Everybody's naked sometimes.

I'm tempted to change the title of my blog to that little gem of wisdom. Remember it people. Most people pay money for that kind of advice.

In other news, I'm all moved into my apartment. "All moved in" meaning all of my crap is shoved into my new room and now I just have to get it unpacked and organized. Any other time, I would have turned into Lindsey the Unpacking Hermit and organized the heck out of my room, but there were more important tasks at hand this weekend.

First, there were several things I needed in order to unpack/live. The rest of my junk, for example, which was still at Heidi's house. Also, bathroom necessities, shelves, a lamp or two, trash bins, and the like. So Saturday was spent shopping with my Krilifis. Target and Ikea were the places to go based on my initial internet research. I am trying to not spend a lot of money (since I have very little) and checking out items and prices before hand helped me a lot when I was at the store. I bought mostly what I needed (the luxury items maybe added up to $20) and left behind the things that could wait until later. Ikea supplied me with a few dishes (two giant round yellow plates and two green bowls), a 3 pack of pans for $10, a bath rug for $2, a bedside lamp, a bookshelf for $25 (score! by far the best bang for my buck, although I had to settle for white), two trash bins (one for bedroom, one for bath), and a few select picture frames (I can't live much longer without photos of the kiddos plastered all over my room - I'm in severe withdrawal).

So after the shopping and fetching was complete I headed back to my apartment to empty my car. This time I was without help. That means climbing the stairs 8 or so times (not counting the 5 trips I made at Heidi's). I live on the third floor. I just moved from Maryland. My meager little weak sea-level lungs permitted me two trips every hour or so. I just took my time and unpacked while my lungs desperately tried to gather enough air for the next trip. Dri (my new roommate) graciously helped me and cut out two additional trips. I am hoping it doesn't take much longer to acclimate to the elevation - certainly those stairs should help build up my lungs. So once everything was in my room I promptly left it all behind and went to have some fun with Megan and Whitney.

Megan had some friends over and we started watching Willow. When Whitney (who will now be referred to as Whitley because of a reason I'm sure I'll explain at some point) got home from her date, the two of us made a late night Wal-mart run for Halloween costume supplies. I won't go into much detail regarding our costumes until I have all the pictures to post with them, but they are pretty much amazing. It's a group costume and I spent all day after church (seriously, 1pm to 11:30pm) hand crafting our costumes. I still have mine to finish, but Whitley and Megan's are complete except for details. I'm kind of amazed and proud of myself because I did all the sewing by hand. It's in no way professional, but everything will stay together and you can't see the stitching. Also, much of it was done while Megan and Whitney were wearing the costumes. That's right, I just sewed it all while they stood there quite patiently. I can't wait for the finished products to be captured on film. Stay tuned.

While all this sewing and craftiness was going on, Megan and I continued our Halloween themed movie watching month. We've carefully gathered all the movies that have the least bit to do with the supernatural, fantasy, thriller or horror genres for our veiwing pleasure. I owned a lot that fit into these categories which surprised me, I didn't realize I had to many that were appropriate for October. So far we've watched Corpse Bride (for obvious reasons), The Stepford Wives (killer robot/feminist thriller from the 70s)and Truly Madly Deeply (ghost boyfriend/romantic comedy?). Just yesterday we watched Signs (Aliens), The Brothers Grimm (disappearing children and an enchanted evil witch in a tower) and 1408 (John Cusack in a haunted evil hotel room). We have plenty more on our list (including but not limited to What Lies Beneath, Red Eye, Nightmare Before Christmas and Little Shop of Horrors). I'm thinking we need to throw in a viewing of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (for sake of tradition), Wait Until Dark, The Fall (Lee Pace) and maybe even Edward Scissorhands. I realize that is a lot of movie watching, but you know, I have my priorities.

So there you have it. My room is a mess, but it's mine so that's happy. I will get it organized this week and sleep peacefully knowing I'm not a foot away from someone else and I have my own bathroom. Tonight is more costume making and planning and I'm sure another creepy movie viewing.

What I've been up to

So a funny thing happens when you decide to move across the country in only two weeks. Suddenly you become horrendously busy. Even my down time is filled with activity of some sort and there are lists. Oh my are there lists. Some of them are just in my head and others are really just part of a giant packing master list.

So Friday was spent working and figuring out how I was going to get to Utah. That part is done now. Megan is coming (huzzah!!) to drive with me and it will be what we are now calling the "Nerdiest Road trip in History!" (NRH?). Although now that I think of it, there probably have been nerdier road trips, but ours will have play lists and crocheting and GRE word lists! Party!

I think I started packing Friday night then Saturday I picked up a few things from Wal-Mart and went to chillax with the kiddos. Here are a few highlights:

A tea party lunch with grilled cheese and tomato soup.

After all that fun I came home and...yep, you guessed it, packed. I have a lot of bins full of junk. Clothes and knick knacks and linens and crafts and anything else a person accumulates through life. Luckily, when I moved from Utah I got rid of a lot of stuff. Turns out moving is very good for de-junking and inventory. I've got five bags of trash just from the last four days. You should all take a moment and be proud of me.



Okay. Sunday I spent the morning cuddling with my Bug and realizing I was spending my last Sunday at my home ward (conference is next week and then I'm gone). So that was a bit sad. I've really enjoyed being at Calvert and will miss a lot of the friends I've made.


So then I came home and did laundry and finished a tutu for a friend (which I forgot to take a picture of. darn.) and made a blanket and pillow for Monkey. He needed something more appropriate for a big boy. He liked it a lot...more importantly, Elmo approved. That is what it's all about, right?
So then I did lots more packing and de-junking. I scanned old photos so I could leave them behind and organized old letters and cards. I emptied four bins of things and re-packed them with something else, threw things away or put them in a pile for Lauren to sift through. Tonight I will be packing clothes into suitcases and sorting shoes. That's right, I have to leave some behind. So sad. I guess there's always a casualty or two.

So as of right now, as I sit and type this, here is what my room looks like. I'm amazed I'm getting any sleep.

More Info

So here's the sitch. I am indeed moving back to Utah. I have been thinking about the following things for quite a while now (1) I miss my friends (2) I miss having an active social life (3) Maybe I should think about what to do with my life (4) Grad school might be a good idea. So, somewhat organically things were set into motion.

I am looking into grad school for library science. It makes sense if you think about it. I am going to take the GRE and start applying to start summer or fall 2009. I have been getting a lot of information and talking to lots of people about all of this and I get more and more excited about it the more I learn. I could be a librarian in two years! At least I already have the librarian glasses.

So. Then I was thinking, I will move to Utah or Texas. These are places where I have family and/or friends. The more I thought about Utah the more it made some sense. I would be with people who are in a similar situation (going to grad school) and I would be reunited with the majority of my bestest pals. Although it means leaving my family, which I know is going to be harder than I can imagine...and I can imagine it would be v. v. difficult, I need to make choices that are good for me and my future. So I decided to put my resume out there and see what kind of response I get figuring I wouldn't get much and it would probably take three or four months to find something. So I thought January. That's a good time to move.

Well, today I had some conversations that facilitated more conversations that I was worried about having. I came to the realization that this could move very quickly. I could be offered a job that wanted me to start as soon as possible and I would have to pack up and leave. The more I thought and talked about it, the more it made sense. It's scary. I'm still freaking out just thinking of the possibility.

I mean, honestly. I just made this decision. Things never happen this quickly for me. I am taking it as a sign. I've been struggling trying to figure out what to do with myself for months. I have been praying about where to go and what to do and nothing has ever made sense until today. I'm in no ways counting on anything that happened today coming to pass, but I got a phone call that made me consider moving quickly. I talked to a friend and my sister who were so supportive. I decided that I had to tell my boss. He was also so supportive as were my coworkers. My mom and my dad were both on board. It was so reassuring and confidence building.

Last week this was all just an idea that maybe I would do. Now it seems like the right time to be putting these things into motion and changing things. I am so excited to see what happens.

I am still freaking out a bit. Just thinking about leaving my family makes me want to cry. And the hard work. And the chance I will be quite poor. And not seeing my family every day. And going back to school. And did I mention NOT seeing my family? I'm going to stop thinking about that.

So basically, I am so incredibly grateful for a Heavenly Father who really listens and cares and loves me. Today was just made for me and I love my Heavenly Father for it.

There's a lot more to tell and I think there are probably questions, but it's late and I'm tired. But there's the basic story.

Also. I could be eating CAFE RIO in October. That's a happy happy thought. AND JAMBA! oooooooh. Another happy thought.

Big News

Here's what I have been keeping from you.

I'm moving back to Utah. Provo, to be exact.

I'm not really sure when. It could be November. It could be January. I could show up on your doorstep with all my worldly belongings in tow three days from now. How's that for unpredictable? I'm a loose cannon people!

Also, I'm really not sure how to spell cannon, like on a pirate ship or the civil war.

Also, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

There is a lot more to say about this but mostly I just had to share it with you as I just told my boss and co-workers so it is no longer top secret.

I'm excited and freaking out, but in the best way.

Dark Chocolate Macadamia Nuts

The title has nothing to do with this post - I just happen to be eating one of those right now.

I've been thinking of some things lately. Big things. Life changing things. Now I am going to put some of it out there because I've reached the point where I can no longer mull them over in my own mind and get anywhere productive.

Moving. That's right. I said it. I've thought of it dreamily for the last couple of months. Things like, I am going to move to England. And I've actually looked into doing so, but when my brother-in-law quit his job I went and told them that day that I would go where ever they did. I knew he would start looking out of state for jobs and it just felt like a good idea. I could still be near the boys and my Sissie. I LOVE living near my sister and I have a feeling I will find a way to finagle such an arrangement for the REST OF OUR LIVES. I am quite serious.

But now here are my questions.

Do I actively start looking for jobs in Dallas/Fort Worth and Utah?

Do I just wait to see where Wil gets a job and just pick up and leave with them THEN find a job when I move? I have looked around a little, but nothing too serious since I already have this job here in Maryland.

What if I get the answer that I should move but Lauren and Wil don't?

Am I prepared to get that answer and live away from my family again?

Am I brave enough to do so?

Do I really want to live in Utah or Texas? Seriously. Those two places do not top my list of places I want to live (no offense to those places or people from there, there are just more exotic and easternly locales I would like to be placed in) but they are the two places I am considering, mostly for social reasons.

What is life really going to be like for me here in Southern Maryland?

Do I really see myself finding a husband (or even a boyfriend) here? Let's be honest - I'm not marriage hungry and my life does not revolve around finding a husband, but isn't it important to at least put yourself in the position where the opportunities to date are there? Those opportunities are not very plentiful here and the distance alone from my house to my singles ward to the homes of my fellow ward members causes a lot of distraction.

Obviously this is something I am praying about and trying to figure out what is best for me and where I need to be - I just need to find the right questions to ask. That always seems to be the hardest part for me - forming the correct thoughts. Do I ask if I should move with Lauren and Wil to Texas or do I ask if I should move? Specific or blanket statement? Perhaps I'll ask it all till I get an answer. I'm fairly confident I have made the right decisions thus far in my life - I just need to keep trusting that.

The pros of moving to Texas or Utah would be these:

Closer to friends. Texas has the Murrays and Utah has, well, all of my friends from college except Mike and Jamie.

Wider social circle and more social opportunities.

Change of pace, change of scenery.

It would be a new and exciting adventure. I love those. It could also suck - but at least I will have done something!



Finally, here's something I haven't mentioned to ANYONE. I've been casually thinking about school again. I don't really want to pay for school and the cost alone could keep me out of there - but going back to grad school for something more specialized seems a tiny bit more appealing to me now than it has in the past. I can't even begin to think what I would need to do to figure all that out but thought it was a significant enough change from my previous "I'm so glad to be out of school I'm never going back again" mentality.