Thanksgiving Week Adventures and Embracing Challenging Change

 This year we headed up to spend Thanksgiving week in Fairmont Hot Springs.  It was a super memorable trip for many reasons. On the drive up we got a life changing phone call from Jared's supervisor asking how interested we were about moving to Rexburg, because an opportunity was opening up sooner than expected and he had expressed interest in the past.  He needed to let them know ASAP.  I felt amazingly calm and peaceful when he brought it up even though change brings with it a whirlwind of work and emotions. So while Rebecca did the driving, Jared and I had a quick quiet conversation and he called back within 5 minutes to let them know we were interested.  We received a text the following day that the change was almost certain, but we waited until the end of the vacation to inform our kids so they could enjoy the moments with their cousins instead of worrying about the future.  They had plenty of time to relax, play games, watch movies, swim at the hot pools, feast on good food and enjoy the company of some of our Neal cousins.

Its now official that after the school year is over we will be starting a new chapter in our lives as Jared has the opportunity to open up the LDS Family Services office in Rexburg and we will transplant our family to meet new friends, experience growth and build new memories.
I will never forget the reactions of our children when we told them the news on the last day of the vacation.  There were a lot of tears (except from Jacob who embraces change pretty easily), and they each shared things they will miss... friends, football teams, ward family, piano students, walking to church, a home filled with memories.  But there are also many things to look forward to... a new house, friends, ward family, educational opportunities and a temple nearby.  Jared also agreed that they can have a new dog after the move which they've been wanting for years.

 

Feasting on an early Thanksgiving dinner

 

Emily the photobomber

 After getting back form our Montana adventures we headed on the road again to attend a baptism of my niece in Utah.

Now that we've returned to real life, the reality is setting in as we make preparations to sell our home, organize and declutter.  I try not to focus too much on the many things that I am going to miss about our life here as it makes the tears flow and its better to look forward in faith.  We have been so blessed here by so many wonderful friends and neighbors, its hard to think of leaving.  When I went to church and looked into the faces of so many people who have impacted my life for good, I couldn't hold back the tears and Josh loudly asked, "Mom, why are you sad?"
This is a great leap of faith for our family, but I trust in the feelings of my heart when I pray because if I focused on logic alone, it wouldn't make sense to uproot our large family, tear our children away from their friends and our amazing neighborhood.  I know that God knows the big picture and understands what experiences and opportunities he wants me and my children to experience so that we can be refined and build a new collection of fond memories in our new home.