Casey is back in Kansas City for a few days to work and finish up some loose ends. I am babysitting here and there for extra money and enjoying my with family. It's a nice break until we start Operation Arizona.

Angels.

Last night my family and I were talking about spiritual warfare, the theology behind it, and how we don't really pay very much attention to it as Christians. 

It started me really thinking about this strange thing that happened right before Casey and I were ready to head to St. Louis with all of our stuff. We were both sitting in the Saturn talking and this raggedy looking guy knocks on the window. He scares us both. We roll down the window and he tells us that we were going to be missed and that he liked our flags and things we would put on our porch (We usually had an American or Cardinal flags on our porch.) and that he was praying for us. He clarified what our names were and then was on his way. 

It was just weird because we never made any real relationships with anyone in our apartment complex. We had never seen him before. Apparently he talked to Casey earlier while we were packing but we still had no clue who he was. 

I just really like to think that he was an angel. Isn't that just a cool thought? [insert Entertaining Angels by Michael W. Smith] Who really knows? 

Angel or not, I do know God is in our lives and helping us down this path. He has to be because there is no explanation for how we have made it this far. I look back through foot surgeries, marriage drama, financial changes, job opportunities, school opportunities, etc. and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is guiding us. [insert tears] And despite everything we are doing really good. We have made wise decisions I think and have been smart but it hasn't been easy. We have come along way through our friendship, dating, engaged, and now married days. 

Crazy.

My biggest motivation for blogging has been for the people who read it. But I am realizing more and more that blogging is a good way to document your life. I enjoy looking back and remembering. Sort of like scrapbooking or keeping a photo album.

Anyway....today was another big day. We have now unloaded the Uhaul truck into Casey's Dad's basement. It went by pretty fast. It is nice to be done with it for now. Moving is not really fun. But we survived.

Things are already looking good in Arizona. My Uncle already has an apartment in our name and a full kitchen, bed, washer and dryer, and table and chairs. So right now we are planning on taking nothing besides clothes and whatever else fits in our cars and head down there. It's exciting. I also might have a job. (All thanks to my Uncle.) So things are coming together more and more.

*We made it to St. Louis today with the majority of our stuff. We almost got everything but there's still a little bit left. Casey has to go back to Kansas City anyway so he can get the rest then. It was all a little stressful-not going to lie-but we did it.

*Tomorrow we are unloading the truck into Casey's Dad's basement.

*I am grateful for a husband who can move really heavy things. I watched him carry a washer by himself and then lift it onto the truck.

*Funny story from the past few days:
Our couch is L-shaped and the bigger half would not fit out our apartment door. Casey and his friend, Corey, tried and tried every angle and strategy. (Casey is an excellent mover and usually figures out how to move stuff.) The thing is, somehow this piece of couch got in the apartment. Casey and Ryan Tomlinson fandanagled it in. But today it was definitely not going out like it came in. Finally they decided to drop it (nicely) from our balcony. (We are on the top story, mind you.) Corey held it dangling down from our porch and Casey ran to the next level and slowly they dropped it to the ground. It was pretty funny. I'm sure our neighbors thought we were crazy. But that's probably not the first time. I wish I had got a picture but I was a little busy.

*We are super excited. It was 77 degrees in Arizona today. Just sayin'.

makeshift.

Casey and I are currently relaxing from a full day of packing. We are laying on our makeshift bed (blankets on the floor) for tonight since are bed is currently in a Uhaul truck. Casey and I have worked really hard and have packed everything on our own. We got help for a few really heavy things from a neighbor friend. We definitely have too much stuff and will not be taking all of it to Arizona. We are taking the absolute basic.

Tomorrow we have a few more things to pack and do around Kansas City. We will then be on our way to St. Louis to unpack everything. Casey will have to come back to get the final load of stuff and his Porsche.

This picture has nothing to do with anything.

Goodnight!

Update:

*most of you who read this probably already know

Casey and I made the decision to go ahead with moving to Arizona so Casey can complete his degree to become a mechanic. We are still finalizing a few things but the packing has begun. We will be in St. Louis for a few weeks before heading west. 

We are super excited and have peace about everything. God has taken what seemed to be a bad situation and turn it into something really good. 

Path.

Not much is going on here.

But Thursday is a big day. Casey will hopefully find out about money for school which will give us a little more direction on what we are doing. He really wants to go UTI in Avondale, AZ which is 30 minutes from my Uncle Tim. It's a really good school with a good reputation and is only a one year program.

Casey has been LOVING working on Porsches and is really excited about this opportunity. We both feel that God has put us on quite an interesting path since we have been married and are anxious to see what is going to happen.

Here's a quick timeline:

*We get married and move to Kansas City.
*Casey starts to deal with political corruptness at work with PPG.
*Casey goes on medical leave because of his foot and is out for about a month and a half.
*Casey starts to work on his old Porsche with all his spare time and builds a relationship with a local Porsche mechanic.
*Casey loves working on his old Porsche and starts looking at mechanic schools. He discovers UTI which has a school 30 minutes from my Uncle.
*Casey applies and gets accepted but recieves no financial help. We are both disappointed because we are not interested in taking out loans.
*Casey takes a buyout with PPG but is able to get a job with the Porsche mechanic who helped him with his old Porsche.

*My Dad recommends looking at government retraining programs.
*Casey meets with a case worker from SRS and finds out he can qualify for the program because he had an IEP in high school and was technically laid off and can possibly get it all paid for.

So that's where we are right now. God really has answered our prayers because we felt it would be really unwise to take out loans. We haven't been married that long but we see God's work in this short time.

Casey checkin' out the Porsche in the mall. People were looking at us.