The puppy, kitty, and I have been doing a lot of traveling in the past month. From going home to Kansas (twice!) and venturing to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, it's hard to believe that we have only been in three states the entire time.
Driving to Wyoming was like venturing into a different land. It was so barren and beautiful. On my drive there, the highways hosted signs that said: "Wind Gusts 65+" It was an intense drive! The wind was blowing snow across the highway; in some areas, the blowing snow was so thick that it felt like fog. At one point, I was surrounded by these rocky ridges that shot out at jagged angles. With so few cars on the road and civilization so far behind me, I felt strangely alone and vulnerable. The drive home was much better, probably because I knew what to expect.
Surprisingly, I did not mind driving. This is probably because my sister had lent me Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to listen to for the drive. That was really wonderful. I read the first Harry Potter book when I was in third grade, and I have read and reread the entire series too many times to count. Needless to say, I have grown up with the characters as they have grown up with the publication of each book, and entering back into the world of Harry Potter is just so sweet. Plus, it always reminds me of Jack; I got him hooked on the series as an adult. On another note, I just happened to look down at my dashboard and saw this:
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| Don't tell my mom that I took this while driving! It was just too cool not to. Plus it was in Wyoming- no one else was on the road. ;) |
1. My first visit to Kansas. I decided to go home once we found out Jack was leaving earlier than expected. It was just what I needed. I was able to see my family, my best friends, and my new family (Jack's parents). :)
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| My cousins Allison and Grace stopped by to say "hi" |
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| Molly LOVES visiting Kansas and playing with Daisy and Scout |
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| My cousin Louis in his Halloween costume |
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| Since Daisy has an invisible fence, I hooked Molly's leash to her so that Molly could be free to explore the yard without escaping! It was also pretty funny to see them trot around the yard all hooked together. |
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| My cousins, Sydney and Anna, had a joint Bat Mitzvah. Because of this, I was able to see a lot of family that I hadn't seen since our wedding. |
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| The puppy and the kitty |
3. Visiting my Maid of Honor in Wyoming
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| It was so wonderful to see Ariel. This is the most we have seen each other since we were roommates. |
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I FINALLY got to meet Ariel's fiance, Gabe. Aren't they adorable?     |
4. In Other News...
I was offered a role in the Christmas show I auditioned for (it turns out that three times really is the charm). After a LOT of thought, I decided to decline it. It was a hard decision. I had actually made up my mind to decline it when I got a call from the director that changed things. He wanted to give me a small stipend for gas and a room to stay in during the show weekends (for 5 weeks). They were also working with the playwright to change up the role to fit me better and even add me into more scenes. This made the opportunity even harder to pass up. But I wouldn't have been able to go home for Thanksgiving OR Christmas, and I would have missed the trip with my family and my mom's' sister's family to Universal Studios. In the end, I decided that there would be other roles to accept, and that being home for the holidays was worth it.
However, I have to admit I am getting to the point of feeling restless and useless. Even though I am surprisingly keeping very busy. In fact, I have a daily schedule in which I block out every hour of the day with tasks, chores, and projects. Today, I organized all of Jack's papers (this is like three years' worth of loose paperwork) and began the process to get my Colorado teaching license. In the next couple days, I need to clean out Jack's car (it's abominable in there), prepare the house for my soon-to-arrive roommate, write like 100 thank you notes, and sort through our finances, to name a few! And did I mention before that I'm beginning to train for a marathon? But there is just something about not working, about not having a job and getting paid, that is making me feel kind of useless!
Speaking of visitors, my bestie Jessie is coming to visit this Friday through Tuesday! I am SUPER excited. We are going to go cross country skiing (which she swears is actually fun) and do some shopping at the outlets in Castle Rock, which I have always eyed but never checked out. I am excited to get started on Christmas shopping! On top of Jessie coming, my "roommate" is arriving on Saturday. She is a pharmacy school student and friends with a FOCUS missionary who went to my high school. She was looking for a place to stay during her rotation here, and Jack and I both agreed that we should house her while he is gone! It really is the perfect arrangement- she needs a place to stay, and I need someone to come home to. ;)
But now that I'm finally home, I think things are about to settle down. I'm applying for my Colorado teaching license. Once the process has begun, the districts here will accept me as a sub. I have a film coming up (and hopefully some more acting opportunities), so with that and subbing, I think I will settle into a routine pretty soon. And make a little bit of money, which might help with my restlessness. ;)
I am thinking about auditioning for a musical in a couple weeks. The show is in April-May and is at a professional theatre south of Denver. I am really hoping for this. It will be paid, and every female in the show is an adolescent but played by adults. I'm not used to auditioning for musicals, so I would appreciate prayers in preparing for it.
Last but not least, here's a goofy picture of my handsome husband and I on facetime:
We've been able to talk every 4-5 days since he got to his new base. I miss him so much, but I am trying to stay positive. We've officially made it through 1/9 of the deployment. And we hit our three month wedding anniversary!
