Thursday, May 24, 2007
ch-ch-ch-changes!
Well . . . since we have some big news and some of you already know and some of you are hearing from people who heard from someone else, we figured it was time to make it official in a blog . . . so, sit back and enjoy – this blog actually contains some things you might be interested in!To start out: no we are not pregnant. So get that out of your head. J
Ok, moving on.
Let's do this in story form (If you get bored easily, just skip down to the paragraph that starts with "The icing on the cake, however, is" . . . that's where the important news is anyway . . . then go down and read "the important details are" esp #6 under "things you should do"):
Once upon a time there was a boy and there was a girl. One day, the boy and the girl met. There are several versions of the story as to how or where they met and what their first impressions were . . . but in time, the boy began to get lost in the girl's eyes and the girl liked the way the boy would touch his chin when he was deep in thought.
After months of coffee, study sessions, music, one unsuccessful fishing trip, the "day it snowed," and some general good times . . . the girl looked at the boy (in the basement of Anna Banana's Coffee house) and said, "You know . . . I think I could go anywhere with you and I would be happy."
They promptly spent the rest of summer far apart, each on a separate coast of the United States. This was not fun. They were reunited that August when the girl picked the boy up at the train station in Portland after his train ride across the country. Their theme album became Counting Crows' "August and Everything After" – and it has been a theme in their relationship ever since (this is important to note for later in the story).
The next year, they studied at different schools, but were inseparable. They took trips to Seattle and to the coast, continued to go to concerts, read books, make music, take trips to the library in the "Book Mobile," spend time with friends, and they began planning a trip to Germany with their friend Niki.
That summer, they again looked forward to August when the boy would join the girl and their friend in Germany. While the girl was away, the boy went to a baseball game with her dad and asked for permission to marry her.
Returning from Europe, the girl got an adult job and the boy continued to go to school. In the spring, they took a spring break trip to San Francisco where the boy asked the girl to marry him. What do you think she said? Why, she said "yes" of course! And they planned their wedding for that August. "August and Everything After" was the theme of the summer.
The Wedding was lovely. If you weren't there, you really should have been. Please know that they missed you terribly.
For the next two and a half years, the boy and the girl built their life together. With ups and downs, friends and family, success and failure, more schooling for each (the boy finished his BA and the girl became an LMT), another trip to Europe, several other road trips and adventures. They lived in a beautiful home full of joy, hope, love, laughter, good conversation, The Crew, coffee and friendship. They continued to make music, art, coffee, good food, and dreams together.
This Spring, the boy finished his Master's Thesis. He successfully defended his thesis in front of a panel of his mentors, teachers and colleagues. He also successfully finished his studies for his Master's of History with a 4.0 (that's all A's if you were wondering). He will be celebrating the end of his career at Portland State University this June! The girl is so proud!
The icing on the cake, however, is that along with these successes, the boy has also been offered a Fellowship at Brown University in Providence Rhode Island. This means he will be able to study for his PhD at an Ivy League School – and he will be getting PAID to do it. The girl could not be more proud!
This brings us back to the theme in the story: August and Everything After.
The boy and the girl will be moving to Rhode Island in August. They will begin a great adventure into the Everything After and they are excited, nervous, thrilled, honored, apprehensive, and just generally full of adrenaline about it all. They are sad to leave Portland, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest behind . . . but they are excited about the new possibilities waiting for them in New England (one of them being a new puppy!).
Besides, the girl did say to the boy, "I think I could go anywhere with you and be happy." As disgustingly romantic as it sounds . . . it is true. They will be together as a team and this is awesome. They will be able to support each other through all the changes and trials and joys that are waiting for them this coming August and Everything After.
Stay tuned to see what happens next . . .
So, the important details are:
Their tentative plans are to sell most of our things (we will let you know when that will be if you are interested in buying some things from us), put some in storage and then pack the rest of what we own into the Subaru and drive across the country . . .
We will most likely move out of our apartment on July 31st. And we plan to leave Oregon around August 18th (after seeing Tabitha's cousin get married in Grants Pass).
The things you should do:
1) give us your contact information (email, phone numbers, mailing address, whatever) so that we can stay in touch with you
2) buy things from us so that we can pay for the gas it will take to drive across the country (and you will have little mementos to remind you of us after we leave)
3) make plans to hang out with us before we go – we only have about 3 months!!!!
4) make plans to come out to the East Coast to visit us. If there is someone coming to see us at least once a month, we will have something awesome to look forward to every few weeks!
5) oh and if you were hoping to employ Tabitha for a massage (especially if you are holding on to a gift certificate or coupon from her), you may want to book that soon – she will only be practicing in Oregon for 3 more months!
6) this is the most important – take part in the scrap book we are making of our friends, family, home and lives here in the NorthWest. Send us pictures, letters, drawings, ticket stubs, memories, pressed flowers, whatever you like (as long as it is flat and can be included in a 81/2 by 11 notebook) so that we can make a page for you in our scrap book.
You can snail mail or email things to us (if you need those addresses, just let me know).
If you mail things, be sure to send them by the middle of July. We are moving out of our apartment by July 31st and might not get your mail after that – since we will be living nomadically).
We love you!!! We hope to see you a lot before we leave!!!
Here's to August and Everything After,
Jon and Tabitha
say it don't spray it 11:25 AM
8 i heard that
