On your mark…

Tomorrow starts the first chapter of the new adventure, as Jim and I board a plane and head south to Los Angeles and sunshine.  Why?  Well…to go house-hunting, of course!  Yes, you read that right.  The ultra risk-averse, stable engineer is taking his family (okay, PART of his family) on something completely out of character.  Jim has accepted a temporary assignment with Boeing in southern California.  He starts soon.  We leave sooner.  And I’m NOT ready.

Leaving some (most!) of the crew behind isn’t appealing.  Leaving my parents behind isn’t appealing.  Leaving family and friends, church and co-op behind isn’t appealing. Leaving babysitters behind isn’t appealing!   But I agreed to go.  It is an honor and privilege that Jim was asked to consider the assignment.  There are things that will be such fun in this adventure.  The little boys cannot wait to go to Disneyland! Jim loves the beach.  And I love the sunshine.  But my heart is torn. 

People ask when we’ll be back.  (December 2016 at the latest.  And no, we’re NOT staying permanently!  My farm-boy husband thinks there are too many people here.  Can’t imagine he’ll love LA for any length of time.)  People ask about our house.  (Emily is living here while we’re gone, and she has a friend or 2 living with her.)  People ask if we’ll be back to visit any time.  (Yes.  Logan is having surgery here in April.  That stay will be about 3 weeks.  The boys want to come home to go to church camp in July.  And we’re taking a cruise from Seattle in August, so the boys and I might just combine that into 1 longer visit.)

Even though I’m not ready to go, I know it’s the right thing to do.  We are excited to see what God has for us in this new adventure.  What new things can we learn?  What is God going to teach us that we can apply when we are back home?  Who is God going to bring into our lives in this new experience?  It’s been a LONG time since we’ve lived in an apartment/condo/townhouse.  Where will we see God’s hand as He directs this next chapter? 

Stay tuned.    And pray for us in the first step of the adventure, that we would be wise and discerning (and successful!) as we look for a place to live.