Life as we know it.

We're settling into our new home and our new life pretty well here lately. I won't pretend that I haven't had to adjust quite a bit, but I'm getting used to it. I'm already used to our home: remembering where everything is, walking through a room in the dark without tripping over anything, (except maybe a cat) and knowing the layout of the neighborhood. But, of course, as soon as I get used to one thing, something else changes.

Jesse and I have made the decision that we'll no longer be attending Eastside after next Sunday. It's not just because of the long drive, although that definitely is a factor. There's a really small congregation here in Franklin that would really benefit from having us. (Wow, that sounds egotistical.) They could use another song leader, and Jesse is a wonderful singer. There are tons of little kids and the preacher has triplets, and I love being surrounded by babies, so I'm very much in my element. It'll be hard to leave a couple of the people at Eastside, but really, I'll get over it. Quickly. It's been made easier by the fact that we were gone from Eastside for two weeks, and not a single person checked in on us to see why we hadn't been at services. Even my close friends didn't contact me. It made me realize that our presence there is virtually unnoticed. It won't hurt Eastside if we leave...they won't even feel a difference. There are a couple people there who have always said, "You can't leave Eastside! I'd be so sad!" but they turn down our invitations to hang out on a regular basis. Their only interraction with us is for a couple minutes after worship ends, before they rush off to lunch with their friends. And I guess that was my biggest hesitation in leaving, that my already-weak friendships will die off in a hurry. It shouldn't be that way, and it's not fair that my friendships should be determined by where I attend services, but that's life. When I lived in Bowling Green, we spent lots of time together and honestly, it was wonderful. But I can't control my friends and force them to make more effort. I guess I didn't realize how much of a factor convenience is for a relationship, but I sure do now. Moving to Franklin already made a huge shift in the dynamics of my relationships, but going to a new congregation will basically be the total end of it. It was hard for me to get past the "but I don't wanna" in my head, and go for the "this is what's best in the long run". It's challenging for me to give up on my own happiness in order to serve God better, but I know that leaving Eastside is the right thing to do. I just wish I could bring my friends with me.

I need to stop writing this and go take a shower so that I can get to the courthouse. I need to get my license updated with my new address. I hope I don't have to have cash to get it done, because I don't have any and we don't have a branch of our bank in this town. I have to update my license anyhow, but I'm mostly doing it today so that I can fill out some paperwork at my new job. I'm leaving the world of house-wifery for a while and heading back into retail. (Rite Aid, to be precise.) I would rather just stay home, but if I work, we can pay student loans more quickly and get them out of the way. Since that's our only debt, it'd be nice to get rid of it and not have to worry about any other payments other than monthly bills. We'll also put some of my paycheck in savings and build up some money for when kids come along, or unexpected expenses arise. Hopefully the job will be pretty basic, and I won't have any trouble learning new ropes. The manager seems super nice, so that's always a plus.

If you're actually still reading by now, +1000 internet points to you.