It comes in 3’s

I’m not sure if this is a new pattern for the Skaggs’s tribe or if it’s just how the last few years have lined up.  Welcoming a new year often causes people to reflect on the previous 12 months and lessons learned while remembering impactful events.  I must say that 2013 was an incredible year for Josh and me (maybe my favorite so far).  But, so was 2010…and very similar to this one we just finished, might I add.

2010:

-We got married

-I graduated from college

-Josh graduated from med school

-Josh started residency

-I started my first “big girl” job

2013:

-I graduated from my Masters program

-Josh finished residency

-We moved cross-country!

-Josh started his new job(s)

See what I mean?  Pretty similar, huh?  Well, with all the change in 2010 and again 3 years later, I have to say that big events have a great way of shaping people.  Or at least me.  I am thankful for all the experiences back then, and I am thankful for the ones these past 12 months.  I truly can’t imagine what 2014 will look like for us, because I would never have dreamed that we’d be where we are today.  In a way, it’s exciting not knowing (although sometimes a little heads up would be nice).

Annnndd, here comes the sappy part: Thank you everyone who invested in us and added to our lives over the past 3 years.  As we get ready to go into our 4th year as man and wife, I would be remiss if I gushed about all of our adventures and didn’t include you in it.  Because, honestly, you’re a main reason we are the people we are today and are able to fully enjoy the adventures we have, knowing that we are loved and supported.

My prayer for 2014 is that you, dear reader, will experience adventure and love to the fullest, because every year has the potential to be the best year yet!  Happy New Year, everyone!

Up north and to the west

Perhaps it’s time for a little introduction to our new stomping grounds.  Just a quick clarification: when I say Seattle or Tacoma I mean any town in the surrounding area where we might venture, because it’s so much easier to refer to a big city that everyone knows than it is to explain geography every time.  (And just so you’re aware, we live 30 minutes south of Seattle in a small town called Sumner.)  Josh and I have been in Seattle (Tacoma, Sumner, Puyallup, etc) for about 3 weeks and absolutely love it!  Honestly, I’m blown away everyday that people get to live in such a picturesque place!  There are huge trees everywhere, mountains and hills, and just an overall sense of beauty.  (A friendly warning: be prepared for lots of photos!)

 

Valley view

Part of our cute little town

I get to look at Mount Rainier everyday!

Before getting here, I mentally prepared myself for a bitterly cold winter and miserably rainy days.  It’s been nothing like that!  You might not believe me, South Carolinians and Texans, but it’s been in the 40’s since we’ve been here and I’ve seen the sun more often than not.  Apparently it doesn’t get much colder than it is now, because it’s at a low altitude and is close to the ocean.  We did have one night of snow showers, but it all melted by that afternoon.  So, in addition to the gorgeous landscape, this is a pretty temperate place to live.  In fact, if my friends and family didn’t live on the other side of the continent, I would strongly consider living here long-term.  But alas, it is quite far from people I love, and that’s more important to me.

Doesn’t snow make everything look prettier?!

The RV park backs up to some woods and a river.

It’s pretty spectacular.

The only down-side with being so far north is that the winter sun only stays out for a few hours.  This is strange to me, because I already think southern winters have short days with about 10 hours of sunshine.  Whelp, Washington didn’t get the memo about staying light longer.  The sun doesn’t rise until about 8a.m. and starts to set at 3p.m.!!  I kid you not!  It’s strange.  So, by 4 o’clock it looks like dusk and by 4:30 the moon is out.  That is also the other reason why I couldn’t live here long-term.  I need my sun.  And I need to not feel like it’s bedtime by 7 every night.  C’est la vie in Washington, though.

I thought this described it pretty well :)

Since we’ve been here, we haven’t gotten into too much trouble.  A few days ago we went up to Seattle (the actual one, not just the one I refer to) to explore for a bit.  And it’s safe to say that I’m smitten with that city!  I like big cities anyway, because there is so much to look at and explore.  The people are so foreign and business savvy and there are endless possibilities for what could happen on any given day.  I like not knowing (at least when it comes to this).

On the ferry heading to Seattle

And there she is in all her foggy glory!

Forgive 2 couple’s pics so close together, but I think you can see Seattle a little bit better in this one…and if you look closely, you can see the Space Needle sitting on Josh’s shoulder.

We got kind of a late start, so we didn’t get to see as much as we had hoped, but it was still a great time!  We went to Pike’s Place Fish Market (the one where they throw the fish) and stuffed ourselves with sea creatures.  I was definitely glad to get my hands on some buttery seafood.  After walking around for a bit more, we decided to head back to beat the traffic.  But believe me, Seattle has not seen the last of us.  We live dangerously close to delicious seafood, and the rain and dark days can’t stop me!  (Does this sound like a problem?  Not sure..)

Crustaceans galore!

And mas.

My favorite kind of dinner :)

Other than that, our adventures here are few so far.  We have plans of getting in our fair share of skiing/snowboarding, visiting other major cities like Portland and Vancouver, and doing some hiking on some of the mountains in the area.

One of the many bays around these parts

I’m really excited to be here and see what life in the Pacific Northwest is like- at least for a few months.  I loved the opportunity to live in Texas and experience the culture there and meet new amazing people.  I know I can’t expect our Washington experience to be the exact same as our Texas one, but I’m really looking forward to crossing paths with some more amazing people and getting a glimpse into their lives.  Our world is so vast, and I can’t help but feel incredibly blessed to be able to see and experience all that I have in the past few months.

 

A little Sumner sunset (at around 3:30)

10 things I learned by 25

1.) I am more capable than I originally believed.

I have the power to accomplish what I set out to do.  I am not weak, vulnerable, or incapable.  I can do what I think I can do and more.  And so can you.  We often limit ourselves because we have insecurities or because we’ve failed before.  But there’s grace.  And second chances.  Really, the best thing we can do is simply try and the worst thing we can do is not try.  So, don’t be hindered by your insecurities and fears.  Look them in the eye and laugh!  Because that’s all they are- just fears with empty power.

2.) Never take the small things for granted.

The other night, Josh got home late from work.  Instead of going to sleep right away, we reminisced and laughed and teased each other.  It was wonderful.  It’s the small things like that that I want to appreciate and remember.  I don’t ever want to get to the point where he comes home from work and I’m too apathetic to greet him.  I don’t ever want to be too busy to call my mom or to admire the pretty flowers in the Spring.  That’s how regret starts and I don’t want it to have a place in my life.

3.) Isolation is more devastating than death.

We weren’t meant to live alone.  The value of relationships is priceless and when people isolate themselves emotionally or physically, they are slowing numbing their souls.

4.) But being alone is necessary.

When we get to a point where we have to be around people constantly, we have automatically placed our well-being in the hands of others and are therefore dependent on them to fulfill a job they weren’t intended for in the first place.  It’s good to step away every once in awhile and just sit and be.  Listen to silence and breathe in nothingness.  It’s good.

5.) Grace is better than pride.

It’s nicer to others, more attractive to you, and resets your attitude.  It gives you the ability to be unaffected by external circumstances and consequences, and it gives you a more balanced perspective.  It’s what allows you to be a better human and detects the aptitude of your character.  Grace.  We all need it and are required to give it.  So practice it freely- knowing that it will be taken for granted, but also knowing that it is totally worth it.

6.) Experience everything you can.

While there are some things I just don’t want to do (i.e. bungee jumping), I also don’t want to turn down experiences because I’m afraid or unsure.  Be brave or spontaneous or whatever it is that gets you to do that thing you’re not doing.  Don’t go on the same vacation every year.  Don’t eat at the same restaurant.  When someone asks you if you want to ride that rollercoaster or go deep sea fishing or swim with dolphins, the answer is yes (within reason, of course)!  Go to that concert, take that day trip, eat that strange unidentifiable food, talk to that hippie.  You never know when an experience will change your life.

7.) Be generous.

It’s just money, time, or resources.  Use them well, and don’t use them all on you. 

8.) Let go of expectations.

We all have them, but when we can relinquish those expectations, we become so much more enjoyable.  Obviously, there are certain expectations we need to keep (i.e. I expect you not to rob me); but the ones we have that we cannot control, get rid of them.  They’re fetters with no place in your life.

9.) Have a favorite.

It can be anything!  A favorite song, a favorite color, place, saying, food, memory, etc.  Here’s why:  It will get you excited for it when you see it, hear it, taste it, smell it.  Life is so much better when there’s excitement, so do yourself a favor and add to it.

10.) Be appreciative.

Be thankful for the small and big things.  Everyday things like a breeze on a hot day, a pretty sunset, flowers that smell good, electricity, food, etc. go unnoticed oftentimes but are so valuable to our happiness.  It’s easier to be thankful for the bigger things (well, hopefully) like health, family and friends, a home, vacation, etc.  So, take an inventory of your life and see what you actively appreciate.  The list should be endless, because in America, we really don’t have an excuse to limit our thankfulness.  And once you see all the wonderful blessings in your life, thank your Provider and enjoy them with a new fervor.

Moving (part II)

First of all, HOORAY!!!!  We made it!!!  Secondly, I don’t ever want to make that trip alone again!

We had been planning on leaving early in the morning on Monday, December 9th, but due to a lovely Texas ice storm (click here for details), we had to delay our trip by a few hours.  We went to Panera (once again) to charge up our electronics and get some caffeine in our systems.  When we got back to the RV park, shockingly there wasn’t any electricity (can you feel my sarcasm?).  We were anxious to get on the road and decided to use our MacGyver skills to thaw out the hoses and pipes without electricity.  Thanks to our neighbor who came over to help, we were able to thaw everything out and pack it up fairly quickly.

Thanks, Panera, for providing electricity and caffeine!  Also, we are so American. 

We didn’t actually get going until 5 o’clock, which was poor timing on our part.  Dallas rush hour traffic is a beast.  Dallas rush hour traffic with icy roads is downright miserable.  It was stop-and-go traffic for hours!  We lived on the east side of Dallas and to get to Fort Worth- which is on the west side- would typically take 45 minutes to an hour.  It took us 4 HOURS to get out of the DFW area!!  At one point we were at a dead stop on the highway for an hour.  So, I turned off the car and went to sit with Josh in the RV for awhile.

Traffic= no bueno

He tolerates me. 

Because of our late/slow start, we didn’t get as far as we had hoped the first night.  We finally stopped around 2 a.m. and parked at a truck stop in Abilene, TX for the night.  That’s the nice thing about traveling with an RV-- you have a built-in hotel room.

The second day was honestly pretty brutal.  We were driving through New Mexico, which means nothing but desert.  Literally, all we had to look at for 12 hours was dirt and tumble weeds with the occasional run-down shack or gas station.  We made a quick stop for dinner and a leg stretch, then hit the road again until midnight.

New Mexico. See? Desert, desert, desert.

Before it got too cold in Texas, we bought a portable gas heater, because we figured it would be good to have just in case we lost electricity during the winter at some point.  I’m so glad we did!  It kept us warm during that ice storm in Texas, but it saved us from freezing to death on this trip!  I didn’t know the desert could get so cold, but it was!  We shut that little heater in the bedroom with us at night, and it helped keep it around 50 degrees in there.  When we opened the bedroom door in the morning and looked at the thermostat, it said 15 degrees inside the RV!  Probably the best purchase we’ve made in a long time.

Frost inside is never a good sign.

Day three on the road was much better.  And pretty uneventful, which is always nice whilst moving.  We drove through the rest of New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and finally stopped again around midnight in Idaho.  Knowing we were almost to Washington was a really great feeling.

Colorado- close to the New Mexico border

Colorado- close to the New Mexico border

Colorado- getting closer to Utah

Utah

Idaho

Idaho

Our last day was such a relief!  We had been driving for 12+ hours every day and were both sore, stiff, and tired.  We made good time driving through the rest of Idaho, Oregon, and the east part of Washington.

Oregon

A stop along the Oregon Trail

A stop along the Oregon Trail

Welcome to Washington!!!!

Eastern Washington

Eastern Washington

Once we got to Snoqualmie Pass (about an hour away from Tacoma), we hit a snow storm.  Maybe in a few months this won’t be a bit ordeal, but I have never driven in snow by myself before and Josh had never driven an RV towing a car in snow before.  And, we were going up, down, and around this mountain with a pretty good snow storm.  It was stressful.  Mostly because people were sliding off the road while others had to pull off to put chains on their tires, which we didn’t have.  So, thank you everyone who was praying for us.  It was a bit scary, but we made it!

Right as it was starting to snow and we were getting ready to hit Snoqualmie Pass

Once we got through the pass, we were home free!  And utterly exhausted.  We didn’t set anything up once we got to the RV park.  We just parked the RV and went to find dinner- real food, nothing fried, and no sandwiches.  We could barely keep our eyes open during dinner and when we got back, we went straight to bed.

We have only been here for 2 days, and we already love it!  We live in a little town right outside of Tacoma called Sumner.  Everything is nice and green, it’s hilly without all the twists and turns, and it’s small enough to be cute but big enough to have everything we need.  I almost don’t mind the fact that the sun barely comes out during the day and starts to set at 3p.m.  For now, this place is exactly what we needed and it’s good to finally be here.

Why ice storms make you better

You know those stories you tell about a situation that went horribly wrong, but you can now laugh about it?  Well, I’m still in this annoying situation, so I’m not laughing just yet, but I’m sure eventually it will be funny.  For starters, I hate cold weather.  Anything below 60 is sweater, scarf, and mittens weather for me.  That is why what I’m about to say actually feels like a really bad joke from Mother Nature.

We have been planning on leaving on Monday, December 9th for awhile.  Josh’s last day of work in Texas is today, the 8th, and his first day in Washington is the 22nd, so we figured it would give us good bit of time to get up there without rushing (which is not fun with a caravan such as ours).  We mapped out exciting things we wanted to see along the way like the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone.  We are expecting the trek from Dallas to Seattle to take about a week since we have to drive below the speed limit with that big old beast of a vehicle.

So, planning on leaving on Monday.  On Friday, Texas- the place with unbelievably miserable heat- had an ice storm!  No biggie, except we’re in the South here, folks.  We’re not prepared for any ice or snow whatsoever, and when it does happen, the town shuts down!  But before I get to that part, let me back up.

Josh left for work early Friday morning.  There was ice, but not a whole lot had accumulated at that point.  I had woken up and had a lazy morning around the RV.  When I decided to go out to run errands it was about 11a.m.  I got my stuff together and walked to the door, BUT I COULDN’T GET OUT!!!  The door was frozen shut from all the ice!  After full-on body checking it several times, it opened.  I went to my car, and I kid you not, I couldn’t even get to the lock because there was about a solid half inch of ice covering my entire car!  Thank goodness I hadn’t closed the door to the RV completely, because on my way back in, I noticed that the handle also had a solid layer of ice that couldn’t be broken by a simple jiggle and pull.  In order to scrape that ungodly layer of ice from my windshield to go anywhere, I had to get in my trunk to get the ice scraper.  In order to get the ice scraper, I had to chisel away at the layer of ice on the seams of the trunk to get it open.  In order to get the trunk open, I had to chisel away at the ice on my door and the lock and handle to get in to pop the trunk.  Oh boy.  (I’m exhausted just from typing that!)

Ignorant me, taking pictures from inside of the little bit of snow on the hood of the truck before I went outside to assess the damage.

I headed back inside to grab anything that would help.  The best thing I could find was a butter knife.  So, butter knife it was! I started on the door handle first so that I was able to go back inside to take breaks from the cold when I needed too.  I worked on that darn thing for a solid 20 minutes!  I finally broke through enough of it that I was able to pull the handle and get in when it was completely shut.  Then I headed to my car.  I must have been out there for an hour total working on it!  A butter knife is good, but it’s not efficient!  I was finally able to break the ice along the seams of my door and trunk in order to get in to turn on the defroster and grab the ice scraper.  Once the car was on, it took another 15 minutes or so before the ice was able to get broken up and scraped off.  Oi, what a start to the day. 

I hope you can see it, but that nice layer right there was what encapsulated my poor little car! 

I ran my errands in record fashion and was excited to get back to sit in a warm RV and read for a bit.  On my way up the road, I saw a large limb hanging off the power line with part of the cables down.  And as soon as I walked inside I realized what had happened.  No power.  This is semi-ok, except when you’re in an RV, no power means a lot of things.  Because we get our water from a spicket outside, we have to have a special electric hose to keep it from freezing in cold weather.  Well, electric hoses need electricity to work, which we did not have.  Also, when we have a constant supply of  electricity, it helps keep the battery charged, which means we can start the RV, which means we would be able to leave on time…if the battery had been charged by the electricity that we did not have.  So, no heat, no water, no lights, no battery- oh, and our generator decided that it didn’t like cold weather either and refused to work when we needed it to.  *Sigh*  Do you see why this isn’t quite to the point of being funny yet?

End of day one was cold and showerless, but it was manageable, because surely the power company would get the electricity working again soon.  Ha!  Silly me.

Day 2:  Josh went into work early again.  I decided that I was not willing to sit in a cold RV all day, so I got dressed to go to the gym and take a shower there, then go sit in Panera to use them for their heat and caffeine while I charged all of our electronics.  Thankfully, it hadn’t precipitated again, so there was no additional ice to break through before I could go anywhere.  Wouldn’t you know?  When I got to the gym, it was closed!  Apparently ice doesn’t make people want to work out.  I was frustrated and greasy and just decided to head home to put on warmer clothes before I went to Panera.  The day before I was frozen in the RV, yesterday, I was frozen out of it.  When I got back, the handle was fine, but the key wouldn’t even go into the lock because some ice had gotten in there somehow.  Oh, in addition, I had spoken to my neighbors on my way back to the car after my defeat, and they said the power wasn’t expected to turn back on for more than 24 hours.  Fan-freakin-tastic. 

I sulked in Panera for a good 4 hours before I was willing to go outside again.  Thankfully, we have amazing friends in Texas who let me sit in their heated house for a bit and take a steamy shower.  (Castellanos, you have no idea.  I haven’t been that grateful to get a shower in a long time!)

After avoiding going back to the RV for the majority of the day, I faced my fears with a mug of hot water (also thanks to the Castellanos) and a lighter.  So, there I was in pure darkness, pouring hot water on the lock and holding my key over the lighter to heat it up (thanks Mom for the tip!).  It took about 5 minutes, but success was mine!  Thankfully, I had packed just about every warm blanket from our house to bring with us.  They were piled on our bed to help us endure another cold night.

Here I am on day 3.  Sitting in- guess where!- Panera!  It’s the day before we’re supposed to leave, but it’s not looking too good for us.  This is ok, because we have plenty of time to get up to Washington, but it’s just a bummer to maybe not be able to leave when we were originally planning.

I hate cold weather.  Did I mention that?  This is why I’m starting to second guess our decision to live in Washington.  Now, hopefully they will be more prepared for snow and ice (you know, since they do have legit winters there).  It just takes away my excitement a little bit to think “what if this happens again?”  Obviously, I’ll live.  I might go without a shower and heat for a few days, but I’ll live.

Ok, so the point of this post is not to complain and whine about my woes- clearly this is not the worst thing ever (and really, it will be a funny story eventually).  But, this is part of the adventure that I’m on with my husband, which I am trying to share with you, dear reader.  The good, the bad, and the ugly.  Adventures aren’t always fun and exciting.  Sometimes the process to get to where we’re going sucks.  Sometimes it hurts or it’s uncomfortable.  Sometimes you just want to crawl back under the covers and maybe cry a little bit.  That’s all part of the game, though.  Life is an adventure.  Cry a little bit, shiver, chisel away at that ice.  And when you’re done, pick yourself up and remember that it’s temporary!  This adventure called life brings with it trials and triumphs.  But each step makes you a little bit better- a little bit more complete (James 1:2-4).

So, while cold weather and ice and snow are not a few of my favorite things, I choose to welcome it, because somehow it makes me a little bit more complete.  And if nothing else, it makes me more thankful for sweet friends and hot showers!

P.S. The butter knife and lighter have found a permanent home in my purse…juuust in case.

So long, Dallas

I can’t believe that our time here is over.  It truly feels like we just arrived.  Apart from the sweltering summer heat and severe lack of large beautiful trees,  this place has been amazing and one of the top cities on my personal list of approved places to live.  Here’s what I discovered about Dallas and the surrounding Metroplex:

1.) There’s tons to do and see inside the city as well as the other towns around it (hence, the Metroplex).  Dallas alone has countless activities such as social events (concerts and outdoor movies in the park), rodeos, museums, historical sites (JFK shooting and George W. Bush library), various districts (food, art, music), great restaurants, etc.

Concert and outdoor movie in the park

Rodeo

Cattle herd in downtown Fort Worth

2.) It’s conservative, which means that I don’t cringe when I see children walking around for fear that their little eyes or ears might witness something before their time.  (But really, I’m concerned about myself as well, because honestly, I’d rather not see or hear things that aren’t going to add to the enrichment of my life either.)

3.) TEX-MEX!  This place knows how to cook up some awesome Tex-Mex loaded with unnecessary carbs and fats that are totally worth the extra 30 minutes on the treadmill!  San Jose and Monterrey’s ain’t got nothin on this place!

4.) Dallas is quite close to other great cities like Austin, Houston, and San Antonio.  Josh and I never made it to Houston, but it was great to be able to jump in the car for a few hours and hit some major landmarks!

Barton Springs in Austin

The Alamo in San Antonio

5.) Church.  I haven’t written much about the church we attend, but it really has been such a blessing to us!  The first week we attended, the pastor and his wife talked with us for awhile.  The next week, they came up to us and remembered our names and continued to build that relationship.  It seems like everyone there was like that.  Every week, I didn’t have to try too hard to be sociable, because other staff and members would just come up and start a conversation.  It is such a warm place full of people who are loving and welcoming.  Not only that, but I truly witnessed the Church.  People serving one another, loving one another, sacrificing, mentoring, praying, etc.  It was so great to see it, especially in the Bible Belt where it can be hit or miss a lot of times.  So, New Community Church (especially the staff and my Community Group), thank you for your ministry to us and others!  You truly blew me away.

Our Community Group made us “We will miss y’all” cupcakes!

  

I truly love this motley crew!

 

 

6.) Lastly, Dallas (and, from what I’ve seen, Texas in general) happens to be a place where people still know how to be respectful and kind.  I have maybe run into a handful of people who were grumpy or rude, but as a whole, the people here are just plain nice.  I mean, I grew up in the South where people make eye contact and smile and make small talk just to prove they’re not cold, but this is a whole new level…and it seems more genuine (even if it’s not) than good ol’ SC!  Strangers give us services or stuff for free, almost all the men open the door for ladies, and even if you have a difficult issue or complicated situation, people will go out of their way to make sure that it’s resolved.  This is a place wear businessmen and policemen wear their 10 gallon hats and cowboy boots to work, where the cashiers at Wal-mart (even the young ones!) smile and talk to you while at the checkout, and where people make you feel like a respectable human being rather than a nuisance.

A mini-cowboy

Yep, I think it’s safe to say that I’m truly going to miss Texas.  I like that this is the place where I learned that I am more capable than I thought.  I like that this is the place where I finally felt like I was married.  And, I like that it took me being in this place to realize how incredibly blessed I am by my Provider and Defender to have the people and experiences in my life that I do.  Thank you, Dallas.  It’s been great.