Our Journey Back to TU

Our journey back to Taylor started Monday, August 24. We arrived Thursday, August 27. We were able to take it nice and slow, so we made a mini road trip out of it.

Day 1: We left. We were able to stop in a couple places in New Mexico. The first place that we stopped was the White Sands Missile Range.

Some of the missiles were huge--one being 18,000 lbs!

After that we drove a little bit further to the White Sands National Monument. It was incredible that we were driving through nothing but desert and then we came upon these sand dunes with sand as white as what you would find on a really nice sandy beach. We only stopped for about an hour, but it would have been neat to stay there for longer.

Zach on the Dunes

me

us

our self portrait shadow

the very white sand...

And off we went to continue our journey. Pretty much the whole drive through New Mexico looked about the same... not much of anything. But as we were driving on this never-ending road, I thought that it would make a pretty cool picture. hehe.

We stopped that night in Santa Rosa, NM. The next day we got up early so that we could make it to Lakin Kansas to see Oma Rita and Grandma Jones. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures that day. We got to visit with them Tuesday afternoon and evening. Aunt Dian also came over for dinner. After dinner, I was able to meet Zach's Uncle Terry and Aunt Teresa.

We left after saying our good-byes to Oma and Grandma at about 10:30 on Wednesday morning. Zach and I both felt well rested and well fed after staying at Oma's. We drove all day through Kansas and into Missouri. We kept on driving because neither of us were tired so we made it past St. Louis. We were going to stop at the Gateway Arch and get out; but since we got there at 10:30 p.m., the downtown streets were crazy and parking was $5.00, so we just drove right by the arch and to get a picture. We had to drive a block or two away from the arch in order to actually get a picture of it because it was too big for me to get upclose.

Wednesday night we drove past St. Louis to get out of the busy city and kept driving until we found a recognizable hotel name. We finally found one in Highland... or Higland. Both names were used quite frequently. (Higland water and electrical... Highland Park.)

We finally arrived to our home in Upland at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday. We were able to get our keys at about 3:15, so that's when we started moving in.

We went to Walmart to get food and some other necessities Thursday night.

We went to Target to get other needed things on Friday, such as a bookshelf. We also went to Sears to attempt buying a bed on Friday. We were unable to in the store, but ordered one online... it comes September 8th! Thank God for airbeds in the meantime.

On Saturday, we went to Indianapolis to get a vacuum at Bed, Bath, and Beyond; we got food and toilet paper at Costco. We also got another bookshelf at Target on the way back home.

We went to church on Sunday. We went to Walmart on Sunday for a little bit more food, a door mat, a desk, and a cheap living room lamp. We pretty much got settled by Sunday evening.

Today, we went to the laundromat to do laundry. We also went to... WALMART... to get a wireless router. Man, you would think that our detailed lists of what we need could be more detailed. This afternoon, I finally got to use my vacuum...

I say it works well.

And this is our home...

God sure has blessed our small family of two!

That's all for now. School officially starts tomorrow. It should be a good/busy year.

As life goes on...

Well, today is just another day. I'm getting everything ready to take back over to Zach's parents as we move out of Candy's and into their house. I've got dinner planned... we'll see how it turns out. We only have one more week here. I can't believe how quickly the summer is coming to an end. And this last week will go by quickly.

Monday- move into Mom and Dad Jones'
Tuesday- Swim India Aquathlon and maybe go into Kerri Shaub's 2nd grade class to observe
Wednesday- clean out my old room at Mom and Dad's
Thursday- hopefully go up to Mesa with Mom and Dad to see Dani and kiddos!
Friday- Zach is finally done with work--sort stuff at his parents house... what do we take with us?
Saturday- finish up odds and ends
Sunday- Last day at Rincon for a while... finishing loading the car
Monday- hopefully an early morning start off to school.

I just can't believe how fast time goes by.

Blessings all around

Blessing Number 1: Zach and I finished school strong in May.

Zach thought that he would have a hard time finishing up his classes--he just didn't see how he could possibly get everything done. But God blessed his time and efforts and he finished, with all A's.

My semester wasn't as hard. It was hard for me to stay motivated since my classes seemed easier and all I really wanted to focus on was getting married and wedding plans. However, I was convicted time and time again that my focus and energy should be placed in finishing the school year well in order to glorify God with the work He had for me then.

Blessing Number 2: Zach and I got married! YAY!!!


We were so blessed by the celebration that we had through our union together. Pastor Luke did a beautiful job in exhorting God's word and talking to Zach and I about what a godly marriage should look like. We had the support of friends and family--both at the wedding and away.


The wedding was absolutely wonderful and I wouldn't change any part of it. I got to marry my best friend that day and I'm so excited that I get to share my life with him. Zach is so patient with me. He helps me get the housework done...dishes, laundry, other odds and ends... even after coming home from a long day of work. He doesn't complain when I accidentally burn the food, he eats it and always says it tastes good--even when I think it could taste better. He will get up in the middle of the night to try to figure out which light switch controls the light that is keeping me up outside our window. Zach is so good to me. Thank you, God, for the wonderful man that you have given me to go through life's journey with.

Blessing Number 3: We had places to stay...RENT FREE!

All summer we had the opportunity to house sit. We first were able to house sit for Pastor Kruis as he was on sabbatical and his family traveled to Europe and family camp and to visit family. After the Kruis family got back, we were able to move into Candy Egan's house, which is where we are now. Although housesitting can be challenging at times since we are figuring out how things work and a routine can be difficult to find, we are blessed to be able to have the places to stay. Zach and I weren't sure what we were going to do about housing this summer, and since we were already renting a place back at Taylor, we really did not want two rents. God provides!

Blessing Number 4: Our Taylor home was furnished (minus the bed)

At the end of the school year when we were looking for housing for this coming fall, Zach and I attempted to get a fully furnished apartment. We didn't want to have to buy furniture for one year, and the furniture that we had in previous years in our dorm rooms belonged to our roommates. However, the deal with that aparment fell through. We found a place just off campus and then rent was relatively low. It was not furnished, but we were okay with that; we knew we'd make it work somehow. As we were moving out, both our roomates offered us pieces of furniture. Beck gave us his fouton and Rebecca gave us a dresser or two. My friend Emily's boyfriend, Drew, gave us a lazy boy chair. Then, in the beginning of June we found out that Beck needed a place to stay in Upland for the summer. He stayed in our apartment and brought some furniture--a table and chairs and bedroom dressers--with him. He said we could use it for the school year. So minus a bed, we have a fully furnished apartment right off campus for the coming school year.

Blessing Number 4: Zach got a job!

This past week, Zach was given a job offer to start work at Raytheon Missile Systems upon graduation next May. He really wanted to work there, so the job offer was great. I will still have one semester of school left, but it is only student teaching. I talked to my student teaching advisor before we came back here for the summer and she told me that as long as Zach had a job in Tucson, I would probably be able to do my student teaching in Tucson as well. I just need to get the education boards to approve it. I must submit my request by the end of August or early September, so the fact that Zach got a job offer this summer was a huge blessing.


Zach and I have been blessed with so much. I always fear that something will go majorly wrong and that our plan will not go through. So far we have been blessed by our God and Savior and our wishes have been granted. I need to realize that God's plan is far better than my plan and even if one of Zach's and my desires does not happen, God will provide as He has time and time again. His plan is so much greater than ours and He will always give us the tools to make it through. I know that it may not always be easy; God will stretch us and make us rely solely upon Him for strength, but He will never give us anything that He will not help us get through.

Thank you, Lord, for all the many blessings you have given us and help us to use them to glorify you more.

Down to 43 Days. Crazy.

Reality hit me over the weekend.  Don't get me wrong, I'm excited about this reality, but it's just starting to really sink in.  I'm getting married NEXT month.  CRAZY and EXCITING. This past weekend (for Easter) Zach and I went to my friend Emily Biedry's house. It was so much fun!  We went to Chicago with Emily, her boyfriend Drew, my roommate Rebecca, and Rebecca's fiance, Zach Zacok.  

We had such a good time spending the day in the city.  Emily's mom made Zach and I Easter baskets for Sunday! SURPRISE.  They were cute :).  It was such a great weekend, but I didn't get anything done. Oh well.

As school is getting closer and closer to an end, I am getting more and more distracted by anything and everything other than school.  It is so hard to keep on working, but, I've gotta do what I've gotta do.  Zach is busy with school and classes as well.  That's how life goes.  Zach told me yesterday that he had a really good day.  He thought he did well on a test, he got a new tennis prof., and he had a major breakthrough on a project.  I don't hear that very often, so I was excited. Usually he says how he fails every test (which he never does) and he just has tons of work and feels like he's not getting anywhere.  

Well, other than those ramblings, life is moving forward.  Nothing too exciting at this point, and nothing too disappointing either.  God is good.  When I feel like nothing major is happening in life, I always remember that God is still at work.... 

Oh yeah... a few exciting things have happened.  First, over spring break, Zach bought a car.  A silver 2007 Pontiac G6.  Second, Zach heard that he for sure got his internship at Raytheon and he's working out all of those details now.  YAY.  Third, (this was a while back) we got our housing figured out for next school year!  So... those are just some exciting moments in our life right now. 

I guess I should stop procrastinating and get focused again.  Happy Thursday!

The 80 Day countdown!

As Zach and I are getting down to the final days until our wedding, I am looking at what still needs to be done.  Only 73 days left with 3 days until I go home for spring break.  I was looking at what all I need to do over spring break for the wedding: invitations, invitation lists, flowers, decorations, jewelry, hair stuff, and other little final purchases.  I was thinking that I was just going to be stressed over break without any free time.  But then I was thinking about how much fun it could be to go with my mom and do everything.  This will be GREAT mother/daughter time.  Another aspect of the wedding that I've been thinking of lately is the cost (am I spending too much or too little?).  I am really trying hard to not spend too much, but what about too little? I was having this thought because I was watching shows like "Say Yes to the Dress".  I also hear about "simple" weddings in Chicago and other places, and they sound a lot like the REALLY NICE weddings that I have been to.  Should mine be more like that? Am I not taking enough pride in what MY BIG DAY is? But then I remembered that the primary purpose of this grand day is not to have all of the attention on myself.  This day is to worship God in the unity of Zach and I.  It is simply another form of worship.  Zach and I want our marriage to be first and foremost Christ-centered.  I think that starts in the ceremony.  It is just so hard for me to take the attention off of me (which I am very excited about being Zach's radiant bride).  I guess I'm just trying to make this day beautiful, but not worry about what others think about me.  My thoughts at midnight.