Wisps of Memories

I think autumn came today. The sky is full of cold clouds racing overhead. The wind has arrived with gusto and insists on blowing any girls hair into whipped frenzy. Colors have started to appear on trees and a few leaves have made their way into piles on the ground.

Walking along with my hair twirling about my face, I caught a scent of something ever so briefly. It was like a memory sitting on the edge and trying to dive into the now. The moment ended quickly and left me wondering what it was that had crossed by me and my little nose. I suppose I won't ever really know but I am now flooded with memories. Fall memories. My favorites.

Raking piles of leaves in the backyard to jump in but stopping that activity as soon as I realized those leaves weren't soft pillows
Pulling out the box of sweaters for the first time that season
Wrapping up in a puffy vest, scarf and my sweet hat for a stroll about the village
Football games with the band playing and eating pizza from the best shop in town
Coming home to find fall themed cookies decorating our dining table
Bonfires
Apple cider with caramel
Hot chocolate with marshmallows
A trip to Chicago with wonderful friends
Walking to work every day
Apple pie
Surprising Nate and touring Greenville

I love fall. It's almost absolutely my favorite season. Now I really need to get my hands on some apple cider.
Yum.

Settingling in

We moved!!!!!!

Just last Thursday, Nate and I moved into our first apartment. It's little, cute and slightly cramped but I love it. I love being in my own home. I love that our landlady let us paint. I love that I can put up our artwork. I can host parties and have people over. I can make dinner for just the two of us. I can even clean my own home!! Who knew you could be excited about that?

The best part of this whole thing - we aren't in South Carolina.

Nope.

We moved to Winona Lake.

Yep.

Winona Lake. It felt like coming home when we were driving up. Even though those cornfields are still as flat as can be, it still felt right coming here. My friends are here. Good memories are here. Winter will be awful I'm sure, but this is still the best place to be.

The crazy part is that this switch happened in less than a week. It took one day of talking the subject over to change the listings we were looking in, another two days to find the perfect situation for us and another two days for our application to be accepted. Our new direction seemed to be fairly obvious as we had just spent a month looking in the Carolinas and hadn't managed to find a thing.

So here we are. Moving in. Working to make everything fit. Enjoying being with the wonderful people here. Living.

It's good.

We're home.

Nesting

That's what they call it when a new mom is waiting to give birth. She gets the nursery ready, reads all of the books, takes the classes and talks to everyone she can to get ready for her new arrival.

What do you call it when you desperately want a home? How do you get ready? How do you prepare when you find yourself in limbo?

We have no home and few options. A good one just came through today and I hope the follow-up works out. The last few weeks have been discouraging. Lots of looking and calling and making lists but nothing seems to pan out.

The end of this particular tunnel may be coming into view but it's still fuzzy and far-off. I have a pile of belongings sitting in Western Pennsylvania just waiting. Just sitting. Gathering dust. All of those presents are states away from where they should be.

I just want to set up my home. That's all.