*Disclaimer: Yes, I have been extremely negligent in this blog. But with all of the drama around Liam’s birth, then surgery 3 weeks later… mommyhood has taken its toll. Oh.. and the news below too…
I am a huge Julie Andrews fan. Like, huge huge. One of my favorite movies she starred in is Mary Poppins. I love how Mary Poppins’ gentle, yet firm, spirit is what changed the heart of a whole household. I also love how she fostered the children’s curiosity. I always hopped I would grow up with a bit of Mary Poppins inside of me. But this isn’t my point … my point is this. Do you remember how, at the end, the winds changed and signaled that it was time for her to move on to a new home? I can clearly identify with that right now… the winds have changed for the Roehls. As of September, we will no longer be California residents.
This is a bittersweet announcement. When we left Illinois 5 years ago, it was a bitter announcement. We were leaving a place we hadn’t ever planned on leaving. When we realized that Illinois would not provide the career opportunities we needed, we set our sights on Oregon, Colorado and North Carolina. The only place I told Oliver and God (ha!) I wouldn’t move, was California. *ahem* God put me in my place REAL quick with that one! We were given an amazing opportunity in California, and we moved here. I can see so clearly now why God had us come here. I have made some great connections, close friends and even best friends here. We had fantastic job opportunities that furthered our careers and helped us see, even more clearly, God’s plan for our lives. All along we had a 5 year plan… we kept this 5 year plan in the forefront of our minds. We even took two trips to our other “choices” (Portland and Denver) to continue towards the decision of our next location.
During our time here, we purchased an investment home. It was in no way our “forever” home. We never LOVED it, but it has provided us so many opportunities to learn and demonstrate hospitality. It’s given us a shelter from the storms of the world (we don’t mean actual rain…), and it has come to hold a special place in our heart. This home is where Oliver first carried me across the threshold (yes, he really did!). It’s where we first decided to start a family. It’s where we learned we would struggle with infertility. It’s where we’d curl up in bed and cry as we waited for our child. It’s in the front bathroom where I discovered I was pregnant – where I stared into the mirror in complete shock before slumping against the counter. It’s in the living room, on our sofa, where I first told Oliver he would be a father… it’s the front door we carried Liam through when we brought our promised child HOME. Although we don’t LOVE this home, there has been a lot of love in it and a lot of memories were made here. It’s hard to leave, but it is time.
So, where are the Roehls headed next?! Remember how we had been planning on Portland, Denver or North Carolina? Well, we went and visited Portland together and, although beautiful, it just wasn’t “us”. We also really wanted to be near family… so North Carolina was our next choice. Oliver’s mom, sister, brother and my sister would all be just a days drive away. We’d also be significantly closer to our family in Ohio. I began talking to college friends who lived there and secret shopping for the private practice market/ competition. That’s where we ran into a BIG hiccup. The socioeconomic status of the state, along with the income-to-“cost of living” ratios were WAY off (based on our careers). North Carolina was no longer looking like someplace we could “get ahead”. And we weren’t about to move to a place where we’d struggle to make ends meet – been there, done that. About this time my dad took a job in Boulder, CO and Oliver had two cousins who had been living in Denver for some time. In October, while I was VERY pregnant with Liam, we took a trip out there. On the plane we made a pact NOT to fall in love, but to keep our heads about us. Two days into the trip, we’d fallen head over heels. I asked Oliver to not make me make any decisions until AFTER Liam arrived. Liam was born on a Monday, on Tuesday Oliver began discussing the move *smile*
So where are we at in this whole process? We placed our home on the market last Wednesday. Over the course of the week we had over 60 groups visit our home and last night we signed papers on one of the offers. It should be finalized in less than 20 days, and we will no longer be California home owners. For the summer we will be living in my father’s work condo in Sunnyvale (about 20 minutes from our home) with my mom, Chief and the 2 chinchillas. And in September, we’ll move to Colorado! To say 2013 has been a whirlwind year already would be an understatement. But we are at peace with our decisions and we are ready for the next chapter – all THREE of us are ready. *smile*
Come what may, all the glory goes to Christ. So Colorado, here we come!
<3 The Roehls
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