packing up.

I will forever remember the day I found out I got the job in Arizona. My principal called me at 4:00pm, asking if I would accept the job. As soon as I got off the phone, Aaron and I went around to every grocery store in town, asking for boxes. By 10:00pm that night, we had all of our books and board games packed and ready to go. We were more than ready to get out of there.

Eight months later, we are packing it all up again. Yep, we're moving!

Just a few miles away. (Did I trick you? I was trying...;)

Since Aaron and I moved into this apartment, we have been dreaming of the day when we would move to a place that didn't have scorpions, that had hardwood floors, and had a real kitchen that wasn't a hallway. And yesterday that day finally came! After lots of prayer, driving around neighborhoods, and searching the newspaper every weekend, we found the sweetest little home and it has everything we want (except the hardwood floors...but we'll take the brand-spanking-new carpet).

So, this morning, we once again drove around town to all the grocery stores and begged for boxes. When we got home, we packed up our books and our board games. Once again, I realize how moving sucks. I thought maybe having an entire month to pack up would be better, but it doesn't really help. I'm only on day one of packing and I already hate it. I don't know how my mother did it all those times we went back and forth to Australia.

I will post pictures, but probably not for another month or so, as we don't really move in until May.

I can't believe the time has come for us to live in a real house. We are moving up in the world!

Reasons we love AZ

photo credit

I remember telling a coworker in Illinois that I was applying for a job in Arizona and I was really, really hoping I would get it. And I will never forget what she said, "Well, if you don't get the job, at least you can say that you missed out on living in a desert." Ha.

Well, for those of you who have yet to experience life in the desert, here are some things to be jealous of:

• This week, if finally cooled down....to 85 degrees 
• Living here has brought the words "purple mountains majesty" to a beautiful reality
• CACTI EVERYWHERE! Seriously, the various cacti are so beautiful and so different than the reg'lar, ho-hum tree (the above picture is of my fave: the prickly pear! Reminds me of The Jungle Book...)
• Warm days/chilly, cozy nights
• No clouds mean the most beautiful starry nights. We can literally look up and see the Milky Way

But don't get too jelly! I will say that apart from the first day we moved here, it has not rained once. I know, I know, that's what makes it a desert....xx Janel