My first "I am officially an Iowan" blog post.

Howdy from Iowa!

Where to begin? Last time I blogged Jordan and I were looking for a house to live in. Now, as I type out this blog, I am sitting in the "office" of our new house, staring out the window at the freshly fallen 3 inches of snow. I watched the snowflakes float down to the ground in the glow of the night. Something in the way they drifted so slowly brought a sense of peace. Do I feel like Iowa is my home? Maybe not completely yet. Texas still and will always be a special place, and I believe will forever be my true "home." Nonetheless, I do feel safe and happy here. Especially since I get to share all of this with Jordan, it makes everything 100% more enjoyable.

But, there is other news to share first before I divulge into my sappy writings.

Jordan and I eventually made it to Aspen, Colorado a few days after we found our perfect new home here in Ankeny, Iowa. It was a travel nightmare in the beginning but ended in such a perfect and heavenly way. Aspen truly is one of America's most beautiful towns on earth, and I strongly urge everyone to make the trip at least once. If you're a skier, then hit it up in the winter months. The view of the snow covered mountains will take your breath away. We took about a million pictures and had such lovely weather. It really couldn't have been more perfect. Ok, that last bit was a lie, it could have been a bit less drama free, but when I look over the main events of the trip, I wouldn't have them any other way. Gotta get the rain if you want to enjoy the rainbow...correct? Well, we definitely weathered the storm and I am definitely reaping the benefits of one of the most beautiful rainbows of my life.

Jordan proposed while we were in Aspen. I said yes. We are engaged to be married.

Boom shocka-locka.

For all the wonderful details of the proposal (and the travel nightmare), you can hit up our wedding website. It's located on the knot.com and if you do a search for us you'll find it. I am putting a delay on posting the link until our wedding date and wedding parties are set. Until then, you can pretend to be super stalkers and Google...so pretend, because I know otherwise NO ONE would dare stalk...right?

OK! I'll give you one picture! Yeeeeesh!!! Don't get your panties in a wad. I know Googling is such hard work. Although if you're like Emma, Googling is SO not a problem for you and probably have already discovered our unfinished wedding website. Or you've searched through my Facebook photos....

Oh well, here it is.



That was on the sleigh ride that Jordan would eventually propose on. It was magnificent!!!

So, now my Iowan days are filled with planning a wedding and getting all these blasted empty boxes out of my house. I have yet to be bored or unbearably cold, which is definitely a good thing. I am trying to be domestic and cook meals throughout the week. First dish was spaghetti and now that we have finally finished off the leftovers I may try and do chicken tetrazzini, which is just delicious. Unless I screw it up. Let's hope, for Jordan's sake, I do no such thing.

Iowans are definitely quiet. People are friendly, and Jordan LOVES his new job and co-workers, but as for our neighbors...maybe it's just been a bit too cold for them to come out. Things are looking up though. I mean, it is going to be a toasty 46 degrees on Tuesday! This means I can finally get to the dog park and let Jake run around and perhaps then the neighbors and I can come out of hibernation and meet and mingle before the temperatures dip back into the twenties by the end of next week.

Maybe.

For now, I am going to take the chicken out of the freezer and let it begin to thaw and figure out how we are going to shovel the snow out of our driveway and sidewalk...without a snow shovel.

Pray for my southern skin.

- Shirley

Too busy to make a sentence

Hello bloggy world! I need to blog so desperately, but we have just been so gosh darn busy I have had no time or the energy. I have been on a dozen planes in the last two weeks and have traveled to the same 3 different states multiple times. Now, I am in an empty house sitting in a foldable camping chair in the living room watching Oprah. We leave tomorrow for an 18 hour drive to Ankeny, IA where I get to sit in another empty house. Without the foldable camping chairs. So, I most likely will blog on Monday.

Pray our travels are safe and hectic free. I do hope Murphy's Law avoids us this go-around, cause it sure didn't last week.

I'll be in touch soon bloggy friends, and be ready, cause it will most likely be a novel when I hit this keyboard up again.

I am not an Iowan...yet.

I know I need to update everyone but so much has happened and we have been so busy lately. I haven't even been on a computer in almost a week. I am typing this post out on my phone! This is what I can tell you right now before I get tired of pushing these tiny buttons.

1.) Jordan got the job offer from John Deere. This means we are in Iowa right now searching for a place to live. We are not having any luck at the moment and I am praying it changes.

2.) There is definite difference between it being 20 degrees and -10 degrees farenheint. All you Texans bitching about it being cold because its 38, come up here where its single digits all day long and that is HOT compared to what it feels like at night

3.) they really do call it pop

4.) apparently I have a thick southern accent.

5.) There are a lot of old people here.

6.) everyone is telling us to live in Ankeny but there are NO HOUSES FOR SALE YOU TEASERS.

7.) ice fishing at the park pond is popular.

8.) Iowa trees are not crooked like Texas trees.

9.) People know im not from here cause I dress like an eskimo.

10.) It is COLD.

Ok, I am tired of typing. I will try to go into more detail when I get back go Texas. Of course, we will only be there for two days before we leave the state again. Sigh.

But I really will try!

Off to view another house, til then...

Pray.