The first day of the rest of our life...

An Idaho Barn - gotta love the hipstamatic.

After six weeks of speculation, tomorrow we will begin living rurally.   The bank has recieved word that everything has gone through and we are a go.

This is something that seriously Mike and I have been talking about for ten years.  We'd talk to each other about it as we fell asleep at night or when I was having a bad day Mike would let me lay my head on his lap as he described our future "farm".   The kids would draw pictures of it - we'd read books about it - it was often a subject of our prayers.  I have yearned for it - ached deep down in my gut to have it.  And now we are getting it.  Isn't that strange?  I'm not sure if I really believed that would happen in this life.  I often wondered if I wouldn't get it until the next life - that my heaven would be a big beautiful farm.  I still hope it is.

And I'm embarrassed to admit that when we first started the process of buying this home that instead of being ecstatic - I was terrified.  I've never lived rurally before.  Maybe I was wrong - maybe I didn't really want this.  And my stress lasted for weeks.  I think the Lord must have been slightly bothered with me since he was giving me EXACTLY the thing I dreamed of.  Honestly, Mike and I often ask each other what our dream day would look like - not a vacation or a Saturday - a perfect day of the week.  Where do we live, what does it look like, what do we do with our time?  And I am not kidding you when I say that everything - down to what it looks like out our window is what I imagined.  Saying that makes me get teary-eyed.  I really feel like all of those years the Lord was taking notes and in his due time, delivered it.  Wow.  Keep hoping and praying for your dreams.  And trust the Lord. 

Honestly, it really wasn't until about ten days ago that I finally came out of that craziness and realized, "Are you kidding me?  We're going to be so HAPPY!"    And we are.  WE ARE GOING TO LOVE IT!  I am so so grateful.  I really am.  And the best part of it all is that I get to do it with Mike.  He is my everything.  For real.  And we are going to rock this farm life thing.

In the end, I just want to say - go for your dreams.  Really ask yourself how you want to spend this life - what do you REALLY want to do.  And then don't spend another minute on paths that won't take you there.  Pray, work, hope, and trust that you'll get what you want.  I really think the Lord gives us our desires - our personalities - to help us achieve the unique mission he has for every one of us.  So, even if everyone around you thinks you're crazy - go for it.  And don't worry about all of the finger-waggers and nay-sayers.  You don't want to be like them anyway.  Take counsel from the Lord.  Ponder, pray, and discover what you were made to be.  And then go for it.

The Rodabough Family

My last session while being a resident of Utah was with Lindy and her family.  For their session we headed up to Wallsburg, Utah which was a beautiful place to take pictures.  Not only was it an amazing location but Lindy is a true Wallsburger - in fact, her fifth great grandfather was William Madison Wall who Wallsburg is named after.  Pretty cool, eh?  She grew up in the same house that her family has lived in for nearly 100 years.  These images were taken in one of the many pastures her family has in that darling little valley.  I love love love taking pictures in places that mean something to my clients.  And what a fun group of boys she and Robby have.  They just exude happiness...

Giddyup.

Last Saturday we moved out of our beloved house and off of our dreamy cul-de-sac.  It was hard.  After we moved out we went and stayed at Mike's brother's house until we were ready to drive out on Tuesday morning.  We were waiting for Mike's parents who are helping us drive the truck and the cars up to Washington.  Along the way we stopped by the Airforce Museum, had a flat tire, and saw the beautiful Utah/Idaho countryside.  And since I am slightly obsessed with the trendy hipstamatic camera on my phone, I recorded it all with that.  The hipstamatic is pretty cool - it's pretty much adding something akin to actions right in the phone to make them look like old lo-fi film cameras.  It's really fun and kind of like film you don't really know what you're going to get.  These images are untouched except for resizing for web.  This is how they looked straight out of phone... so here goes...

As for updates... we were supposed to be closing on our house and moving in today but there was a problem with the well so we have to wait until that is straightened out.  Luckily Mike's parents have been VERY gracious  to let us stay in Boise until next week some time - not to mention all the driving/flying they have been doing on our behalf.