We made it!

Well, on Sunday, August 14th, we finally landed in Charleston! We left Seattle on the 2nd, drove to Montana, and then left Montana for the long haul on August 7th. On the 7th, drove Brianne home to Denver which allowed us to spend some much needed time with the Haagensons! From there...Denver to Kansas City (big woop), Memphis, New Orleans, Tuscaloosa, Atlanta, and finally to our new home in South Carolina. It was such a fun road trip...one more thing to cross off my bucket list (drive across country)! Matt and I had been so busy before we left Seattle that we hadn't been spending very much time alone together so it was nice to just be with each other for a few weeks. We were able to get to Charleston just in time to celebrate our one year anniversary with sushi takeout and champagne...perfs!

I'm going to post some photos later but for now, they aren't on my computer and I don't really feel like uploading them! For the first two nights that we were here, we stayed in a hotel in downtown Charleston. It is so beautiful! I was overwhelmed by the culture & feel of my new home but in a good way. I have this overwhelming desire to learn everything about everything immediately. It drives me nuts to have to look up every address, enter it into my GPS, and not know where to go to find something I need. I remember feeling like this in Seattle but I also remember learning my way around fairly quickly so I just need to be patient. It's so weird to not know where the nearest Target is (essential) or where to drive to even get a latte! All in good time...

For the past 3 days, we've just been trying to get a tiny bit acquainted...we moved into our corporate housing which is a cute little apartment in Mount Pleasant. It's weird to not be using any of our own furnishings but they'll return to us soon :) It's very nice and clean and everything that we could possibly need so we are grateful for it. We went grocery shopping yesterday to stock an empty fridge and realized that we have a condiment/spice addiction...it's seriously a problem, no one needs as many condiments & spices as we owned in Seattle. We tried to keep it to the bare minimums as we'll be getting ours back in just over a month.

Today is Matt's first day at work...we drove by the plant last night and it looks great! It's surrounded by palm trees which is a refreshing sight and Matt was excited about all of the close parking spots. It was about a 10 minute walk from his car to the building in Seattle which isn't bad at all...but once again, the things we take for granted! Today is my first day on my own in this town which is a little scary to be honest. It's weird to be by myself again after having a sidekick for the past 3 weeks. It's ok though! I needed this time alone to piece our lives back together and take care of about a trillion details that need to be taken care of. I'm getting overwhelmed just thinking about it...yikes!

With that said, I better get going so I can be productive. Pray that I can find a job quickly and easily if you wouldn't mind! I need to start working...staying home by myself everyday is going to get old fast!

I'll leave you with this (awful picture off my phone...awful quality that is :) The man in the photo is pretty handsome if I do say so myself!)

Matt on his 1st day at Boeing Charleston!

one more thing...I'll see you when I see you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJBKw1O1eM0

This is my theme song for the new season of our life :)

Seattle to Charleston

We are in Memphis, Tennessee right now and I am absolutely falling in love with the south and everything about it. Details to come :)

Change

"the only thing that'll ever be constant in life is change"


Very wise words...not sure who said them but very wise. My sweet friend, Brenna, and I were chatting last night about life and how sometimes we wish things would stay just as they are in that moment forever. Sometimes I feel like that about my life now...I've come to a place of comfort that causes me to be stagnant. Stagnant in my relationship with God, stagnant in my ambition to reach goals, stagnant in my relationship with Matt, friendships, etc. It's not necessarily a bad thing to be comfortable but it can be.


I woke up thinking about a blog that I read from time to time that continues to inspire me. I felt the nudge to read it as I was lying awake in bed so I grabbed my blackberry and started reading. I had read her latest post a while ago but read it again today...she talks about her husband changing jobs, moving to new homes, raising a munchkin, and doing it all by the grace of God. Her life is continually changing in unpredictable ways but her peace in His plan shines through her writing. She continues to grow in faith simply by trusting in the Lord's plan for her life even if she doesn't always know how something may work out in the end. It made me realize that moving to Charleston is only a baby step in this life that we're called to live.


A friend of mine from my summer project and the husband of the blogger mentioned above :) posted a quote by Francis Chan..."Why would we need the Comforter when we are so comfortable already"


Very true...let's not get too comfortable.

One Week

One week...it's all the time I have left in Seattle :( I'm packing today to leave for Montana in the morning and when I return home, we'll say goodbye to this city we love just 7 days later...

It's all starting to sink in now. Every place that I pass by seems sentimental all the sudden. For instance, I actually caught myself tearing up over not being able to go to Zoe's Yogurt. I mean, really? Well, mostly I was thinking about not being able to get froyo with the people that we love getting froyo with but still, I'm a true fat kid at heart. Matt and I took my aunt who is visiting to Kerry Park the other night. It's a beautiful park that overlooks the entire city of Seattle as well as Elliot Bay. As the sun was setting over in the bright, cloudless sky, I couldn't quite remember why we have decided to leave. Yesterday was a great reminder although as it was cloudy and disgusting which is the norm for this rainy town. I don't mean to sound so negative about the weather but it really does get to me!

Although leaving Seattle tomorrow is a bit sad, a lot of my time in Montana next week will be spent with our Seattle friends as we celebrate the marriage of Mitch & Brenna in Bozeman! That's the good in the situation. But first and foremost, we get to kick off this coming weekend with the beautiful Cassidi's bachelorette party...I cannot even tell you how excited I am to have all my favorite Montana ladies in one spot! It has been a while (my wedding I guess) since we've all been together to spend quality time...it is much needed. 

I guess that's all for now...basically our life consists of weddings, showers, and getting prepared to move. A whirlwind of emotions...

Wedding Photography

Yikes! First wedding down, hopefully many more to go. Let's just say that shooting a wedding is a lot of work and I now have so much more respect for those that are wedding photographers by career. This past weekend, Matt and I drove to Bozeman to attend the wedding of Jared & Shonna Ridgeway. It was a beautiful weekend and a beautiful, Montana wedding. A few months ago, Jared asked Kim Blackford and I if we would be willing to take photos at their wedding. I was immediately excited but as soon as the thoughts of "what could go wrong" set in, I felt the pressure. I spent the next few months researching wedding photography tips, learning all that I could about my camera, and participating in photography workshops. I also have practice from shooting recent engagement sessions for friends but you don't really know what you're getting yourself into until you experience it. Well, the verdict is is that I had a blast! Although exhausting and a tad bit stressful, I'm so excited to go through these photos, learn from my mistakes (sorry J & S that you had to be the first ones!), and trudge on to make myself a better photographer.

I'm really looking forward to next summer already! Our dear and BRAVE friends, Duncan & Steph have already asked me to be their official wedding photographer! I am so honored by this and feel very confident that by next summer, I'll be able to give them amazing photos that they can cherish forever. Thank you for taking a chance on me guys! As people continue to get engaged, I hope that will provide me with even more photo/wedding opportunities but until doors open, I'll spend my time learning and investing in this new found passion of mine.

Be on the lookout for the Stephanie Waller Photography website! I'll keep you posted! It should be up and running soon...

And contact me if you're interested in some photos!

Shonna Ridgeway

Sweet Southern Comfort

From Carolina down to Georgia,
Smell the jasmine and magnolia,
Sleepy Sweet home Alabama,
Roll tide roll,
Muddy water, Mississippi,
Blessed Graceland whispers to me,
Carry on, Carry on,
Sweet Southern Comfort carry on.

-Buddy Jewel

I've never lived in the south but there is something about the thought of sitting on a front porch, drinking sweet tea, and watching fireflies that intrigues me. It's the football in the fall, the country music, and the site of magnolias lining the streets. The sound of "y'all" in its southern drawl and the smell of fried chicken...mmm...

Why am I writing about this? Because we are moving to the south! That's right, Matt and I will be moving to Charleston, South Carolina in August. It has all happened very quickly but Matt has accepted a position within Boeing that will be moving us literally across the country in just a few short weeks. I write this feeling very bittersweet. We cherish the friendships and our community here in Seattle and it will not be easy to say goodbye. Not to mention, leaving Matt's brother, Jeff. I trust that the south lies deep in his heart as well though, and that he will one day make the same move.

We've lived in Seattle just over two years now and it finally feels like home. It has been sunny and warm which is the worst time to leave the area. It's beautiful here in the summer which makes you forget about the constant rain and dreariness in the winter. I just have to keep reminding myself about the sunshine and even better, the beach that awaits us!

As we sat on our deck and watched the fireworks over Lake Union tonight, I was reminded that God has the perfect plan for our lives and we can rest in that...so cheers to Charleston!