It's a good thing I have a great suitcase

It's time for more updates!!!

While we have not heard anything from John Deere as of yet, Jordan and I have decided to get the ball rolling on our moving plans since time is now an issue. My type A self is a little bit relieved, but will be more so when we get that phone call from the lovely farming equipment boys up in Iowa...unless they offer him a job. At which I will be completely ecstatic (but at the same time so so so so so stressed cause now EVERYTHING is going to have to change).

But that hasn't happened yet, so let's stay focused.

Jordan spent half of the day on Tuesday on the phone with the people from Cummins and worked out the following:

On Monday the 31st (YES, THIS COMING UP MONDAY) both Jordan and I will fly up to Minneapolis for 4 days to look at housing. During this time I hope to find the perfect rent house. If we don't, then well...I guess we're screwed and then we'll REALLY be praying for that phone call from the people who work with the green farm equipment. If the realtors ask me what my ideal home looks like in my mind, I'm going to tell them "anything but this."


That is an actual picture of an actual home in Minneapolis. Talk about your snow drifts!!!!!!!

Poopsie might get a tad bit cold up in that hizzouse.


February 8th we leave for Aspen, CO for our week long ski vacation. We planned this trip over a year ago and after spending thousands of dollars on lodging and equipment, I am sooooo ready to go!

We return from Aspen on the 15th and commence our packing frenzy. First, we'll move everything from my house to Jordan's. Then, we will pack as much crap as we can before the 18th rolls around. At which the moving company will come and load all of our goodies into a big truck and we bid farewell to our pillows and beds for a couple of days.

Finally, on the 21st we'll get a ride to the airport (since our cars will be shipped by the moving company as well) and fly to our new home state of Minnesota. Which inevitably means...

I'm going to be living out of a suitcase for the next month starting this weekend.

So I can probably count on missed articles of clothing, lots of laundry washes, and wrinkled fabrics.

Oh well!!!!!!!!!

I looked up the weather for Minneapolis for the next 10 days. Of course, the temperatures are currently ABOVE FREEZING. Like we're talking 33-36 degrees here. That's HOT for up there! A glimmer of hope began to grow in my heart...

until I kept scrolling.

Next week the temperatures drop back down. The highs for next week range from 12-19 degrees with high predictions of snow.

So long glimmer of hope.

Seems only fitting though, doesn't it? After all, 12 degrees is still probably a lot warmer than what it is earlier in the month and throughout December. I think the state of Minnesota is preparing my introduction into their climate.

I just don't know how to thank them.

- Shirley

Replacing bass fishing with ice fishing

Over the past few weeks, I have been having these mini realizations that I will no longer be in Texas. Little things keep popping up that make me say, "oh ya, I won't be here for that." It has been happening quite often here at work. I've been with TTI for almost two years and it's weird to think everytime I schedule a conference room for someone, I won't here to personally make sure everything goes smoothly for their meeting.

I also keep remembering little goodies and particular items that are popular in Texas will not be around up north. I know for sure I will miss the following:

- Bluebonnets in the Spring.
- Blue Bell Ice Cream.
- Fantastic Mexican Food.
- Dixie Chicken style bars where you can go have a few beers and play dominoes while Willie Nelson plays on the radio.
- Polkas and Bohemian Culture.
- Mild Winters
- Texas Aggie sports on the television (we'll most likely be outside of the viewing area for most games).
- Texas Accents
- Whataburger


I am sure there is a lot more that should be on this list, but you see, I just don't know exactly for sure what I'll be missing up there. I'm sure I'll be coming back on here in the future to express my sadness over some Texas culture casualties. Nonetheless, Jordan has already assured me that, during his visit to Minneapoils two weeks ago, he was able to purchase and drink as much Shiner Bock as he wanted.

Thank goodness for that!

Although I'll have to get used to no Blue Bell or wildflowers, I am hoping I get the chance to fill the voids with something new. That is the whole point of this decision to move away isn't it? So, I won't get to eat amazing tex-mex 3x a week, but maybe I'll get to go out and try the northern cuisine that is popular in the state. Go to some Minnesota Twins baseball games when my beloved Aggies aren't available on the television. Talk with the people and learn about Minnesotan life and go ice fishing. I hope to do all the things a person couldn't do in Texas.

When I think about all the new opportunities, I get excited. I get inspired. I get anxious. And I always know that Texas is here to stay. It's not going anywhere, and when the time is right we'll come back home to the Lone Star State.

Til then,

Shirley

Type A Anxiety

The news is out about us moving. No surprise. With such a large family it's hard to keep things hiddden. Plus, with the changes coming only a month away we felt it only necessary to let everyone know of the decision we had made, even if our plans were not quite set in stone yet.

And they are so not. Which is driving me crazy.

You see, I seem to have some type A personality traits. My biggest one is time. I am completely OCD when it comes to time and schedules. I absolutely have to be on time. I have to have things scheduled and written down. Things need to be organized and etc. The process we are in right now is simply driving me up. The. Wall.

Ooooh life is never easy! While there is nothing terrible or devastating going on at the moment, something occurred that is making my type A self a little edgy and moody. The day before Jordan was to accept the Minnesota Job with Cummins, INC. he received a phone call. A very enticing phone call. From John Deere. Whom he breathes and lives each day for. Of course, they offered him an interview for a position that just recently opened up. Of course, they wanted him to come out the next week for said interview. Of course, Jordan was ecstatic. Of course, my type A self was bubbling to the brim thinking about all the plans we were supposed to be making and how we were set to leave for Minnesota in just one month and now Jordan is thinking about another job opportunity that just opened up and we might have to reconfigure everything we had just talked about and hold off on any plans until the last minute and then they become desperate last second attempts to uproot our lives and move across the country.

Talk about a run-on sentence. That was the mother of all run-on sentences my brain had ever conjured up.

Jordan is a smart man. He made it very clear to both companies the situation he is in. He didn't want to put himself in a position where he would have no job, just because an interview came up at the last second. So, he went ahead and accepted the job in Minnesota and John Deere knows that. He agreed to take the interview (because remember, he eats, breathes, and sleeps John Deere and any offer from them trumps anything else) and flew out last Wednesday to Moline, Illinois for the night.

Now we are faced with the slight possibility that we may be moving to Iowa or Illinois instead of Minnesota. My hope is for Minnesota, because you know...it's IOWA. I love corn, don't get me wrong. I just don't fancy the idea of staring at it all friggin' day long. Nonetheless, if Jordan were to get the offer from John Deere he has been waiting for his whole life, I would be overjoyed. I would love him just as much as if we were going to live in the friggin' freezing cold of Fridley. I am sure I could fall in love with the idea of Des Moines just as I did Minnesota.

I just wish I knew what we were doing! Setting things in stone. My type A self would be soooo relieved.

As of right now, we are planning everything as if we are going to Minnesota. The chances for Iowa/Illinois are small, but at the same time we still have to acknowledge that they are there. Jordan is hoping to hear from John Deere very soon, and then maybe...just MAYBE we can begin to get the ball seriously rolling.

We are hoping to begin our discussions with Prudential Realtors today on potential housing locations in Minneapolis. Jordan already has a nice suburb picked out up there and I can't wait to go visit it!

In a nutshell, no matter what happens or where we end up, we are leaving the wonderful state of Texas to venture out and experience something new. Whether it is the frigid temperatures and ice fishing of Minnesota, or the lustrious corn fields of Iowa, we'll be ready.

But until then, I think my Type A self is going to have a mental breakdown.

Friggin' Life

Graduating college. Many ponder and dream of their days of finishing school forever (unless you're smarter than me and have higher aspirations for your life and continue on to grad school or even medical school in which case I say "bravo" to you!). I know I did. I wondered what it would be like, how free I would feel, and what I would be doing on my homework free evenings. Walking across the stage at Reed Arena in that cap and gown, shaking the president's hand and hearing cheers from family members in the audience was an amazing feeling. And I will admit, it was very much a liberating and momentous occasion.

No more papers. No more sitting down in the library researching topics I only pretend to care about.

No more taking notes and studying for 4-7 straight hours the night before tests.

No more expensive textbook purchases.

No more schedules and finals.

No more projects.

No more late night desperate prayers to god, or putting a roll of pennies on Sully's boot in a last minute attempt to squeeze out a passing grade on an exam.

No more GPA's.

No more freezing cold walks across the campus.

No more book bags.

No more stress.

Ok, that last one might isn't true. Because it has been a month since I have graduated college and there is still stress. Now it just comes in a different form and for different reasons. Such as:

electric bill

cable bill

health insurance

car insurance

rent

a career

student loan debt.

To be honest, I have to thank my father and my upbringing for preparing me for almost everything the real world is bringing my way. I have been paying for my own rent, groceries, gas, bills, etc. since I have entered college. I never had the "cut off" moment from my father once I graduated. I had a gradual relinquish of funds from my father over the past 4-5 years and once December of 2010 hit, I was prepared. My introduction into the real world was not as big of a shock and I am very grateful for that. Of course, I am not used to handling an almost 20K debt, but with the financial knowledge I have gained over the years, I am confident I can handle the repayment of my student loans.

None of the above are making me nervous in the current moment. I know what I want to do for the rest of my life, and I am lucky enough to have a man who is more than willing to support me while I tackle this goal. However, there has been only one life changing decision that makes me nervous and excited all at the same time.

Moving out of the state of Texas.

It has always been the dream of Jordan (and myself) to have a wonderful and fulfilling career with John Deere. We have known that this meant a 90% chance of him having to work outside the state for a few years. We have discussed this possibility ample times over the 5 years we have been together. It has been no secret between us and it has never been a hard decision to make. If Jordan was given the offer, we would move in a heart beat. Nothing would make me happier than to see his life dreams come to fruition.

A few days before Christmas, he got an offer.









In Fridley, MN.

Fridley? Where in the hell is Fridley? Obviously in Minnesota, but where in that very, VERY northern state is that located? When Jordan first told me about the job, I instantly hit up my loyal friend Google and learned the following about Fridley, MN:

1.) It's friggin' freezing in Fridley.
2.) Fridley is on the northern outskirts of Minneapolis. Again, NORTHERN portion.
3.) It's a predominantly white, Christian suburb.
4.) It's freezing.
5.) They experience all 4 seasons and all types of weather. Even some I have never even heard of before, such as "derechos."
6.) It's 16% more expensive to live in Fridley than it is in Houston, TX.
7.) It's freezing.
8.) The town is beautiful and has a lively entertainment atmosphere.
9.) Snowmobiling is a popular hobby for the citizens of Fridley.
10.) It's freezing.

Besides the fact that it's friggin' freezing there and 1100 miles away from the wonderful state of Texas, I began to ponder the fact that I could be moving to Minnesota. Jordan thought, researched, and thought the offer over some more. We prayed, we discussed, we analyzed and we decided.


We're friggin' moving to Fridley.




Of course I am going with him. Of course I am overjoyed and excited and anxious to see what this has in store for us. Of course I realize it's far and yes, of course I, Shirley Anne Stevenson the most cold-natured female to ever walk the planet, realize it's friggin' freezing in Fridley, but given all that...

I am so friggin' excited!!!!


I love Jordan with my whole heart and nothing makes me happier than the opportunity to go out and experience something new and riveting with him. To go out and make the most of life is what I have always wanted to do, and to have him by my side makes this chance 100,000x more appealing.

So, after accepting the position and breaking the news to our families, Jordan and I have begun the planning process for this new adventure. I have put in my two weeks at work. My snow boots and pants have already arrived in the mail. Airfare is being researched, and goodbyes will soon begin to be said.

So ya, who knows what kind of fruits this opportunity will bear. Who knows if we'll be successful or failures. Who knows if Minnesota will be the answer or just the beginning to a long and adventerous path of life God has planned for us. Who knows? The only thing I know is that I have full faith in God and his works and everything he has set out for Jordan and I in the future.

And I friggin' can't wait to freeze my friggin' butt off with my boyfriend of 5 years whom I friggin' love enough to move to friggin' Fridley, Minnesota.

"What am I going to do now?"

OK, so I promised you all an update on New Year's Eve. Yes, I realize it has been half a month since I made that promise, but life does not get any less hectic once you enter the real world.

Big shock. I know.

So here is a run down on some of the things that have occurred since my last real attempt at blogging. Which was in what...late November?

This may take a while.

My last semester of college was pretty stereotypical. Senioritis is the pits. When everyone says that your hardest semester of college is your first I laugh. I LOOOOVE to disagree. I firmly believe that the last 16 weeks is the most complicated to complete. Not because the courses are difficult, but because there is simply no desire or motivation left in a student once they know the end is so near. I had to squeeze out every ounce of effort I had left to finish my school work. It was challenging and exhausting at times. I even managed to injure myself whilst writing 30 pages of research material during the last week. I know. How. Sad. Is. That. But I won't go into that now (mostly because it's embarrassing). However, despite my injury I managed to finish my requirements, turn in my assignments, and received the grades needed to become a former student of Texas A&M University. So on December 18th at 9am, I walked the stage and received my diploma.




Jordan graduated too! Unfortunately, I don't have a pic of him with his diploma on my computer so he won't get any special attention on this particular post (which is totally fine since I talk about him too much anyway).

After graduation things carried on like normal. The "oh shoot! What are we going to do with our lives now?!?" feeling had not quite set in yet. Christmas was right around the corner I and was ready to enjoy my most favorite holiday of the year and worry about everything else later.

Christmas was great! Jordan and I split our time with both families evenly this year, which meant he got to come to our family Christmas Eve get-together at my grandparents' house for the first time. He also spent all of Christmas day with us out in Moulton before departing for New York City with his father for 4 days. It was an amazing holiday and confirmed everything I felt in my heart, both for my family and for Jordan.

New Years was good as always. We made and drank really good margaritas at Jordan's mother's house while we sat around a fire and chatted. Brought in another new year peaceful and relaxing. Just the way I like it.

The crazy, fun, and exciting things began after 2010 had gone and 2011 had come roaring into our life. But, I'll save that for another blog post.

Texas A&M got their butts handed to them in yet another bowl game. Nonetheless, I am still proud of our football team and the strides we made this year.

I am still currently working at TTI but now as a full time employee. There will be changes to come, but again, I'll stress that in another blog post.

Jordan is enjoying some time off before he goes back to work. He is doing a fantastic job of doing nothing and loving every minute of it. He deserves it though. He worked hard for a very long time and deserves a bit of a break before heading off to start his career.

Currently, my every day activities involve going to work...and that's about it. I enjoy my job so it is no big deal.

The 3rd Annual Team ReJoyce Washer Tournament is scheduled for March 12th and the Stevenson 8 are busy planning and organizing this quickly growing and popular fundraiser. I am excited about this year's event and hope you all can come out and support a good cause.

So there you have it. I would say there is nothing new going on, but THERE SO IS. I'll explain all in a separate blog post when I have a bit more space, time, and energy. This cold I am coming down with has been kicking my butt lately.

So, I have graduated with my Bachelor's degree. I contemplated about changing the name of my blog since I am no longer in school. However, it donned upon me that just because I am not currently enrolled in a University doesn't mean I am not gaining some sort of knowledge every day. Sure, I may be 23 and graduated, but as far as I am concerned I am never done learning. Life is one giant course and I have yet to master it. New information and lessons are brought forth every day and I am ready to tackle my new assignments and goals in life. The best part about that is, life doesn't require I submit a thesis to do so!

I loved my time at Texas A&M and I will forever be a Fightin' Texas Aggie. I am ready and excited about what new life adventures the world is bringing my way. I am also nervous, but as long as I trust in God's plan and have Jordan by my side, I think I'll be able to accomplish almost anything I set my mind to.

Oh and that whole "what the eff am I going to do with my life now?" feeling has totally set in. And I am totally digging it.

Til next time,

Shirley