Can a girl have TWO homes?

I made my very first "on my own" road trip home to Cleveland for Labor Day weekend, and I was OH SO happy to see my family and some very dear friends of mine! After just a few days though, I was already thinking about my new home in North Carolina, mainly, getting back to my man and my kitty-child :)  So many people have encouraged me to start viewing Wake Forest as my "home," and have said that doing so will make the transition easier on me.  But the more I think about it, the more I feel like I have two homes. 

Cleveland will always be home because it holds so many of our most precious memories.  It's where Nolan and I were raised for the majority of our lives.  It's where we found one another in the hallway of our middle school and where we exchanged wedding vows.  It's where we received salvation.  It's where we will take children of our own some day.  But now, Wake Forest is our home away from home.  It's where the Lord has called us.  It's where we will begin a family.  It's where we will make new friends.  It's where we will grow in our love for Christ and one another.  It's where we have found God's peace.  

I was thinking about all of this during my 7 1/2 hour drive home on Tuesday, and couldn't help but thank the Lord for how he has blessed us and provided the foundation for a home here in Wake Forest.  Here's some things that we are absolutely LOVING about our new home in North Carolina:


#1)  North Wake.  We've really enjoyed having the freedom to visit churches and experience worship in our community over the last month and a half.  Although we have visited some really wonderful churches, we have felt the Lord drawing us to North Wake.  Every time we have visited here, the Lord has made it more and more clear that this is where He wants us to serve.  We had the opportunity to visit one of North Wake's small groups- what a blessing it was to connect with other men and women who have followed God to Wake Forest in faith and obedience to God.  This church is such an answer to our prayers.

#2) One word: Goodberry's.  Now, a lot of you are thinking, "What in the world is Goodberry's?"  That was our thought, too, until we put the "soft and creamy goodness" (Nolan's words- not mine) in our mouths.  It's definitely the best ice cream we've ever tasted! If you ever come to visit, Goodberry's will be a mandatory stop during your Wake Forest tour. :) YUMMY!

#3) Our NEW CAR! My dad thought it would be best for us to trade in Nolan's old white Accord for a car that's a little more dependable for long-distance road trips.  He found us a silver Mazda Tribute, and we love it!  It's a great car and it will always remind us of our years in North Carolina!

#4) The beach.  A two-hour drive to the beach is NOTHING when you are used to traveling seven to eight hours to make your way to the closest coast!  We have claimed Wrightsville Beach near Wilmington as "our beach." :) It's such a beautiful area and is known for having great surf waves during certain parts of the year.  Let's just say a surf board may be on Nolan's Christmas list this year! :) We love it there and will be making many trips during our years in North Carolina. 

5)  Super Target! I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I was when I found out I have a Target in Wake Forest, but a SUPER-Target, nonetheless.  I can always think of something I need or could use from this awesome store. :)  Not only is the Super-Target a convenient 5 to 10 minutes from our apartment, but so is everything else like Wal-Mart, Harris Teeter, Walgreens, Goodberry's, the post office, our bank, and lots of other places!

I'm sure there will be much more that I grow to love about our new home over the next few years.  If the saying "Home is where your Heart is" is true, then Wake Forest, North Carolina and Cleveland, Tennessee will both forever be a home to me.