nebraska :: the good life

Wow, I need to stop blogging so much. A few posts every 2 years? It's outrageous. Right now feels like a good time for that trend to end. We are starting a new chapter of our lives, why not start a new chapter of our blog? I mean we are living in Nebraska, it's the next best thing to Paris, you know. So here we go...welcome to Lincoln, NE. Where the corn is abundant and the squirrels rule the land. And then there is Husker Football.

We left jobs and friends and family and lives in Provo so Ross could attend grad school at UNL. He is getting his Masters in Mechanical Engineering and we should be here for 2 years. So far, so good. Ross is enjoying his classes and research, and I enjoy people watching on campus when I visit him. BYU kind of had that "everyday is a fashion show" kind of feel, and here everyone wears workout clothes all. the. time. and I love it. I haven't seen any flannel/cartoon pajama wearers yet, so things are looking good.

Moving is weird. You load up all of your stuff and drive it hundreds of miles away to a place you have never seen or heard much about, and dump that stuff in a smokey apartment and boom call it home. All of the stuff from our old apartment is here, but it is not old apartment-y. (Except we do have a dishwasher now, which is changing our lives). The other day I was cutting vegetables for dinner and had an overwhelming ache for our old apartment. I moaned and groaned about it being a garden level apartment but shoot was that place cozy. And so full of LIFE. It was like our little bear cave that protected us while we figured out marriage, careers, successes, and failures. Last weekend Ross had a show in Idaho, so he flew into Salt Lake and then drove with the guys up to Idaho. I asked him if it was weird being dropped off at the airport at the end of the weekend instead of driving back to Provo with the guys. He said "Kind of, but home is wherever you are". Ain't that the truth. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes think so too. We'll make new memories here and it will be full of new successes, new adventures, new laughs, and new lessons. They're already happening and our little apartment is already feeling more full.

So here's to new adventures and living in the friendliest place I've ever experienced. Seriously, midwesterners [and people temporarily living in the midwest], you have that kindness thing figured out. Also, here's to the best corn on the cob we have ever tasted.

And now some pictures of our final provo days/first nebraska days

  oh martha, oh mountains

wish I had gotten more goodbye photos with the amigas. byeee roommate

 final adventure with our sweet neighbors. we love the cul-de-sac!

these guys were moving pros! so fast. and so much stuff.

 Last time locking up that door. also, beard

 we have loved visiting this temple and learning about the pioneer history that happened here. a very sacred place.

 and all of Lincoln's retired community for $1 hot dog meals

our state fair is a great state fair, don't miss it, don't even be late

but seriously, the Nebraska state fair was top notch. 

 and then the sun shines and you lose all control of your eyes. apparently my camera experiences it also.

 Ross had a show in Texas for a weekend, so my mom came out to keep me company. It was so fun to explore Lincoln with her and show her our new home.

Thanks for coming to play, mom! 

 that's why they call it the capitol city

contrary to popular belief, I do own more clothes than that striped shirt

most importantly, can we talk about how perfect those pumpkins are?

Now get out here and come visit us!