Transition to Ohio

We have been here for about three weeks now so I thought I would check in to document how things are going.  I knew it would be cold here but I wasn't expecting it to "be the worst winter Ohio has ever had."  The snow doesn't bother me but the extremely cold temperatures + wind is pretty rough.  As far as getting out and exploring, we have  had  a pretty slow start.  Other than that, we feel very comfortable back in the Midwest. It's a nice settled feeling.  I have enjoyed buying my groceries at Meijer and going to the gym that we also belonged to in Chicago.

Quinn has adjusted to her new room really well.  Everything looks very similar to her old room.  Also, our downstairs is totally baby proofed, which has made my life much easier.  The first two weeks of being here Quinn went through a pretty hard core "testing phase."  She was throwing a lot of random tantrums and doing things to get my attention.  I am sure it had something to do with the move and the fact that she just turned one.  But, people are right when they consistency works--even at this age.  It felt like telling her "no" was doing absolutely nothing, but now she IS listening to me (most of the time:)!  Oh, and neither one of us are to keen on this whole giant coat thing.

Quinn has become really attached to this blanket my sister made her and is best friends with her paci.

I am pretty sure I have put on a few pounds since we moved here.  Do I even have to explain why?  

We have found some fun indoor activities that Quinn LOVES.  The playplace at the mall is a hit and who doesn't love the pet store?!

I took Quinn to get her hair cut again.  It was getting out of control.  Even though she wailed the entire time, it was worth it.  She looks cute with the hair trimmed up in the back.

 

 Matt is really enjoying his job, and we are getting used to his new schedule.  It doesn't seem too bad.  He had a lot of travel the other week which went pretty well.  As long as Quinn takes her naps and is healthy, its not so bad when he is away--although we do miss him!   We have also started the church search.  If you know of any good ones in the area, let us know!  

Big Move

Most of you who are reading this probably already knew that. :)  But, to make it "blog official," we are moving to Ohio in January!  Matt interviewed for a position (External Wholesaler) the week of Halloween, and we have been waiting ever since to hear the final decision.  Matt officially accepted the offer this week.  It's an answer to prayer in many ways, and I am so proud of him!

When we moved to Florida, Matt's main goal was to work as an Internal Wholesaler for a couple of years and then apply for an External Wholesaling position.  We had no idea what regions of the country would open up for this position.  We moved to Florida because that is where we felt like God was leading us, so we figured He would work out the rest when the time was right.  My biggest fear?  Well, I had total confidence that Matt would be able to achieve his goal.  But, my biggest worry was that we would end up moving to a random city that felt totally foreign to me...with no family around...and, my husband travelling during the week while I stay at home with our infant.  This fear haunted me.  But, I was finally able to surrender it to the Lord and trust Matt that he wouldn't lead our family some place we shouldn't go.  After all, moving to Florida was a pretty drastic change for us and God provided for all of our needs--not only that, but we have really enjoyed our time here too! 

All that to say, we are very thankful we get to move to Ohio.  It's in the Midwest, where we want to raise our family, and it's in driving distance to both of our families.  (We will be living equidistant from both families!).  We will still be moving to a new city and won't have family in our town.  So, yes, there will be some challenges and room for adjustment too.  But, I suppose that is the case with any big move!


I had no role in giving the Ohio State paci to Quinn.  If you have concerns please take them up with Matt!

At this point, we have some ideas of the areas where we want to look for a place to live.  We plan to make a mini trip to Ohio while we are visiting my family for Christmas.  We got connected with a realtor through one of my sister's friends, and will meet with him to get some help.  Since we will be moving shortly after Christmas we will just be renting for now.  I am actually really excited to explore a new city, try new local restaurants, hear Midwestern accents everywhere I go, and experience the four seasons again.  I have been pulling out all of my winter gear from the boxes in our garage.  I am excited for a change in wardrobe.  I never really mastered how to put together an "outfit" in Florida.

There is plenty to worry about, but I am so over worrying.  We are just trusting that the Lord will work out all of the details, and are excited for this new chapter!  Oh, and Christmas?  Yeah, the timing could be a little better.  Between Quinn teething and this move, I have been very distracted.  It doesn't quite feel like Christmas time to me.  We will be visiting my family next week, so I am banking on that trip to get me in the Christmas spirit (ie. my mother's traditional tin filled with a wild assortment of baked goods, seeing friends and family, going to the Nutcracker, Christmas Eve and Day with my family, snow, hmmm--I'm sure there will be more!)

Thanksgiving and Driving South

Now that I have a second to breathe, I can finally post all that has been going on this month! For a few weeks, I re-visited my college days and lived with some really awesome roomates. I really enjoyed my time with these fun ladies :) Thanks, Kelly, for letting me invade your space!

Brie and wine night? I don't remember doing that in college!

Great Christmas craft that I hope to make for our new place too!

Made it home for Thanksgiving !

Matt went biking with Wes :)

There are some major perks to having your birthday near a holiday...I got to see so many people that I love! I spent time with both my family and friends from high school.

cute picture

yummy cake

After Thanksgiving, we began our big trip south. It wasn't so bad. A highlight was stopping in Georgia to see some of Matt's family.

Thanks for having us, McCauleys!

And, for those of you who don't really believe us...here is some proof!

Goodbyes and Hellos

My friend Kelly was sweet enough to throw Matt and I a goodbye party with all of our closest friends. Thanks, Kelly!

In the morning, I left a fully furnished apartment and I came home to this!

Empty apartment. We had a good two years in this place. Feels like yesterday we were moving in!

So what do you do when you are hungry in an empty apartment? Enjoy your last meal eating chinese food on the floor, of course!

a good memory :)

Hello, new place!

Hello, boxes!

Hello, unattractive angle! ;)

Hello, lots of work ahead of us :) But, at least its sunny out!

Having fun with all of the craziness and looking forward to settling in!

Goodbyes...

Here is a picture of my lovely small group. They planned a very yummy goodbye party for me. I will miss these ladies very much. We have shared our journeys with one another for past two years, and I have been very blessed by them!

I have more pictures from other current events, but all of our belongings are on their way south (along with my computer cord to download pictures!) My updates may be a little delayed. Stay tuned!!

And, the next chapter is....

I can't believe it is finally official...we are moving to Florida! I remember a moment from this summer when Matt got the interview...chatting with my sister-in-law (Kelsey) and saying, "Well, maybe we will be in Florida next time we see you!" haha (I didn't think it would actually happen!)

Matt will be starting a new job down there that we are both really excited about. I am so proud of him. Over the past few months, we have been clinging tightly to the Lord for his direction and guidance. Neither one of us ever thought that we would end up in FL! But, God has been SO faithful in big and small ways, and we feel so blessed.

We will miss our Chicago friends and being able to drive around the lake to see my family. But, we have already began the process of importing friends/family for various weeks in the winter :) It will definitely be a different experience for us...we are 100% midwesterners.

love my family!

I will also miss my classroom and some of my kiddos :) haha. Looking forward to seeing what the Lord has in store for me.

Two quotes....one from the Bible...one from Ferris Bueller... :)

"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life...Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground." Psalm 143:8-10

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

Amen!