On moving, mosquitos, and momentum//

Photo: mine, designed here

I have to be honest, the last month has been incredibly hectic and busy for me... maybe more so for me individually than for my DH as well. Right after we got news of our cross-country move, we decided it would be wise for me to return to Cali to pack up our household and move everything into storage until paperwork and such is finalized. That is a storage unit in California, while we temporarily reside in a tiny hotel room in Kansas-just for a month or so until all the papers have been signed and we can find an apartment or house to rent here. That being said, I had a to-do list a mile long, with responsibilities to take care of, belongings to sort, sell, donate, or pack, as well as schoolwork to maintain. I can't tell you the relief I have felt having all the big stuff done. 

Well coming back to Kansas has taken some adjusting as well, as can be expected. I think distance with my man gets harder the longer we are married, you can read more about that on GUTS. Anyway, it wasn't quite the same level of ache as an overseas deployment, but I still missed him immensely and felt even more overwhelmed at the idea that I would have to pack everything (including the man cave, which needless to say, I know nothing about) almost by myself, along with just a couple of amazing friends. So despite all those emotions, it has been wonderful being back together after a month of separation, but I almost had a melt-down when I returned to a bachelor-padded out hotel room ;)

My short list for a new season

I'm laying next to my husband, who at 1:40 am, is peacefully sawing logs while he sleeps. Perhaps that is one reason sleep won't come easily for me. But another is that I've been mulling over ideas and plans. Let me back up a bit... Last year my husband applied for a permanent position within his company which would not require him to travel overseas as often. The opportunity was for a job here in Kansas. Of course the process of applying for a new position, interviewing, and being hired is always a lengthy one. It was back in February that he was able to do the interview, and this several months after applying.
So needless to say, we have eagerly awaited an answer. There have been so many instances where we've just grabbed hands, prayed over the situation and left it in God's hands. He has been here on a temporary assignment since early May. I followed him not long after, and still we have continued waiting. Ugh, let me tell you, there were times when that was just agonizing. A lot of decisions were hinging on a "yes" or "no" from HR.
There we were, waiting, hoping, praying, when ten days ago my husband got a call from the human resources department

Writer's World Blog Tour

Image

Okay, okay, I am finally getting to this, and I am quite excited about it. I was invited to participate in the Writers World Blog Tour by my friend Christen Krumm, whom I met at the wedding of a lifelong friend. We got to don our little black dresses together and participate as bridesmaids to our dear friend, old to me and new(er) to her. She is also a full-time blogger, wife to Andy, and mom to three adorable littles (Elsie, Drew, and "Scout").

You can read her blog post from last week here. She is in the midst of finishing her first YA fiction novel about a dystopian society in a post life-as-we-know-it-now setting. I've only gotten to read the prologue, but so far, it reveals an intense story, about a young woman pursuing true freedom in the midst of torn-apart times along with other members of their society. 

It has yet to be named, and I know she will be happy to receive suggestions, check her out, she's a great inspiration to me! She has prodded me to get me writing again since the last time I seriously pursued it was high school, and folks, that was just too long ago. So here goes...

What are you working on?

Right now, I am just focusing on this little bloggity blog. My purpose is to write about marriage and family, and some of the things I have learned in the process. Eventually I will be interviewing other women and asking them to share their advice on marriage, love, and relationships-and in a way get to tell their stories. 

Another thing that I am doing is reworking some of my old stories (from my late adolescence) and regaining inspiration, falling in love with my characters again, and placing them in a time period. 

How does your work differ from others in its genre?

Well I have always thought that I would write fiction romance. However, I have gotten away from reading them as much because of school textbooks or motivational books that I have had to read for certain courses I have taken. I still want to write fiction, and I still want to incorporate romance, but one of the things I pursue is transparency and authenticity. 

I want the message to be redemptive, but I don't necessarily want it to be overtly preachy. I would say it may be veiled in metaphors, somewhat similar to the style of C.S. Lewis in the Narnia series. 

Why do you write what you do?

I think most of what I write comes from either my experiences or the experiences of people I know. I love stories and I think everyone has one to share, whether or not they know it, or whether or not they will be the one to tell it. Most of all, I want to cultivate space for creativity and discovery, and I think what I write has the potential to do that. 

How does your writing process work?

To be honest, it isn't much of a process right now, and not as professional or intentional of some of the others I've encountered. I have started utilizing the voice memo feature on my phone to remember points of inspiration, and I usually just sit down and start writing. That is the hardest part, once I do that, the rest comes eventually. What I will be incorporating is starting with the main point I want to convey and working back through the tangles from there. 

I would like to invite a couple other young ladies to join me in this journey. I will introduce my friend, Laurén Heffer, whom I met several years ago when we both volunteered to teach 5th/6th grade girls at our church. She sadly no longer has a blog anymore, but has contributed to GUTS or (Girls Using Their Strengths). And you can read about that here.

I am excited with her as she is working through a book for young girls, teaching them to sew in story format. It will be the "Emmaline" series, and I am stoked for it, as I am sure she is. Through the process, she is cultivating her marriage to her husband John, and working on a certification program to teach cake decorating at JoAnn's! Though she is no longer blogging, you can view her previous posts and inspiration here.


Finally I would like to introduce my lovely friend, Lilah Higgins. I met her at a Bible study several years ago, and had the privilege of sharing the journey of her engagement and marriage to her husband, Zac and mommy hood to Fletcher and Elladee.  Lilah is also a contributor to GUTS, as well as one of their graphic designers, you can view some of her contributions here. She works with her husband in their own business, called Higgins Creative.You can view their work on her blog here.

Currently, Lilah is working through the first draft of her first book. It is called Insecure to Undaunted. It is a beautiful book, written in a devotional voice that is so inspiring to young wives and moms. I have had the pleasure of working with her on this project, and it is an honor to be included in a "first" like this. 

Thank you for sharing this time with me as I have introduced some of my lovely friends and their current projects. I hope you find these inspiring as you continue on your journey today!