Wow, life has absolutely been crazy but so exciting! I can't believe that it is already July! Lately I have kind of felt like my life is on a freeway driving 80 mph, weaving in and out of traffic and trying to avoid the fact that it is all going so fast!
A few months ago I caught myself saying that I was going to have so much time this summer to do whatever I wanted. We were planning to go on camping and biking trips and to go visit a huge list of people before we drove East. Brian was going to get a fishing license and start going more with his friends Dan and Stephen. My goals for the summer were this: I was going to learn to sew and play tennis.
Now, those things seem so distant to everything we've done and have left to do. Moving, Raquel's wedding, working, and all the last minute things that pop up are quickly filling our time. Getting ready for our big move has been much harder than I had previously expected. We thought finding somewhere to live in Chicago would be pretty simple but it has in fact been very stressful. Finding somewhere to call home online and having to rely on the Internet and hope that people are being honest is too much to ask for. We have run into many fraudulent advertisements and spam. The hardest part about finding somewhere to live, is knowing what the area that surrounds the apartment is like. We decided that we would rather spend more on rent and live in a good/safe neighborhood than go for something cheap and have to be careful when we walk outside.
So the question was, how do we find out about the neighborhoods? I am so grateful for the way the LDS church is set up. It took only a few phone calls to get in touch with the bishop of the area who gave me names and numbers to other medical school students and residents that could help us out. We really have felt the Lord's hand guide us to where we are suppose to be. I was able to get a hold of two wives of medical students Karli and Brooke, who I am sure were instruments working in the Lord's hands. God does hear and answer the prayers of his children.
President Spencer W. Kimball said,“God does
notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another
person that he meets our needs.”
This is exactly what happened with us. Through talking with these two ladies they put all my fears at rest. Brooke explained to me her story and process of moving and I was shocked as she talked. I felt as if she had been reading from my own journal and thoughts. As we spoke on the phone my eyes filled with tears and I said a silent prayer, thanking the Lord for helping us. I felt a huge burden lift off my shoulders and the things is, Brooke and Karli have no idea that their words are the answer to our prayers!
Because of these two ladies we were able to find housing. Rosalind Franklin University is located right in the middle of the Great Lakes Naval Base. When the Navy doesn't fill all their housing they open it up to civilians. I am happy to say that we will be living in the very safe area on the naval base! I am very relieved and thrilled. Especially knowing these two ladies will be neighbors of mine.
Anyway, here is a little glimpse of some of the things we have been doing!
Boating
All of our stuff moved into one room.. I never thought we owned a lot of stuff until we started packing...
Saying goodbye to our friends (Tanners, Noorlanders, McBrides)
I get to watch little Morgan and Madison a few times again before I go!
And then a happy Fourth of July in Huntsville!
We leave 26 days from today. This seems unreal to me, but with everything that is before us I am really excited. What I really want to accomplish now with our few weeks left is spending the most time with our families as possible and saying goodbye to all the people we love and care about.
