A couple of weeks ago, while shopping I saw a adorable leather cuff with a quote engraved in metal. The quote said, '' She took a leap of faith and grew wings on the way down.'' That has become my mantra during this past month. We've taken a leap of faith and we've grown wings on the way down.
This move was bold and courageous, one we knew had to be made but weren't sure it would work out? People have been angry, mad, disappointed and upset that we would make such a bold move. Suddenly there are many people not speaking to me. We moved and left them behind for seemingly no good reason to them.
Three years ago, Marty was sick, I was putting fluid into his stomach every four hours. He was having horribly low blood sugars which would result in me fighting him to sit still and eat glucose until it came back up. I once stood in the middle of our living room, holding him up until the paramedics got there. We didn't know if he would live or die? We faced many tough realities that so many of you will never understand. We planned for two futures, the better of the two was moving across country and starting anew.
We dreamed until his transplant came, then we started researching our option, traveling to see if we really liked it and then planning our move. During the planning, we never realized that God had another plan for us that wasn't our own!
Last summer, when Marty suddenly changed moving locales, I was upset and fought him tooth and nail. Then we got the call that changed everything. Suddenly our plans went out the window and God's plan came into place. This plan has provided for our every need out of seemingly thin air.
Money to move, just appeared. Housing, just came about. Job for me, in one phone call. The actual move date, missed all of the major winter storms and tornado season! The list goes on and on.
We know now why we've ended up here. The last key was a job for Marty, we knew with his line of work it would take time for him to find a job. Funny enough, when Marty was sick we had several conversations about the future. One of them was about potentially adopting in the future, we have great kids and in Marty's words ''We have a lot to offer a child'' and another was maybe him working with Special Olympics or children.
For those who've never witnessed it, Marty is a wonderful dad. My friend Jen commented on that when camping with us a couple of months ago. She loved the interaction between Conner, Elizabeth and Marty, it is truly great to watch. They have fun together, yet they know Dad means business and you better toe the line.
So when the call came for Marty to work in our local school district as a resource officer. We knew this is why we came. This is a far cry from the area he was working in before, polar opposite in fact. Before his job was a very dark job with ugly realities, he worked with the worst of the worst. Now he gets to work with kids and make a difference. We are thrilled, truly something he has been dreaming about and I dare to say, called for.
We knew coming, we would be taking pay cuts but the cost of living is less. I actually gained pay but true to our knowledge, Marty will lose pay. We were happy with the benefits, our cost of living is less, thanks to being debt free, we have no worries.
But guess what? We found out the first day of his new job, he will make more than we thought. He may be called for a promotion right away, there is overtime available, he gets a uniform allowance etc. Over all, we will be making what we made in California with a lower cost of living. Can you believe it?
We took a leap of faith and our wings grew on the way down.
The best part of this move has been the reaction of others. We've had so many people come to us and say they've been inspired to make a bold move. Our kids have seen true faith in action and answered prayers. We've all grown together and individually from this move.
We are thankful for the continued support. Especially grateful to our friend Anita who told me about the job opening for Marty, one day over lunch. Blessings have been poured out, God has faithfully shown us his love and mercy. It has been amazing, I cannot wait to update you more as things move along. We are hoping to buy a house before the end of the year. Next year, we are looking for me to carry out the next part of the plans for this journey.
Hoping you will continue to follow along on our adventures!
A/N: We've decided since our kids are nearly grown, we will happily wait until we are grandparents someday. There won't be anymore little T kids. So don't get all excited!
Conner has made so many new friends. Used to be he only had a few friends and E had a bunch. The shoe is on the other foot now. E is longing for her friends at home and a new friend here. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.
A modern day Pollyanna waxing poetic about her life.
Showing posts with label TN 2013. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TN 2013. Show all posts
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Time for a Tennessee Update
It's been far too long, we've settled in, working, meeting new people and making new friends. I forget that not everyone knows what is going on since we moved and that I need to share more details. Life has gotten busy again and I've had little time to sit down to write.
Where to begin? The kids have started making friends. Conner being the happy--go-lucky guy has a whole group of friends already. He is running sound on Wednesday nights in his new youth group. He also likes to talk to everyone on the phone. We laugh that he talks on the phone more than I do anymore!
Elizabeth has been really homesick. She misses her friends in Visalia badly and hasn't made good friends yet. We are looking for new fall activities, groups for her to join and ways for her to make new friends. She has made some friends in her small group on Sunday nights.
Both kids went to "Beach Camp'' in Myrtle Beach,SC for a week. They stayed in a resort by the ocean, swam in the Atlantic for the first time and had a grand time. Now the planning for that is over and E is already looking for new plans!
Marty interviewed for a job last week with Knox County schools as a school police officer. We should know within the next few weeks if they will hire him. We are really hoping he gets this job!
I've been working full-time, trying to keep up with home, my own business and blogging! It's a full schedule. Being back in the pool has really helped, loving swimming again. Now to get back on a good riding schedule with the family.
We are all excited about our new church, a little church in the WWII city of Oakridge,TN. It is a very small congregation with a lot of love. We already feel like they are family and it is our home. It the same denomination our church was in California. That is comforting since we hear about many of the same things we did in California. We've been to several functions, dinner with the pastor and he even took the kids out after camp to hear about their time in Myrtle Beach. We are excited to see how we can serve with this church in the future.
Meeting new people, enjoying new beautiful places, making new friends. We are so thankful that we moved here and are settling in to our new life. We still have to a few things to settle but for the most part, we are loving life in the south.
Where to begin? The kids have started making friends. Conner being the happy--go-lucky guy has a whole group of friends already. He is running sound on Wednesday nights in his new youth group. He also likes to talk to everyone on the phone. We laugh that he talks on the phone more than I do anymore!
Elizabeth has been really homesick. She misses her friends in Visalia badly and hasn't made good friends yet. We are looking for new fall activities, groups for her to join and ways for her to make new friends. She has made some friends in her small group on Sunday nights.
Both kids went to "Beach Camp'' in Myrtle Beach,SC for a week. They stayed in a resort by the ocean, swam in the Atlantic for the first time and had a grand time. Now the planning for that is over and E is already looking for new plans!
Marty interviewed for a job last week with Knox County schools as a school police officer. We should know within the next few weeks if they will hire him. We are really hoping he gets this job!
I've been working full-time, trying to keep up with home, my own business and blogging! It's a full schedule. Being back in the pool has really helped, loving swimming again. Now to get back on a good riding schedule with the family.
We are all excited about our new church, a little church in the WWII city of Oakridge,TN. It is a very small congregation with a lot of love. We already feel like they are family and it is our home. It the same denomination our church was in California. That is comforting since we hear about many of the same things we did in California. We've been to several functions, dinner with the pastor and he even took the kids out after camp to hear about their time in Myrtle Beach. We are excited to see how we can serve with this church in the future.
Meeting new people, enjoying new beautiful places, making new friends. We are so thankful that we moved here and are settling in to our new life. We still have to a few things to settle but for the most part, we are loving life in the south.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Happy! Happy! Happy!
Lately this seems to be the words I hear more often than not. No, I am not referring to Duck Dynasty, I am referring to comments people keep making to me. Everyone keeps telling me, that I seem so happy and look so happy. This move has been very good for us, we are very happy we moved and I guess it shows.
We truly are "Happy!Happy! Happy!" as Uncle Si says.
Fourteen years ago, when we moved to Visalia,CA from the O.C.; I was so lonely and isolated, twenty-two years old and my first time away from family and home. I cried nearly everyday for months on end though I had family nearby. I missed my friends, my job, my family and the place I grew up. As the years went on, I made friends, got great jobs, learned to be happy in my surroundings and adapted. It was so hard but worth the life change it brought about for me.
We lived a very rough, long stretch of life for many years. My Grandparents passing away, then both parents struggling with health issues and ultimately Marty's renal failure and transplant. We missed out on many years of living life while waiting for his transplant. Our plan to move came about during his waiting period and gave us hope that we could start again. It was the fuel that kept us going along with many prayers from our support system.
We agonized over leaving our family and friends once again. This wasn't an easy decision and very unpopular with some close to us. I spent many days crying after hearing how upset some were that we were moving. It wasn't easy but we knew it was time to go.
As we were driving out of California, Lizzie turned to me and said, '' I feel like a weight has been lifted off my chest." and that is how we all felt. We were following our dreams as a family, taking a chance and a leap of faith.
We are so happy to have made this move. The overwhelming peace we feel is truly amazing, undescribable, and long awaited. Truly for the first time in years, we are really living life in a big way. We are meeting new friends, reconnecting with old friends and finding our way. We love exploring the area and finding new treasures along the way. We love our new little rental house, it is really nice and cozy. Soon we plan on looking for our own home.
This week I talked to three of my SOH's Olga,Tammy, and Heather all in California. They all said how amazed they were at everything happening. I also had two surprise visits from Twitter friends at work this week; Mary, Jane and Jeff all stopped by and gave me hugs. Next weekend I get to see my dear friend Kim in her beloved Pigeon Forge, a six year dream come true! I haven't felt alone or isolated this move at all, so very different from the first time around,
Thanks for all of your support along the way. The emails, phone calls, texts and tweets have kept me going and encouraged us.
We truly are "Happy!Happy! Happy!" as Uncle Si says.
Fourteen years ago, when we moved to Visalia,CA from the O.C.; I was so lonely and isolated, twenty-two years old and my first time away from family and home. I cried nearly everyday for months on end though I had family nearby. I missed my friends, my job, my family and the place I grew up. As the years went on, I made friends, got great jobs, learned to be happy in my surroundings and adapted. It was so hard but worth the life change it brought about for me.
We lived a very rough, long stretch of life for many years. My Grandparents passing away, then both parents struggling with health issues and ultimately Marty's renal failure and transplant. We missed out on many years of living life while waiting for his transplant. Our plan to move came about during his waiting period and gave us hope that we could start again. It was the fuel that kept us going along with many prayers from our support system.
We agonized over leaving our family and friends once again. This wasn't an easy decision and very unpopular with some close to us. I spent many days crying after hearing how upset some were that we were moving. It wasn't easy but we knew it was time to go.
As we were driving out of California, Lizzie turned to me and said, '' I feel like a weight has been lifted off my chest." and that is how we all felt. We were following our dreams as a family, taking a chance and a leap of faith.
We are so happy to have made this move. The overwhelming peace we feel is truly amazing, undescribable, and long awaited. Truly for the first time in years, we are really living life in a big way. We are meeting new friends, reconnecting with old friends and finding our way. We love exploring the area and finding new treasures along the way. We love our new little rental house, it is really nice and cozy. Soon we plan on looking for our own home.
This week I talked to three of my SOH's Olga,Tammy, and Heather all in California. They all said how amazed they were at everything happening. I also had two surprise visits from Twitter friends at work this week; Mary, Jane and Jeff all stopped by and gave me hugs. Next weekend I get to see my dear friend Kim in her beloved Pigeon Forge, a six year dream come true! I haven't felt alone or isolated this move at all, so very different from the first time around,
Thanks for all of your support along the way. The emails, phone calls, texts and tweets have kept me going and encouraged us.
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| Our family loves TN |
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| My new friend Flavia |
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| Happy C and E at Cades Cove |
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| TN cousins sleepover! |
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| From my front porch |
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| Even Max is happy |
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| E enjoying our front yard with the dogs |
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Unpacked and Finding Our Way
I have been so busy lately, there has been little time to be online,making phone calls or writing blogs other than birthday blogs. We are enjoying our new life in TN, everyday it becomes clear that we made the right choice to move. This is where we are supposed to be, there isn't a doubt about it.
Today that was all the more clear. We got up and drove twenty minutes in heavy rain to the University of Tennessee medical center. Normally we would've had to get up at four a.m. to drive 330 miles to Stanford for our 8 am appointment. We quickly arrived at the UT medical center and were blown away at the size of the campus. It is large with many buildings, we searched for parking and set out to find our destination.
Walking inside the hospital, we immediately were amazed. Very newly re-done and updated facilities, clean and bright. Stanford is large but very outdated and often dingy in places, so this was amazing to us. We got registered, labs done and then went to find the transplant clinic.
We were greeted by D whom I had spoken to last week on the phone. She was so friendly and personable, chatting our ear off immediately. She told us they are a family there and she knew it was hard for us to leave our Stanford family. They want us to feel welcome and like part of the family. WOW is all I can say to that, it was so comforting and nice.
We loved all the staff we met today. As you all know, we loved our surgeons at Stanford and were very fond of them. The surgeon we met today was very young, very friendly and personable. He listened to us,asked questions and told Marty " it was nice to meet you, I want you to go out and live your life."
To have quality care close to home is amazing to us. A couple of days ago, I met someone in the marketing department of the hospital at work. She wanted me to call her after our visit and wants to make sure we are happy there. I am sure she had a hand in our warm welcome today.
It took us twenty minutes to drive home. No more 660 miles round trip to see the doctor, no more worries if something happens we won't have top of the line care. We have a team of transplant physicians that can care for Marty full time now. It was one of the major factors that was behind our decision to move. When Marty was on the wait list for transplant, we would hear stories of people in the south waiting 2 weeks, 2 months, 6 weeks and so on. The average wait time in California is seven years, the average wait time here is under two years. It was hearing that during our wait time that helped us start looking to moving to the south.
We are living life finally. After Marty's transplant, we were able to live but had this huge decision weighing on us. Now we are free of those weights, we can fully live life and enjoy it. Settling in has gone fairly smoothly, we've had lots of help from friends, really just two more major items on the to-do list and we will be completely settled.
The kids have found a youth group on Wednesday evenings to meet with and are really enjoying it. We haven't been able to meet up with the homeschool support group yet. Hopefully soon we can meet some other homeschooled kids in our area.
I love my new job at Fig, it is nice helping my friends with their store. I am really enjoying the challenge and learning something new. I have also been busy in the evenings working on learning Wordpress for my first client for Julesmpg Social Media. It has really been a huge challenge that is pushing me beyond my comfort zone. That is a whole other blog in itself.
Everyone keeps saying they can sense my peace, they can sense that I am lighter and happier. It is true, having overcome so many challenges in the last several years, I do peace. Knowing we are living our dream, following God and starting anew is a wonderful feeling. Like the doctor said, we are getting out and living life!
If I am quiet, don't worry, I am just a text,DM, phone call or email away. I haven't been able to be online much for myself since I am busy working online for others. Please don't hesitate to shoot me a message, I will always get back to you.
As Auntie Mame says, " Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death. Live! Live! Live!'' I am off to live!
PS the doctors are still pouring over Marty's records from Stanford which weren't faxed ahead of time like they ought to have been. URGH! But the bloodwork today looked good and they are still waiting on one lab to come back.
Today that was all the more clear. We got up and drove twenty minutes in heavy rain to the University of Tennessee medical center. Normally we would've had to get up at four a.m. to drive 330 miles to Stanford for our 8 am appointment. We quickly arrived at the UT medical center and were blown away at the size of the campus. It is large with many buildings, we searched for parking and set out to find our destination.
Walking inside the hospital, we immediately were amazed. Very newly re-done and updated facilities, clean and bright. Stanford is large but very outdated and often dingy in places, so this was amazing to us. We got registered, labs done and then went to find the transplant clinic.
We were greeted by D whom I had spoken to last week on the phone. She was so friendly and personable, chatting our ear off immediately. She told us they are a family there and she knew it was hard for us to leave our Stanford family. They want us to feel welcome and like part of the family. WOW is all I can say to that, it was so comforting and nice.
We loved all the staff we met today. As you all know, we loved our surgeons at Stanford and were very fond of them. The surgeon we met today was very young, very friendly and personable. He listened to us,asked questions and told Marty " it was nice to meet you, I want you to go out and live your life."
To have quality care close to home is amazing to us. A couple of days ago, I met someone in the marketing department of the hospital at work. She wanted me to call her after our visit and wants to make sure we are happy there. I am sure she had a hand in our warm welcome today.
It took us twenty minutes to drive home. No more 660 miles round trip to see the doctor, no more worries if something happens we won't have top of the line care. We have a team of transplant physicians that can care for Marty full time now. It was one of the major factors that was behind our decision to move. When Marty was on the wait list for transplant, we would hear stories of people in the south waiting 2 weeks, 2 months, 6 weeks and so on. The average wait time in California is seven years, the average wait time here is under two years. It was hearing that during our wait time that helped us start looking to moving to the south.
We are living life finally. After Marty's transplant, we were able to live but had this huge decision weighing on us. Now we are free of those weights, we can fully live life and enjoy it. Settling in has gone fairly smoothly, we've had lots of help from friends, really just two more major items on the to-do list and we will be completely settled.
The kids have found a youth group on Wednesday evenings to meet with and are really enjoying it. We haven't been able to meet up with the homeschool support group yet. Hopefully soon we can meet some other homeschooled kids in our area.
I love my new job at Fig, it is nice helping my friends with their store. I am really enjoying the challenge and learning something new. I have also been busy in the evenings working on learning Wordpress for my first client for Julesmpg Social Media. It has really been a huge challenge that is pushing me beyond my comfort zone. That is a whole other blog in itself.
Everyone keeps saying they can sense my peace, they can sense that I am lighter and happier. It is true, having overcome so many challenges in the last several years, I do peace. Knowing we are living our dream, following God and starting anew is a wonderful feeling. Like the doctor said, we are getting out and living life!
If I am quiet, don't worry, I am just a text,DM, phone call or email away. I haven't been able to be online much for myself since I am busy working online for others. Please don't hesitate to shoot me a message, I will always get back to you.
As Auntie Mame says, " Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death. Live! Live! Live!'' I am off to live!
PS the doctors are still pouring over Marty's records from Stanford which weren't faxed ahead of time like they ought to have been. URGH! But the bloodwork today looked good and they are still waiting on one lab to come back.
Friday, February 15, 2013
The Great Adventure 2013: The Final Leg of the Trip
Lovely readers, I hope you forgive me for going silent the last week, It has been completely overwhelming since Saturday. Hope this post isn't too long and fills you in on the adventure so far.
Saturday morning, we woke up in Memphis,TN and headed out to sight see before hitting the road. Conner begged to go to Sun Studios. Many of you may not know but Conner has been a Johnny Cash fan since he was five years old. He has longed to see the Sun studios for all of those years. We found it quite easily and decided to take the tour. Definitely well worth the twelve dollars,it is one of the places you walk into and feel the history around you. They take you into the actual studio and let you walk around, it is in original condition. Truly amazing to stand where Elvis sang for Sam Phillips, where Johnny Cash got his start and where Jerry Lee played the piano. Conner was giddy and grinning ear to ear.
After Sun Records we headed off to Graceland. I missed the ducks at the Peabody because we took the tour and so we decided to just see those another time. Graceland is quite the tourist trap and in my opinion over priced. We just went to the gift shop to find the tackiest souvenir we could find and found a place to eat bbq while we were there. The food was great and we found our tacky souvenir easily. We walked across the street to take a picture in front of the wall before hopping in the car to get on the rode.
We hopped in the car and headed to the Grand Old Opry to meet up with my cousins and their families. They drove down from their home in TN to see us and welcome us to the state. My kids loved seeing their cousins Anthony, Geoff, Peyton and Parker once again. It was our first time meeting baby Parker who is adorable. We visited for a little bit before getting in the truck to head to our final destination of Knoxville.
We plowed along through middle TN in the dark, trying to make it to our new home to park the moving truck. Thankfully it wasn't a long drive and we made it by 11:30 pm. We didn't know our new home is well off the beaten path on a tiny gravel road. The moving truck didn't fit so well on said road especially with low hanging power lines and trees. Needless to say,the pitch black,tiny road, trees and power lines made for a disaster and 26 feet of moving truck and 10 feet of car trailer ended up stuck in the mud in the farmer's field across from the house. We had to leave it there overnight and headed to a hotel to sleep.
It was so nice to sleep in our new home on Sunday night and start settling in on Monday morning. We went out to dinner on Sunday night with our friend Lee and met his wife Flavia for the first time along with his daughter Nora. So nice to finally meet them in person.
Saturday morning, we woke up in Memphis,TN and headed out to sight see before hitting the road. Conner begged to go to Sun Studios. Many of you may not know but Conner has been a Johnny Cash fan since he was five years old. He has longed to see the Sun studios for all of those years. We found it quite easily and decided to take the tour. Definitely well worth the twelve dollars,it is one of the places you walk into and feel the history around you. They take you into the actual studio and let you walk around, it is in original condition. Truly amazing to stand where Elvis sang for Sam Phillips, where Johnny Cash got his start and where Jerry Lee played the piano. Conner was giddy and grinning ear to ear.
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| Sun Studios, Memphis,TN |
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| Conner and Marty sitting in the recording studio at Sun Records |
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| the front office of Sun Studios |
After Sun Records we headed off to Graceland. I missed the ducks at the Peabody because we took the tour and so we decided to just see those another time. Graceland is quite the tourist trap and in my opinion over priced. We just went to the gift shop to find the tackiest souvenir we could find and found a place to eat bbq while we were there. The food was great and we found our tacky souvenir easily. We walked across the street to take a picture in front of the wall before hopping in the car to get on the rode.
We hit the rode to Nashville. Along the way one of my blog readers and friend Rebecca stopped us and gave us the most wonderful gift bag of ''welcome to Tennessee" goodies. It was so thoughtful and kind of her, it was amazing to my family.
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| Thanks Rebecca for the lovely welcome! |
We hopped in the car and headed to the Grand Old Opry to meet up with my cousins and their families. They drove down from their home in TN to see us and welcome us to the state. My kids loved seeing their cousins Anthony, Geoff, Peyton and Parker once again. It was our first time meeting baby Parker who is adorable. We visited for a little bit before getting in the truck to head to our final destination of Knoxville.
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| Conner and his cousin Anthony |
We plowed along through middle TN in the dark, trying to make it to our new home to park the moving truck. Thankfully it wasn't a long drive and we made it by 11:30 pm. We didn't know our new home is well off the beaten path on a tiny gravel road. The moving truck didn't fit so well on said road especially with low hanging power lines and trees. Needless to say,the pitch black,tiny road, trees and power lines made for a disaster and 26 feet of moving truck and 10 feet of car trailer ended up stuck in the mud in the farmer's field across from the house. We had to leave it there overnight and headed to a hotel to sleep.
We woke up the next morning,called Penske to come rescue our family once again, met up with our friend Lee and toured our new home. We got the moving truck into the driveway with the help of Lee's dad ( our new landlord) and Lee. Liviu Sr, the crazy Romanian helped us unpack the moving truck in less than one hour! It was a whirlwind of activity but well worth it. We were ready to be rid of the moving truck and the hassles of moving.
Good news, our little goldfish survived the long car ride in an ice cream container and earned themselves a new 5 gallon tank out of the ordeal. I must thank Shannon and Margaret for helping me move the fish across the country with their information.
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| the fishes moving container |
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| Happy fish in their new home |
It was so nice to sleep in our new home on Sunday night and start settling in on Monday morning. We went out to dinner on Sunday night with our friend Lee and met his wife Flavia for the first time along with his daughter Nora. So nice to finally meet them in person.
Monday afternoon, my dear tweep Anita stopped by with BBQ from her mother in law Jane. I loved meeting Anita for the first time. It was so wonderful to not have to cook dinner and eat amazing TN BBQ! I am so grateful to them for the lovely welcome to TN! Jane is an amazing cook and I cannot wait to meet her. This is truly an amazing family who have all been helpful in our move especially Anita's Dad Jeff. He kept us updated with weather and instructions along the way.
My mom was here to help me unpack and get organized until Wednesday afternoon. She helped me unpack boxes and find homes for everything. We didn't get completely unpacked but have made huge headway in a short time.
On Thursday morning, I started my new job at Fig and Company . Lee and I met when we were twelve years old, going to Jr high, high school and college together. It is truly surreal seeing him everyday once again, he hasn't changed that much over the years. I am truly enjoying getting to know his lovely wife Flavia as she trains me in store. We found out on the first day we are kindred spirits and very much alike in many ways. I am enjoying working with them and learning the ropes while giving them fresh perspective. They have built an amazing business in a short time.
We are starting to get settled. We are all loving the area, the dogs are happy in their new home, the kids are looking for ways to get involved and Marty is helping hold down the fort while I am working. We all are so glad we made the jump and took a leap of faith. We've been greatly blessed so far!
Thanks for all of the encouragement, messages, gifts and support. I am deeply touched by the support our family has received from everyone during this move. It was as if you carried us along the way on a wave of goodwill. We hope to be able to share that support and give it back someday.
Friday, February 8, 2013
The Great Adventure 2013: We are in Tennessee!
We are at the border of Tennessee staying the night outside of Memphis. We started out this morning in Fort Smith,Arkansas having breakfast with our friend Randy. They moved from California to Arkansas 6 months ago, he and Marty were co-workers in California. It was great to catch up and visit with him and his little girl Emmy.
We packed up at noon and headed toward Memphis. We enjoyed the drive through Arkansas, none of us had ever been to Arkansas before and really loved the scenery. It has been amazing to drive through route 66 with the kids for the first time. They've never been on a long road trip before and they've loved seeing the country.
We wanted to sight see in Memphis before heading east to our final destination. We took our time on the road today and didn't reach Memphis until almost six pm, so we decided to check in to a hotel, get much needed rest and sight see in the morning.
So many have been messaging us, offering help along the way with weather, road closures, directions, AAA service, goodies along the road. We have had countless messages with thoughts, prayers and good wishes. It has been overwhelming and amazing. Prayers have been answered, smooth road, great weather and an easy trip have gone our way. Thank you all for the support, it has meant so much to us that so many are behind us cheering us along.
I truly am beginning to think there is a book in this move, so many stories of things falling right into place at the right time. So many I truly cannot write it all down quickly, the story begins over twenty years ago.
Tomorrow we will enjoy our drive east to west. Last year we drove TN north to south during our family vacation and now we will drive it east to west. We are going to see all the Memphis sights, then drive to Nashville for a break before heading east. Tomorrow night, we hopefully will arrive in Knoxville, pull our trailer into our new driveway and then stay in a hotel one more night. Move in day is scheduled for Sunday and we couldn't be more excited.
As I was driving all day, my mom took some pictures and I will share them later. I didn't get a single picture because I drove today.Tomorrow we are sight seeing and I promise to take lots of pictures to share. Now I am headed to bed to get a good nights sleep after a long day.
We packed up at noon and headed toward Memphis. We enjoyed the drive through Arkansas, none of us had ever been to Arkansas before and really loved the scenery. It has been amazing to drive through route 66 with the kids for the first time. They've never been on a long road trip before and they've loved seeing the country.
We wanted to sight see in Memphis before heading east to our final destination. We took our time on the road today and didn't reach Memphis until almost six pm, so we decided to check in to a hotel, get much needed rest and sight see in the morning.
So many have been messaging us, offering help along the way with weather, road closures, directions, AAA service, goodies along the road. We have had countless messages with thoughts, prayers and good wishes. It has been overwhelming and amazing. Prayers have been answered, smooth road, great weather and an easy trip have gone our way. Thank you all for the support, it has meant so much to us that so many are behind us cheering us along.
I truly am beginning to think there is a book in this move, so many stories of things falling right into place at the right time. So many I truly cannot write it all down quickly, the story begins over twenty years ago.
Tomorrow we will enjoy our drive east to west. Last year we drove TN north to south during our family vacation and now we will drive it east to west. We are going to see all the Memphis sights, then drive to Nashville for a break before heading east. Tomorrow night, we hopefully will arrive in Knoxville, pull our trailer into our new driveway and then stay in a hotel one more night. Move in day is scheduled for Sunday and we couldn't be more excited.
As I was driving all day, my mom took some pictures and I will share them later. I didn't get a single picture because I drove today.Tomorrow we are sight seeing and I promise to take lots of pictures to share. Now I am headed to bed to get a good nights sleep after a long day.
The Great Adventure 2013: Oklahoma!
Recently I spent an evening watching Oklahoma! one of my all time favorite musicals, so as I drove into Oklahoma from Texas the theme song was playing in my head. We have made it halfway to our destination as of today and by tonight will be in Tennessee.
We started our day yesterday in the great state of Texas! It was fun seeing the sites though most of it reminded us of our central California roots. We all noticed that cow flatulence smells different in Texas! That's when you know we're agricultural experts!
Oscar on the other hand LOVES the car and has been so happy to go for the ride. He loves riding in the cab of the moving truck with Marty and Conner. He lays down and just watches the world pass him by.
We started our day yesterday in the great state of Texas! It was fun seeing the sites though most of it reminded us of our central California roots. We all noticed that cow flatulence smells different in Texas! That's when you know we're agricultural experts!
We stopped in this cute little cow town where the main store is the post office. It was a cute slice of Americana for sure.
Oklahoma is Cherokee nation. My mom and I spent a lot of time talking about our Cherokee roots. She has done quite a bit of research on our ancestry. She told me our family actually has roots in TN until the government forced the family to Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears. I grew up knowing we were Cherokee but never knew our roots.
We had dinner at Cracker Barrell. Usually I eat there and like nothing but enjoyed having their ''fancy fixins'' pot roast dinner. I also found that I like fried okra.
Many are wondering about Max and Oscar on the journey. So far so good, Max has only tried to run away twice and didn't get very far. He had the walk of shame being carried back down the street by Elizabeth in Whittier at the start of our trip. He is very angry we have taken him for a long ride, he hates the car period.
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| ''I am not speaking to you'' |
Oscar on the other hand LOVES the car and has been so happy to go for the ride. He loves riding in the cab of the moving truck with Marty and Conner. He lays down and just watches the world pass him by.
We also have two fish in the car. My cousin Brianne *gives her the stink eye* gave the kids fish a few months ago and the kids wanted to bring them. So they are riding in a five gallon ice cream container and doing quite well. Two of my tweeps Shannon and Margaret helped me figure out the ins and outs of traveling with fish. So far the advice has worked quite well...meaning the fish are still alive.
Today we head into Memphis for some BBQ, the ducks at the Peabody and Sun Records. We will see how today goes to decide our final TN destination for the night.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
The Great Adventure 2013: The Long and Winding Road Meets the Long, Long Trailer
A long drive deserves a long blog title at least I think so. Yesterday morning we awoke in Kingman,AZ ate a nice breakfast and hit the road east. We drove through Flagstaff which was gorgeous with snow covering the ground on the side of the road. Truly my favorite part of the drive yesterday.
We stopped in Williams for a rest break and then headed on to Holbrook,AZ. I haven't mentioned but my mom came along for the ride to help drive and get us settled. She will fly back from TN next Tuesday, she wanted to share in the adventure. As a child she traveled this road many times to her family's hometown in Kansas. She really wanted to stop at the Wigwam motel where she had a picture of her,her sister and Dad standing outside a wigwam. So we stopped and she was thrilled to reminisce and see the place through adult eyes.
Then darkness fell upon the desert and the drive just droned on and on. We all were super tired and ready for it to be over. We wanted to make up for lost time and get to our originally planned stop for the night despite the hold ups on Monday and Tuesday.
We finally pulled into Amarillo around midnight. I think it was the tweets of encouragement that kept me going and awake. We got the dogs settled, changed and went to sleep. Now we are up and ready to head on out for the day.
We are hoping we can make it to the Arkansas border before dark tonight. We have found out, we don't want to drive at night. I think we can make it to Knoxville by Saturday or Sunday at the latest.
Thanks for reading, commenting on Facebook and tweeting. It feels like all of you are on the ride with us and cheering us on along the way. I thought about so many friends yesterday, prayed for so many as the road flew by. Thought a lot about life, the future and the craziness that is my life. I think knowing that everyone is going along makes this move a lot easier in many ways.
Off for more adventures. I will send updates from the road along the way. You can follow the hashtag created by my tweep Dot; #JulesGreatAdventure for lots of fun reading.
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| Conner and E were thrilled to be on Route 66 |
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| I was driving and let my mom take this pic. She doesn't know how to work a smartphone |
We stopped in Williams for a rest break and then headed on to Holbrook,AZ. I haven't mentioned but my mom came along for the ride to help drive and get us settled. She will fly back from TN next Tuesday, she wanted to share in the adventure. As a child she traveled this road many times to her family's hometown in Kansas. She really wanted to stop at the Wigwam motel where she had a picture of her,her sister and Dad standing outside a wigwam. So we stopped and she was thrilled to reminisce and see the place through adult eyes.
We had made reservations in Amarillo at a nice hotel to give ourselves incentive to make it that far. As we drove through New Mexico in the afternoon, the beauty of the painted desert captured our attention and made the drive fly by.
My mom offered to give me a driving break for the afternoon so that I could ride a bit with Marty. We had a nice time chatting while I snapped and messaged pictures.
We crested over the hill to Albuquerque at dusk, I had been hearing a lot about this city from my school friend Kelli and my friend Olga. As we came over the hill, the city lights glittered like flecks of gold reflecting the sun. It was gorgeous but the traffic with a long truck and trailer wasn't fun at all and we decided to press on toward Amarillo.
Driving the truck and trailer has been stressful for Marty. That is a lot of truck for an everyday person to drive even though he used to do that for a living many years ago. So we've had some interesting (code for frustrating) moments along the way needless to say.
Then darkness fell upon the desert and the drive just droned on and on. We all were super tired and ready for it to be over. We wanted to make up for lost time and get to our originally planned stop for the night despite the hold ups on Monday and Tuesday.
We finally pulled into Amarillo around midnight. I think it was the tweets of encouragement that kept me going and awake. We got the dogs settled, changed and went to sleep. Now we are up and ready to head on out for the day.
We are hoping we can make it to the Arkansas border before dark tonight. We have found out, we don't want to drive at night. I think we can make it to Knoxville by Saturday or Sunday at the latest.
Thanks for reading, commenting on Facebook and tweeting. It feels like all of you are on the ride with us and cheering us on along the way. I thought about so many friends yesterday, prayed for so many as the road flew by. Thought a lot about life, the future and the craziness that is my life. I think knowing that everyone is going along makes this move a lot easier in many ways.
Off for more adventures. I will send updates from the road along the way. You can follow the hashtag created by my tweep Dot; #JulesGreatAdventure for lots of fun reading.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
The Great Adventure 2013: Days 1 and 2
This weekend, our move to Tennessee began in earnest when we packed up our belongings into a 26 ft Penske truck. We said many heart wrenching goodbyes to many dear friends in Visalia, our home of the last 14 years. We didn't plan a goodbye party so we had to try to fit as many people in as we could in a few days. Marty and I both worked until Friday, so that made it challenging.
Saturday morning we packed and loaded. Sunday we said goodbye to church, cleaned and watched the Superbowl. Monday morning, we waited for the realtor to come get our keys, went to the bank and finally hit the road around noon. We all decided our favorite memory in that house was when Marty got ''the call' and the many happy memories that followed.
Driving down the 99 for the last time was a strange feeling. It hit me many times that we had made the drive thousands of times in 14 years but this time we weren't headed back that way.
We stopped at our favorite rest stop before hitting the grapevine. We ate our last supper of In and Out while walking our dogs. Marty went to get back on the road in the moving truck and it wouldn't start!! We called Penske customer care and they promised to send a mechanic out. Marty told me to go on ahead to Los Angeles to see family. He knew it would be hard for me if I missed out on that.
We drove through the desert, the first time for the kids going through this part of California. We stopped at the Barstow station and pushed our way through to Kingman,Az. We are staying on Route 66 tonight and heading to Amarillo,TX tomorrow.
Saturday morning we packed and loaded. Sunday we said goodbye to church, cleaned and watched the Superbowl. Monday morning, we waited for the realtor to come get our keys, went to the bank and finally hit the road around noon. We all decided our favorite memory in that house was when Marty got ''the call' and the many happy memories that followed.
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| Four people, two trucks, one car and two dogs |
Driving down the 99 for the last time was a strange feeling. It hit me many times that we had made the drive thousands of times in 14 years but this time we weren't headed back that way.
We stopped at our favorite rest stop before hitting the grapevine. We ate our last supper of In and Out while walking our dogs. Marty went to get back on the road in the moving truck and it wouldn't start!! We called Penske customer care and they promised to send a mechanic out. Marty told me to go on ahead to Los Angeles to see family. He knew it would be hard for me if I missed out on that.
Elizabeth and I made our way to Whittier, got the dogs settled at mom's house and ran over to my Aunt Alison's to see our family. Marty and Conner sat at the Petro station for over four hours!! The mechanic came but the truck wasn't repairable. So a huge wrecker came and towed the truck over the grapevine to a Penske service station. I finally picked them up at around midnight after our break down at four p.m.
This morning, we headed over to the Penske yard where a crew came and unloaded the old truck onto a new truck.
Thank goodness that we went with Penske. They have excellent customer care and have been extremely accommodating and helpful. I highly recommend using them if you're moving across country. Our truck was re-loaded and my cousin Andy stopped by to say goodbye and have a heart to heart. Then we hit the road to my mom's house to pick up her,the kids and the dogs. Marty's mom called at the last minute wanting us to come say goodbye also. So we drove to her house before hitting the road finally around 1 pm. A much later start than we intended. The silver lining was we missed all of the bad traffic.
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| Taken by Conner on the I-40 east |
We drove through the desert, the first time for the kids going through this part of California. We stopped at the Barstow station and pushed our way through to Kingman,Az. We are staying on Route 66 tonight and heading to Amarillo,TX tomorrow.
As we crossed the border to AZ tonight; E said that she felt a weight lift off her chest and that she is really excited for the new adventures ahead. I must say, I felt the same exact way. We finally after 18 years of talk are following our dreams and making them happen.
We are hoping for a smooth trip the rest of the way. We have some long days ahead of us trying to keep our scheduled arrival date a reality. Please keep us in your prayers and thoughts as we make our way across the US. The journey has only begun.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
14 Years Ago Today
With our new found faith, we took the leap and moved away. We left our family and jobs behind to see if we could build a life of our own. The internet was in its infancy, very few people had email, cell phones were a luxury item and we had no friends in the area. I cried every day for a year, I was so lonely leaving my friends, I made many teary calls home to my Grandma's and mother. We had to live with my sister and that turned into a nightmare three days in. We were twenty two years old and had a lot of life lessons to learn, some I really don't treasure but am grateful for every single one.
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| Our first family picture on the St.John's parkway January 1999 |
We found jobs after three very long months, lost a baby, and got our very first apartment that June. It was a very, very hard move. Not something that I look back on with particular fondness to tell you the truth. I remember the day my Disneyland friends came to visit giving me a much needed boost. I slowly started getting to know people at work and church. Life was hard but we were making a way.
I got pregnant with Elizabeth half way into that first year. She was born in here and has lived here her entire life. We moved in and out of houses, left jobs, started new jobs. Made many,many friends who helped us out along the way.
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| Our now family of three on our first trip to the Sequoia's |
Marty went back to school, gained a career. I had many great friends and eventually we made our first goal of me being a stay at home mom. We left a church, stayed out of church and eventually found a church that we loved. That church became our family away from family and life really began for us. Conner and I became cycling fans in this town. So many things have happened here in this little town which isn't so little anymore.
Now we are following new dreams, leaving to make new friends in a new place. So much has changed since we came to this town. We made friends, lost friends, gained a child, gained two dogs, gained life lessons some harder than others. We came here young and naive, we leave older and much wiser. We leave with many wonderful friends whom we are deeply indebted to and will always miss them.
This place will always be home to us. It took me many years to start calling this place home and now I realize how silly that was. I wonder how long it will take to call Knoxville home? I wonder who we will meet there? What we will learn? and experiences we will have?
I find it so ironic that 14 years almost to the day, we are packing up to leave this place and moving on to new adventures. Funny how life has a way of repeating itself?
Last night at our friends house, I watched their son Zach walk out to our old purple Saturn which is now his car. I told him ''14 years ago tomorrow, we moved to Visalia in that Saturn'' it was really one of those life full circle moments.
We left our home once, now we are leaving our second home. I never imagined life would take us where it has taken us. So thankful it has taken us together, older,wiser,stronger and as a family.
Wonder where we will be in fourteen more years? I can't wait to find out.
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| 14 years later, our last photo on the St.John's |
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| A collage of the kids at the Sequoias throughout the years |
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| Full circle. Conner and Zach by the purple Saturn |
Thursday, January 24, 2013
" You Gotta Accentuate the Positive''
Yesterday I shared on Finding Purpose in the Pain about my struggles in the past with worry and negativity. Since Marty has been well, I have struggled less and less as time goes on. This move has brought some of that back to the forefront and I have been fighting the urge to worry about it all. This year my goal is to focus on the positive and eliminate the negative just as the song says.
I got a great response to the blog right away in the morning and went off to work. Then I came home and started packing some more. I really was on cloud nine and then the phone rang, I really am beginning to hate the phone. My friend and new boss Lee called to say his Dad didn't know we had dogs and didn't want to rent to us. We were pretty upset and scrambling to find a new rental with our move coming up in less than two weeks.
Lee felt awful and stayed up late to help direct me to rentals. I stayed up late searching online and trying to find something suitable. My first instinct was..........worry, after all my writing and promising I went back to worry.
I spent a lot of time in prayer and meditation last night. Thinking back on the past and how everything has always worked out for our family. I was pretty teary today as I worked, praying the whole day for peace and calm. Being in that place of worry that I had let go of wasn't a good feeling. It felt awful and I realize just how bad it is to worry. My faith was being tested and put to the test, was I willing to stand behind what I wrote and put it to the test? It is hard but the only thing to do. I cannot worry about tomorrow or the future.
Everything has always worked out and we've never had any reason to believe otherwise. Came home, got ready to focus in and make headway and the phone rang. Lee called with good news and bad news, I said give me the bad news first. Bad news our rent goes up, good news we get to rent the house!!
Relief with a capital R! I also got leads on other rentals in case anything else comes up or we find something better. I am so thankful to have that off our plate and have a place to go.
Now I am back to my learning not to worry. I surely don't want to feel the way I did today and remember why I don't like that place. Everything always works out in the end.
Focusing on the positive is so much better than worrying. Cutting out the negative makes such a difference and is worth the effort. Doing it is hard but worth it in the long run.
Today I've been singing this song in my head. Truly a favorite and my mantra for 2013
Monday, January 21, 2013
Tennessee or Bust 2013:Controlled Chaos
We are very simple people who live a very simple life. We are homebodies who love being at home with our family occasionally traveling to visit family or friends. We love when friends and family come to visit us and have been told they love coming to our peaceful home.
Lately life has turned into controlled chaos. The kids are teenagers loving to bicker, Max our eleven year old neurotic dog is anxious because we are packing. I am packing, making phone calls, keeping on top of homeschooling, making appointments and trying to make arrangements for our move. On top of all of that, Marty and I are both working full time plus to fund the move. Life is really chaotic.
My parents barely saw me at Christmas, I worked their entire visit. My cousin Sarah came to visit and I had to work the whole visit. This weekend our friends Lindsey and Rob came to visit, I had to work around their visit. I think everyone now can see, it is time for us to move and simplify once again.
Really looking forward to the actual move itself. Taking the kids on a cross country road trip is a dream come true. I grew up making them with my family and cannot wait for Marty and the kids to have the experience. We are making a couple of stops along the way to see friends and some important sites.
Most of all I am just ready to be done with it all. The move will seem like a breeze compared to the planning stage. Excited to finally quit talking about it and just be done with it.
We got some great news two weeks ago, just so happens that my friend/new boss Lee found a rental for us. His Dad's renters are moving out just two weeks before we are moving to TN. It is a great location and exactly what we were looking for! On top of that, we got a notice that our Landlord here has been foreclosed upon and we are getting paid to move out. The amount was the cost of our moving truck! Everything is just falling into place. I have stopped worrying because I know everything will work out and so far it has!
Now the hard part begins, trying to see our close friends and family before we leave. Saying goodbye to our church family and co-workers. You can guarantee that I will have a very teary next three weeks saying goodbye to everyone. We will never be ready to say goodbye and particularly E is sad to leave her friends behind. We even took a farewell trip to the Sequoias with our friends Lindsey and Rob.
So much going on, little time to blog, call friends or even text. Bear with me this next month or so, if I seem distant it is just because I am overwhelmed.
Looking forward to a simple kind of life in Tennessee!
Lately life has turned into controlled chaos. The kids are teenagers loving to bicker, Max our eleven year old neurotic dog is anxious because we are packing. I am packing, making phone calls, keeping on top of homeschooling, making appointments and trying to make arrangements for our move. On top of all of that, Marty and I are both working full time plus to fund the move. Life is really chaotic.
My parents barely saw me at Christmas, I worked their entire visit. My cousin Sarah came to visit and I had to work the whole visit. This weekend our friends Lindsey and Rob came to visit, I had to work around their visit. I think everyone now can see, it is time for us to move and simplify once again.
Really looking forward to the actual move itself. Taking the kids on a cross country road trip is a dream come true. I grew up making them with my family and cannot wait for Marty and the kids to have the experience. We are making a couple of stops along the way to see friends and some important sites.
Most of all I am just ready to be done with it all. The move will seem like a breeze compared to the planning stage. Excited to finally quit talking about it and just be done with it.
We got some great news two weeks ago, just so happens that my friend/new boss Lee found a rental for us. His Dad's renters are moving out just two weeks before we are moving to TN. It is a great location and exactly what we were looking for! On top of that, we got a notice that our Landlord here has been foreclosed upon and we are getting paid to move out. The amount was the cost of our moving truck! Everything is just falling into place. I have stopped worrying because I know everything will work out and so far it has!
Now the hard part begins, trying to see our close friends and family before we leave. Saying goodbye to our church family and co-workers. You can guarantee that I will have a very teary next three weeks saying goodbye to everyone. We will never be ready to say goodbye and particularly E is sad to leave her friends behind. We even took a farewell trip to the Sequoias with our friends Lindsey and Rob.
So much going on, little time to blog, call friends or even text. Bear with me this next month or so, if I seem distant it is just because I am overwhelmed.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Dreaming Big in 2013
As you know for several years, all Marty and I have talked about is leaving California. We thought that Georgia would be our destination but plans changed and Tennessee is our new destination. As we start the New Year, we start with a plan. February 4th will be our last day in our current city of Visalia. February 5th or 6th we will leave California forever.
14 years ago this month, we packed up our one year old son Conner and moved to Visalia for a new life. We have loved living in this little town, we learned many life lessons, gained a daughter and many life experiences. We came here with nothing, no jobs, no friends, no careers and gained all of those things in spades. It isn't going to be easy to leave but we know it is the best choice for our family.
We know this decision isn't popular with some who are family or close friends. We have thought long and hard, planned fastidiously and researched our options. We aren't doing this rashly and have thought it out. We live four hours away as it is and it is only a four hour flight. To us and for us, nothing will change. We are saddened at the anger but understand it is your right to be angry. We have to live for ourselves and our kids, maybe someday you will see this was a good choice. If we fail, you can tell us "Told you so"
We are choosing to be positive, trust God and not worry about every little thing. Lee has been a good friend to this family. Starting with being Julie's friend, to supporting Marty and I since we were dating and being a pseudo crazy uncle to our children. We have been thinking on this verse;
John 15:13 " There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends."
We are willing to go and help our friends in need. They need help and we are so excited to go help them while they help us realize our dreams also. We are honored they chose us and are helping me start my career. I am also starting my own social media consulting company : check it out here
It has long been one of our desires as a family for me to start my own career. We have planned this since before Marty was sick and then put it on hold. I plan on attending the University of TN to further my education at the same time.
Also, we will have great medical care for Marty at the University of TN. A transplant care center in our own city instead of driving 600 miles roundtrip for care. That is a huge burden lifted off our shoulders.
We have faith everything will work out. We are starting out in a much better place than when we moved here. We have so much more than we did back then. We have life experience and knowledge that things always, always work out.
We could chose to make others happy by living in this box we are in currently. Instead we are choosing to follow our dreams, live outside the box and put this second chance at life to use. So many die waiting for transplants or from complications. We know so many who would've loved a second chance. We got that second chance, we can use it or just squander it. We are choosing to use it and live big.
This is scary, exciting, nerve wracking but we have complete peace this is what we are supposed to do. We would appreciate support, prayers, encouragement and good wishes as we try to live our dreams.
We are choosing to dream, live the dream and take a chance. We happy and hope you can respect that. It is either do it or quit talking about it and live with regret. I was raised to live with no regrets.
We promise to help our loved one's and friends travel to see us. Usually this doesn't matter since I am always the one to head to So.Cal myself. We will still come to visit just as much as we do now.
14 years ago this month, we packed up our one year old son Conner and moved to Visalia for a new life. We have loved living in this little town, we learned many life lessons, gained a daughter and many life experiences. We came here with nothing, no jobs, no friends, no careers and gained all of those things in spades. It isn't going to be easy to leave but we know it is the best choice for our family.
We know this decision isn't popular with some who are family or close friends. We have thought long and hard, planned fastidiously and researched our options. We aren't doing this rashly and have thought it out. We live four hours away as it is and it is only a four hour flight. To us and for us, nothing will change. We are saddened at the anger but understand it is your right to be angry. We have to live for ourselves and our kids, maybe someday you will see this was a good choice. If we fail, you can tell us "Told you so"
We are choosing to be positive, trust God and not worry about every little thing. Lee has been a good friend to this family. Starting with being Julie's friend, to supporting Marty and I since we were dating and being a pseudo crazy uncle to our children. We have been thinking on this verse;
John 15:13 " There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends."
We are willing to go and help our friends in need. They need help and we are so excited to go help them while they help us realize our dreams also. We are honored they chose us and are helping me start my career. I am also starting my own social media consulting company : check it out here
It has long been one of our desires as a family for me to start my own career. We have planned this since before Marty was sick and then put it on hold. I plan on attending the University of TN to further my education at the same time.
Also, we will have great medical care for Marty at the University of TN. A transplant care center in our own city instead of driving 600 miles roundtrip for care. That is a huge burden lifted off our shoulders.
We have faith everything will work out. We are starting out in a much better place than when we moved here. We have so much more than we did back then. We have life experience and knowledge that things always, always work out.
We could chose to make others happy by living in this box we are in currently. Instead we are choosing to follow our dreams, live outside the box and put this second chance at life to use. So many die waiting for transplants or from complications. We know so many who would've loved a second chance. We got that second chance, we can use it or just squander it. We are choosing to use it and live big.
This is scary, exciting, nerve wracking but we have complete peace this is what we are supposed to do. We would appreciate support, prayers, encouragement and good wishes as we try to live our dreams.
We are choosing to dream, live the dream and take a chance. We happy and hope you can respect that. It is either do it or quit talking about it and live with regret. I was raised to live with no regrets.
We promise to help our loved one's and friends travel to see us. Usually this doesn't matter since I am always the one to head to So.Cal myself. We will still come to visit just as much as we do now.
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