I'm so thankful to be able to share a very long awaited update of what's been going on with our family over the last few months, as we found ourselves leaving London, once again.
First, we have so much gratitude for the many prayers, words of encouragement, and generosity that has been shown to our family through this very long transition. Leaving London for the second time has been a bit surreal and the time frame was not at all what we had envisioned. But, as scripture reminds us, man can plan his way, but God directs his steps (Proverbs 16:9).
After Zack unexpectedly lost his job last October, we quickly realized that God was leading us away from London (you can see my previous post for all the details that led us to this realization), and things began happening fast. Zack was offered two very good jobs at the end of December. We were thankful to have choices, and based on a number of factors (housing markets, school systems, and resources that would be available for Luke), Zack accepted a position that allowed us to be somewhat flexible in our location. We began our search in the Cincinnati/NKY area, but also looked in Columbus, Ohio, and the surrounding areas. The housing market was super hot during our initial search, and we unsuccessfully made three offers, one of which was 30k above the asking price! Needless to say, as February rolled around, we were getting frustrated, discouraged and also feeling a little confused- it just seemed like doors weren't opening for us in terms of housing. We wanted to get our kids settled into a new school system asap, and baby Eva's arrival was coming soon as well- we were really hoping to be settled before her arrival. In addition to these concerns, a major mandate came down from the corporate level of Zack's new company regarding travel- what initially was to be only a few nights away every couple of months was now to be several nights away from home every month. This news came as Luke had been having some of the most difficult nights- hours of screaming, kicking, crying, and Luke being simply inconsolable. It was hard for me to imagine managing nights like this without Zack, especially when I considered having a new baby.
Around mid February, it all seemed to reach a tipping point when Zack was gone for a week to Pennsylvania and New York for work. Both little boys came down with bad cases of the flu, my mom had a serious case of bronchitis, the big kids were feeling crummy and my dad had quarantined himself to his room (can you blame him??). My father in law had tested positive for Covid and he and my mother in law were both quarantined. It was a very tough week, but it gave me a realistic picture of what the future could look like when Zack was traveling for work and I would be home alone. When he came home from that trip, we had a very honest, hard discussion. We both knew the new requirements of this job were not sustainable when considering the needs of our family, and Zack decided to resign from his new job.
So, there we were, a family of 8, soon to be 9, living with my parents, and no job prospect on the horizon. As hard as that week had been, at times it seemed even harder to think about starting from scratch with jobs, housing, etc. I was going to try and recount all the details of what transpired beginning around Mid-February to the end of April, but it's easier to just say this- Zack was offered several jobs, we traveled to three different states trying to figure out housing, school, systems, and therapy, but none of them worked out. It was a crazy time, and I’m sure most people thought we were crazy as well! It was like living in the Twilight Zone, or maybe like the movie Groundhog Day. Only with 6 kids 😂. We wondered if there was an end in sight. But, we knew what God had called us to, and so with strength and faith from the Lord, we kept going. It was beautiful to see the covenant and design of the marriage relationship during this time. On days when I would be weak in faith and discouraged, Zack would strong and such an encouragement to me. And vise versa. We kept reminding ourselves of our word- "together".
We began to realize that our plans to be moved and settled before the arrival of sweet baby Eva were not going to happen. So, we improvised and added a little space for her in the basement where Zack and I and Luke and Levi were already camped out in my parents house (the big kids were all upstairs). This would be a good time for me to pause and speak to the extra amazing love and generosity my parents showed to our family from January to July. What we all thought would be several weeks of living with them turned into several months, and they just rolled with the punches. Not something everyone could do, especially with our large family and all the different personalities and hormones...! I don't know what we would have done without them and their willingness to let us literally invade their space. They truly have blessed our lives more than they will ever know. My in-laws also played a huge role during that time, basically giving respite to my parents by offering their home on the weekends and helping with school transportation. They helped watch our little guys when we needed to make road trips to look at houses, etc. We truly have an amazing gift in our parents!
Finally, at the end of April we thought we were definitely moving to Birmingham after Zack was offered a good position. We made a few visits, and found a house that would work. It was a lovely place, and while some things still didn’t seem quite right, at this point, we had to move forward, or at least we thought. Even on the way home from our last trip to Alabama, I just couldn’t shake the feeling that something seemed “off”.
A few days passed and we began trying to settle in with the idea of moving our family to Birmingham. But, before everything was official in Alabama, Zack received a call from a small automation company based in Indianapolis. They were looking for a sales rep to branch into Kentucky. The position would cover the entire state, but no over night travel would be required (except for some occasional trainings a couple times a year) and the person could live anywhere in the state, though Louisville would be the preferred location. We were, of course, skeptical. It wasn't a big name company like the other jobs Zack had interviewed for. But, the chance to stay in Kentucky and no overnight travel was all we needed to hear to at least explore the opportunity. Zack came home from meeting with the president of the company, and told me we had a tough decision to make. We talked, prayed, and the next day Zack called the realtor in Alabama and explained the situation. He understood and thankfully we were within the timeframe that allowed us to rescind our offer (they received another offer the same day). We were going to be able to stay in Kentucky!
We were thrilled, immediately began house hunting, and a few weeks later, after some unsuccessful offers, found a home in Oldham County, made an offer, and it was accepted! The most amazing thing about our new home is the location. As we thought through what it would look like for our family to move away, we realized that the location of the house would be key- without any family in town to help transport kids to and from extracurricular activities, and with Luke having to be transported daily to therapy, we needed our home to be central to everything, if at all possible. This house hit the jackpot for location- The preschool (Oldham County has one location that houses all the preschool classes), elementary, middle and high schools are all located on the same campus, and are literally within walking distance/golf cart ride from our home. Our kids actually walked to school/were transported on our golf cart their first day! Luke's therapy is about a 6 minute drive from our house. And, as an added bonus, a new Kroger is opening next summer about 1 mile away. The location of this house is an unbelievable answer to prayer, and truly something only God could orchestrate- we learned that through months of looking for homes in multiple cities!
We have been moved in for almost a month now. We of course miss our home, especially our family, friends, and church family. The kids have been troopers throughout this entire process. Initially it was tough, and understandably so. We were asking a lot, especially for our older kids, as they had some pretty solidly established friendships and roles on their teams back home. We asked them throughout this process to first trust God, and then trust us, even if it didn't make sense. None of us did the first part perfectly, but for the most part, our kids did awesome, and once we finally got settled in, they have been very positive and huge helpers, doing whatever has been asked of them. They have some great opportunities here, and I think they are beginning to realize that.
Luke will begin therapy in less than two weeks. At the end of July, Zack and I met with his therapy team for a parent meeting, and the following day Luke came to the center to meet the team. The meetings couldn't have gone any better. The level of care, knowledge, and professionalism they showed us was amazing and undoubtedly an answer to months and months of prayer. During the meeting, I remembered being at Vandy almost a year and a half earlier, and receiving Luke's diagnosis. There were so many thoughts going through my mind then (and still are), but that is where the initial journey began of seeking out every possible resource I could for Luke. The journey certainly isn't over by any means, but this step is a huge milestone in our journey with Luke. Halfway through the meeting Zack verbalized what this coming to fruition meant to our family, and I think we both got a little teary eyed. The faithfulness of God is simply amazing and we stand in awe of his goodness and grace.
Zack and I are doing well. We are very thankful, very tired, and very blessed . Our biggest focus now is to find a church home to connect with so that our family may grow and serve, to the Glory of God. I’m sure it’s definitely an interesting sight to see when our family comes to visit a new church! They may or may not want us to visit again 😂😂
Thank you again for all your prayers, words of encouragement and support. London, Kentucky, will always be our home. We know that in our hearts, and have been reminded of that often, even with all the wonderful aspects of our new home. But we also know that God has led us here and directed our path, so we move forward with great expectation and hope in Him.
