Since Josh got his job up north in Washington, we've taken two trips to scout out the area. The first trip we took without the twins, leaving them in the care of their beloved grandma's who spoiled them rotten, I'm sure. The second we took all together as a family, and even had my mom come along!
On our first trip, Josh got to meet some of the staff at his new school and we looked at rentals around the area. We enjoyed pretending we only had two kids, and laughed about how many people still approached us, telling us how much Wyatt looks like Josh. We thought people only did that because of the twins, but it turns out Wyatt is a pretty close mini-me for Josh, too.
During that first trip we paid a visit to the cemetery where Josh's baby sister Margaret is buried. Margaret died of SIDS when she was only two months old. It seems every time we go, her passing hits Josh and I harder than the time before. I don't know if it's having more babies, or simply the passage of time, but it makes us so mindful of what a blessing healthy children are.
During our second trip, which was much better both because my mom came and because I sat by the baby the whole way, we did some house hunting (first time home buyers! so exciting! so scary!) and took a little time to swim in the pool at the hotel.
We left having put an offer on a house, a sweet little first time home that will be perfect for our family. Now we are praying that God is in all the details and it becomes a place where we can be together as a family come fall.
Picturing that house helps me dry up the tears that are falling as I contemplate leaving Vancouver and all our loved ones again. I'm grateful we're just a five hour drive away, but sure wish we were staying in town.
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