Our Move: Idaho to Virginia

Our big news for this month is that Dane got a new job in Maryland! He is working for Under Armour in Baltimore, Maryland and he started April 20th! This job has been one of Dane’s dreams so we are really excited that we get to take a new adventure and I get to return to the east coast. Several weeks ago Dane flew out to interview with UA and we knew that things were starting to pick up. Sure enough, and kind of quickly, they offered Dane the job and asked him to start in a few weeks. We were a little panicked because we had to pack up and move all the way out East in a short amount of time. Thankfully Under Armour offered to help us move so I was able to breathe. 

They came and packed us up on Thursday and we weren’t leaving until Sunday so we chilled in our empty apartment for a few days. Adler loved all the free space to crawl around in. After eating at all of our favorite Idaho restaurants one last time and saying goodbye to friends we packed up our car and head to Virginia. We decided to stay with my mom until we find a place and to save some money.

Dane's Idaho office

We ate here a lot...but we didn't have a lot of options 

My Idaho Family

Goodbye Apartment! I loved this place but we don't miss the wind!

We miss Sarah (and Ben) :(

The hospital I delivered Adler at!

 
Our FAVORITE restaurant...I will miss this place!

We miss Hales family as well!

This hotel is the first place we stayed at when we were looking for our apartment and the last place before we left :(

 We drove to Parker, Colorado the first night and stayed with some of Dane’s family friends. The 1st day was the longest drive but it wasn’t bad at all. I wasn’t sure how Adler was going to do in the car but he did amazing! We visited Dane’s old house in Parker and he gave me the run down of what he use to do there.

This is the only sign we took a picture with because it was the only easily accessible one

The next day we headed off to Kansas. My cousin Thane and his wife Shelby live there and they were excited to have us stay. That drive was the shortest one so we got there in time to hang out with them. We went to dinner at RA sushi and then went to a cute little candy shop for dessert. We went back to their place and put Adler down. Then we played some Mario Kart and chatted for a long time! It’s always good to see cousins especially because we are so close to my family. 

They next day we headed to Cincinnati, Ohio where Dane spent most of his childhood. We stayed with the Hopkins, an old family friend of Dane’s. It brought back so many memories for me. I really miss Ohio and I’m sad my in-laws don’t live there anymore. We ate dinner at Skyline Chili and we had to get some Graters ice cream (both of these places are native to Ohio)!! We talked with the Hopkins and then went to bed.

Our last day! We headed to Virginia on Wednesday, listening to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets the whole way and arrived around 6pm. Adler was excited to see his Grandma and aunts and so were we! I have never done that drive and even though it was a great and Adler was amazing I’m probably ok if I don’t ever need to do it again. It was a relaxing but even with Adler being good he was still exhausting!

We are very excited to be in Virginia and eventually Maryland. I love the east coast and I forgot how green and lush it is here. We are so many adventures planned and I can’t wait to document our life here!  

The Last Hurrah

Yesterday, my Mom and Dad packed up a truck and drove away from the home they built in Cincinnati. They sold the house in order to prepare for their mission to the Philippines for the next three years then will most likely settle down in the west.

They brought the whole family together for last hurrah before they and Dallin left on their missions. For the first time since Jordan and I were married everyone was home in Cincinnati. Needless to say, we made sure to do all the things we love to do. We played, we sang, we ate, we laughed, we ate some more and then laughed even harder. But we also began slowly claiming and packing up my parents things.

My brothers and I reflected on this. How my parents had spent their whole life providing us and themselves with the comforts of life and small spoils that keep our family together. Now, Mom and Dad are seemingly leaving all their material things behind to go and serve the Lord as mission presidents in the Cauayan Philippines mission. I am most proud and excited for them and wouldn't have it any other way. But this also meant saying goodbye to Ohio as a home.

For most people, Ohio isn't really anything all that spectacular. And in all honestly, there really isn't much there. But I think that is what I love most about it. It was ours. Every space has a wisp of a memory, every corner has it's specific flavor and the most obscure things hold the upmost nostalgic sacredness. Ohio is dear to our hearts and it is a tearful goodbye.

In an effort to capture this feeling, I put together a little video. It's a bit like trying to bottle up the Milky Way in a mason jar. But I hope it does Cincinnati justice: