New Year, Thankful Heart

Almost all of Josh's applications are turned in and with one acceptance letter already in our hands the reality of moving is hitting home. If there is one thing I have learned from moving around so much, it is that there are always overlooked or hidden blessings in every place. These blessings are often revealed, and consequently missed, only after you have moved on and can no longer enjoy them. It is so easy to live for the future, but then when you get there, the great regret of past blessings taken for granted is heavy indeed.

Over the years, I have tried to hunt around for those little blessings so I can appreciate them in the present. When I look at our current life and circumstances my heart is so full of thanks. Here are some things I am especially thankful for this New Year. 

Our sweet upstairs apartment in Heidi Lounge at Trinity University. Even with our living/dining area being in a converted hallway, our bathroom with a dorm toilet (I am just glad they removed the automatic paper towel dispenser for me), our kitchen with no counter space or storage, no door on our bedroom (I like to think of it as an urban loft), and the other various oddities, it is home. I think that no other place, no matter how grand, will have quite the same wonderful feeling of being our first home together. I love our little home's funny quirks and the silly stories that arise out of the two of us and our big dog living in it.

Our happy jobs, even though I would prefer not to work in a high school library in the long term and Josh is making the move to college athletics rather than student affairs, we are both quite content with our current places of employment and could not ask for better bosses or co-workers. I love being the queen of my little library and making it a place where students feel comfortable. When else in our lives will we both be able to walk to work and meet at home for lunch most days? How ideal! What a gift.

Our wonderful church family, we will depart from Redeemer SA with great sorrow. It was the place that brought us together, it holds the community of people that encouraged and mentored us through dating, engagement, and our first years of marriage. Our closest friends in SA were made there. It has been our place of spiritual growth and development as individuals and as a couple for the past three years. We love it and are so thankful for it.

Oh the food. In San Antonio, a hole in the wall taco place or a great margarita is only ever a stone's throw away. We are already in tortilla withdrawal whenever we think about Terre Haute, IN, Athens, OH, Knoxville, TN, or any other potential location. The culture, food, and history of this town will be greatly missed. Especially our little vietnamese place that we love. We only ever order potstickers, teriyaki chicken, and peach/coconut bubble tea. Sometime we toss around the idea of ordering the "shrimps" appetizer. The owner thinks Josh's name is Jason and he always tries to get him to try the pho despite "Jason's" consistent refusal. Hilarious.

We have several more months in this little heaven and I am so glad. I pray that I take nothing for granted, have a thankful heart, and daily remember to keep poking around for those hidden blessings.