Living out of boxes

I hate packing. I get really, ridiculously stressed out, everything seems like an ordeal, and worst of all, my things become suddenly unreachable in those taped up boxes. I've avoided packing up my art room because it is where I go to de-stress. Throughout the packing of the rest of the house, I would sneak to my art room to work on finishing up some projects. Just before packing up my art room, I did one final painting. Here's a picture of it if you are interested:

We will be heading out Thursday, and, needless to say, I am really nervous. My parents got me a huge Texas star with Texas written around the edge to take with me. This way, there will never be any confusion when people come to our house about where I'm from, and I will always have a piece of home with me. Also, Cary Gay (Mom's boss and my other mother) got us a Texas shaped hummingbird feeder. It is fabulous. And believe it or not, BJ is actually finding all of these souvenirs humorous. I guess he is finally coming to terms with the fact that he married an irreversible Texan.

How to buy a house in the middle of a nationwide housing crisis (or why I keep crying every five minutes)

Due to the fact that I am married to an old man, I am the first in my circle of friends to buy a house. Needless to say, I was totally unprepared for what a hassle the whole process is. A couple of weeks ago, BJ and I went to Kentucky to find a place to live come August. We went through about a dozen mediocre homes before we walked into our (ta-daa) dream home: a small, older two-story cottage that epitomizes the word quaint. It was love at first sight, and to make things even better, it was across the street from the church, so they were really happy about our choice. Our real estate agent (who I love) immediately took us back to the office to write up an offer. The offer was accepted, everyone was gloriously happy, and then money had to get involved.

Basically, two weeks of nail-biting and tears have passed, and we are still in limbo. Things are looking slightly more promising, but it is all so ridiculously complicated. BJ and I are surprised at how attached we feel to this little home we've never lived in. Not so deep inside of me, there is a little girl stomping her feet and screaming "It's my cottage!!! I don't care that there is a housing crisis and our economy is in shambles. I want my cottage and I want it NOW!" (She's a wordy little brat.)

With the stress of the house situation coupled with all of my belongings being in boxes that line the walls of our current house, I am a wreck. I keep crying over crazy things. For example, I was packing our kitchen towels earlier, and I came across some that were my grandmothers. They are decorative towels, so I've never washed them. I held them up to my nose, and to my surprise, they still smelled like Grandma's house. Of course, this sent me into a good long cry, because, as we all know, Grandma would have loved my little cottage.

I say all of this to say that we would really appreciate some prayers. Not necessarily that we will get our cute little cottage (although that would be nice), but rather that we will be able to accept whatever happens. Being an adult is such a drag.

Fat Tuesday Meets Again

My best friends from college met this at the end of last week for a weekend in the hill country. We were at a really great resort in Lago Vista, and we spent most of Friday in Austen. Here are a few pictures of our really awesome trip.

Farmington Church of Christ

I think if we members of the Churches of Christ are honest with ourselves, we have to admit that our buildings are generally ugly. I mean, if you want to have your wedding in the church you grew up in, you might as well plan on a background of ancient paneling, tiny windows, grape-juice stained carpet, and badly upholstered pews (and lets not even get started on the subject of the outside of the building). This is why it was such a surprise to see the Farmington Church of Christ: it is beautiful! While we were there last week, I took the liberty of taking a bunch of pictures of the interior. I forget to take any of the outside, but just think cute white church with a steeple. It is adorable. Here is the newly re-vamped inside of the church:

This is the entry way.



These windows line each side of the church.

I love how simple the baptistry is. Anyways, I just wanted to post some pics (especially for you, Mom). And let us all rejoice that there are a few pretty Churches of Christ out there.

Proud flesh

Tomorrow is mine and BJ's two year anniversary. It has been an interesting two years. We've finished college, BJ has found his calling, we've lived in the big city and discovered we're meant for the country, and we've had countless other adventures, many of which were a little bit painful and some that were bend-over-laughing funny. I can honestly say that I can't wait to see what the third year brings. Here is a poem for BJ. It's a love poem.

For What Binds Us
by Jan Hirshfield

There are names for what binds us:
strong forces, weak forces.
Look around, you can see them:
the skin that forms in a half-empty cup,
nails rusting into the places they join,
joints dovetailed on their own weight.
The way things stay so solidly
wherever they've been set down -
and gravity, scientists say, is weak.

And see how the flesh grows back
across a wound, with a great vehemence,
more strong
than the simple, untested surface before.
There's a name for it on horses,
when it comes back darker and raised: proud flesh,

as all flesh
is proud of its wounds, wears them
as honors given out after battle,
small triumphs pinned to the chest -

And when two people have loved each other
see how it is like a
scar between their bodies,
stronger, darker, and proud;
how the black cord makes of them a single fabric
that nothing can tear or mend.

150 Posts

Its hard to believe, but this is my 150th post on this blog. I started this blog the day I changed my name to Gensic nearly two years ago. I can honestly say, the first two years of marriage have flown by. When I look back on this time, I see a frenzied blur of hopes, anxieties, joys, and pains. And this coming month is shaping up to be just such a blur. After are time with BJ's family this past week in Branson, we now have to find a home three states north of where I'm sitting right now, pack, and move in time for BJ to start work August 1st. In addition, I have a Fat Tuesday girls weekend (yay!!!), and I am hoping to get a little time with my family. Today, we are going to Winters to retrieve our dogs and cat from their uncle and grandparents where they stayed while we were gone. Needless to say, its all a little daunting.

Last night, I looked at countless houses in the area we are moving to. It is so much fun to see the homes and imagine moving into one. With each photo, I try to picture what life would be like in those hallways. It is hard to get a clear image, because everything feels so unpredictable right now, but I am hopeful that we can build a good life in our little corner of Kentucky. As always, we appreciate prayers as we embark on yet another crazy month.