2 Years

It dawned on me today that 2 years ago, this past weekend, we decided to take a HUGE leap of faith and basically turn our entire world upside down, praying all along, that we were making the right choice.

It was right after General Conference in April 2011.  One of those experiences that you knew every message was exactly what you needed to hear.  And, looking back now, I'm sure I wouldn't be able to pick out just what it was that inspired us.  But, it did, and we acted on it, and that's what matters.

For a more detailed re-cap, click here: Part One.  And, somehow, in the last 10 months, since we've moved into our house, I've failed to document Part Two, other than through our daily activities and the change of scenery in the pictures.  So, I guess you could say Part Two would have included Brian's job change and our move up to Orange County, CA.

Now, the Cliff's Notes Version: We decided to move from Colorado to California.

I've been thinking about how much we have grown as a family and I have grown as a person during this time.  Of course, most of those things are slipping my mind as I'm typing, but, I know they exist, even the ones I can't think of right now.

When we first decided to move, I was excited and scared and trusting all at the same time.  I didn't think it was possible to feel all those emotions simultaneously, but, trust me, I did.  We both did.  And, for the first time in our marriage, I felt 100% certain that we needed to do this.

Not too long after we bought our house in Colorado, Brian and I both knew we weren't going to stay.  We didn't know if that meant just that house, or Denver, or, what.  We just knew we needed to be there to learn something (didn't know what at the time), and, when we had learned it, we would know it would be time to move.

Some of the things I learned while living in Denver--
1. Brian is my best friend and strongest advocate for happiness. (I was pretty much an emotional basket case while we lived there--probably still am!)

2. My patriarchal blessing can provide comfort and peace in ways I didn't ever notice before. (Working at J8 was a tremendous blessing for me.  What started out as a little part-time job to occupy my time became a haven of peace and friendships that I will cherish forever.)

3. It is possible to live in a house with imperfections. (the kitchen wall that blocked all views of the front room, where the kids played.  Didn't think about that one when we bought sans kids!)

4. You don't really need 4-wheel drive to drive in Denver snow. (I convinced Brian that I needed an SUV, not a van, to drive safely in Colorado weather.  5 1/2 years of Denver and I used the 4-wheel drive once.  But, I got my Pilot, and still love it, to this day!)

5. Basements are awesome!  (No, really, they are!  Especially unfinished ones with little kids! 1400 sq. feet to ride bikes, climb on the play cube, run, etc.  all heated during a freezing winter storm!)

6. Even terribly awful plane flights eventually come to an end.  (Amongst many exciting trips, I'll highlight the most memorable--2 year old Morgan, newly potty-trained, got diarrhea on a COMPLETELY FULL flight, while newborn Sadie-7 weeks?, screamed for most of the flight because of her ears--remember how her fluid didn't drain? click here)

7. Colorado snow is a million gazillion times better than Utah snow!  (Yes, it's still snow, but, usually, Colorado snow melted quickly and we had many beautiful winter days of 60+ degree weather.)

8. The Lord is always there.  You just need to be humble enough to talk to Him.


Some of the things I learned after we left Denver--
1. While life wasn't always everything we had hoped it would be, we had some fun family memories from our time in Colorado.  For starters, it will always hold a special place in our heart because that's where all 3 kids were born!

2. If you trust in the Lord, it will all work out.  Not necessarily the way you thought, but, it will all work out. I'm comforted by the quote, "Sometimes good things fall apart so that better ones can fall into place."

3. I am truly blessed!  Yes, I'll be the first to admit that the last 2 years haven't been perfect.  There have been lots of struggles, frustrations, and even doubts that we made the right choice.  But, those thoughts are quickly brushed aside with an overwhelming feeling of peace that we had faith and obeyed.  And, I know there will be more struggles in the future.  But, despite everything that has and may come, I know that my Heavenly Father loves me!

4. A lot can happen in 2 short years!  To think that Carson wasn't even born when we started this adventure just blows my mind!  I can't imagine our little family today without him in it!


5. An INCREDIBLE job is hard to come by.  Sure, there's lots of great jobs, but, we were both blessed to have the best working experiences ever while in Denver.

6.  If you do the right thing, it will always work out in the end.  (Thanks, Mom, for always reminding me of this.)

Currently, we have NO intentions of relocating, locally, or otherwise.  But, I am so thankful for this experience, which has taught me to truly trust not only in the Lord, but also in his timing.  I don't know what the future holds, but, I do know one thing.  If we stay His course, it will be great.  

The NEW Dishwasher!

Before we moved into our house, we knew we would need to replace the dishwasher sooner, rather than later.  It still worked fine, but, the racks were all rusty, and, at almost 13 years old, its features had a lot to be desired.  But, we also knew it would have to wait at least a little bit.  

Enter Home Warranty Program.  Somehow, we lucked out, and the sellers of the house opted to purchase the "super-deluxe" (not the real term) warranty for us, which includes all those little things that the standard warranties don't typically cover.  I was glancing over the warranty papers one afternoon and read that racks were covered.  (We had become accustomed to rinsing our dishes really well, but, a few of the prongs that were loose and rusty when we moved in, had finally exhausted themselves, thanks to the help of 3 novice dishwasher emptiers!).  

So, I called the warranty company 3 different times to confirm that our policy did, indeed, cover rusty racks (if you haven't priced them before, the bare bones racks, which these were, run almost $200 for the pair).  They sent over a technician to confirm and write up an estimate.  Then, the warranty company gave us the option to either have the racks repaired (i.e. replaced), or send us a check (must be the super-deluxe package...).  We obviously opted for the check, but decided to hold off a little while longer before purchasing our replacement.

A few days later, I was at Lowe's for something else (actually, the girls new beds, but, that purchase has been postponed due to the new dishwasher.  So, look for an update come Spring), and thought, "Well, I'll just walk through the appliances and see how much we should budget for a new dishwasher."  About 6 of the floor models were on clearance!  Yippee!  And, not only that, two of them were Bosch!!  

Never in a million years did I think I would own a Bosch appliance, other than my stand mixer that my mom bought over 35 years ago!  (Note:  It's still going strong...has definitely seen better days, as it's got a cracked base and I've had to replace a few whisks.  Brian promised he'll buy a brand new one when it dies....I don't think it ever will!)

Anyway, back to the dishwasher.  So, I talked to the sales guy (I remember his name--Joseph, and you'll see why, as the story unfolds), consulted Brian, and decided on my new purchase.  I had vaguely remembered back in June when we bought our other appliances, asking questions and really confirming that this was indeed, the lowest price they could offer me.  And, at that time, the lady took off an additional 5 or 10 percent, to seal the deal.  So, I asked the guy about the pricing on the dishwasher, and, he dropped the price even more!  I was stoked!  I paid for my new appliance, giddy as a school girl, and was on my way!  I would have a brand new dishwasher in 3 days!  

Sunday night, Brian and my Dad pulled out the old dishwasher and set it in the garage, so the delivery people would haul it away the next day.  Carson thought the hole was pretty exciting!

On Monday, they delivered the dishwasher and I'm beside myself!  I put aside dishes all day, thinking, "Oh, It'll be a cinch to hook up and we'll be on our way!"

Not so fast.  Here's what it looked like Monday night, about 11:00 p.m.  Notice all the dishes on the counter?  Apparently, when you buy the floor model, it comes "as is", which may or may not include all the hoses and cords for hook-up.  Not a problem.  We'll just go buy the standard parts and be on our way.  Well, Bosch may engineer a mean appliance, but, none of those parts are "standard."  Our first hiccup...the drain hose.

Tuesday morning, I went over to Lowe's, returned the non-Bosch standard hose, and talked to Joseph, who handed me the correct piece (free of charge--out of the new floor model!  So, to the next person who gets a deal, I'm sorry!).  Additionally, he helped me find the 14-gage electrical supply, not the "standard" 16-gage.

But, somehow, Tuesday night, the kitchen still looked like this:

After much frustration, things still weren't working out.  This time, the "standard" water supply hose (usually 5-6 feet) was too short, because of how it wraps around the dishwasher.

Wednesday morning, I dropped Morgan off at school and went back to visit Joseph at Lowe's.  He saw me coming into the store and didn't know if he should greet me with a smile or run!  But, ultimately, he decided to help me out, and, directed me to plumbing to find a longer water supply hose.

So, early Wednesday evening, the dishwasher situation looked like this:

(Carson was a little too helpful, so we resorted to buckling him in his seat and feeding him crackers!) 

But, by 10:00, it looked like this!

Thank you, Sweetie, for installing my new dishwasher!  I love it! And, I love you!!!