and Mrs. Parker was right- it is SO worth the $50 I spent. (I also only spent $20 on that chair up by my desk, which I love equal amounts.)

So ta da! There are still a few finishing touches that I'm sure will come in the next few weeks/months- you know, clothes hanging on most furniture and coffee mugs on every flat surface and Cocoa Krispies stored under the bed for late night snacks. I mean, then it will be MY room, right? Nothing like hidden cereal to make you feel at home, I'll tell ya! (Full disclosure: I am open about my cereal addiction and I keep all 8 boxes in the pantry.)

Now, let me fill you in on my last three days (including the two hours I've been awake today, which have, in themselves, been no cake walk.) I'm not quite sure who signed me up for Most Frustrating (Not Really but Man it Seems That Way) Week Ever, but if I find out, I'm throwing tomatoes at them. Squishy tomatoes. (If it was you, look out!) I KNEW Monday was going to be a long day, and I knew that so much that I couldn't sleep Sunday night. Someone like me, who tends to worry and plan and obsess, can attest to all of you carefree, easygoing blokes that when stress seems imminent, the best thing to do is to lie awake at night and try to plan it out. (More full disclosure: This is probably the worst thing to do, but it's kind of a hard habit to kick.) So my point? I started Monday with less sleep than I should have. But honestly, there was nothing I could do about it. I accompanied Lori to drop the kids off at school (FIRST GRADE and EIGHTH GRADE. My head was spinning.) 

After that, I spent three (yes, three!) Monday morning hours trying to sort out and pick up a car to bring to Tuscaloosa. Lightning-fast hours flew by after that as I packed and showered, and then got on with the coming to Tuscaloosa. After grocery shopping and inhaling copious amounts of hummus, I got down and dirty and got my room put together, which only took, you know, six hours (yes, six!). Clearly, I'm not a good worker or SOMETHING. I don't know, but I was extremely proud of the results, even if I was about to fall out from exhaustion. And then, after the excitement and anxiety, I laid awake in bed listening to all of the strange noises and trying to block out the weird street lamp glow. Or maybe I was overtired. It was ridiculous, really, because I had to be UP on Tuesday to volunteer. I showed up Tuesday with a huge smile because I'd gotten to walk around campus that morning- it was SO FRIGGIN' AWESOME! (And hot.) 

Tuesday was a long day of interviewing + sitting in the lobby making small talk with nervous freshmen going up for the Coke Scholarship. I have to say, I felt a bit smug, knowing what they were about to get themselves into with this whole coming-to college deal. Ha! But really, they're about to start what could possibly (and probably will) be one of the best chunks of their lives. Go them! Them ftw! Suckerssss! Anyway, I left campus with a stinking flat tire. I'm starting to think there's an organization out there called Cars United Against Lindsey (CUAL). Honestly. And because it was sort of late in the afternoon, we drove from place to place to place (two and a half hours we drove! two! and a half!), only to eventually be told there wasn't anything wrong with it. Hm...

This morning was supposed to be a doctor's visit in Birmingham, but that's been a nightmare, and basically, I sit by the phone, waiting to see if I'll be called to go or not. Not a planner's idea of the best way to spend a morning! STILL, there has been so much of the last few days that has been insanely awesome (including the fact that we can laugh about the insane obstacles!): a 3-mile walk around the lighted track with my best friend, Gracie's arrival, MORE grocery shopping, Jason's Deli, iced coffee, great new shampoo, Chick Fil A, Say Yes to the Dress, Mario at the Northport Wal-Mart who decided that even though I arrived at 6:47 and they stop taking cars at 6:45, he would take a look at my tire (no doubt because there were tears welling up in my eyes that were seriously threatening to overflow), new photos, the arrival of Janie (that's coming today!), plus a million other things that I took for granted.

And because this is bordering on short story (fine, novel) length, I'm going to stop now and say that I have HIGH hopes for the rest of today. Who couldn't? The three of us reunited in our own house, eating Oatmeal Squares, drinking coffee, and watching TLC. That's the kind of moment that makes me close my eyes and thank my God. It's right up there with sitting down with a big bowl of cereal. 

I'm a grown up now...

I don't know if I've ever explained the name of this blog. I sort of assumed everyone would figure it out, which I I kind of am sure you did. But anyway, it's a spin off of "I'm a big kid now," which is the ad campaign for Pull-Ups. (Now that I write that out, I'm not sure if that was a very worthy inspiration...) And let me tell you, Internet. If I have ever felt like a grown up (which, honestly, isn't often), it was today. It's right now!

Today has been SO MUCH SO MUCH SO MUCH, but soooooo good. There were two-hour delays for cars and two-hour drives and lots of loading and unloading, and all on my own, but that's sort of what is making all of this so remarkable: Me? An adult? A real, live, honest-to-goodness adult? Independence? You're kidding me.

But along with the fun and pride that is being an adult, comes the stress and anxiety that is getting things done on your own. Like taking this:

+

And making this:

(Whoa...it felt like WAY more when I was paying for it!)

After I waited around for a car (mine's still acting wonky and Dad didn't deem it safe for travel), made the drive, and unloaded, I got to GROCERY SHOP! It's one of my favorite activities, and this was the very first time I got to do it for my very own fully-equipped kitchen! I'm not sure how high I rise on the Dork Scale for this one, but whatever. I love to grocery shop. Sadly, some of the joy was sort of sucked out because I really wasn't feeling good the entire time. I realize now that it's because I was SUPER hungry (I didn't feel hungry, but I think that's probably because of all of the heat). I've been up since 6, and I'd eaten a granola bar, a bowl of oatmeal, and two Larabars. (The Larabars did nothing to stave off my hunger, really, OBVIOUSLY, since I had to eat BOTH of the ones that I bought. And honestly, I wasn't too impressed with the taste, anyway.) So I went through Wal-Mart both high on the joys of grocery shopping and struggling with feeling lightheaded and sick. Sheesh! When i got home, I attacked some food: I had a ton of hummus, celery & wheat thins + a big salad+ yogurt and fruit (Dad would be so happy with the yogurt and fruit...he is forever feeding me that when I visit.) I'm feeling much, much better now, which is excellent because I get to do this now:

Yeah, it's going to be a long night, but organizing things is one of my strong points, so I think it will be fun. Just REALLY exhausting. Here's to being a grown up, right?