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Last weekend we had a fun adventure which involved a trip to the new Trader Joe's store, a picnic in the park, a couple's engagement in the park (their friends set up a surprise picnic for them beforehand), a snack of Pinkitzel cupcakes (which were smaller than we remembered), a visit to Bass Pro (where we saw lots of prom-goers...?), and dinner at Oklahoma Joe's.  It was a very fun day. :)

This month has been busy, and next month looks to be even busier!  Yep, every weekend is full...

Church friend's baby shower
Friend's graduation in NorCal
Amos' grandpa's auction in Oklahoma
Cousin's wedding in Alabama

Oh dear, it looks like I had better get started on finding some presents!

Unlooked-for

I had an unlooked-for adventure today.

Before that adventure, I actually had two other adventures.

The first adventure was walking down the road to Target.  I picked out a card for a baby shower, a gift bag, a set of black pens that included a free silver pen, and a few other things.  I called my mom on the walk back home and found out that my brother Luke was headed to the orthodontist to get his gums trimmed.  (Apparently the gums are partially covering his back molars?  Ow!)

I arrived at home, changed into some shorts, grabbed my camera, and headed out for adventure number two.  I walked out to the two ponds that are near the three churches.  I took lots of pictures, watched turtles get stuck on rocks as they tried to fall into the water, scared a huge frog into the pond, and watched a frog and water snake swim.

I had just made it back to our apartment when the Unlooked-For Adventure began.

I didn't have my keys.

Oh dear.  Oh dear.

I hurriedly retraced my steps...back through the field...along the brilliant green algae ditch...across the road...around the first pond...around the second pond...through the woods...over to the doors of the church...back across the road...through the neighborhood...down the hill...up the stairs...the door was definitely locked.

No keys.

I called Amos as I headed back to walk through the field a third time.  As we were discussing asking the office to let me back in, I found them, lying in the field where I had knelt down to take a picture of some trees and the blue sky.

*phew!*

On to the next adventure...

Click the pictures, especially the one with the hidden frog. :)

Near the place I dropped my keys 

What a beautiful contrast!

Honeysuckle; not very fragrant quite yet

Can you find the frog?!  He IS in there!

Irises growing in pond

A large frog, aka, Chub

Irises

Abandoned barbed wire

The second pond; much less algae

Flourishing plants

Nature retakes territory

Natural barbed wire

An abandoned sign

A water snake!

Purple clover picked during Adventure #1

Two years later

Here we are again. April 4th.  A day that will live in infamy, at least for me.

Two years ago, Amos and I arrived in Oklahoma City, full of hopes and excitement.  My hopes were quickly crushed, smothered under homesickness, the ugliness of the city, and a gaping hole that used to be my identity (friend, neighbor, missions coordinator, note taker, needed).

I was miserable.

Two years later, I am doing a lot better.

In the two years we have been here...
I have found some nice grocery stores, especially in Tulsa.  (Hello, Reasor's!  I love your cheese samples! :D )
I found my favorite OK hill, also in Tulsa.  It definitely isn't a mountain, but it's better than nothing!  Sometimes I take a detour, just so I can drive down it.
We have attended two great churches, both with good teaching and friendly community group/Sunday School classes.
We have made some very nice, genuine, encouraging friends, both in OKC and Tulsa.
I have had several jobs: substitute teacher, testing center clerk, and now, administrative assistant at a small corporation.
I have been able to visit California a few times.
We have survived severe weather!
We have so far managed to avoid any collisions.  Seriously, the driving in Southern California is nothing compared to driving in Tulsa.  Who taught these people how to "drive"?!
We have moved four times in two years.  The longest time we spent in one apartment was seven and a half months, and the shortest time (in the drafty bug house with the nutso landlord) was thankfully just three months.

All in all, looking back, it has been tough, but not bad.

Amos and I were talking about our transition last night, and we realized we still aren't used to living here.

We lived in Santa Clarita for almost ten years.  We attended our last church, Crossroads, for almost five years.  We had a routine, and even when we added things to that routine, it was still manageable.

Here in Oklahoma, we are still getting used to living in one apartment for more than half a year.  We are still trying to remember the names of all the friendly people at church.  We are still figuring out where to go to eat.  We are still dealing with weekly headaches for Amos.  We are still wondering when we will have time to fit in our normal California activities, like getting frozen yogurt on Sunday evenings or going on walks.  We are still trying to go to bed before 11:00.  We are still dealing with stress, known and unknown.

Still.

But.

Our second year was better than our first.  Here's to even better things, in year three of this exodus.


"...the LORD will go before you,
and the God of Israel will be your rear guard."
::Isaiah 52:12b