October, how thou flew by!

An entire month without a post! How could this be? I'm leaving tight editing aside in favor of getting word out there since Facebook informs me people "want st. louis updates!"

But let me back up just a bit. Here were some of the ramblings I recall from the month of October . . .

-just resting with Dad on our way out, less than a mile from the trail head, was such a peaceful moment. we often forget to savor these moments and was so needed less than a week from wedding day.

-our wedding weekend was magical, from our pre-wedding photo session to the rehearsal dinner and then the wedding day itself. just magical. my sis, Jess, captured much of the day on her blog.

-our wedding night retreat, Winvian, was amazing -- just like you'd picture such a secluded, special place.

-Hawaii lived up to its reputation as a place of spectacular heights and enchanting depths. For shots from a volcano's peak to the ocean's floor, check out my picasa album.

-packing up my life and moving halfway across the country in three days was an amazing feat made possible only through my husband's perseverance and Mom's packing and wrapping expertise.

Now, for St. Louis. I'll post more house pictures once we fully move in (there are a few pictures that still need to be hung into a brick wall and a certain curtain rod to be wrestled with). The photo above is shot from our dining room, across the porch. The leaves are still brilliantly colored out here. I'm excited to go backpacking this weekend and enjoy the foliage. We're also going to check out South Missouri wineries post-backpacking.

Days here have consisted of admiring Japanese wrapping and packing efficiency, finding creative ways to stuff paper into the slots of the recycling bin in the alley behind our house, finding new homes for gently used goods, scoping out job prospects, waiting for handymen to fix the porch light or set up internet access, and checking out various ministries associated with our church, New City Fellowship. We've explored a couple of St. Louis' fine dining establishments and appreciated the eclecticism from Vietnamese pho to traditional BBQ.

Arriving just in time for the St. Louis Cardinals to win the World Series was also pretty sweet. This is a city that LOVES its Cards. For example, walking to Bed, Bath, & Beyond on Saturday I saw a woman in a Cards t-shirt with a bright red cast on her presumably broken arm. We watched Game 7 at a "stoop party" on a screen rigged up on the side of a neighbor's house.

This transition has been an interesting one full of shifting identifiers, new cultures, saying hello to so much and goodbye to much, as well. I was thankful for one friend's comments to not be alarmed if things feel a bit odd at first. It's fun to have a buddy with whom to approach life. It's a blessing to partner with John who loves the LORD so dearly and me so nearly. It's tough to be without a job and to spend much time on domestic concerns. It's tough to go about setting up a life all over again. It's a blessing to have family and friends who check in on me. Life is progressing as it has wont to do and I'm so blessed and enjoying it.