North Dakota!

In telling people that we were moving to North Dakota, we have heard several things over and over. "Do you realize how COLD it is up there??" (usually with all kinds of drama about layers of clothing, heating costs, and even details on how long it takes for skin to freeze!) "You are going to be sooooo bored! There's nothing to do there!" and my favorite "It's so ugly out there!"

To the people who've said these things? If you think the gorgeous rolling hills of North Dakota are ugly, you are crazy! And honestly, if you feel that way, you are welcome to stay away. I like quiet rural areas, and we don't need you and your negativity around.

Okay, I feel better now. I've had nothing but support here, so the above comments haven't been directed to any of my dear readers. Just needed to vent. :)

Anyway, I've been there, I've seen it, and I'm in love! Our new little town is everything I could have hoped for. The landscapes we've seen all the way across the state are beautiful!

I didn't know what to expect. I haven't been too far east in Montana before, and I know eastern MT and looks very similar to ND. As we got farther east, I kept waiting to see something ugly. Nothing. I will admit that I have a tendency to fall in love with areas where it's recently rained - and it had definitely been raining everywhere we went. I had been told it was flat. I expected to see nothing but wild grasses for miles. What I found was beautiful rolling hills and lots of interesting scenery.

And the smells! We had the windows partially down for most of the trip, and the smell of the flowers growing wild along the sides of the roads was amazing!! So sweet and clean!

I will admit the first few days were really hard to deal with. I get cold easy, and I had thought a sweatshirt would be enough of a jacket. I didn't account for the difference higher humidity makes! It was rainy and sooooo cooooold! Come to find out the first day we were there, the humidity was at 90%! The next day, it was 78%. But after a nice sunny day, I got aclimated to the new area pretty well because the next rainy day, I was just fine.

As far as nothing to do? We went 4-wheeling, we went out to eat, there's a bowling alley and a movie theater. We're not too far from Fargo where we played mini-golf and raced go-carts. There's also a HUGE concert in October in Fargo that we're really looking forward to. Yes, our little town doesn't have a lot going on. But that's a big part of what we love about it - life is simple. Crime is very low. We saw law enforcement patrolling all the time. We walked a large part of the town and felt completely safe the entire time. People watch out for each other and take care of each other.

We have a couple of options of houses to buy when our house in MT sells. We have a house to rent for now. And the best part? Surfer Pirate's new employers are wonderful people who appreciate and take care of their employees!

I can't wait for our entire transition to our new town to be done! This is such a wonderful change for our little family!

Thoughts on Love

So much for my earlier claim that I don't have much to say tonight.

I was reading my sister's blog tonight, and just thinking about how much she means to me - how much my whole family means to me. And that reminded me of church today.

Today at church, everything pretty much had the theme of Love. This sweet (and very tall!) family spoke about love. Then, we sang this beautiful hymn that never fails to make me cry. And then we had a lesson on Christ and how much He sacrificed out of His love for us.

I just can't help but be extremely grateful for all the love I have in my life.

Specifically, my sweet husband, Surfer Pirate.

I've been in love before - a couple of times. My first love was in high school, and I can certainly say I loved him completely. I had all these big dreams for our future together. And then that relationship ended, and I was left shell-shocked - not sure what had even happened. A few years later, I fell in love again. I believed I knew him. I thought I knew all there really was to know about him. We got married and made a life together. And I found out that he wasn't at all who I thought he was. I tried to love him through everything, but never really received that love in return. And then THAT relationship ended - leaving me sort of shell-shocked (although not nearly as blind) again.

And then I met this crazy surfer. Who wasn't at ALL what I thought I wanted! But through all our differences, I was always encircled by the overwhelming amount of love he had for me.

We were talking tonight about something that happened when we were dating. I was very frustrated with him over it, and had sort of wondered what on earth I was doing with this weird guy. He leaned over to me and said. "But you loved me then - you just didn't know it yet."

And he's right. I loved him for a long time before I acknowledged it. I didn't want to love this guy who didn't fit the "Cookie Cutter" image I had in my head. (A term he STILL teases me about!) But I did - in spite of myself. And when I let myself realize that, I was excited and thrilled to find that I finally had it! The kind of love I had always wanted! Someone who would love me as much as I loved him. Someone who would go out of his way to do things for me just because he knows it would make me happy. Someone who puts ME first. It's pretty amazing.

But that's not even the whole thing! He is also crazy in love with my little girl! When he and I first met and he knew that I was "the one" for him, he sort of postponed some of his bonding with me in order to focus on bonding with her. The result was a man who is completely wrapped around that little girl's finger. They positively ADORE each other!

The amount of love in my home overwhelms me with it's beauty. It's something that I've deserved and wanted for decades. I searched high and low for it, and found it in a most unexpected place.

And now that we (all) have it, we're never going to let go!

Not Much to Say

I haven't blogged much lately. And I can't even blame it on the move.

As far as the move goes, I don't have much motivation. It's overwhelming how much I have to do. An entire household isn't an easy thing to pack up. And I think I'm dragging things out because I really don't want to deal with the tough challenge we're going to have soon.

I can't get into what that challenge is for the sake of my family. But once we're settled in to our new town, I can fill in the blanks.

So here I sit, day after day, knowing I need to pack things and not wanting to do it. My living room sits full of empty boxes waiting to be filled.

But the really fun news is I get to see my new little town THIS WEEK!! I'm so excited about that I can hardly stand it! We're taking the first load of stuff up this week (and yes, THAT stuff is packed), and it's the first chance we have to see where we're going to be living and start meeting some people. While there are definite advantages to going somewhere that a handshake actually means something - like the fact that an awesome worker can be hired based on a phone call and word-of-mouth, it does create some challenges - like accepting a job offer in a town you've never even visited! Along with seeing my new town, we're going to make arrangements to look at the house we're thinking we want to buy. I'm really excited to see it in person. Internet pictures are so limited.

But that also brings out again, just how amazing the internet is. I can house-hunt in North Dakota without leaving my living room in Montana! That was completely impossible not that many years ago. Technology is wonderful!
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The title of today's entry pretty much sums it all up. Just not much to say. No motivation to pack, no motivation to blog. I even skipped yesterday's Stupid Criminal Saturday. I started to post one, but I realized it was pretty much the same story as last week - drunk idiot calls 911 for a stupid reason and gets arrested for misuse of 911.

Hopefully soon, there will be more to say. :)

Stupid Criminal Saturday!

Florida police: When mom takes grown son's beer, he calls 911

By: Associated Press,

NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla.

A 32-year-old Pasco County man who called 911 to complain about his mother is facing criminal charges.

According to a sheriff's office arrest report, Charles Dennison told a deputy that his mother took his beer and he wanted her arrested.

Dennison was reportedly "very intoxicated" when the deputy arrived at the New Port Richey home.

Dennison told the deputy that he would keep calling emergency responders if his mother wasn't charged. He has been charged with making false 911 calls and was jailed on $150 bond.

It was unclear if he had an attorney.

Somehow I just don't think this guy has an attorney. 'Nuff said.

Naughty Boy

I hadn't planned on using a real picture of Pirate Puppy. But I couldn't find a neutral picture that fit what I was trying to say. So consider yourselves privileged that you get to see my cute baby.

He's LOTS bigger than this now. He was 3 or 4 months old with this picture was taken.

This boy loves his mama. He gets very upset when he doesn't get his snuggle time with me. He LOVES to be in the kitchen with me when I cook or wash dishes, laying quietly on the floor. He's just happy to be in the same room with me. If he gets in the way, I just have to shove him across the floor with my foot. (Gonna need a big kitchen when we move so there's room for him to sprawl!) When he goes to bed without me, he'll wait by the bedroom door until I come into the room. He'll lay on his back and wait for me to scratch his belly. Then he goes to my side of the bed and squishes himself underneath the bed (it's a VERY tight fit).

He's very devoted. I think it boarders on addiction.

Most puppies chew. When they're teething, they need stuff to gnaw on. It's been a long standing rule in our house that if you don't want your shoes, clothes, stuffed animals, etc. chewed on, don't leave them on the floor. Unattended stuff will end up under our bed with lots of little holes in them. He's pretty much outgrown it now. Aside from his occasional craving for socks, generally, things are pretty safe around him.

But he has one thing that he will chew on any chance he gets.

Something that apparently completely smells like Mama, and he just can't seem to help himself.

He likes to chew on my bras.

On the rare times that I'm tired/distracted/whatever and forget to put my bra safely away, I can guarantee that I will find it under the bed ripped to shreds.

Bras are not cheap.

I appreciate that he loves me and needs some sort of security blanket that smells like me, but does he have to eat my bras?

Weird boy.