(Photo credit: https://www.facebook.com/jwhitmanphotography/)
Our family has been blessed by adventure over the past few years. Many of you have followed our journey. But, as quick snapshot…
John and I got married in college. Living between John’s roommates and my still great friend/roommate was an adventure of it’s own (ha!). But, from there, we came home and started exploring next steps. We found an apartment in Hershey…but it was short lived.
The opportunity to purchase a home presented itself! We bought our first home, knowing it wasn’t our forever home. But, we poured our time into it, made it our own and loved it! As we started exploring what was next, we were given the opportunity to move to Asheville, NC. Our house sold quickly and we moved in with my parents over the holidays (with two children in tow) until we left Pennsylvania and headed south!
We knew Asheville wouldn’t be our forever home, but we thought it would be home for longer than it was. We developed amazing friendships, traveled back to PA for as many holidays as we could, doubled our family and tried to enjoy one day at a time.
Almost two years in, the calls we’d waited on came and we learned we’d head back to PA. So we did. We lived in a hotel for three months (this time with four kids and a dog in tow) and waited until our home in NC sold, to move into our new home in PA.
Now…here we are.
It feels strange in some ways. There’s nothing “new” right beyond the horizon. We have no more plans for children (though we are hoping to begin a foster journey in the near future). Our kids have started a school that we see them in for the long term.
We’ve begun to talk about our house as though it might be where we actually stay. We talk about projects, we invested in landscaping, and we talk about what we might want to do (gasp) a few years in the future.
We’ve settled into a church that is starting to feel “home.” Our kids are developing friendships and we’re meeting their families. We are making a targeted effort to get to know our neighbors (which is a little different in the Northeast!).
We are planning for our first holiday season in our own home in five years…no travel required!
This weekend, we took another big step – at least it was for me. I started to literally put down roots. I planted bulbs, laid grass seed, and purchased bushes and trees that have started to go into the ground.
Given our past 9 years, it feels strange to think ahead a few years – let alone to spring – as though we may still be in the same place without any life-changing moves or changes in store. It feels hopeful.
Yet…we remain open. I never want my “roots” to prevent us from following where we are lead. We feel strongly that this life is not meant to be a product of our plans…but instead, that we are supposed to be part of a bigger plan…our lives are not our own.
Even so…roots feel strangely comforting for this stage in life! For that, I will be grateful. One moment at a time! Here’s to the journey!
Take Two 
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