And the search is on..................

And the search is on......Where to live?  So we know we wanna move.  We know we want less traffic, little more affordable cost of living, less population, preferably something out a little ways with a bigger city a ways away for all the stuff we need on occasion.  We want friendly, safe, and happy.  Eric wants fishing close by:)  So we are trying to decide where it shall be.  SOOOOO many choices in this world.  Eric says no east coast.  We debate going where we have already been or trying something new....

South Dakota is near the top of our list.  We lived in a few places there near black hills and LOVED IT!!! Wouldn't have left if we could have found a ranch job in the area at the time.  I love sturgis, deadwood, hillcity, etc.  Our good friends have since moved to Beulah wyoming though.  Not that that is very far but be nice to be closer to them.  We like the outer areas but Rapid is good for everything you may need for stores, and jobs.  

Western Wyoming-  I lived in Jacksonhole and LOVED LOVED LOVED IT!!! Amazing place.  But with that good paying jobs can be hard to come by and cost of living is HIGH!  

Eastern Idaho- I lived near Ririe, Idaho and again loved it.  Beautiful, snow, sun, and great people.   But again jobs not greatest pay and places out of town hard to find for rent.  But do have some good friends there.

Western Colorado- We both loved the state but the cost of living was soooooooooooooooooo darn high unless you lived near grand junction or larger city and we didn't care for that area.  

I know picky, picky, picky.  There are so many options and they will all have there ups and downs. 

Other places we haven't lived but are thinking about

Outer areas of Bend Oregon- love the climate, mt bachelor, the sisters, etc  Not sure on the affordability or housing availability. Also not sure of jobs.  We are starting to research that some.

There are tons of places I would love to see and try but moving a lot gets expensive and old:)  I wouldn't mind western Montana, Kentucky, Georgia, etc.  I took one of those where should you live quizes and it said I should live in Alaska:)  I think it would be BEAUTIFUL up there but from what I heard not on the affordable side:)

So for now lots of praying and research!!!

I don't belong

I have really always known that I don't belong here and don't fit in with most of my family and friends here.  I am trying to become ok with that.  Lately there have been so many things said, done or just shown to me that are reassuring me and letting me let go.  Of course you always want to fit in, you always want to be loved and wanted, etc.  But sometimes you just don't belong.  In reality a lot of it is me and I know that.  I just have come to a point in life I don't want to be part of things that I morally don't feel is good or right.  I don't want to be judgmental or snobby either.  In the end I just don't want to feel uncomfortable or worried in my life.  Here I feel sooooooo anxious, worried, sad, and such.  People talk behind your back, you get left out, etc.  It hurts me deeply. I am wayyyyyyy to sensitive.  It also makes me be someone I don't want to be.  I don't want to gossip about others, hurt others, or participate in things that make others uncomfortable.
   Also the hustle and bustle and life style in this area is definitely not my style.  I miss the slower paced life, the friendly people that wave at you when you pass them on the road, not taking 2 hours to go 20 miles in traffic.  I am NOT built for this.  But even more my handsome is NOTTTTTTTT built for this.  He has always been so layed back and easy going but moving here he has become a different man.  I don't want that for either of us.  We both like the slower, country life.  So now we are trying to decide where would be the best place for us.  We both LOVED South Dakota but we are open to options.  We will look at Wyoming, eastern Oregon, Idaho? who knows:)  We just want a more country easy going lifestyle.  That is where we belong:)  We are going to pray and do some looking around.  Just need to find a good place with job options and affordable housing.  So for now we are going through things in the house and getting rid of things we don't need and doing some research on places to live.  We are both nervous but excited:)  It has been frustrating to move in the past but when we look back we wouldn't change it for the world as we have gotten to do and see so many awesome things and we have met some great friends and people along the way.
   So we shall see where we will end up next:)

Have a Paw-some Valentines Day!!!

Duke says Have a Paw-some Valentines Day!!!!

I'm Still Alive

Wow has it been a crazy begging to this year.  I have picked up more hours at work so I keep extra busy.  Yes I said work.  I have been working part time for a while at an Arabian farm.  I worked there years ago for 4 years as barn manager.  With my arms sooooo messed up I can't work in the barn now, but I am the office manager and then help when needed with the horses and such.  Hoping maybe things will get better with my arms with time and allow me to work more directly with the horses.  It has been 2 1/2 years though so I have to look at the possibility the issues in my arms will be permanent.  I don't want to accept that and I work to try and make things better but I also can't fool myself with hardly any strength and horrible pain.  Even working 3 days a week has been a HUGE challenge with pain and problems:(  But I do enjoy being around the horses and feeling useful.
   Eric is finally back home all the time now.  We had made the decision to move north for his job but then his boss pulled some really crappy stuff and didn't pay him what he was told he would be paid so we decided to just stick around here for now.  So it has been stressful and crazy.  We are praying for guidance in where the LORD wants us next.  We both feel like Oregon and busy places are not for us.  Everywhere has its thing right, but I don't care for the hustle and bustle so much.  There is a lot to that feeling but some of it I honestly just don't want to get into now:)
  I guess I just want to feel like I belong and feel like I am home.  As a christian I realize this is not "our home" and really we never "belong"  but I do believe we are given peace and joy here to.  I just feel as though I have not found that place yet.  I think the closest for sure and where I am pulled to is South Dakota.  We LOVED LOVED LOVED it there and if we could have found work there when things went south on the ranch we would have never left.  I loved the pace, loved the weather, loved the people, it was just a great place and we have great friends( more like family) we left behind there.  I don't regret any of the places we have been for sure.  I wish things had gone differently sometimes but in the big picture we have seen and lived in some AMAZING places and for that I would not trade it.  But it would be nice to have a place of our own.  A place to not only call home but feel at home.  A place I can paint and decorate and make my own:)  I REALLY hope GOD has that in our future for us:)  I don't know what the next year will bring but looking back on my life, I can say it always is full of surprises.
   I need to get back into blogging and keep updating things but it has been crazy.  I will try harder:)   Hope everyone's 2014 has started out well.  May it be a year of much growth and many blessings!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

It has been a rough week so I did not get any posts done to review 2013 I may still do that in 2014.  May everyone have a VERY blessed New Year!!!

Christmas week already!!

I can't believe it is almost here already.  I don't know about anyone else but this Christmas season just hasn't seemed like Christmas.  No one really seems in the spirit this year:(  I drive around and not many decorations, not very many people wishing holiday greetings and saying Merry Christmas.  It just seems kind of sad this year.  I try and remember the real reason for the season and that his spirit is what should show especially this time of year.  So I have tried to keep my spirit and enjoy the Christmas season:)
   It does make you miss those you love that can't be with you for all reasons.  So I try and reflect a lot this time of year on what I have learned and what I want to change and work on in the next year.  May everyone have a VERY VERY blessed Christmas full of love, laughter and many memories.  May we all remember the true reason for the season!!! Christ our LORD!

Its that season of hustle and bustle and gleaming lights:)   I love the Christmas season and I love to show my Christmas spirit. So this is what we got done on the house this year:)  Our house is actually really fun for decorating but it does lack enough outdoor plug ins:)  But here are a few pics of the decorations this year.

Yes rudolph is taller than the house roof.  He is 12' tall:)

And Santas stable is 18' long:)  Love it!!! This one is new this year.

This is in remembrance of my old Dog Kohanna that went to heaven little over a year ago.