old cities, new friends & a great weekend

k:
Well, I wanted to post this blog as soon as I got home on Tuesday, but this is the first chance I've had to sit down and write. Last weekend was so great. I went into it not knowing what God had in store for Anthony and I in Savannah. I mean, we both KNOW that He wants us there, but you never know what you will have to endure to get there. I needed to head back up to find a place to live come March, so Mom, Lucie and I decided to make it a girls weekend while we were at it. It was so much fun! We realized that it hadn't been just us three since about 4 or 5 years ago when we went to NYC together. No kids, no husbands, just us.

This is a crazy story and it might be a long one… just hang in there with me.

So, just when I think my life can't get any more crazy, something REALLY crazy happens. Where to begin... well, almost 7 years ago I had just graduated from UNF and was sort of wandering around, not really sure what I was doing with my life. One day I got a really weird urge (now I know it was definitely the voice of God) to move to Orlando. Why? I have NO clue! I didn't know anyone in this city… no job, no friends, no home... nothing. But I moved anyway. During my hunt for an apartment (a really cheap one), I overheard a girl talking to her leasing agent in an apartment complex that mom and I were checking out. Her story sounded very similar to mine and her needs were exactly like mine. Mom and I looked at each other and before I knew it, I was tapping her on the shoulder. About 5 minutes later, we were on a golf cart looking for a 2 bedroom apartment together. Six years, 2 apartments and a house later, we were still roommates until I got hitched and we had to 'break-up'.

Most of you know this story... her name is Jenn and she is still one of my best friends to this day. (and we even work together now!) Divine Intervention, no doubt!
















Jump ahead to this past weekend:
Saturday morning. Just drove in to Savannah and went straight to a property management office to get some keys to look at a few properties. Started making small talk with a cute couple in the office, Maggie and James from SC. After eavesdropping a little (once again… I guess that's my thing), I realized that they were looking at the exact same properties that we were about to look at. So I say, "Oh, you are looking at the same ones as me!" And Maggie replies, "Well, you guys are welcome to tag along if you'd like. We might as well save the gas and look at them together." Right at that moment mom looks at me and says "This is really weird. DeJaVu, big time right now." So we chuckle and hop in the car.

We saw some incredibly awful places. From rotten ceilings falling down, to midget-size doors, to appliances that must have been from the 1800s and slanted floors that might give you a case of vertigo... well, let's just say it wasn't going well. AT ALL. By that time Maggie and I were realizing that we had pretty much the same taste and nothing we were seeing had met our standards yet. We also realized that we both had made a previous appointment for later that day with the SAME guy to look at his apartment. Just weird. So, I told her that I had a meeting at 2:30 with a different guy and I had a good feeling about his property and that they could tag along if they wanted. 2:30 rolls around and we meet Rob. He is the owner of an "apartment complex" that consists of a bunch of old historical houses in a 2-3 block radius that he has flipped and turned into apartments and townhomes. So, we are walking around checking them out (not too thrilled about what we were seeing). After seeing all of our possibilities, I think Rob realized that we weren't too impressed.

He stops mid-sentence and says,
"Ok, you [pointing to Maggie] need a one bedroom, right? And you [pointing to me] need a 2 bedroom, right?"
"Yep," we replied.
..... [long pause].....
"Can I just entertain you guys for a minute?"
"Um, YAH you can!," I said.

I could see his wheels turning. I knew he had something up his sleeve and this whole time I kept saying I had a good feeling about this place, but it turns out it's not for the reasons I thought. He continues to tell us that he is just finishing up flipping this house [that he was planning on selling as condos] about a block away. Just so happens that the downstairs apt is a 1 br and the upstairs apt is a 2 br. Brand new EVERYTHING. New insulation, plumbing, ac/heat, carpet, floors, appliances... everything! Perfect? I THINK SO!!

Ten minutes later we were signing our applications in his office while playing with his doberman puppy, Ava!

Here's our house: Our door on the left, Maggie's door on the right.
















This is the back... our stairs go up and you enter through the kitchen. We also have our own 'driveway' for parking (it's not done yet), which is unheard of in Savannah... most parking is on the streets. YAY!




















Here's a little tour for ya!




Our doors... this is my new friend, Maggie :)
















And this is my new friend Ava... she fell asleep on me while I was filling out my application. So stinkin' cute! I told Rob he has a dog sitter now.





















It's weird how God works in my life. He never ceases to amaze me. When I find myself doubting even the least bit, BAM! there He is, throwing it back in my face. Probably saying, "Duh, Katie... why do you doubt me?" (God says DUH in my head all the time... don't judge.) I was so incredibly relieved to find a place. That meant that we could relax for the rest of the trip and go to Paula Deen's instead of searching for a place to live. (Paula Deen's was amazing, btw!)

Lucie and I resting in a little boutique. My back and Quin needed a break. Mom was still shopping, as usual. :)

















After lots of shopping and eating (and car battery dying), we headed back on Sunday afternoon… bellies so full of fried chicken and gallons of sweet tea.
There's lots more pictures of us, but you'll have to bug Mom and Lucie for those.

Lucie and I went on to St Aug to see this little girl:
(Nana bought her a ring [bling, bling] in Savannah)






































On Monday, we decided to take a picnic to the fort... it was beautiful!































































And then it was time for me to leave.
Reagan put one of daddy's socks on to walk me to my car.




















Needless to say, it was a great weekend! We can't wait to see all of you in Savannah (even though we won't have a spare bedroom... bring your sleeping bags!)

until next time…

hold the possibility

k:
Ant gave me a book for Christmas… Practice Random Acts of Kindness. Here is an excerpt that stuck with me. And you'll probably be hearing more out of this book in the future.

Hold the Possibility

If you can imagine it,
you can create it,
if you can dream it,
you can become it.
-William Arthur Ward

"Me second child died when he was four," recalled Clea. "It was such a devastating experience that it took me years to recover. My whole life seemed to have suddenly gone from bright technicolor to drab shades of gray. Just getting up in the morning was a major undertaking. I couldn't understand how this could happen, and I had no hopes for the future. It seemed like everything was empty of meaning and feeling. After I'd been wallowing for six months in grief and depression, my younger sister came to me and told me it was time to start living again. She told me that I had to fix a picture in my mind of a day in the future when the sun was shining and I was playing with my daughter, laughing and having fun. She told me that even if it seemed impossible, I still had to imagine it could be true."

"I tried, but it was very difficult. After a while I could see it, but it seemed buried in the shadows. Gradually, the picture became more and more clear to me until, indeed, the day came when I did feel exactly as I had imagined. Then more and more days began to feel like that."

Fortunately, not all of us have to go through what Clea did. But we each hold the capacity to draw toward ourselves the things we want in life through envisioning their possibility—even if right now they seem impossible. If you desire more love, compassion, and peace of mind in your life, you can begin to create that reality by holding the possibility of being more loving, compassionate, and peaceful. What would a picture of what you want look like? Make is as detailed as possible, and take a moment each day for the next week to imagine it.