Wow . . . it's been over a year. And . . . I'm now . . . back to sea level. Unexpected? Completely. Lots of changes. In April, with the economic picture at my employer looking even gloomier, and with the construction industry tanking causing Robert to get laid off, we decided it was time to leave Colorado and make a new start . . . but we were never looking at Arkansas. I was a finalist for a job in North Carolina . . . that unfortunately went to the interim GC. Then Robert was offered a position in Toronto (but I couldn't practice law there and, with a child to still put through college, I need to practice law for several more years.) Then Robert started looking in Texas, and I started a long process for a position in the Pacific Northwest. Out of the blue, in September, a former colleague told me of a position coming open back home, that, truly, was the only position I could imagine that would take me back to a state I thought I had left for good. I applied and within 4 weeks was making plans to move back home. And would my Canadian ever consider moving to the American South? The first time he ever set foot in the state was the day he flew in to look at houses with me. It was a bumpy time in the relationship . . . big changes. His green card had yet to arrive and, as ICE made very clear, would not be forwarded. So, could he move? He had just started a new job in Denver a couple of weeks before I accepted the job back home. His soccer development business he started over the summer was going gangbusters. What right did I have to do this so suddenly? Love was put to the test. And, thankfully, love won out. Robert threw all caution (reason?) to the wind, quit his job, and moved with me and Bug to Arkansas. The packers were scheduled for Friday, November 5. The green card arrived one day before . . . it was fated.
The loaders arrived on the 6th and mistakenly packed all the bedding and pillows we intended to sleep on that night. So . . . we improvised . . . boy, did we improvise . . . we drove to Colorado Springs to say bye to Robert's daughter and treated ourselves WITH THE BOXERS to a night at The Broadmoor . . . it was FABULOUS . . . absolutely fabulous. And the dogs got a turn down service with beautiful dogs beds, ceramic bowls, gourmet cookies, and gold tags identifying them as "Guests of The Broadmoor". It was hysterical, but wonderful. Other guests' reactions to the Boxers the entire visit was very funny. (Rich doggies, more than 1 person whispered as we passed -- hardly) Bug's birthday was the next morning, so we had the famous Broadmoor Brunch with Robert's daughter. We ate way too much food, said our goodbyes, and made our way back to the room to see if the Boxers had been good or if they had been taken to the security office for unruliness (which the brochure had warned of) . . . We opened the door to the room and two bodies bounded off of the very expensive duvets on our beds (so much for the nice dog beds).
That day and the next were LOOOOOONNNNGGGG days of driving before we finally arrived at our new hometown. Although we arrived on a Monday, we weren't taking possession of the house until Friday. So our very first home (again with the Boxers) was the Embassy Suites. It was a fast week, moved in over the weekend, and I started my new job on Monday (big mistake . . . huge). From then to now, it's been a whirlwind. On Thanksgiving night, Robert and I finally married . . . in our beautiful gardens that came with the house, under an arch he covered in twinkle lights, next to our waterfall that leads to our koi pond. It had rained all day, but quit raining 20 minutes before the Justice of the Peace showed up, and stayed dry until she left after the ceremony at which point the rains flowed again. Again, fated. It was a beautiful, quiet ceremony, attended by Bug and . . . of course, the Boxers.
Here we are in May, and things have not settled down in the time we've been here. Bug and I have both had some fairly serious issues with our spines, oddly enough. Robert worked non-stop on the house and its "projects" for a full 2 months before starting a job that has been difficult, to say the least. My job has been much more challenging than I expected. Bug is trying to make her way through new teachers, new and old friends, and new curriculum. We've had record snowstorms, tornadoes, and flooding, and some days it's really tough to remember why we ever thought we should leave Colorado. But, here I am . . . back at sea level . . . and anxious to see what the future holds.
