Our New Adventure
photo by : Jessica Susana Photo
Well, it’s been two weeks in our new home, and I still can’t really believe it. This entire transition happened so fast and is such a dream, it feels too good to be true. But at the same time, Zach and I loved our previous home. It was packed with memories and life changing moments. We started our parenting journey in that home, and it was our safe haven when we walked through the goodbye of our first child. We hosted so many incredible parties and events including an adoption, company parties, and lots of celebrations. We brought a new baby home from the hospital to that home. It was such a joyful time for us, and while we are so excited for the next adventure, it was bittersweet to say goodbye. I cried many tears in the last twenty-four hours there before the move, and even now, I have moments remembering all that took place there and find myself feeling nostalgic.
So why move? Well, long story short, Zach and I have been looking for our next home for a few years now, knowing the next house was going to be our forever home, or at least the home we’d raise our kids in. As much as we loved our previous home, we knew that we weren’t going to stay forever; as we want to expand our family and desperately wanted more outdoor space for our kids. So we began to look and we looked everywhere. We knew we wouldn’t be leaving the greater LA area, so we focused our search in Orange County and the outskirts of LA. We learned a lot, and just kept praying God would make it evident when the time was right. Though the search was kept casual at the begin, this past summer is when we started to intentionally look and pray for our next adventure. And then we found home. We actually found it quicker than we had originally planned (we figured we’d move next year), but God works in mysterious ways and we are so excited to be here.
I feel like, similar to so many others, this past year has really put life into perspective and forced us to slow down and remind ourselves what’s truly important. Both Zach and I realized that we desperately want our kids to grow up more in nature and less in a city. We want our kids to know hard work and chores, and have a place to explore. Although we love to travel, for us, home is our favorite place. It’s where traditions are formed and memories are made.
In addition to providing our kids a place to explore and grow up, we knew we wanted a place that we could host others endlessly. Entertaining is one of my favorite things to do, and I will throw a party any chance I get. Obviously right now we aren’t doing that, but we have hope and faith someday we will again. And when that time comes, we wanted to have a place where friends and family could come and enjoy. Nothing brings me more joy than filling my home with people. It’s been a hard year for me not being able to host, but it’s also given us time as a family that has been so special. And now, we can have that time with the boys in our new home, exploring and growing together. We also took into consideration being a foster family when looking for our new place, and desperately wanted a safe place for kids to grow and heal and experience life outside their trauma. When we toured our new home the first time we both knew it was a special place God could use for others, and that is the mission of our home. We plan to jump back into foster care again in the new year, and our prayer is that kiddos can heal, and find hope here.
When we took everything into consideration, we knew that we wanted at least an acre or two. Now where to get an acre or two in the greater LA area?! That’s where God comes in. If you are from California, you know that kind of land just doesn’t really exist. But we trusted God and after much searching and some bumps in the road, God brought us to our dream property. He works in unique ways, and looking back on the journey it’s so evident He had His hand in every step. He is so faithful. And He has the most perfect plan.
We are so thankful and excited to fill this next home with lots of kiddos in need of a safe place, to host friends and family as much as we possibly can (when it’s safe to do so), and to focus on what’s most important in life — people! We feel so fortunate to be making this our home and are excited that you are along for the journey.