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Sunday, Cobalt and I visited the beach for the first time this year 

This week I’ve been learning how to both live in California (which is coming more naturally than I would have guessed) and how to let go of the material stuff I left behind in Chattanooga (which is much harder than I imagined). More about the former in this post and the latter in the next.


Friday, after five days being in the house by ourselves, we picked up Joel and Katherine Gerlach at the aeroport from visiting Joel’s family in Oregon. This sweet reunion (for we hadn’t been together since July) was enjoyed over Panera broccoli and cheese soup and sandwiches late that night. The following evening we enjoyed a lovely pasta dinner with homemade bread and fresh fruit salad.
First Dinner With Roomies

Along with the Gerlachs, Cobalt and I are quickly becoming accustomed to our new home: The sounds of the neighborhood during the day and night–emphasized by the open windows–are remotely quiet except for kids across the street yelling whilst bouncing basketballs in the evenings; a once-a-day freight train, which parks behind our house in a lumber yard that “tick ticks” throughout the day; the occasional sports car that “vrooms” down our road; and people talking as they walk by our house.

Lots of people walk around our neighborhood! Us included. Cobalt and I love walking the block, observing everyone’s yard and the different plants they have. We can also walk half a mile to the grocery store and a small shopping center if we need to, including Yogurtland.

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Yogurtland is a typical “serve yourself” yogurt place but oh-so-much-better than any I ever went to in TN! Cobalt came up with the delicious idea of bringing along one of our lemons and squeezing it over mango and coconut yogurt :) From now on we will always be bringing our own toppings to save monies and add our own fancy flairs to the chilled treat!

It’s funny to abide so close to our neighbors after living for 2 1/2 years on 1 acre! We can hear conversations through our windows (I’m listening to a guy talk on his phone on speaker through my living room window while I’m typing this) which is super hilarious to eavesdrop…

We now know where things and their “places” are around the house, how the shower and other appliances work and even the route to the grocery and department stores. Cobalt and I still don’t have a bed or bed-frame, home decor or storage containers (a bed is primary at the moment) but, after a week, the Gerlachs and us finally found a fridge; it was delivered to us yesterday! This is the biggest praise, as we’d been living out of a mini fridge for a week. Truly our home is starting to come together. I’m super thankful the Gerlachs had furniture and decor before we moved in!

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Birds of paradise plants are everywhere!

I’m absolutely loving the warm-at-day and cool-at-night weather; it’s definitely keeping our electricity bill lower and our house breezy. Usually the morning is cloudy but by the middle of the day the sun is shining happily. Some days I feel like it’s going to rain; but being the desert, of course it never does. Katherine says the winters here are slightly rainy, so I am looking forward to that! Apparently Tennessee has been hit by “typhoons” since Cobalt and I moved out West; our prayers are with you guys!