Our last week in Ocean Beach, came and went so fast! While we were excited about the many adventures to come, that last week in paradise wasn't easy. Saturday, lift off day, was right around the corner. There are so many events and activities not documented here; we experienced more in those three months than I thought humanly possible.
We walked to a shop downtown to craft each of the kids a personalized OB sweatshirt, to treasure. In fact, Kierce just walked into the room wearing hers now.
As we packed up the last of our belongings, Rowan snatched up my Michigan hat. I just had to snap a pic.
Thursday evening, we met with our family at Souplantation. My brother Dana and nephew, Enzo shared in some laughs, which came at just the perfect time.
The sight of these two together, is something that didn't take long to miss.
The relationship between myself and my sister-in-law, Brooke blossomed so much over the years. To try to describe our bond using words, almost feels silly. There are no words to really describe the love between us. Our union runs deep and clear, and is felt with the heart. It has taught me so much about myself and the world around me. I am forever grateful for her and the love she so freely shares with all of us. I cannot wait to meet my new little nephew in her belly <3
Friday we picked up the truck, and worked hard loading the majority of our stuff by early afternoon. The kids did so much to help, so when Merrick had the chance to hang with his friend Noah, he jumped on it.
The process of carrying box after box to the truck, helped the kids to feel included and invested in this family journey.
Boy was I glad I needed to grab a few more boxes at a local market. As we left with a load of boxes, I noticed the gorgeous sun setting. I looked at Rowan and she knew what I was thinking. We put life on pause, as we quickly enjoyed one last OB sunset.
Merrick has friends everywhere he goes. Two of his biggest fans, the Carols, stopped by for a last minute visit. They shared a special hand made card for Merrick, and one for the family as well. We were all so blessed by their beautiful and supportive friendships.
We were so blessed to get one last hug in from Uncle Dave, before heading over to Dana and Brooke's house. They were so gracious to offer their home for us to stay our last night in San Diego, actually I think Brooke said they wouldn't have it any other way. It was difficult to say goodbye to Dave, the apartment and Ocean Beach. In fact after Ryan left, I spent a good couple of hours in solitude, relishing in reverence for the many experiences which shaped our understanding of who we are, and who we want to be as a family. Finally, in the wee hours of the morning, my friend insisted on coming over. We laughed, cried and chatted, and ultimately Carol helped me close the door to 4630, to walk toward a new and open door. Gratitude beams from my heart to my dear friend and angel Carol, who was there in a snap when I didn't even know I needed her help.
By the time I got to Dana's house, it was almost time for me to wake the girls for their early flight. The girls already had a flight planned to visit my parents, before we planned the move. They were a little apprehensive about taking a plane without us for the first time. However, with special lunches packed with love from their Aunt Brooke, they bravely waved goodbye knowing they would be hugging my parents in Detroit within hours.
Not only did Rowan and I enjoy the blessing of the sunset in Ocean Beach the night before, but I also witnessed the most beautiful sunrise, lighting up the downtown skyscape after seeing the girls off.
On Saturday morning Eva and Enzo happily inspected our truck to be sure it would work properly :-)
See Ryan's face...yeah, that's how we were all feeling. Merrick and Eva were sure to secure a special handshake.
...and when I saw this photo, I about melted...my dear Enzo is so precious and open with his feelings. His face expresses exactly what I was feeling in that moment. Driving away from that house was one of the most difficult things I have ever done. Thankfully Ryan was driving, or we would have drove around the block repeatedly for that next week straight. Knowing that we had an adventure and other precious nieces, nephews and family waiting for us across the nation, kept us moving forward. I find peace in knowing the bond between our families is extremely durable. It will certainly be cherished and nourished forevermore.
We were as ready as we'd ever be.
...beautiful dunes at the eastern border of California.
As we drove through the southern part of Arizona, we pulled over to enjoy the sky.
Watching Merrick dig his heels in the dirt, was somehow beautifully inspiring. I knew I would be witnessing more of this rural relaxed play, in the coming days.
Merrick decided he wanted to steel some time with the camera, posing a photo shoot, and I was glad he did.
Taste test time at the hotel room in Flagstaff- which one is better, regular or gluten free?
Our first day of travel, we drove from 75 degree weather, to a blistering 18 degrees. Well, we certainly weren't prepared for this extreme that Sunday morning, or for our towed car battery, to die either.
After getting our battery fixed and visiting a local Goodwill store to stock up on more layers, we drove off through the country to see the Grand Canyon for the very first time.
All we could say was, "Wow!"
The Grand Canyon, was an amazing experience. We were so grateful for the opportunity to absorb this Universal glory.
Driving back through the country on our way to my Aunt Jean's home in New Mexico, we came across a gorgeous meadow. I pretty much made Ryan pull over, so I could absorb the last light of the day in this amazing place. It was liberating for me to catch this moment of freedom.
On track to my aunt's house later that night, we were stopped by a police officer, ready to site us for having a tail light out on our tow trailer. As long as we hustled to get the tail light fixed, there would be no penalty. It was super late, so we were stoked to find a local truck shop open to help us.
Aunt Jean welcomed us with open arms, even though it was much later than we anticipated. It was so nice to spend some quality time with her and her adorable pup the next morning.
Did I mention adorable???
That next day, it didn't take long before we stumbled upon crisp and white snow :-)
Someone was super excited about being around snow again, so much so that...
...he ate it,
...he shaped it,
...and he hurled it!
We made a quick stop to check out the Conoco Station in Shamrock, Texas, on our way to meet up with my cousin!
I was elated when I found out my second cousin Autumn, and her partner Brendon live in Oklahoma City, right along the path we were traveling. It was really nice to spend some time chatting and catching up. These two are an adorable couple and seem to be made for each other! They also have a new little one on the way.
Oklahoma City is a place we definitely want to visit again.
The boys and I enjoyed a lot of eye candy on our way to our last stop, Cha Cha Andi's house.
When we arrived at Ryan's sister's house in Tennessee, Ryan was happily and thoughtfully greeted with two of the best gifts ever - homemade chocolate chip cookies and a hug from his nieces!
These guys had a blast playing with this super-sized piano they gifted our kids. It was so nice to watch Merrick play with his cousins, as it had been 1.5 years since our last visit with these cuties.
I snapped a quick pic before Andi took Savannah to school bright and early.
I cannot tell you how divine it was to spend time with my nieces, Skylar and Hailey. We took a quick walk together, before lifting off to our final destination. I just love how these girls really dive into the present moment. It was so fun to play, crunching the leaves, listening to the birds chirp, laughing and exploring. It was hard to say "see you later", but knowing that we would be only five hours away made it a little easier.
As our trip was coming to a close on that final day, I pondered how well Merrick handled this giant trip in a very uncomfortable Budget truck. He was an angel, and so helpful. It was an absolute joy to spend precious time connecting with the men in my life. We bonded intensely throughout those five days and those memories will stay close to my heart forever.
The gorgeous rock structure in Kentucky really caught our attention!
Good old fashion Light Bright helped us out on the home stretch.
As you can see Ryan was sort of zombified after insisting on "being a man", which meant driving the entire way with his own two hands. I gladly let him, and yes it gave me a chuckle, as I fell in love with this humorous man all over again.
The first clouds we saw as we drove into southern Ohio, were at sunset on the final day. We experienced plenty of snow and remnants of rough weather during the trip, yet somehow God cleared a perfectly sunny path for us the entire way.
We couldn't possibly drive past Aunt Lynn's place without stopping over for a quick hug! Isn't she such a cutie pie?
Boy were we excited to reunite with the girls and my parents in Michigan! It had been a year since we had last seen my mom and dad last Christmas in San Diego. I would like to say we took a day of rest, but if I recall correctly, we dove into the next adventure that very next day.
