Strike that, make it Raleigh.

We figured Todd would have his post-grad job plans by Thanksgiving...then Christmas...make that Spring Break. We were so grateful to have a good offer, and another offer followed within the month. Deciding between the two was hard, but the second (in Richmond) felt like the right decision.


The funny thing is, after making the choice the second thing no longer felt right! Riddle me that. We knew it was a great option and the right choice over the other job, but it still didn't feel like the plan. Our long, lazy summer "break" hasn't always felt like one because of the stress underlying our uneasiness.

On his birthday, Todd he got an interview invitation from a company he had applied to months before and forgotten about. A leadership program in an international company, exactly what he was looking for. Right after our Carolina road trip, we went back for his interview. Everything about it was exactly what Todd was looking for. Luckily, they felt the same way about him. We're moving to Raleigh!


When I said the most important thing was to find a job Todd was excited about, I definitely did not anticipate it would take ten months to find. We worked so hard. We wondered why nothing was working out, then why what did work out felt wrong. Now we know.

“Patience is tied very closely to faith in our Heavenly Father.
Actually, when we are unduly impatient, we are suggesting 
that we know what is best—better than does God. 
Or, at least, we are asserting that our timetable is better than His.
We can grow in faith only if we are willing to wait patiently
for God's purposes and patterns to unfold in our lives, 
on His timetable.” 

- Neal A. Maxwell

Zoo, Temple, Airplanes

We took a quick trip up to DC this weekend. First stop was the National Zoo, where all I wanted to see was an orangutan swinging above my head. Right when we walked past, a nasty Chewbacca animal was swinging overhead! Sweet.

Oh, and it was so hot. Having lived in Arizona, I see 90 degrees on the weather report and don't flinch. But 90 degrees and humid is miserable! We left the zoo at 10:30 a.m. and were already drenched in sweat. I felt so bad for the people we sat next to at the temple afterward, ew.

We finally got out to the Udvar-Hazy Center, the expansion for the National Air & Space Museum. It was awesome! They have a giant hangar full of every sort of aircraft and a space shuttle. You can even look in on the room where they do restorations. I'd totally go again.

Post-museum? Cafe Rio, of course!

Ivy Gardens

Ivy Gardens (or Ivy Ghetto, as I affectionately refer to it) has been our home for the past two years while Todd has been in school.

I once referred to this place as "aesthetically tragic," but I'd like to amend that statement to just plain "tragic." Our bathroom is unsightly--if you can even call it that, considering the sink is actually in the hallway. It's hard to shut the door once you're in the room unless you stand in the shower. I basically demanded they replace the floor within the first week we moved in because it reeked to high heaven of mold.

I clean, but you can't tell. When I cook, I sometimes have to put pots on the floor because there is no counter space. Our upstairs neighbor runs stomping marathons around his apartment, but that's not nearly as annoying as what he does with his girlfriend at 2 a.m. (always 2 a.m.!) And let's not talk about the bugs and the rodent.

 But it hasn't been that bad. And it has been "home" for the majority of our married years.



This apartment represents a good decision we made: to tough it out in grad school so we could take on less debt. Great decision, actually.

We have "pets" in our "backyard," our favorite of which are the Cardinal couple, the Blue Jay and Chubs. We keep the curtains back and sit on the sofa watching them. It's so close to Todd's school, my work, and has beautiful places to walk.



I may never miss the apartment itself, but it will always remind me of how much we loved grad school.