Why Redding saved my life...

Yes, Redding has changed me.

Many of you know our story, and many of you probably don't. So for those who have not yet enjoyed the privelege of me blabbering on about my life and how we were brought to Redding, read on. The great thing about having it typed out for you is that you can skim at your leisure. You don't have to worry about me watching your eyes glass over with boredom.

Anyway, Marty and I got married in September of 2005, and promptly moved to Fresno for Marty's job. He got transferred down there by the mortgage company he was working for, as they were opening a new branch and needed a talented staff to fill all the empty desk chairs.

It was a stressful transition for us. I had never lived on my own before and was trying to figure out how to be a wife and roommate all at the same time. And we didn't know anyone in Fresno--no friends or family to rely on for our social entertainment. Needless to say, it got really hard. Our evenings were spent cooped up in our little apartment, watching tv and lamenting the distance between us and the life we shared during our dating years in San Jose. We knew that plugging into a church would help us connect, but the several churches we tried had pretty huge doctrinal issues that prevented us from really feeling comfortable attending regularly.

We managed to make friends with one couple, though, that we met through a Bible study. They happened to live right around the corner from us, so we enjoyed getting to know them during American Idol marathons and margarita nights. I swear, they are the reason we survived those two long years. Without their friendship and support, I think we would've gone a little crazy. I know that God provided Breanne and Brent at the perfect time. They even got pregnant just a month before we did, so we got to watch our bellys grow together and share in the joy of awaiting our firstborn sons.

But just as we began getting comfortable with the Hulstroms, hoping we'd get to experience parenthood together, we learned that our dear friends were moving to a little town several hours away from our little Fresno bungalo. It shook us up as we began to realize that the only good thing in Fresno would be leaving us.

Enter Marty getting laid off. We decided it was the perfect chance to start somewhere new, and leave dusty Fresno in the...dust. Enter Matt (Marty's brother) calling Marty and telling him that he should consider Redding. That he'd love to have us live closer. Enter a job offer from Pete and Benji. Enter my eight-months-pregnant belly agreeing to pack up all our things and make the seven-hour drive to our brand new life.

Since we already knew a couple couples here, it was a pretty easy transition. We enjoyed being able to call up some Shirleys or Browns and share a dinner party on a moment's notice. And once the baby was born, or cut out of me I guess, Matt and Anna, proud Uncle and Aunt, stopped by pretty frequently to play with the little guy. We felt kind of popular.

And that feeling of being HOME hasn't faltered one bit since the day we settled in. We love it here, and finally feel as though we've found our niche. I always joke that we love it so much we'll probably end up dying here in Redding, and being buried in the graveyard on Cypress. You know, the one that has fake flowers at every grave site, and always looks beautiful? I want mine to have tulips, please.

Sure, Redding isn't perfect. It's been hard to be farther away from our parents in San Jose, but we've managed to build ourselves our own little family here, with "aunts" and "uncles" and "cousins" for little Marty, and "brothers" and "sisters" and best friends for us. Who says you have to actually be related to people to feel related to people?

But really, thank you to all of you who have welcomed us with open arms. I never dreamed that we'd manage to feel part of a community. That we'd have friends we could hang out with every night of the week and never get sick of. That we'd feel needed and sought after. That we'd be included without having to invite ourselves places.

Redding pulled us out of the depression we were in. Out of the funk and loneliness that Fresno gave us, and into a life that's so full it overflows on a daily basis. It really did save our pathetic little existence, and remind us that we have so much to look forward to in the years to come.

You, friends, are the reason we're smiling.