Excuse me, friends, while I wax more sentimental than usual.

To my darling dearest,

There's a lot that's been complicated and difficult about this moving process, and it will probably continue to be so. Being apart for an entire month has been a challenge and a reminder of the simple truth I realized when we were dating, we are better together.

And in spite of my crying as we drove away from Johnny and your parents in Tucson (even though I knew he'd be fine), having that week with you in California was exactly what I needed. Really, I need you. (Amazing, no?)

So we don't know how or when our house will sell, or exactly how we'll get the rest of the stuff, Johnny, and I to California, or where we'll all live once we get there. It's daunting to think that after all of our work and planning, we really don't have control over what happens next. But here's what I do know: whatever comes next, we're going to be alright. We have an incredible network of support, and so much love and help from family, friends, and neighbors. When I stop to think about it, I know we couldn't have gotten this far without divine intervention. There's no reason for that to stop now.

I feel like we're living one of those stories people talk about when they're older, a time where nothing makes sense because they felt so sure that something was the right thing, and then things got really hard. That seems like the part we're living. Now we just have to wait for the part of our story where things work out, we learn stuff, and everyone's better for it.

I'll admit that things seem pretty bleak right now. Last week a friend posted a message online that there has been so much heartache in the world lately, now's a time to share the things that give us hope. As I've thought about all the many things that give me hope, this line from Lord of the Rings has kept bouncing around in the back of my mind:

“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

I'm glad in the time that's been given us, I've been given you. And hey, it's you. How can we lose?

"Where it leads/ No-one ever knows/ Don't look back/ Follow where it goes./ Far beyond the sun/ Take the road/ Wherever it runs."

no better traveling companion

I love you, Captain.

I've just returned to Texas, via Arizona, from California with Johnny in tow, and I feel like he's already different after just one week! He sings the whole ABC song now, not just sections (though he;s still stumbling over J,K, QR, and Z). His apology when he realizes somebody is sad or hurt went from "sorr-" to "sorry," and all his words are just a little more clear and more connected. It's pretty crazy how fast it happens. He loved spending time with Grammy and Papa Reese (and beagles too!).

[Side note: he is also, evidently a big fan of Mulan. I don't know how many kids will sit and watch a movie from beginning to end at 23 months, but it sure comes in handy when you're packing.]

And here is some more from Thanksgiving, because there were too many cute pictures not to use them.

After thanksgiving, we all went to the zoo together in Tucson. On the way, Johnny got sad because the sun was in his eyes. Since he's been pretty good about not breaking glasses lately, I figured I'd let him wear them. The photos below were the result. At one point I asked for them back (the sun was not hitting his window anymore) and he pointed at me and said very clearly, "No! Take Pictures!" Ha!

Anyway, this whole train of thought got me thinking about how much John has grown and changed in the last six months. (Compare a shot from "Summer Time Blues" to the ones above and you'll see what I mean.) Here's a photo review of happenings between then and now with some pics of the cute in-between stages that passed so quickly!

September to October 2015

Some silliness at home. (Some outfits need documenting.)

On an average Sunday afternoon, we were on our way to dinner with Grandma Debby. This one was a special (Labor Day?) long weekend!

Hurray! A long weekend sleep over! And a fun dinner/movie outing with my mom in TWlands!

Handsome Boy, 20 months old!

This is how we pizza.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! Or at least his relative visiting Grandma Debby's house.

Some days John doesn't want to leave school

Some days he's a cowboy at snack time.

Some days we go to Bernie's Back Yard food truck park for dinner.

Gordon and I actually went again to meet my friend Dawn Black and her husband Darren there for dinner and live music one night, and we ended up running into our friends the Winwards with all their kids. It's a cool place.

Bread Pudding, because why no?

Goodbye, Klein High! It was homecoming, and I knew I'd miss it. Nobody does school spirit like The Original Klein High School.

It's relevant to note that somewhere around this time John started to repeat pretty much anything you tried to get him to say. We got some very cute baby-voice short videos out of this. For Andrew's birthday we got a "Happy! Birday.. Andoo." Then for Charlotte's Birthday in October we caught him on camera saying "Charlie, Happy birthday, Char-Char. Luh-ooo." (translates to love you)

It was really amazing to see him go from copying to saying things on his own. Gordon calls it the shift from "uncanny valley" imitation of behavior to actual behavior.

We also had a puppy dog shaped toothbrush holder that he was fond of playing with around this time (21 months). He liked to cary it around and open and close it. Then one night he pulled too hard opening the body that holds the brush head, and it broke into two pieces. He didn't cry, but he with great devastation he held the broken parts and kept saying "oh no." puppy." "ah broke-it." He was solemn and sad the rest of the evening, and he didn't get to say nigh-night puppy after brushing his teeth, a habit he had gotten into. (I actually was able to snap puppy's body back together with a bit of effort, but we soon stopped using it to avoid a similar scenario.) Broke it is now a favorite phrase, applied to all sorts of things, broken or not.)

Reading nook photo shoot. New books are also a big hit!

Conference Weekend! Bryce, Jessica, Alicia, and little Melody joined us for the Sunday session of October General Conference this year at my mom's house. We had tacos with cilantro-lime dressing. It was a great weekend of food for the soul and stomach. :)