Good morning!

My mom found this video on YouTube and shared it with me, and watching it was a great start to my day. It kind of ties in to my last post about being unable to look around at God's creation without praising him. Hope you enjoy it, too!

My Love Affair With Colorado

"If God doesn't live in Colorado, I'll bet that's where He spends most of His time... If by chance you dare to be there, high upon the mountain, I swear that you can hear the angels sing." ~Merle Haggard, "Colorado"

I realized this morning that I haven't posted anything to the blog in a while. I guess I've been busy enjoying my new home and reflecting on the glory of God. Three months since having moved to Colorado Springs, I'm still just as in love with this area as when I first visited a year ago. I find that when I look out my window or go for a run with Max, I can't help but praise God for His beautiful creation.

Some of what I love about Colorado:

1. Colorado attracts visitors. Since moving up here, my brother has stayed with us, Aaron's family has flown up twice, my mom and dad made the long drive, and we even had a chance to show Aaron's grandparents our new home. We've had visitors the last three weekends in a row, and it's been so much fun! We hope this trend continues.

2. Colorado overflows with wildlife. Every day, I get to observe deer from just a few feet away, see squirrels run across the road, and watch cute bunnies munch the grass in our front yard. Yes, our front yard. Which brings me to #3...

3. We bought our first house here! Aaron and I expected to spend months looking for our first place, but we ended up finding "the one" and making an offer within just two days. It is located only steps from Ute Valley Park, a beautiful mixture of pine-tree-shaded trails and open meadows, and has one of the most beautiful backyards I've ever seen. We have aspen trees, pine trees, huge blue spruces, and some others I can't identify. We've also enjoyed the hot tub, fireplace, and vaulted ceilings. Plus, a sign that this home was meant to be ours is how great Max's log-cabin-style doghouse looks beside the backyard trees and redwood deck. Owning a home is already promising to be a lot of work (we have lots of cosmetic updates planned), but we are so excited to finally be at this stage of our lives and can actually imagine staying in this house for many years to come.

4. Max and I love running in the cold. Yesterday, it snowed -- in September. And when I got up this morning, the temperature outside was 36. I pulled out my cold weather running gear, bundled up, and took Max over to Ute Valley Park. During the warmer summer months, I found myself virtually dragging him behind me when I ran, but not today -- he was pulling me instead! I loved the feeling of cool air on my cheeks and felt absolutely invigorated when I arrived home.

5. People are friendly (and active). After all, we haven't lived anywhere else where we've been invited to a neighbor's home for dinner within our first week of residency (thanks, Vicki!). The day we met the neighbor on one side of our house, she'd just finished running the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure at Garden of the Gods. Our neighbors on the other side were out playing catch in the street. It's become typical to see people running and biking throughout the city (including commuter bicyclists braving intense rain).

6. Colorado is dog-friendly. Max is always meeting new friends out on the trails, and the dog parks here are really cool. One that we visited contained a creek in which the dogs could play.

7. Cockroaches don't inhabit Colorado. Since these creatures make my skin crawl, I am excited to report that I have not seen any here so far.

That isn't to say that everything been easy since we've been here. For one, I still haven't found the right job yet (the recession seems to be hitting hard here), but I believe that God knows the deepest passions of my heart and will be faithful. I just have to be patient and trust in Him. And in the meantime, I'm sure enjoying the free time!

Aaron and I praise and thank God for everything with which He has blessed us, and we hope you'll stop by our new place very soon.

~ C