Relatively Speaking

Soon, our relatives will be visiting us in the Springs. They will be the first set to visit since we have lived here, and we are looking forward to it. Usually, we stay with them when we visit Omaha. Now, we finally get a chance to host them. Thank goodness there will finally be something to show them besides snowdrifts or sunflowers…

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Let’s face it, Minot just does not have the same appeal as Colorado Springs. For one thing, I never have to describe to people where CS is on the map… And most people even seem to know there is a mountain here (I.e. Pikes Peak).

Pikes Peak

So, instead of telling you about all the great outdoor/scenic things we will do while they are here, I will talk about the importance of good family. It seems like good family is not always easy to come by. I have talked to so many people that would dread having anything to do with their families, much less the family of their spouse. I have lived a sheltered life, I suppose, as I would have no problem spending time with members of my wife’s family, or either side of my own. If there was a study done, I’m sure this would be a very rare phenomenon.

Park On Uintah

Unfortunately, we are geographically separated from both sides of our family. This has made things difficult at times, especially for Anne. She had never lived anywhere besides Omaha until she met me.

3 Degrees of Separation

Ironically, it was partly her idea for me to take a job that caused us to move. Now, I sometimes still feel a little guilty about that, but also realize our decisions were made with the best interest of our family in mind. We have grown as a family and learned to be much more independent than we probably would have otherwise. As a penalty though, we only get to see our families once or twice a year at best. And, of course, the usual negatives exist, like the fact that our kids don’t get to grow up around their grandparents or cousins. I know Anne does not always believe this, but I wish this did not have to be the case either. However, to complicate things, my side of the family lives in Ohio. So, there really is no perfect solution.

Palmer Park

Our most difficult challenge has been learning to live apart from our relatives, but we are trying to find joy in our present situation. CS has been a help, as it is a much more welcoming environment. Also, my plans to change career fields will, hopefully, allow us to settle down a bit. We found a church that our whole family seems to like (even the kids!), and that would definitely be difficult to replace. In fact, for the first time we feel like there is a chance that we could be satisfied living somewhere besides Omaha. There is a lot of pressure (not directly or purposely) to move back home… But I think it is evident to everyone that just dropping everything to move back home would be unwise. I am still open to finding a job there, but the prospects are significantly less abundant than in our current local area… At least for the time being.

Garden of the Gods

Having the right attitude and priorities, we are better able to deal with things when they are not as picture perfect as we would like them to be. We are so blessed to have family that understands our situation and supports us. Even better, they still come to visit. I am also blessed to have a wife that still loves me, even though our situation is not our ideal. So, relatively speaking, we are happy to be just where we are, for now.

Sunset in the Springs