This story started nearly a decade ago, if not earlier, when a young man began wooing his new wife to become a future resident of the Pacific Northwest.
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Strangers.
A few years later I'm wrapping up a job in the Sunshine State. My fiancé and I are packing for a move to North Carolina so he can become better acquainted with my folks. Within the year we're married, he's joined the military, and we're essentially playing hopscotch around the country.
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Strangers.
A few years later I'm wrapping up a job in the Sunshine State. My fiancé and I are packing for a move to North Carolina so he can become better acquainted with my folks. Within the year we're married, he's joined the military, and we're essentially playing hopscotch around the country.
My family has an unspoken tradition: Move out and aim for a radius of at least 5-10 hours away from your nearest blood relative. New Jersey – Florida – Maryland – Nevada – North Carolina, being away from family was just part of life as I knew it. When Zach received orders to Fort Hood, Texas, it wasn't a big deal. New place, new faces, repeat.
Little did I know.
Little did I know.
Z and I were, what I have affectionately termed, church shopping. We were checking out FBC* in Copperas Cove when I heard someone call my name.... Growing up a Shelly is not too different from growing up a Heather, or an Ashley. The exception being I was always Shelly, not Shelly B., not Shelly M., just Shelly. Only having previously met maybe 3 Shellys in 24 years of life, it took me a bit to process that the name being called was not my own. There was another Shelly, also a brunette, on the other side of the class. Every bit my foil, and every bit about to become one of my best friends. Fast forwards a banquet, a deployment, two moves, a few months later, and we're at the Tindall's most weekends. We adore this dear family.
Somethings aren't meant to last.
My Dad is known for saying, “I firmly believe that God says, 'I tell you to do it, and you go and do it. Leave the results up to me.'” Well God had planted a seed for Ben Tindall to move to Washington years ago. Much like the Titan Arum, aka The Corpse Flower, that calling had finally bloomed into an exciting revelation of why and where the Tindall family needed to live.** Words cannot properly express how excited I am for the purpose God has in relocating this dear family to Washington State. Yet, also like The Corpse Flower, along with the beauty, is my personal sadness in seeing them leave.
My Dad is known for saying, “I firmly believe that God says, 'I tell you to do it, and you go and do it. Leave the results up to me.'” Well God had planted a seed for Ben Tindall to move to Washington years ago. Much like the Titan Arum, aka The Corpse Flower, that calling had finally bloomed into an exciting revelation of why and where the Tindall family needed to live.** Words cannot properly express how excited I am for the purpose God has in relocating this dear family to Washington State. Yet, also like The Corpse Flower, along with the beauty, is my personal sadness in seeing them leave.
Semper Fidelis - Semper Gumby
I have been very blessed by multiple friends willing to join me in cross country drives while Z has been away. One thing led to another, and what had originally been an idea to take a quick drive up and over with Shelly T. and The Mini-Tindalls, quickly transformed into a plan for living with them for 2-ish months. If my husband had to go away for 3 months, it might as well happen when some of our besties could benefit from a live-in babysitter.
Moving to a new part of the country and living with someone can be an unparalleled learning experience. Discovering how much my friend adores breakfast sausage. (Seriously they bought e-v-e-r-y type of breakfast sausage Fred Meyer had in order to discover which regional variety was their new favorite. Ha!)
I have been very blessed by multiple friends willing to join me in cross country drives while Z has been away. One thing led to another, and what had originally been an idea to take a quick drive up and over with Shelly T. and The Mini-Tindalls, quickly transformed into a plan for living with them for 2-ish months. If my husband had to go away for 3 months, it might as well happen when some of our besties could benefit from a live-in babysitter.
Moving to a new part of the country and living with someone can be an unparalleled learning experience. Discovering how much my friend adores breakfast sausage. (Seriously they bought e-v-e-r-y type of breakfast sausage Fred Meyer had in order to discover which regional variety was their new favorite. Ha!)
Realizing I am not a super chill artsy “Type B,” but am in fact a “Type A” with a death grip on what color something should be. (Surprise!) Finding out how many-many-many-many-many varieties of trees there are. (What do you mean there's more than one type of pine tree? What in the world was That Thing?!) And then, of course, there's coming to terms with how much I love this family.
Le sighe
Le sighe
October and November flew by, and then it was time to do some flying of my own. We had a double dose of saying goodbye – a story for another time. I'm dreaming of future days when we'll be reunited with our beloved friends. In the mean time, here's to the future sharing of our adventures from yesteryear.
* - First Baptist Cove, If you're ever in the area I recommend giving them a go.
** - I will probably share more in the coming weeks and months about what they'll be doing there. If the suspense is just too much, you can always pop on over to their website by clicking the button below:
* - First Baptist Cove, If you're ever in the area I recommend giving them a go.
** - I will probably share more in the coming weeks and months about what they'll be doing there. If the suspense is just too much, you can always pop on over to their website by clicking the button below: