New Beginnings

“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.”

Well, we are beginning a lot of new things right now in our lives. We just moved to Nashville, TN. That in itself may not seem to big....believe me, it is! Moving to Nashville meant, exactly like the quote above says, deciding not to stay where we were. That was hard because we loved where we were.

Austin, TX couldn't have been any better for us in terms of our social and spiritual lives! We made some of the best friends, which meant many tearful goodbyes (and for me...a 4 hour cryfest as I drove away from the city!) We had an amazing church and small group. Overall, it was a packed year full of love and fun!! But, many of you know all of this! You also know that our professional lives were both going places we never could have imagined!

I was teaching in an inner city school and should just stop there and write a memoir about the year itself! My friend, Katie, and I could fill a book with our experiences. But, I'll keep it short and just tell you this. This past year was one of the most challenging experiences of my life. I have never been in a place where I dreaded going to work, dreaded seeing some of my students, and thought so negatively about my abilities as a teacher. But, in the end, it was probably the most beautiful experience I have ever had as a teacher! I got to see so much, learn so much, and love so much with that class my heart literally fills up every time I think about it!

Cody was still playing bass in a band, but started to feel a tug towards more diverse work as a musician. His goal, since we first visited as 19 year olds, was to be in Nashville! God has sent us to almost every "music" town, except there! He has always had dreams of playing music in a variety of music styles, being a part of production and studio work. He started to notice that there are so many opportunities out there after talking and meeting with some of his friends. After five years of playing in the band, quitting seemed almost insane! But, if we didn't take that leap now, when would we do it!? Who knows, it might not work, it might be insane, or it may just be awesome! So, here we are! Almost 8 years later and he is in Nashville! He is only just beginning, but we are so excited to see what is going to happen.

We have a really cute small apartment in East Nashville that we love! The area is awesome and totally fits our lifestyle. We are so happy to have found it! I got a job, over the phone mind you, to teach 4th grade at a school just outside Nashville. Cody has a few gigs here and there over the summer, with the possibility of one leading into a fall tour, but that is still up in the air.

That is a quick update of what is going on right now. Check back often for updates and pics! Xoxo