Houston, here we come

I know I've mentioned this once or twice in passing in this blog, but I've put off major announcements until we had official news to share. And, well, after months of waiting, wondering, and living off every bit of rumor and gossip we could get our hands (ears?) on, we have official news.

James's first day of work in Houston is on August 1, 2011.

We'll be out of here two weeks before than. The movers will be coming to our place on Friday, July 15th. We'll spend Saturday cleaning up the apartment, turning in keys, and spending those last final moments with family. Then bright and early Sunday morning, July 17th, we'll load up our car and leave Bakersfield.

It's bittersweet. It's a great job move for James. In Houston there is far more potential for him than if we stay in Bakersfield. Plus, the move is also getting him a raise. And Houston has far more culture to introduce our kids to as they grow up. Leaving family behind, though, is a major blemish on our rosy picture. Bakersfield has been my home for 12 years now. It's the longest I've been in any one place. I graduated high school here, met my husband here, graduated college and had my children here. We'll be leaving the comfort of the amazing support system we have here.

There are lots of bonuses, of course, beyond James's job. First, though we'll be on the opposite side of Houston, we'll still be closer to a temple than we are here. And what a pretty temple it is!:

We're also upgrading our apartment for a 1500 sq foot house with a backyard, 2-car garage and access to a washer and dryer that doesn't require a key and a trek across the complex. We submitted a rental application for a place already. We haven't been approved yet, but we foresee no complications ahead:

So, there it is. In 3 1/2 weeks, we'll be gone. It's crazy to consider. I'm both terrified and excited. James has spent the past 2 weeks in Houston and he's excited for us to move there. Wish us luck!