Monday, June 3, 2013

Catchin' Up

Wes and Jess:

Sorry to those of you who are avid followers (hardy har har). We've been super busy the last month with moving, and we just didn't have time to write--even when we thought about it we had to pack instead. Anyway, we decided that the best way to get back on track was to write a quick list of some things we're going to miss about New Jersey now that we're in Texas. We did a lot of complaining about living there, but there were definitely some great things about NJ and the surrounding area:


  • Diners: NJ has some of the best diners ever. Every bit of the food is awesome and there is so much you can eat it for at least two meals afterward, too. 
  • The shore: Not the stupid TV show. The real Jersey shore is pretty awesome. The water is cool and refreshing all summer long, and there are many beaches from which you can look at NYC. 
  • Pizza: Enough said. 
  • Other states: We love Texas, don't get us wrong, but it was super cool to drive an hour and be in another state. We could visit our friends Tim and Brittany, 2-3 states away, and only be in the car for three hours. Three hours in Texas gets us to a different part of Texas.
  • Bagels: Fresh-baked bagels and coffee, especially on early mornings, are freaking fantastic. We're definitely going to miss having more options than Panera.
  • History: Texas has a pretty cool history, but everything in NJ has a story (or so it seems). In downtown Crosswicks, the Friends' Meeting House had a  cannonball lodged in an outer wall. Many of the houses and other buildings are really old, some as old--or older-- as this country. People's families have lived there for centuries. 
  • Our first home: Both our apartment at Princeton and our parsonage in Crosswicks had their flaws, but these were our first homes together as a married couple and a family. So much happened inside those walls and it is strange to me that James will never remember what his first home was like. 
  • Ocean City Youth Weekend: The big gathering of youth in the New Jersey Conference that happened at the shore each September. We had a blast there all three years, with the youth from Wes' congregations as well as from all over the state. Texas is definitely not lacking in youth events, but none are like this one!
  • Jersey produce: The fresh food in NJ is really fantastic. We'll miss Ellis corn, Russo's honey and tomatoes, the random farm stands everywhere, fresh-picked apples and asparagus, and so much more. I guess we'll just have to work in the garden at our new house!
  • The people: We made some pretty good friends while we were in NJ, and it's going to be rough to have to keep in contact with them long distance only. Especially...
  • Robert, Lindsey, and Brian: Our best friends in NJ, who made living there bearable for the last three years. We got together every other week at least for the last few years, we had babies just a few months apart, and we just had a wonderful time with them. Out of everything we miss about New Jersey, the sadness of leaving them will definitely last the longest and hurt the most. 
Although we missed Texas, our friends, our family, and our life here while we did this stint in New Jersey, we're definitely going to miss some things from living up there. We certainly left a piece of our hearts up north when we left in a couple of weeks!

You stay classy, World Wide Web!