30 Day Update

Grab a cup of coffee, settle in, this is a long one!

Today marks 1 month since I moved to Dallas.  It's hard to believe how much 30 days can change things.  First, I absolutely love this place...Dallas is wonderful in so many ways.  It is as hot as the equator, but we deal with the heat and just spend lots of time at the pool.

95% of the time, things are just peachy, but I would be lying if I said that there aren't days that are hard.  I sometimes wonder what the heck I am doing here or why I ever moved.  Why did I leave behind my most treasured friendships and move to Texas?  Why did I leave Raleigh...the place that was central to all of my family members?  Why did I leave everything that was comfortable and familiar and trade it in for uncomfortable and unfamiliar?  I don't know the answer to any of those questions, but I know that God is doing some big stuff in this little life of mine, and that I can't wait to watch His plan unfold!  When days get long and things seem hard or challenging, I seriously RUN to this book.  It has been such a great source of encouragement and I absolutely love it.  If you don't own this book yet, buy it.  Or become friends with Jenni Cockerham and she will buy it for you! 

They say that the "3 little words" that are the sweetest are "I love you."  And, although, those 3 little words never get old, I would venture to say that my favorite "3 little words" are "I miss you."  I am afraid that I overuse that phrase, but it is so true.  I have never lived so far away from "my world"....that precious family of mine and that adorable circle of people that I call friends.  To learn what it feels like to miss them is such a bittersweet adventure.  Some of those "goodbyes" are still so fresh on my mind and are moments I will remember forever.  Lindsey Ogus and I sat on my bed for what seemed like hours just not wanting to say goodbye, and when I think about her sweet little face, I still think about that moment.  It sounds sad, but really, I'm grateful that I have friendships like that that are worth missing.  There are now a few hundred miles between me and people that own my heart... it feels good to know that those few hundred miles can't shake us! I looked out the window one night and wrote a letter to all of you...here it is...and I mean it. 

You know, there is a huge difference between missing an adult and missing a child.  I've learned that missing my family and friends is simply my way of acknowledging my desire to be around people that I love.  But, missing a child is so different....different because I miss them in a way that makes me not want to miss one second of their life.  Moving away has taught me to be overly thankful for so many things, one being that I got to live just a few hours down the road from Lauren Ponder and her precious children.  Waylon and I have a "friendship" that I almost can't describe.  Of course I want to see her and play with her, but I also want to be around her during every new stage of her life.  I miss that child so much that it hurts sometimes.  I have saved a few videos on my phone of her talking or being hilarious, and I often lay in bed at night and watch them.  She is not only the cutest baby ever, but also hysterical!  Her mom promises me that she reminds her often that "Em loves her so much and misses her so much and will see her soon!" 

When I need a little taste of home, facetime is as good as it gets! 

These "calls" are often the highlights of my days!

Sarah Kassouf--we usually just sit in silence, stare at each other, and smile.  Sometimes we use words.

Emily Nance--like this picture illustrates, we spend the majority of time dying laughing because we are:

1) laughing at ourselves, our cats, and recapping our hilarious texts from earlier that day

2)making fun of something/someone

3)being awesome Emily's

Gabe Richardson--I do most of the talking with this one.  He is new to the world, and not quite ready for Face Time, but we're learning.  This nugget has my heart :)

Robyn Richardson--sometimes I talk to her after I get off the phone with Gabe.  She will kill me for posting this pic, but it's so typical that she is kinda picking her nose!  I love my Bina, hearing her voice is good for my soul. 

Life in Dallas looks like this:  Heath, Scott, and Ward Beasley let me live with them for my first few weeks in Dallas.  I am beyond thankful that they opened their house to me and allowed me to adjust slowly to this new place.  Coming home to a family each night is such a treat, and living with a 2 year old is really fun because I don't do any of the hard parts!  Ward comes in my room in the mornings and hugs my neck and picks out my jewelry for the day by dumping it all out of the jewelry box!  He has learned to call me "EE," the name that Odd coined for me when she was a baby, and it makes my heart so happy everytime I hear him say it! 

I love him because he is hilarious....and anything can be turned into a "toy"

 And because we're best buds!

I knew that I would love being "roommates" with Heath, but I have to admit that being "housemates" with Scott is a pretty big treat too.  I love watching how excited Ward gets everyday when Scott walks in the door from work.  And, I have to give him credit for leaving Heath and I alone for 2 hours every Monday night so we can watch The Bachelorette!  This is the view I get of Scott at the end of the day...such a typical hard-working Dad...I love it!



I have moved into a place of my own now..it's one street away from the Beasley's!  I have officially opened the invitation to have visitors now that I have my own house, so feel free to come check out Dallas...you have a place to stay!  My sweet sweet sweet friend, Ali Warren, quickly jumped on this invitation and is coming to spend a week with me over July 4th!  I cannot wait to have my girl come check out the Big D!

Work is amazing--I keep telling people "I was made for this job!"  I am working with 3 others in the Dallas training center and doing outside sales.  I go visit my clients, take them out to lunch, and meet with them on a weekly basis.  It is such a treat to actually get to meet with these customers face to face, that is by far my favorite part.

The storms in Dallas are incredible.  Even the rain seems more intense, and sometimes scary, but they keep telling me "welcome to Texas, honey...this is nothing....you just wait."  We had an unbelievable hail storm the other night--it did so much damage to cars that some were totaled from the hail alone! 



I have found a church that I love--it's called Watermark.  It is a huge church with thousands of people, and God is doing some big things in that place.  Dallas is full of people that are craving to know Jesus, and I love walking in there and being surrounded by that!  I'm involved in a Tuesday night group called The Porch for people in their 20's and 30's and it is such a reminder of how big this city is when there are hundreds of people that show up every Tuesday night. 

The shopping in Dallas if phenomenial.  My favorites spots are the Bloomingdales Outlet, Off Saks Outlet, Lulu Lemon, and the Tory Buch store!  So far, these are my favorite purchase :) My mom is coming to visit in July, and I can't wait to take her to all the "Dallas Chic" shops!

Heath and I love to go on walks, and taking strolls around her neighborhood is often the sweetest time of my day.  We have been best friends since middle school, and to be able to walk and talk with my friend at the close of the day is a gift!  Heath and I haven't lived in the same city since 2000, so 12 years of visiting is long enough--I am so thankful to be doing life beside her!  We ventured over to The Katy Trail, a trail that is lined with old trees that provide shade from the Dallas heat...it's quickly becoming one of my favorite spots!

The Katy Trail

That's about it, folks.  This city is full of great people, great restaurants, great churches, great hot spots, great entertainment, and I'm sure I've only scratched the surface...stay tuned for more to come!