Homeward Bound
On March 15, Chris and I will load up a U-Haul for the third time in our marriage, sign the closing papers on our beloved home in Connecticut, and drive for two days to Orlando, Florida.
I love how that sounds so simple, don’t you?
Like how it is simply a matter of throwing our crap in the back of a truck, signing a couple pieces of paper, and then taking a little road trip. As if that’s all that it takes to leave a life we have loved living for a brand new adventure. As if this hasn’t been a life-changing decision that has kept Chris and I awake most nights for the past four months.
When we had Bean Man, Chris and I knew that at some point we would like to end up closer to family. We thought that by the time he was ready to start school in five years, we would like to be somewhere we could see ourselves staying for a long time. But we truly didn’t think that it would be any time in the next three years and we REALLY didn’t think it would be Florida. But I have found that when I make a plan, the Lord tends to smile at me, pat me on the head, and whisper, “Oh, Katie. You just have no idea…”
That pat on the head came this past October when Bean was four months old. That month was really, really hard for Chris and me. Bean was sick almost the entire month. I missed 11 days of work in four weeks to take care of him. He wasn’t sleeping at night, which meant we weren’t sleeping at night either. And for the first time in five years, I became homesick.
Quite simply, I wanted my mom and dad.
Not because I wanted them to solve my problems or to even take my problems on for themselves. I just wanted to know they were close by. I would have given anything for a Sunday dinner at their house or a Saturday afternoon of shopping. It had very little to do with Bean, really. It had everything to do with needing a support system. Needing someone to literally be there to tell me that I was doing okay and that I was being a good mom and that this would be over soon.
But in the middle of a month of illness was no time or place to make life-altering decisions. And so I put my head down, held Chris’ hand, and we pushed through that rough month together.
When the storm of October passed and life was much better, I still couldn’t shake that feeling of family. Only now, all I could think about were mine and Chris’ grandparents. I grew up with my Grandmother living with us in my parent’s house. At the time, I am sure I didn’t appreciate it as much as I should have. She was just always there. Right down the hall. But as I have gotten older, I have really come to value that time that I spent with my Grandma. She has been a quiet force in my life and in my upbringing and I know that I wouldn’t be the same person I am today if it weren’t for her.
Chris grew up with his grandparents living across the street from him. And they played a similar role in his life. A constant and stable force. They still have that role in his life, as my Grandmother does in mine. And I know that, like me, Chris is a better person for having them so close.
And I want that for Bean. I want him to grow up with the sidelines at his soccer games packed with family cheering his name. I want him to grow up with our kitchen table surrounded by grandmas and granddads and aunts and uncles while he blows out countless candles on countless birthday cakes. I want him to grow up with their values and their ethics and their faith. Just as I need that in my own life, Bean needs that even more in his life.
With that weighing heavily on my heart this past fall, I still had not spoken to Chris. In our marriage, if I had to say we had one motto, it has been “Never hold the other one back.” When we started dating long distance in college, we said that to each other and it has been the principle that we have lived by for the past five years, too. When it comes to careers and life-decisions, you might be surprised to hear that Chris and I don’t make them together most of the time. The majority of our decisions are made individually, knowing that the other person is standing by our side. I think we are able to work like that because we have trust in the other person that when they make decisions, they are making them with our family in mind. I am confident that Bean and I are Chris’ first priority and so when he needs to make a decision about his career or his education, I trust that he makes them while putting our family first. My role is to talk through the options and logistics with him. But neither of us has ever asked the other person to take a job or leave a job.
The largest pea under the mattress of marriage is resentment.
And neither of us ever wanted the other to look back over their life and think, “I wasn’t able to do that because of my family…”
So, for the first time in my eleven years with Chris, I asked him to make a specific decision. I asked him to leave his job here so that we could move to Florida. Because I know how much Chris loves me, I didn’t ask this question lightly. I know Chris would jump off the end of the Earth for me, and that kind of love comes with a responsibility to not take advantage. But this decision was about more than Chris and I. It was about more than jobs and friends and lifestyles that we had come to love. We were a family now. And we had someone else to think about and what kind of mother would I have been if I didn’t speak up for something that I thought was vital to Bean’s upbringing? Even if that meant asking Chris to do something I had never asked him to do before.
At first, Chris was hesitant about the possibility. He works in theater and that isn’t exactly a booming industry. It would be hard enough for him to find a job in a specific place at a specific time, but it would be damn near impossible for him to find a position in the right place at the right time that would actually move his career forward. That just seemed to be asking for too much. So, in early November, we left the discussion open. Chris agreed that he would look for a position somewhere in Florida, and I agreed that we wouldn’t go unless he could find something that would move his career forward.
And then I started praying. Without getting too religious on you, let me just say I have never prayed harder in my life. Every day, all day I was offering up prayers to God. Sometimes I would just break down and say, “JUST LET US DO THIS!!!” But most of my prayers focused on asking for guidance and His blessing. I prayed for doors to be opened to us, if this was in His will. And I prayed for Him to give us the strength and faith to walk through those doors when He opened them.
And that’s when God opened a door so wide for us that we couldn’t do anything except walk through it.
Two weeks after our conversation about moving, Chris called me at work. Chris went to undergrad at the University of Central Florida and he has kept in touch with many of his faculty and friends and connections in Orlando over the years. So, as soon as I asked him about moving, Chris made a couple phone calls to contacts in Orlando. He just wanted to put the word out there that we were trying to get back down to Florida and if something were to open up anywhere, he’d love for his name to be considered. One week after that phone call, Chris got a call from a theater in Orlando. They were looking for a Production Manager and they were very interested in him.
Two weeks after that, Chris was flown down to meet the staff. A week after that the job offer was made with a starting date of May 1, giving us time to sell our house and relocate. Chris accepted. And I cried. Chris’ sister lives in Orlando and my parents and Grandmother live 45 minutes outside the city. You couldn’t have gotten us closer to family unless you dropped us in their living room.
There are many people who wonder and doubt about the power of prayer. To many people, prayers are something we do to make ourselves feel better, but they are not what makes things actually happen. I understand that and have even wondered about that myself at points in my life. But I can tell you with 100% certainty that this could not have worked out as quickly or as smoothly as it did had it not been for those prayers and my faith in Someone bigger than myself, bigger than my family, bigger than my plans. And that’s not just something I say to make myself feel better. As I look around my house with moving boxes everywhere, I know that prayer is real.
A lot of people have wondered if I will be working from home full-time and writing now. For a while, Chris and I explored this as a possibility. Financially, we are almost to a point where I can be supported by my blog. But moving into a region where we don’t know about the cost of living (though we know it will be significantly less than the cost of living in Connecticut) seems like a bad time to get in over our heads before we realize, “Hey, we’re not ready for this step yet…” So, for now I am looking for a job in education still. Possibly teaching, possibly administration, but definitely something that will give me time to spend writing more. For the past five years, I have been the primary breadwinner in our family and I am happy to finally relinquish that over to Chris so that I can focus on something that I am passionate about – my writing. Perhaps in the next year once we get a better handle on our finances and our new lives, we’ll get brave enough to take the plunge and I will write full-time. That’s something we’ve agreed to re-examine in one year. But for now, its off to work I go…
If you think this is a lot to take in at one time, you should try being on this side of the computer screen right now! And if this seems to be coming out of the blue for most of you, just know that I have had to literally bite my tongue in order to keep from telling people! By nature, I am not a private person. I have no filter and I tend to over share (See: THE REST OF THIS BLOG). So, keeping a secret – especially of this magnitude – has been killing me! I have so much to tell you all about the things we’ve been going through these past few months while we coordinated this life change and I’ll spend the next two weeks telling you about the issues this decision is causing in our household and in our marriage. I have learned more about myself, Chris, and our relationship in the past four months than ever before and I can’t wait to share that with you.
Big things have been happening in our lives and big changes are STILL coming our way (including some exciting news about my blog in the next few months….). I hope you all will hang in there with me and live this crazy ride with us. Nothing is more entertaining than watching a young couple fight like cats and dogs over things like the appropriate way to pack dinnerware and I can promise you lots of that in the days, weeks, and months to come.
Change is good. Change is exciting. And change is happening.
Posted in Changes, Family, Jobs and Careers, Marriage, Understanding Chris, Understanding Katie, moving | 
Tags: Christianity, faith, Family, life, Marriage, moving, parenting, prayer, religion
136 Responses to “Homeward Bound”
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Congratulations Katie and Chris on your new adventure!
So, we are totally arranging a visit when you get down here, right?! Bean and P-Bo need to meet!!!
Congrats! If you need anything, we aren’t too far away from Orlando–please don’t hesitate to ask!
That’s so exciting Katie! The best of luck to your family (and yay! you’re coming to live to Orlando! that’s where I live hehe)
I’m happy for you guys and I really hope the best for your family on this adventure that we call life.
i’m SO excited and happy for you guys! family is everything-your own and your extended. enjoy them all!
Oh. My. Goodness. I admire you both so much right now. I mean, I have admired you and your relationship since I began reading, but this takes the cake. You and your family deserve happiness to find you, and it sounds as if it is. Congrats and good luck!!
I got goosebumps reading this story. How blessed you guys are to be able to move close to family! We don’t have that family support system here that you talk about, and I wish we did for all of our sakes. I wish you guys the best of luck on your new adventure.
I’m so excited for you! I’ll be praying you guys in the coming weeks with the move! It will be so nice for you to be closer to your family.
Congrats, I couldn’t be happier for your family!!!
Congrats, I’m so excited for you! I’m also excited that my sister and I guessed exactly what was happening, because we’re cool like that
We said–they quit, they’re moving to FL and Chris is going to work at a University. Yep.
I am so happy for you!! It is a lot to take in. I remember moving with Jason, now my husband, to Indiana from Ga. I have no family close by. My parents live in Alabama, 13 hours away. We only get to see them once maybe twice a year. His family is in town, but it’s not the same.
Anyways! I will keep you guys in my thoughts and prayers. Good luck with everything. I am certain things will work out just as they are supposed to! Oh, and by the way, enjoy the weather for me, LOL I miss Florida weather! I used to live in Gainesville.
Oh, and I 100% agree with you about prayer….we have a very similar story about how we came back “home,” as well!
Praise God!
I know that you are nervous, but this is such a great descion. Hooray for doors opening and new adventures!
What? No job with Disney World? I am disappointed in you Chris! Just kidding…you go boy! Congratulations!!! Katie…moving to be near family is ALWAYS the right decision. You are so blessed to have that opportunity. Good luck on the weeks and months to come.
Congratulations guys, what an amazing life change! I grew up with my grandparents very close by as well, and I know that I would be a lesser person without their influences. All the best in this incredibly exciting time!
Aw, congratulations! I’m sympathizing with you since packing is one of my very least favorite things to do … but of course, it will be so worth it. What a wonderfully crazy time for you guys!
Wow BIG BIG news and thanks for letting us in on how your life is about to change. Just a little note, Bean will be a stinker during the packing and moving part.
I say this from experience. They get scared from all the change and you just have to comfort them.
He will be fine but you will feel his stress.
Good luck and congrats in selling your home!!
Great post! Excited for your family and know your family has to be so excited to have y’all close to home. Thank you for sharing your story and for talking about the power of prayer!
Way to go!! Life decisions are never easy – change is exciting and scary. Yay for possibly getting to work on your writing career!
Exciting! So happy that it worked out so great for you two! And hey, you’ll be a couple of hours closer to P-dub
Congratulations! I’m so happy for you! Mainly because I know EXACTLY where you are coming from. Farm Boy and I moved 1000 miles away from our family two days after our wedding and now have a 16 month old. I am finding that I am in serious need of a support system as well. I am praying with all my might we won’t be here but another year. The chances of that are slim to none when looking at Farm Boy’s job and how things work there but I know with God, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!
Many Blessings to you!!
Holy moly! Ok, I can’t say I’m glad that I can’t drive through the great state of Connecticut knowing that your family is happily living their lives, but on the other hand I TOTALLY understand why you made that choice. We’re currently trying to figure out a similar question with families that are much, much more scattered than yours. And though our time line for a decision is a lot longer, I think the fact that you were able to find a new path so quickly is amazing! God does watch out for us, I firmly believe that. I’m glad He’s led you back to your family.
err… three I mean!
I’m SOOOO happy for your family! I swear I re-read the first sentence of Bean’s blog like 5 times thinking I was reading it wrong. I’m in FL now- near the Destin area- and love it. I know you’re a florida gal- so it’ll be awesome. Get ready for WARMTH and SUNSHINE!!!! Best of luck and I’ll say a prayer for a safe, peaceful move.
CONGRATS!
Congrats! Home is a wonderful place! We are not there yet but half a country closer
Best of luck with the packing… I do not envy you with all that.
I love your blog. Keep up the amazing work. You make me smile!
Congrats on your big step!!!
Wow! That is great news! Family is so important….glad the pieces have fit together for this to become a reality. The power of prayer is an awesome thing. Lots of luck (and patience) for a smoooooooth move!
I can’t tell you how much I needed to read something about prayer today, and I’m so happy that yours were answered. It’s crazy that everything’s happening so fast for you guys- especially the way that real estate is just not moving at all right now!
I don’t quite blog but I do post WAY too much information on various websites that I’m a part of, and while it’s made me into more of an open and outgoing person in my daily life (I was pretty darn young when I registered for Livejournal and started writing, and a theatre nerd/choir girl to boot) it’s difficult to tell exactly what is too much information. It’s hard to NOT tell everyone what’s going on- especially when my emotions are running high.
I’d love to start a little blog of my own, though odds are it wouldn’t be interesting at all and it absolutely wouldn’t pay.
On a sidenote, I grew up with my Yiayia (I’m Greek, and that’s our word for Grandma… it doesn’t feel right to call her anything but that) down the hallway from my parent’s apartment. Both doors were open all day and my sister and I would run back and forth all day. Or rollerskate, because falling on marble tile in an apartment building was at least cleaner than falling on the sidewalk. My Yiayia was always there for us- I wouldn’t be half the person I am if I had grown up without her. Bean is going to LOVE being so close to family!
Every bump, every snag, every bruise will be well worth the effort once you have your family nearby. I’ve been where you are and I’d do it again in an instant. We left a affluent income for one just above poverty level (with enough room to move and eventually grow). I’d do it again in a heartbeat!
Good luck!
SSSSOOOOOOO HAPPY FOR YOU, CHRIS AND BEAN!!!!!! I think you made a great decision!! Nothing is more important than family!
I am so happy for you Katie & Chris!!! This is an amazing adventure for the both of you (oh and Bean too!!) I feel so honored that you let us into your life through all of the ups and downs. I pray that everything goes smoothly for you guys in this big transition.
The power of prayer is wonderful!!!
so excited for you both!! what a huge change but it sounds like it will be worth it, especially on bean’s end. i’ll be thinking of you during your cross country move
What a wonderful opportunity for you! I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately – my entire extended family lives within five miles of each other still… except I live 1000+ miles away from them.
I definitely think once we have children I will want to be closer – family is so important! I’m so happy that your prayers were answered on this one.
Wow! Very exciting news! Can’t wait to read about your upcoming adventures in moving!
Congratulations!!! I know exactly how you feel and I am beyond happy for you. In October of last year my husband and I were almost the exact same spot and I compeltely agree that prayer is what the answer was. The day we reached CA was the happiest day of my life (besides the day I got married and my daughter was born, of course)! Good luck to all of you and I cannot wait to hear all about the adventure!
YEAH! Congrats to Chris for being flexible and finding a great job, and congrats to you both on a big step forward in your lives.
I cried pretty much through your whole post… mostly because Hubby and I are expecting our first baby boy in June. We are fortunate to live 20 minutes from each of our parents and we spend a lot of time talking about how blessed we are to have them so close by. We moved to Georgia when we got married and moved home (Sarasota, FL… only 2 hours from you!!) to be closer to them. And, AMEN to the power of prayer… God truly does listen, and he responds in a way that will make us grow into better people.
Anyways – congrats and best of luck in the coming weeks!
Good for you guys!! How exciting,and what a relief it must be to know you are going home. Julie
Katie, I’m so happy for you and your family. And I’m flat out jealous…..I wish there was some way for us to live close to our families, but it’s not in the cards for us for probably 5-6 years. I wish my boys could know their grandparents more than just during visits, even though we are fortunate to get to see each other fairly often. Best of luck with the packing and the prep…..when you’re doing it to go somewhere you really want to be, it’s so much easier.
Congrats!!! How exciting! I’m happy your Bean will be surrounded by lots of love and family now
Prayers to you and your family as you begin your next journey!
God is so GOOD! I’m so happy for you. I’m 20 weeks pregnant, and my mom moved in with us when I found out the little one is on the way. Family is so important. Bean is so lucky. You’re an awesome mom!
Wow. Those are some HUGE changes. It was good to read this today because I’m going through some stuff in my relationship right now that is mostly beyond both of our control. And eventually there will be changes to deal with as well. I haven’t been a praying type for a while now, but something in me keeps wanting to try again. Thanks for the insights and good luck with everything!
Congrats on your new adventure – I am so happy your prayers were answered!
And I admit, at first I thought this post was going to be about your decision to homeschool the Bean. I mean, it would be a little early, but maybe it’d been a personal revelation!
I am SO HAPPY for you guys! That is fantastic. And funny that you posted this today, because my bible study tonight was about the power of prayer.
I hoped this was what was happening for you guys. Yaaaay!
I am so happy for you, Chris and the Bean. I totally believe in the power of prayer and am so glad that you have been blessed in this way. Being closer to family will provide you with a great support system. Good luck guys!
Congratulations, Katie! My husband and I moved from Kentucky to Tallahassee 3.5 years ago so I could get my PhD. And while we really do enjoy Tallahassee, we had a daughter in December and now I find myself hoping and wishing we can get back (close) to Kentucky sooner than later. So it’s nice to see that it CAN happen! Good luck packing and with everything else that comes with this adventure!
Congratulations! Prayer’s a powerful thing, and it’s so exciting to see when they are answered!
That’s such a great thing you two are doing not only for yourselves but Bean! I grew up not having my family around but my parents(my whole family lives in South America!) so naturally.. I’ve always been a bit envious of my friends who were able to spend time with their cousins, uncles, grandparents, etc. I only get to see them every couple of years and they have missed out on important events in my life just as I’ve missed out on theirs. Glad to hear Bean will have his family nearby
Congrats you guys!
Congratulations on working through this together as a team. It seems like the move will be in everyone’s best interest. Best of Luck oxox
Beyond happy for y’all, Katie! I’ll keep you in my prayers during all of the stress of moving. But what great changes are to come your way! And doesn’t it feel so reassuring knowing that these changes are in God’s will?
You have me in tears! I am so happy for you guys to be closer to family!
God is so totally in control there! And prayer is an amazing thing!
Can’t wait to see what is next for the MC family – I so enjoy following your honest journey. Thanks for sharing your life with us.
Im soooo happy for you all
Theres nothing quite like living close to family. Congrats to Chris on finding his job and i hope you find a suitable one katie. Good luck with all the packing up and moving.
Thank you for sharing these excited/nerve racking news with you. We will be here to support you and cheer you on every step of the way.
Congratulations on the move, the job, everything! I couldn’t be happier for you all!
Congratulations!!!!!! That is very exciting news and I’m sure your families are so excited, too.
Best of luck to you guys!
I am so happy for you!! I want to thank you for sharing how the power of prayer has helped you and your family! I am so excited you are able to be near your family. I also feel family is very important. Best of luck with the move! I look forward to your future posts.
Congrats, Katie and Chris and Bean! As an army spouse, I find myself missing having family around all the time, too. I am blessed that my family travels to see us wherever we are quite often. But the allure of a Sunday dinner at home is always in the back of my mind.
Best of luck! And I look so forward to continuing to read about your many adventures!
You guys are amazing. What a wonderful leap to take together… you guys are SO BRAVE!!!! Congrats and best of luck in the next couple of months as you move and get settled in.
P.S. Katie, most of the times when you write these more serious posts they’re very inspirational and thoughtful. You and Chris have a wonderful relationship and you’re totally lucky to have such a great life!!!
Wooo hoo! Congratulations, you two are awesome and this is a wonderful chapter in your loves. Its so good to get to hear all about it
Congratulations! Let the new adventure begin!
Congratulations guys! So many memories flashing through my head from the move up… good times
Congrats, this is so exciting. You are so lucky your family AND Chris’s family are both in Florida. How great to take advantage of that! Bean will be surrounded by even more love.
And, if you ever have any more wee ones, you will probably be even more glad to have that kind of support.
It’s good to know how things work out. I live down under, miles and miles from home, and I often feel a bit lost because everyone is SO far away. But we would make tough decisions if we had to, and I know it would all work out.
Hooray to all of you!
So happy for you! Congratulations! I’m sure it wasn’t an easy decision but it will be worth it in the end. We are a 14 hour flight away from family and we do miss that support system too, heck I just miss them! I’m sure that by the time we’re ready to have kids, we’ll be moving back home too because I would want our children growing up knowing about their massively large and loud Italian family.
Hi Katie ~ This is the first time I’m commenting on this blog. I found it through the “webbie” awards (or whatever they were).
Thanks for sharing about the plans and the struggle you’ve gone through. My husband and I have been preparing to change not states but continents for a year now. We live in Taiwan and are moving to America (Midwest, hopefully Wisconsin, also to be closer to my family) in August. It’s nice to know there’s someone else going through this and I’ll be following the blog with interest. 
I’m so thrilled that things worked out for you Katie. This will be so great for all three of you! That’s one lucky little Bean to be able to grow up with a so much more great family around to support and love him (and you and Chris too!)
I couldn’t raise a child happily without surrounding myself with family to co-ogle. So happy your family will be able to bask in the glories of the young growing bean. How blessed this will make you all!
How wonderful for you guys! It’s such a great place for families…Mike’s family is there and the cousins always have such a fantastic time together. And they get to play outside in December-always a bonus!
I’m really happy for y’all. There’s nothing more important than family. Which you obvious realize.
Wow, congratulations on the good news! It’s wonderful that everything worked out for you guys! We live on the other side of the planet from our families and there are often times I wish we can just pack up and leave our life in Tokyo and go back home. I can only imagine how hard it must have been for you to tell Chris that you want to move back home and I’m glad he was open to the idea. It’s amazing what you two have together. Good luck with the move and I hope Bean appreciates what a wonderful gift it is to grow up near family!
I just wanted to say that I started reading your blog on Friday, right from the start and I have finally caught up to today. It seems strange that I can feel so much for a family I have never met, but I am so happy for you that you have been given this opportunity to follow your dreams and I hope that all three of you have the most amazing time in this next part of your lives.
Katie, you and Chris are truly inspirational. one thing i really admire about both of you is that you can look at your dreams as logical timelines and take small steps to get it done. i myself am in a similar situation- in the process of saving money to move from Seattle to Austin, to pursue a career as a country singer. it’s exhausting! you’re so lucky to have a family who really cares about you and wants to support you and Chris and Bean- i’m actually leaving to get AWAY from an abusive family and living situation. look at me, i’m over-sharing, haha.
hearing about the way you and Chris are handling the moving process is making it all so much easier for me, and for everyone reading this blog going through something similar. i wish you all the best in this new chapter of your lives!
I am completely jealous that you’ll be closer to family but am so happy for you guys! We fantasize about being closer to family all the time, but God hasn’t led us that direction just yet. Good luck with the move!!!
There’s no place like home! What an awesome message in your blog! You had me in tears. I love that you shared how the power of prayer worked in your life. You are probably going to think I’m crazy for saying this though- don’t get rid of all your winter clothes because it’s been COLD down here in Florida, although this was a pretty nice weekend.
I can’t wait to see the blog about the move. I’m sure it’s going to be quite an adventure!
Woohooo!!
I am sure that the three of you will make it ok ,I have known Chris most of his life,and you for a lot of years,and I am sure that you will be ok
I knew about the interview,and was sure I knew what you were stressed about.
I am so excited for y’all!
I couldn’t agree more that sometimes your heart just needs to go back ‘home’ to family. I’m at that stage, especially since we’re trying for a baby and family lives in TX and we’re here in FL, so it’s a nice 10 hour drive. It was such an awesome plunge to take for us when we got out of the Army at Fort Hood and made the trip here – I’m so excited that y’all get to do that again!
Congratulations! I’m so happy for you and Chris! It sounds like you have a lot of packing to do now : )
Oh I am so excited for you guys! (Quick Sidebar – Go UCF! I’m an alumni!) We will practically be neighbors. As others in the area have stated just shout if you guys need help with anything – realtors, job prospects, etc.
Wait, did you new BFF Pdub approve of his move?
Congrats!
Once you said you quit your job, I had you all figured out
That “business trip” to FL that Chris took and came home early and scared you? There was something fishy because you never really explained it.
Anyway, I’m happy for you guys, but totally feel your pain leaving your cute little house and your jobs and the city you love. Good luck! I can’t wait to hear about it all on here (and see your pictures of your new house?)
When I graduate with my masters in a few months things are up in the air for us. Part of me wants to move back to the DC area and be with family so they’ll be there when we have kids in a few years, and the other part of me wants to go somewhere else- I’ve spent almost my entire life in DC, we need an adventure! sigh.
How exciting! I hope you guys have a safe and happy move!
Congrats! I was wondering if this was the surprise after Chris’s business trip to Florida.
I am so happy for you guys! We live close to my husband’s family for the same reasons that you mentioned. I hate to quote Hillary, but it does “take a village” to raise a child. It’s so great to know that there is family close by to lean on. Plus, it’s FLORIDA…no more snow for you guys!
Congratulations! That is so exciting! I’m sure it was a hard process to get there, but it sounds like it will be great for you and your family!
Congrats to you guys. I have been gone for the last week and am just catching up on your lovely blog. Change is always good.
Congrats!!! Have safe travels!
Congratulations! Your twitter updates saying you two quit your job had me worried but I’m excited to hear about your new adventure. The power of prayer is AMAZING! Good luck with the move!
Congradulations on having the faith to follow your hearts and Gods will for your lives. I am praying for you in this new adventure! Have fun!
Congrats!! So exciting!
Marriage Confessions is coming to my town! I’m so excited!
Have you told the Bean about Disney yet and how he’s going to live near Mickey Mouse?
I also attend UCF for grad school, and it’s so great that Chris is able to work for them and has a great opportunity with them! Congratulations to you guys. Best of luck and God’s blessings in the days ahead!
This was a beautiful post Kate. Best of luck to your family as you make this journey home again. The one part of moving i hate the most is the packing and unpacking. I hate living in the chaos of boxes but in the end it’s worth it. We just bought our first home last year and i have told my husband i pretty much refuse to mive again anytime soon
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I can’t say i blame you one bit for wanting to be near family. Family support is extremely important in trying times and in happy times and just knowing they are a short drive away should you need them for anything. I love knowing that our parents are just a 45 minute drive away and 90% of my family lives in state. Holidays are that much better and cause much less travel headache.
I grew up with my grandparents very close by as well. And while all of them are gone now, i still have fond memories of them. We still own one of my grandparents houses where I spent many summers of my childhood and i have made a promise to myself that we will always have this place because I cannot imagine not having it. This is wonderful thing you are giving Bean and yourselves, although he is a little young to realize this now. May you both be blessed tremendoulously on this new adventure. I hope you are able to find a new career path soon Kate and that your writing takes off like you hope.
Thank you for sharing your amazing story. God is so good! I’m sure it’s hard sometimes for you and Chris to share your lives with complete strangers out here in web-world, but thank you. You guys encourage so many people like myself and let us know we’re not alone in the highs and lows of life.
I am thrilled for you! What an exciting time for all of you!
oh…♥♥♥…just SO HAPPY for you guys!!! and to make the ‘choice’ because you ‘want to’ is even better. that is, you and chris have had the benefits of time away, the growth and love of being together and then a family–but on your own. now you can go back to florida, and family…as your own little family unit.
such wonderful blessings for all of you…
i am grateful to have the glimpse into all of this.
thanks again. ♥
Congrats! I saw the post on facebook and wondered what in the world was going on! I’m so happy for you guys – I know how important family is and I’m so happy that yall get to be closer to them now!
That is exciting for you guys. There is nothing better than having family around to give you a helpiong hand, a shoulder to cry on or a listening ear.
So happy for you that you are able to give your son the wonderful gift of close-by grandparents and an aunt!
All the stress from picking up your life and moving it will be so well worth it in a couple of months!! (I moved across FL – NOT the same thing, I know!) when my daughter was born two years ago to be near my parents and it has been such a blessing for all of us.
Super exciting news. Bean growing up near with his extended family is priceless. No doubt about it!
Congratulations and the best of luck to you. Nothing is harder than making those kind of life-changing decisions. I truly believe that when God helps make it easier for you… you know it’s the right one.
Congrats to you and your family. This post really hits home for me, because my husband and I have been struggling with something along these lines for over a year now. Thank you for this testimony that prayer does work. I needed that today to keep believing that God hears our prayers and answers in His perfect timing. Blessings to you in this time of transition.
congrats on the move, i’m pretty jealous right now. we are contemplating a move but with my husband having just gone back to school, it’s not a possibility for at least another year until he’s graduated. i had two guesses about your news, either you were moving or you were pregnant again…but it’s too soon for another baby, right
are you planning on buying another house right away or waiting and renting for a while? good luck either way!
What a fun adventure! Stressful too I’m sure, even though it’s something you greatly desired! You were obviously in tune with the Lord’s will for your lives. I’m glad he has blessed you!!
I wish we could live closer to our parents!
And I’m jealous.
Congratulations! We moved far away from home as well to start our new careers about 3 years ago (from MI to MA!) and we do hope to move back eventually once we start a family. I’m so glad that things worked out for you – there is nothing greater than family!
Congrats! I hope the move and job transition goes smoothly!
I got teary reading this- congratulations and way to go! I’ll keep you guys in my prayers over the next few months. Hurray!!
woo hoo! As someone who is lucky to have her mom and in-laws less than an hour away, I can relate to your motivation. It is wonderful to have your family close by to watch your own family grow.
Best of luck with the move!
Congrats on your up coming move and change! I, too, at one point had to ask my husband to change in his job, because I was realizing I wanted to be closer to family. I am glad we made the move. My husband even likes his job better! Wishing you all the luck!
Congratulations! I can only imagine the cycle of stress & relief you’ve been going through (and are probably still going through!) I couldn’t have made a decision like this without prayer either & I’m so happy everything worked out for you to be close to your family.
Congratulations on the big decision!
That must be a huge weight off your shoulders. All my family is in Wisconsin so I understand how that feels.
Anyway, I’m in Lake Mary if your looking for any new friends!
Best of Luck,
Jessica
Welcome back to sunny Florida. I totally understand wanting to be near family. Congrats to Chris on his new job!!!
Aw, neat, you guys will be in my town! Go UCF Knights!
Hi Katie,
A friend sent me a link to your blog today and what can I say, I’m hooked
Today I have been married for six months and this weekend we decided that we want to try for a baby, and will start when I have my implant removed next month. I find your blog is very relevant to my life right now!
Myself and my husband have recently relocated our lives (not our choice) and will be doing so again (this time our choice) in a month’s time. It’s such a huge thing to do, and our move is only 3 hours away by car from family. I can’t imagine what it must be like to live in the USA and have such huge distances between you and your family. Congratulations on your move, and your decision and on the miracle of Chris finding a great job in the perfect location.
Best of luck with the move and everything
Heather xxx
I’m so happy for you. Growing up with grandparents is such an amazing blessing, and while it’s sometimes hard to coordinate all the family stuff (all of my husband’s and my family live within 20 minutes of us) it is so worth it. God definitely answered your prayers.
CONGRATS!
I could not imagine our boys lives without their grandparents near by.
Even though this is huge; and a major stress – you guys will pull through. Because that is what you do.
I am so happy for y’all! My husband-to-be and I are moving to a rural part of Montana 2000 miles away form our families this summer. I hope we can eventually be closer to home, especially when we have a baby of our own.
I grew up very close to my grandparents and aunts and uncles – it was such a blessing.
Wow! Congratulations!! You guys are so brave to make such a huge move — and for such a great reason! I’m excited for you and can’t wait to read all about it! LOVE.
Wonderful, beautiful, delicious, heartwarming, joyful hope.
I am SO happy for you. Coming from someone that is 16 hours away from family…I understand COMPLETELY. There are days that all I want is my mom’s cooking. I know it would make everything all better..LOL
I envy those who are living in Orlando.
IMAGINE IF YOUR NEW NEIGHBOURS WERE MARRIAGE CONFESSION-CREEPERS!
Marriage Confession creepers meaning those who read your blog daily and get are smiling/and or crying of happiness after reading this blog post.
And Bean will have so much fun growing up there!
Near Disney and Universal Studios and Seaworld!
Don’t worry, this new adventure shall be amazing <3
I kinda guessed you would be moving back soon when Chris’ person got sick. I don’t remember if it was his dad or granddad though.
Anyway, best of luck! I wish I could move to be by my family. The cost of living is so much higher there though. We just can’t afford it since my store closed and I’m out of a job. My husband just doesn’t make enough to support us over there. I think we’ll be back under the poverty line again this year. We just got out of it too!
I’m so happy you two can do this! Congratulations!
Congrats to you guys on your new adventure! Thanks for sharing and I’ll be sure to keep ya’ll in my prayers.
My mind was racing yesterday with all the possibilities of what your announcement might be… but this totally took me by surprise!! How exciting for you guys! Congratulations & good luck with all the packing/preparation!
HOW EXCITING! You’ll be in my state!!!!!
Orlando is great. My sister lived there for a few years. Winter park is really stunning
So happy for you!
Moving is stressful. (I know! I’ve moved three times in the past two years–and getting ready to move again this summer!) But you’ll settle in. Good luck, Katie!
Woo Hoo! Good for you guys!! There is nothing like having family around for raising a family- it takes a village- and it’s awfully nice when there are people you know & trust in your village! Hey- if you take the trek over to Tampa to come & visit I’ll clue Bean in on where all the cool kids hand (it’s MOSI!)… yay! Congrats and good luck!!
Congratulations! And on an even more positive note – now I can stop wondering! Ahhh, I feel at peace.
I just love love love this post…. so much to take in and so much thoughtful stuff….
Wow, so great to read! I am a fellow Southerner doing the grad-school thing in NY, and it is SO hard to be so far away. I recently got engaged to a New Yorker, so whether or not I end up back near my family is very up in the air, but that’s so great that it worked out for ya’ll!
Congratulations and best luck with the move and job search and everything! As someone who has moved across the country twice, I feel for you for all the packing and prep work that you have to do. Also congrats on already selling your house (I assume, based on the fact that you have a closing date). I can’t wait to read and follow your travels and moving and readjusting to life.
My husband just took a job with a 40K paycut so that we could move from NYC to a rural part of Masschusetts. It took him over a year to find a job, we still haven’t sold our apartment in the city and we have some tough financial times ahead but we have never felt more sure of anything in our lives. We absolutely believe we are doing the right thing for our family (a 19 month old, a new one coming in April and hopefully more after that.)
So, kudos to you. It takes guts and faith. Good luck!
Excitement. Peace in your hearts. Warmth (and not the weather…. although that will bite)
Welcome back home. It’s wonderful that you’re able to do this while Bean is so young.
Many happy days, weeks, months, and years!
Congrats on your big move and being close to family. I loved your words on the power of prayer because they are so very true. May God bless you all as you start this new adventure in your lives.
Wow. That is quite the blogpost. I am so happy for your family. My siblings and I live within 5 minutes of each other and our mother lives about 20 minutes from us. I have wondered what it would have been like to not have them there, but I can’t imagine what I would do without them. How awesome that your prayers were answered.
I am glad that Chris got to build a snowman!!
[...] Oh the joys of being an adult. haha! Can I move to Florida with marriage confessions? [...]
i’m so happy to hear that others have had similar experiences. after two years of living in NYC, i packed up and came back to Pcola, shocking the heck out of myself and my big life plans that i thought i wanted. I was missing so much and just genuinely needed to be within some sort of driving distance of my people. I hated missing the births of nieces, holidays, and all the day to day stuff the i took for granted before i left this little panhandle. While i still battle with the boredom of Pcola from time to time, i am more than thrilled with the life that I have down here. i wouldnt trade the last minute requests to babysit my nieces for any big city design job ever. and i really cant wait to grow my family here with all of the support that i’ve grown accustom to. congratulations you guys! by the way, you keep me entertained at work qutie often. i’m a reader, not a commenter
Good luck — sounds like this will be great for the family, for the marriage and for your child!
http://www.ashortguidetoahappymarriage.com
I am so late in reading this Katie and I cried, tears of joy for you & your family. I am so happy that you are moving closer to your family and alot of young couples here in Singapore didn’t realize the ‘treasure’ having the support from the extended families.
Darren’s Mom stayed with me ever since Shania came along and through the years, it is good to see the bonding between Grandma & Grandchildren. Children learn from us as we show the respect to the elders and in times to come, they will treasure the family too.
I am so happy for everyone Katie…Big Hugs and please send my love to your Mom & Dad, Grandma and your hubby & bean and Ginny too
My husband and I made a choice like this 10 years ago and we have never regretted it. Our two girls are now teenagers and have had grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins at all of their sporting events, birthday celebrations, chorus concerts etc. We feel very blessed and know that you will all flourish in this decision…. even though there will be days you will miss your “old life.” Best Wishes