Summer Time is Mighty Fine

Oh, how I love summertime (and Kayla's awesome art skills).

The weather is nice, the fruit is wonderful, and it always brings about incredible changes.

Last summer, Jake and I moved from Huntington Beach to Irvine- a change we wish had come sooner.

The summer before that- our favorite one- we got married. Jake finished his BA, and we both celebrated graduating with our families here in So Cal.

In 2010 I got to travel the western United States while Jake worked at his favorite job to date.


Clearly summer means big things. This summer isn't much different... as we are making our biggest change since we started college in 2007.

Moving to Northern California, now that it is so certain, has brought so many emotions up in Jake and in me. We are so happy, but at the same time, our hearts ache so much for our home. But, I've written of that.

It's summertime! The time to tan, swim, nap, and get back to my roots.

I will always love a good mango.

It's time to get on with changes, because they always turn out for the better- to quote one of my highly embarrassing songs written when I was younger.

To look on this summer in the best light, I've decided to make myself a Summer To-Do List! 

1. Move 

This one is easy... this one will happen in 18 days, whether we are ready for it or not.

2. Run a 5K

To many this is only a goal because they must sign up for one. For me (and I suspect more than a few others) this is a steep physical goal to wrap my mind, let along my lungs, around. You see, I have fake asthma... better known as Exercise Induced Asthma. Essentially, prolonged aerobic exercise can cause asthma attacks. Though I've only ever had one major attack (thanks late night VU games), it makes cardio exercise a bit difficult. Running any more than a mile at an easy pace gives me shortness of breath, chest tightening, and wheezing.
But there is hope!
Fake asthma won't be able to match a gradual 8-week training, courtesy of the Couch to 5K free App. Free! (I'm cheap.)
My hope is that at the end of the 8 weeks, I can regularly run 5 Kilometers, without asthmatic symptoms. I presume it will be to my advantage (long-term) that these 8-weeks will be in hot weather.

3. Develop Healthy Eating Habits

They say it takes 21 days to build a habit. Who? Well, I suppose word got out about the 70's self-help book, Psycho-Cybernetics. There may be some dispute about the actual number of days, but 21 is pretty convincing becuase there's a website dedicated to it. That makes it true, right?
Well, after we move we are committing to healthy eating habits for at least 21 days. It will likely resemble the Paleo diet- based on the diet of people before the agricultural revolution. Cutting out grains, refined sugars, and dairy will hopefully help out our often-compromised immune systems.

4. Save Money

One day, Jake and I want to own a house, replace our cars, and become debt-free. Clearly, this isn't a summer goal. This summer, however, it is my goal to examine our every expense, and put all we can partly in savings, and partly towards student loans.
For this I have no specific plan or tips to give. I can only point you to my Saving Money board on Pinterest.

5. Finish Chronologically Reading the Bible

It saddens me that I have not completed this yet. But as change comes this summer, I hope the completion of goal will also come. Spending time in God's word is one of the most important things I can be doing to prepare my heart for the big changes awaiting my little 2-person family.

Because, after all, it's summer. And summer means big changes.

But don't worry. It also means tanning, swimming, and napping.

It's Really Happening

Today, our Disneyland passes expired.

Though this is always a sad event, today it is especially sad. It's especially sad because we aren't going to renew. Ever.

I guess this makes it really real. We're moving.

It's not like we didn't see this coming. We have been talking about this for the better part of a year. It has been semi- decided since about February. We picked a date to move earlier this month.

It's not like we've packed. It's not like we've reserved a moving truck. It's not like we are prepared to move in 27 days.

But this meager 2 1/2- hour trip to Disneyland marked the beginning of what I expect it extreme emotions for Jake and me. As I posted on Instagram when we left, "It is finished." Not to be sacrilegious or anything... but it's kind of a big deal.

Southern California has been our home for the past 6 years, and the only home Jake and I have known together. This is where we met, date, and have been spending our newlywed years.

As our newlywed years come to a close (according to some), so is our time in Southern California. After our 2nd anniversary we will official make the trek up to the Bay Area. It's the most bittersweet decision we have ever made.

We are of course excited to move; there is ultimately a reason we have decided to. We will be close to family, on both sides. We will have a handful of solid ling-term friends. We will work our way into our dream jobs. We will find a home church we love, a Trader Joe's where they know our names, and will be on a co-ed church softball team. We will one day purchase a home and have kids who can grow up knowing the same families until they go off to college. It's perfect.

But... there's always a but. We are leaving every single friend we have made as a couple. We are leaving our Alma Mater, where I currently love my job. We will leave a couple who has unknowingly mentored us through our dating, engaged, and married years- as well as their kids whom we adore. We will leave a comfortable apartment, Jake's comfortable job, our comfortable well-established church, and a comfortable almost-always-75-degrees. And we will leave the beach.

Oh, the beach.

But I was never promised a comfortable life. Comfortable so often can lead to lukewarm. Jake and I aren't called to be lukewarm. We are called to honor our families, our callings, and His plan for us. So, we are packing up (one day I really will start packing) and moving, uncomfortable as it is, to San Jose. In doing so, we hope that God will continue to reveal what he has in store for us as a family, whatever that may be.






On a logistical note, if you aren't doing anything in 27 days I am willing to bribe you with Chick-fil-A breakfast to help us pack a moving truck.

(: