Ch-Ch-Changes...

Our only certainty in life is change, and Aaron and I are facing a great deal of it right now. It's official; in late June, after having lived in Albuquerque for over three years, we will be packing up our belongings and heading north to Colorado Springs. The move is bittersweet, to say the least.

I'll admit that when we first moved to Albuquerque from Tucson, I was not thrilled with our new home. In addition to experiencing a bit of culture shock, I missed my friends and family back in Arizona. Fast forward three years: We belong to an awesome church community, which is undergoing some very exciting changes right now; I work with an incredible group of people at the newswire; we rescued who has proved to be the best dog in the world from a local shelter; and I crave green chile like I never imagined I would. It was here in New Mexico that I received my first set of golf clubs, acquired a taste for wine (thank you, New Mexico Wine Festival!), started learning to downhill ski, began running, and developed a love of Texas-style barbecue. It was here that I baked my first from-scratch apple pie and hosted my first family Christmas. I do not have the words (which, as you know, is rare for me!) to express how thankful I am to all the wonderful people in Albuquerque who welcomed Aaron and me into their community and helped transform it from a place I wanted to escape to the place that I now call "home." This state, and this city in particular, will forever hold a place in my heart.

At the same time as I am sad to leave Albuquerque, I am excited about the experiences that await Aaron and me as we travel to a new city, full of unfamiliar places and unfamiliar faces. God clearly called us to Colorado Springs, and I cannot even begin to imagine what He has planned for us there. After a couple of road trips, we now have an address in Colorado Springs. We will be staying in a spacious condo with plenty of room for visitors, mountain views, and a running trail right outside. While Aaron works, I will be finishing my MBA (last day of class is Aug. 23 - woo!), looking for a job, and exploring the area with Max. We will also need a new church, so if you have any suggestions, we are all ears!

Thank you for all your support and prayers,

Christina (& Aaron)

The Latest Buzz

Our trip to Cancun in June has become a casualty of the swine flu scare. Instead of selecting a different destination, my company decided to postpone the trip until October, so chances are that Aaron and I will not be able to participate. However, I did receive a very nice glass plaque and the following embarrassing-but-cool recognition:


Yes, that is Times Square in New York, and yes, that is me (albeit an old headshot from my days as a private banker at Wells).

In other news, we had a salsa contest at work today to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Aaron made both our spicy salsa and a toned-down version that I thought might better appeal to the non-Southwest natives at the office. Since I left at 3 pm, I have not heard who won, but based upon people's feedback, I would not be surprised if we were victorious. What I didn't tell Aaron is that this was the first test to see if we can someday either (a) open our own salsa company, or (b) open our own Mexican restaurant...

Speaking of Aaron, he takes his boards on May 11, and I have been proud of his diligent studying. We are fairly certain now that we will be moving to Colorado Springs, but we have not been able to set a definite date yet; a few question marks must be erased first. With the weather getting warmer here in Albuquerque, I can hardly wait. Today, it was only in the low 80s, I think, but I felt so hot that I decided to wait until the sun went down to go running.

I also started a new marketing class this week, and it looks like it will demand a ton of time. This week alone, I have eight journal articles to read - averaging about 15 pages each - as well as a chapter of our class text. Then, I have to write 250-500 words about each one. On top of that, I have collaborative assignments, too. I hope that the course content is interesting, at least! I would also like to thank my loved ones in advance for understanding if I am somewhat antisocial for the next eight weeks; I am trying my best to juggle it all.

I am already short on sleep, so I am going to wrap up now, but I wish you a happy Cinco de Mayo!