Houston

Once upon a time, there was a girl and she blogged. Then real life hit her and she fell off the face of the earth. Then a beautiful and peaceful Sunday happened, and she decided to get back on the horse.

That girl, is me.

But here I am again to share some exciting news...

Keith LeGrone got a job. A job that will provide for us after we get married. A job that provides opportunity, promise, and adventure. A job that is in Houston, Texas.

(glass shattering) I repeat...Houston, Texas.

If you have been anywhere near me in the past 4 months, you have buckled up on the emotional roller coaster of my demeanor towards this endeavor that lies ahead. I have gone from resistant to supportive. Scared to at peace. Team negativity to team positivity. It's been a ride to say the least. 

I have had to keep this news on the down low for a few months because of my current job as a teacher  But that changes tomorrow when I tell my principal. I also wasn't sure how to tell such big news to all the people I love. Do I tell them with one hundred percent excitement so they will know it is God's best for Keith and I? Do I tell them with tears of fear so they know I'm terrified of leaving everything and everyone I know and love? These questions filled my brain and created paralysis within me. So if you are reading this and feel hurt that you are finding out this way, hear me when I say I'm sorry. If you found out from someone else and feel offended, I'm sorry. I'm new at all of this real life adult stuff. 

Now that that is behind us, here is some more information on how I'm feeling on this Sunday afternoon. I'm so excited to call Keith LeGrone my husband. I'm so excited to be known as Keith LeGrone's wife. We have been apart for so long and have done life separately and while it was beautiful and God worked in our hearts in that time, I'm so ready to be in a place where we are known as Keith and Nicole LeGrone. Where we are a team and a unit. There is no I. There is only we. And that part excites me and scares me, but mostly excites me because being a we with Keith is better than being an I by myself. Could all of these things exist in North Carolina with everyone we know and love? Of course it could. It would be so much easier that way as well. We have community here. We have family here. We have friends here. But being in a place where all I have is God, the Father and Keith, my husband is going to develop my faith and my love for Keith in a beautiful and difficult way. I am confident that the Lord has beautiful and FULL life for us in Houston. Not an easy life. And life in Raleigh wouldn't be easy but it would be familiar. I'm so thrilled to be in a place of vulnerability and dependency on God and Keith. I'm scared, but thrilled. Kind of like the excitement you get on the drop zone. I'm excited to explore a new city and create a home that is unique to our marriage. I'm excited to go to Dillon High School and cheer on the Panthers and Coach Taylor. (No I didn't watch season 4 or 5 so I root for the panthers, not the lions). I'm excited to find a church and learn what it means to serve in the body of Christ. I'm excited to have children and raise them with my best friend. (Don't worry, that is a long ways away). I'm just excited to be. You're probably thinking, Where's the poop, Robin? (HIMYM reference for you). The poop is, I'm scared of not knowing what I'm going to do as a career. I'm scared of not knowing anyone. I'm scared of getting in fights with Keith and not having anywhere to run and hide. I'm scared of being so far away. I'm scared driving there (they drive like crazy people). But with all of that fear I have a God who promises a good and full life for me and a future husband who supports me in everything I do. 

But hey, it's only Sunday. Who knows how I'll feel tomorrow. Also, Keith and I went to Houstonia over MLK weekend to look for a place to live and just explore. I think I need to have an entirely different post about that to fully explain how amazing and scary, but mostly amazing that trip was. Here are some snapshots that I withheld from social media...

 

K,

You knew the dramatic and italicized love soliloquy to you was coming. These past few months have been an adventure to say the least. We have gone back and forth on who is down in the dumps about Houston and who is pulling the other one up, encouraging the other to see the the life God has for us there. It's going to be Niagra Falls one of these days when we are both feeling sad. But through all the mucus and tears, we will have each other, and from my end...it seems like a good deal to me. You are an amazing man and I can' wait to not have to say goodbye anymore. And while we have to say many goodbyes to other people, we don't have to say goodbye to each other. I can't wait to see all of the things we are going to do and all of the amazing lives we are going to touch. I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else. I love you LeGrone. Only a few more months! (insert drop zone anticipation pit in stomach here). 

N