I live in Nebraska?!

I still picture our home to be in our little apartment in Orem, Utah. Sometimes, I wake up in the morning and think we are there. At the grocery store, the gas station, or the pharmacy I keep thinking I see people that I know- family and friends from home- and then I remember... that it can't be them cause they don't live here.

It just doesn't feel real to me yet that we live here.

I live in Nebraska.

For years now, I have had this "Today I feel..." magnet on our fridge. It cost me $1 in the dollar section at Target. It's silly, and I probably wouldn't have kept it for this long except Maddie seems to really love it whenever she has come to visit.

Maddie: "Ashley, how do you feel today? Hungry? Fat?! Ha, ha, ha." (As she proceeds to laugh hysterically.)

I just love it.

So, this picture is for her.

And, here is my answer these days Mads- I feel ZANY.

Absolutely and completely zany. I guess it is from the move. My life just feels in a constant state of "newness?" (I don't know how else to describe it?)

Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad thing. We really like it here. So far, I really like it here. For the next year Columbus, Nebraska is our home and so far there are quite a few things that I really like about it. So, I decided to make a little list.

10 things that I LOVE about Columbus, Nebraska: (so far :) )

#1- The first thing I noticed and automatically loved about Nebraska is all the trees. There are no mountains, or hills, or absolutely anything like that here, like Utah, but there are tons, and tons, and tons of beautiful, huge trees. They line the streets and fill the neighborhoods and I think they are gorgeous and a very enjoyable part of Nebraska.

#2- There are lightning bugs here! There are definitely no lightning bugs in Utah. I love sitting outside at night with Justin and Keat and watching for lightning bugs in our yard. I also have really enjoyed when we have been driving at night and I've been able to look out into all the farm fields- there are tons and tons of lightning bugs out there! It's fun and makes me happy for sure.

#3- We have air conditioning here! Which is a very 1st for us since we have been married. It was almost torture in our last apartment with how hot it would get in the summertime! On the very worst days our temperature gauge in our apartment would read anywhere from 90 degrees to 97 degrees!!! I honestly don't know how I did it?! Having central air is a dream. :) It is quite humid here (as my hair can attest to), and because of the heavy humidity having air conditioning (in my opinion) is just that much better.

 #4- We have a dishwasher! Need I say more? We have never had a dishwasher before either.

#5- (This is kinda a silly one, but nonetheless...) Our mailbox is right outside our front door. At our old apartment we had to walk around the block to get to our mailbox, and although that isn't the worst thing ever :) it is quite convenient to have the mailbox so close by. Plus, it also means that we have a walking (for lack of a better word?) mailman, which I happen to think is quite fun.

#6- There are bunnies hopping around all over the place here- in our backyard, at the parks, and in the fields. It's so cute! I keep telling Justin that he needs to catch one for Keaton to have for a pet. :) He says that would be really hard and won't even try for me! (We also see lots of squirrels, and  lots of noisy birds in our yard, which Keaton loves.)

#7- We have the Disney channel! (I've already mentioned this before, but I think it's worth mentioning it again.) We have Disney, Disney XD, and Disney Jr. I love, love, love it. It makes me happy daily. And, since we are finally unfinished packing and all settled in, I finally have a little extra time to watch all things Disney. (Which usually happens during naptime. Justin is a stink and won't let me watch the Disney channel once he gets home from work.) Having the Disney channel also means we have cable. Another 1st. And, although Justin won't admit it, I think he is enjoying watching movies and tv shows with me that we wouldn't be able to watch otherwise, plus I know he will enjoy watching sports in the future. :)

#8- It is quite fun to live in a house. We have 3 floors and so, so, so much room. (It might take me quite a bit longer to clean than our teeny, tiny apartment, which is a negative for me, but it may be the only one. :) ) It's weird, to have so much space, but I've grown to love it already. It's a new, fun, good experience. Plus, it is in fact a cute little house, in a cute little neighborhood, in quaint little Columbus, (emphasis on the little) Nebraska. :)

#9- We can hear the "choo-choo" trains... Okay, so this isn't exactly a "love" about Columbus, Nebraska thing. The trains are close to our house and go by quite frequently all the while blowing their horns as loud as possible- particularly at night. We learned the hard way that it isn't a great idea to leave our windows open at night. (between the trains all through the night and the noisy birds starting at the crack of dawn...). We are getting more and more used to the trains everyday, but there are still nights when I wake up to the sound of the trains horns blowing, and blowing, and blowing all through town. It isn't as annoying anymore (as long as our windows are closed, of course), but it does sometimes scare me a little- like I am waking up from a scary dream just to realize it's just another train. On a more positive note, Keaton gets super, super excited when he hears the trains and looks around and says, "Oooh!" and "Choo-choo." :)

#10- (I am going to kinda combine 2 things in this one.) I am 100% a stay at home mom now. It is amazingly wonderful and I can't help but hoping that is lasts forever. :) And, I have a husband now!
He, he. Just kidding. That is probably not very fair to say. But, with Justin only working now, Keaton and I see him so much more which is so great. We get to do so many more things together as a family now- family dinners, bike rides, walks, movie nights, just purely spending time with Keaton, and we even got gym memberships at the YMCA (which has free daycare, not that Keaton will like it- it is much too much like nursery... we'll see how that goes!).

Happy, happy, happy. That's what all these things make me. Which is good, cause as much as I like it here so far, it is still an adjustment. I have never lived so far away from family and friends, in such a small, unfamiliar place. But, Columbus, Nebraska it is quickly growing on us. And, all these things I love so far, daily put a smile on my face.

P.S. (Instead of adding a #11, but would be very wrong of me not to mention) EVERYONE we have met here- everyone in the branch, our neighbors, Justin's co-workers- has been extremely nice and welcoming to us. We have already made quite a few friends. :)

Columbus, Nebraska feels like home more and more everyday and in a year I fear that we will love it here so much we won't be ready to leave! But, for now, we plan on livin' it up and just enjoying every second of our time here because, like time frequently does, I'm sure it will fly by much too fast!