“Well it’s been the longest day,
And I feel so far away;
I wanna go,
So won’t you take me there…”
–Wideawake
 
Katie has moved to Austin! Whew, it has been a week since my last post, and it’s been a week filled with much excitement.
 
I flew to New Mexico last Friday and spent the weekend with Katie and her family. Her brother, Jordan, and his wife, Tammy, with their twin daughters, Ava and Addison, were in town, as well as her sister Courtney and her two sons, Nathan and Adam. On Saturday Katie’s family and I surprised Katie with a going-away/bridal shower party, and she didn’t discover our secret plans, so it was great!
 
Then Sunday Katie and I made the long drive through southern New Mexico and western Texas to Austin. It was a long haul, but the company was good.
 
This past week has been busy each day with Katie settling into her new home (thanks Gretencords!), learning her way around town, and meeting people. This morning, I took Katie to the airport for her youth conference in Kentucky–she is conducting two workshops, and they are really cool. My favorite one is called “It’s fun to be a girl, and why our culture can’t stand that”.
 
Both of them are teaching Catholic girls (and any guys brave enough to go to them) about how God created them and how they can grow to become truly fulfilled, by following our Lord and not the culture, and how they can in turn transform the culture to lead others to the truth, specifically by embracing the wonder and beauty of true femininity and womanhood. They have a great role model in Katie!
 
The week has been so busy that both me and Katie got knocked off our rockers at different times, but Jesus has consoled, comforted, guided, protected, and blessed us each day as we have gotten to receive him at Mass almost everyday. I caught a small glimpse this week of how much I need him and how much I need to turn to him for help throughout the day–I don’t know how I lived as an atheist for so many years without his grace.
 
We also got to go out looking for the house that will be our first home together! Big Jeff drove us around and showed them to us, and Katie and I are both so excited about finding the perfect first home for us and our future family, please God. 
 
Next week we will be meeting more people and continuing our home search, as well as finding a job for Katie.
 
Here are some pictures from the weekend in New Mexico before we left for Texas:
 
God created a beautiful rainbow for us to the east of their house:

 
Jordan feeds Addi (I think) while Ben chills out:

 
Part of the Seltzer family who celebrated with us at Katie’s surprise bridal shower. Amy and her husband Chris have an awesome Catholic license plate with the acronym for “Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam”, the motto for the Jesuit order:

Katie’s dear piano teacher, Ruth, and Marianne and her mother and nephew Adam

Joan Kateri playing with Nathan–Nathan was trying to put the yellow pail on top of Joan’s head as a hat

Joan and Nathan again

The Seltzers in the foreground and the Batesons in the background

Sister Wendy and Jean getting ready for the flashback slideshow where I got to see how cute Katie was growing up

Courtney talking with Jean and Wendy

Tammy and Courtney playing with their children–this was the first time I got to meet my future nieces, Addi and Ava, and they are so adorable. I fed Ava and burped her, which was fun, though I didn’t change any diapers.

Pops hitting the ball to play fetch with their dog, Sam:

 
My beloved princess and future queen, Katie, looking pensive by the cpu.