2013: A Year in Review

We are doing a “Year in Review” at Charisma magazine and Charisma News, where we repost the top stories of 2013. It’s a great way to look back at the year that’s about to end and reflect on what happened in those 365 days. So I thought I’d do my own “Year in Review.”

Us near the end of 2012 (left) and a few weeks before 2014 starts.

If I summed up 2013 in one word, it would definitely not be boring. It included trips to theme parks, our first cruise vacation, a master’s degree graduation, a cross-country move, living with family, another move to our own place, joining a new church, making new friends, new jobs and so much more. I think change would be a great word to describe this year.

The beginning of the year held so much promise, and yet so much uncertainty. Erik and I decided last summer that when he graduated we would move back to the Chicagoland area once one of us got a job. You can check out this post for more info on that decision. But since he didn’t graduate until May, January was much too early to start job hunting or planning any other details. So although we knew we had a major change coming up, all we could do was wait and enjoy where we were at.

So enjoy we did. We went to Disney World in the first week of January and went on our first cruise vacation in April. We spent three days on a Royal Caribbean trip to the Bahamas and soaked up (too much) sun a month before Erik graduated. We also took our last trip to Islands of Adventure at Universal Studios, where we got wet in the rain but savored the butter beer and memories we knew we wouldn’t experience again for a while. In the mean time, Erik and I were both applying for jobs and praying God would open a door so we could return home and live near our families and friends again.

When the time came, we packed up a 16-foot truck, said our goodbyes, and drove from Casselberry, Fla., to Bolingbrook, Ill. We each had to drive the whole way since we have two vehicles, so the trip was exhausting. But we made it in two days and it was such a relief to be home! I began working out of my aunt and uncle’s house (where we lived for two months) and Erik earnestly continued his job search. He started working at a treatment center in Chicago just a few days shy of a month after we moved here.

Unfortunately the job wasn’t quite what he was hoping for, but it was enough for us to be able to move out. We moved into a two-bedroom apartment in Lisle near the train station to make his daily commute to Chicago easier. Then in the middle of October he started a new job at a methodone clinic in Aurora—about a 20-minute commute from our place. He likes it better and the commute is a dream compared to his Chicago job.

The last few months haven’t been too eventful, but we’ve spent time with family and friends—old and new. We got to celebrate Thanksgiving with family for the first time in four years, we experienced our first snow storm since 2010, and we put up our first Christmas tree as a couple. We officially joined Four Corners Community Church, and I’ve become a regular volunteer in their nursery. I get to hold babies and play with toddlers, plus I am serving parents by allowing them to worship our Lord worry-free. So it really is perfect for me. Also, two weeks ago I chopped off almost 10 inches of my hair, which I will donate to Pantene Beautiful Lengths. This is the fourth time I've donated my hair and I'd say it will probably be the last, but I said that last time; so who knows.

As we wrap up another year and begin to dream for 2014, I am so thankful at where God has us and the work He’s done in our lives. I have a feeling this next year will be much more unpredictable, but I have no doubt that it will be exactly what God planned for us, and I intend to enjoy it as much as possible!

Happy New Year’s everyone, and stay safe!

From the Plains to the Sunshine State ... and Back Again

As you most likely know by now, Erik and I are moving … again. Yep, for the fourth time in the three years we’ve been married, we’re packing up our life and moving. For the second time, we’ll be moving cross-country. After about a year of discussions and prayer, we’ve decided to move up to the suburbs of Chicago.

In August 2010, when we had been married for just four months, we drove all of our belongings from Normal, Ill., to Orlando, Fla., so Erik could attend the mental health counseling graduate program at the University of Central Florida. At first I was optimistic that we’d find a great community and possibly want to stay here. But it’s become clear that this is not where we belong.

We’ve attended two churches and five small groups in the effort to try to find a community. Could we have tried harder to make friends? Maybe. And it’s not that we haven’t. We just don’t have a tight-knit, family-like community, which is what we truly desire. As we begin to discuss having a family of our own, one of the most important things to us is having a good, strong support system. We don’t have that in Florida, but we do in Illinois.

Erik graduated with his master’s degree in May, freeing us up to leave Florida. There are a lot of details surrounding the move, so I’ll explain some of them here:

1. What about jobs? I love my job at Charisma Media, and am so thrilled that they’re letting me keep it! That’s right. They’re going to let me work remotely, allowing me to keep all the responsibilities I have (which are all online-based) while working from home in Illinois. What a tremendous blessing! Erik is still vigorously hunting for jobs, and we’re optimistic that being local will help him land something soon.
2. Where will we live? Until we get settled and know what area we need to be in for Erik’s job, we’re planning to live with my Aunt Tammy, Uncle Steve, and their boys in Naperville. Their house has been my home for the last eight years, so it’s fitting that it’s where we return. Yet another blessing that they’re letting us live with them. We are so grateful!
3. How will we get there? This is the most annoying detail. We’ve decided to go back the same way we got down here: Driving. With two cars and enough stuff to fill an apartment, it’s the most cost-effective way. So we will rent a truck and tow my car, and drive Erik’s car. Last time we were blessed enough to have help driving, but this time it looks like we’ll be going it alone. It’s about a 19-hour drive, so of course we’ll have to spend the night somewhere and split it up into two days. Nonetheless, it will be A LOT of driving. So please pray for us!
4. When do we leave? My last day at my office will be Friday, June 28, and we’ll pack up our truck the following day. We’ll have to clean our apartment and it will be a tiring day, so we’ll spend the night with some friends before heading out. We will leave the morning of Sunday, June 30, and hopefully arrive in Naperville Monday (July 1) afternoon or evening. I’ll then take off the first week of July to recover and settle in before starting to work from home on July 8.

Well I think that about sums it up. Feel free to ask any other questions you may have in the comments section. To all of our Florida friends, we will miss you! We hope to come back and visit again some day, though. And to our family and friends back in the Midwest, we can't wait to see you again!