Heading HOME!!!!! NC here we COME

So our time in Oklahoma is coming to an end. It's been quite an experience these past two years and I am very glad to have had the opportunity to experience living in another state, especially one so far from NC. It's been fun getting to know the culture and values, and way of life of the people here in OK. Family is very important to Oklahomans and many people have children very young here. It's been hard to meet other couples like us here as most have children and are very busy with extended family on their weekends. However we have met some awesome friends despite this challenge. We are going to miss them a lot! I have felt blessed to have had an awesome job at CAP and feel sad about leaving this position....
Justin got a call about 3 weeks ago out of the blue about a position in Durham NC of all places. They loved him in the phone interview and flew him to NC for a personal interview. The very next day they offered him the position and after some negotiation, he accepted. Of course we talked about what this would mean but for both of us, it was a blessing to be going home even if it meant moving again and quitting my job. We feel fortunate to have the opportunity to go home and are super excited! We have about a week left here in OK and I've been busy reflecting on the past two years. I feel like this time has really helped us grown as a couple and as individuals as we had to start a life here on our own away from our support system of family and friends. I was able to get a job within 2 weeks of coming to OK and that position really helped me develop skills I didn't have prior to that position. Then I was able to get a dream job working with CAP and training teachers! Wow, what an opportunity to gain experience in management and training in early childhood! I again felt blessed with such an opportunity. And we have moved twice while here and have LOVED our house in Owasso. It's hard to leave such a beautiful home, but alas...a new adventure is ahead. Another event that was very meaningful to us was taking Tandy into our home and making her a part of our small family. We went to Henryetta OK to get her and have loved her since! I am going to miss OK in some ways but can't wait to get home to NC where our friends and family are as well as the beach and mountains. I am hoping that I will find a job that I love and that Justin's new job is something that will continue to advance his career and his engineering skills. I am so proud of all the work he's done at MPW these past two years and I just know that this next job will help him build his skills even more!
Raleigh, here we COME!

The unknown...

Today Justin and I went to the mall to register for wedding gifts. Getting married again is such a joyous occasion and I'm happier than ever. At 35 I feel like I'm getting  do-over in life and this time I hit the jackpot, woohoo! But at this moment there still is so much ahead that is unknown...Right now we are busy planning our wedding. Justin is preparing for his PE and at the same time we both have one foot in OK and the other in NC as we start to realize that our time here is almost done. It's hard to want to make friends knowing that we are never coming back here. It's hard to want to do things that will make it harder to leave. I know for sure that we will miss this house! It's definitely a house we could live in forever. We love it and know that most likely we will be in an apt when we move back or another rental. I'm so tired of moving. Every year for 5 years I've had to move. I so desperately want a place to call home instead of a temporary living space. I'm a planner and want to know what's ahead...how this is all going to work out?!?! It's hard to be in this temporary state. I love my job and worry I won't find another one like it. However it's not good enough more me to want to stay here without my family and friends. So even as some parts of my life are coming together, others are still up in the air. That is life...its the journey, not the destination (which is what my fortunate cookie from Pei Wei told me today, ha!)

May musings...

So somehow it's almost been a year since I started my job at CAP. Hard to believe how time is flying! I think Justin and I both wish that time would go by quicker so we could be back in Raleigh. We went home a couple weeks ago and had a great time at Kevin and Bere's wedding. Also, we had our engagement pictures taken! We are eagerly waiting to see how they came. I'm hoping to get them this weekend and I'll post a few.
Wedding Planning is in full swing. I got to see the bridesmaid dresses while we were home. I got to meet with the organist, the florist, the reverend, and DJ. It was a very productive trip! I even decided to wear my mom's veil for the wedding. We are having a ton of fun planning our Big Day and it's great to have such support from our family and friends!
Tandy is growing so much. She has almost doubled the size she was when we got her. She is very sweet, however she likes to dig and chew way too much! She loves to roll in mud and get into mischief. We still love her anyway..lol.

Wedding planning

We have begun the wedding planning! I went home for Spring Break this past week and was able to meet with our photographer Pam Mullins, visit the reception site with family at the North Hills Club, buy my wedding dress and visit and take pictures of the Jones Chapel at Meredith College! I say it was a very productive visit! Looking forward to May when we will go home for our friends Kevin and Bere's wedding and have a Couples Shower with our friends!

Tandy!!

We brought home our first puppy,Tandy, on Saturday March 3rd. I answered a Craigslist ad that a couple had placed for dogs that needed a home. She wandered into a lady named Amanda's yard in Henryetta OK last week. When I saw her picture I immediately thought of Angel, my sweet dog that passed away a couple years ago. She looked a lot like her and I just couldn't resist finding out more information about her. So Justin and I drove to Henryetta on Sat. morning to meet her. We instantly fell in love with her as she is so sweet. We've had fun this weekend getting to know her and play with her. She's about 3 months old and about 25 pounds. She's a mix between Aussie and Collie?? We aren't completely sure. I had her all checked out by the vet and she's healthy as can be! She had her first visitors yesterday who brought her toys and a cookie cake to welcome her! She is already super spoiled! We named her Tandy for the pub that Justin and I first met each other at, Napper Tandy's, we also got engaged there this past December!

Ok...it's been awhile...lol

So it's been about a year. We are now living in Owasso in an awesome neighborhood that we love! I have a great job working at Community Action Project helping to train teachers in early childhood.I love this job and life is GOOD! Justin took his FE exam last spring and passed and is now studying for his PE exam which he hopes to sit for in October. Justin proposed to me on Dec 23rd surrounded by all of our friends in the restaurant/pub Napper Tandy's where we first me almost 3 years ago! We are making new friends and enjoying life right now. Of course we miss our friends and family and hope to return to Raleigh as soon as it works out. But for now, we are planning a wedding for next fall and enjoying being engaged.

7 months in Tulsa

So it has been almost 7 months that we have been here in Oklahoma. In some ways it feels like it's been 7 years and in some ways, it's seems like just yesterday that we were moving here. As far as our feelings about Tulsa...I think we both realize that if we lived in a better neighborhood, we would be happier here. I work in a rehab facility where there's very little opportunity for social interactions outside of work and the neighborhood feels like a ghetto. We love the house, but would love to move it to a better place. It's so depressing to live where we do, very lower class. No one takes care of their house, their yard or themselves for that matter. Since it's looking like we will be here awhile, we are talking about finding a new place to live once our lease is up. Of course we would have to pay a little more, but I think it would be worth it to live in a better area. Living in a nicer area would also open up more opportunities to network and socialize with people more like us.
As far as the area in general. There really is a lot to do and see. We have started going downtown to McNellies and really have a good time there. We like the food and the atmosphere and especially the beer selection :)
I miss my family a lot lately. I can't wait to see them in May for Colleen's graduation! Justin's friend Bugley came to visit us this weekend. We took him to the casino and Justin took him to Grand Lake for some 'wheelin. Having friends come visit us does a lot for the morale! It's looking like Mark and Heather might be coming to visit us in June! I really hope so :)
I had a job interview this week. It didn't turn out to be something of interest for me. I am hopeful that I will find what I'm looking for. I am also looking at local colleges and universities to go back to school and get my LPC certification or possibly school counseling. I really want to be in the counseling field and it's looking like in order to do that, I will need that type of certification.

So after 7 months, we are more settled with our lives here, but still longing for home! I continue to look for a better job and Justin is working on passing his FE exam on April 9th. Once he passes that things will be a little easier for him. He's had to study almost every night for this exam and there is a lot of pressure for him to pass as his job. For me it's been very hard to be away from my family as my grandmother continues to need a lot of specialized care, and both my sisters have a lot going on in their lives. I wish I could be there for them. However, my sister Colleen will be visiting in April so I am looking forward to that! I hope that my update 7 months from now has us loving this place, so we aren't so sad about being away from home.