What a whirlwind of life seems to have taken place during the course of 3 ½ weeks. We certainly felt like we hit the ground running once we returned from CA from our consultations, and yet, felt completely unsure of what the next steps should be and how to go about moving forward. We decided the only way to make progress would be to once again step out in faith and put the next foot forward even though we did not have in mind what all exactly we were trying to accomplish. God had clearly said we were to “Go!” and we were confident that with such a clear instruction He would show us how.
We began trying to determine what we should bring and immediately began house hunting as one of our biggest needs would be where to live. We had been given parameters from the hospital that ideally, we should try to find a place to stay within a 20 minute radius of the hospital with the idea that we do not know at what point we will need to be able to access the facilities quickly and that we should aim to be relocated between 32-34 weeks (arriving sooner would also be acceptable if we could manage it). Having been diagnosed with the polyhydramnios condition, Matthias’ condition, and my history of precipitous labor the hospital strongly advised that being closer than further away would be in our best interest. We were unsure if we would be able to find accommodations that would meet the hospital’s suggestions as well as take on a family of four and a dog. The Lord opened the way and after a week and a half of searching we secured a duplex rental that met the criteria we were aiming for. We will be able to move in April 1st!
The next hurdle was trying to figure out what we wanted for our belongings to come with us and at first that was hard to wrap our minds around, especially as we didn’t know whether the housing we would find would be furnished or not. Thankfully, the rental does come furnished and we didn’t have to pack up as much of our home as we initially thought we might. We also needed to determine what we wanted to aim for as far as a targeted departure date. We concluded that the quicker we could relocate to CA the better as we thought the longer we waited the harder it might be to make the transition happen. We also desired that we might be able to not only relocate but possibly have some time to get acquainted with the area and begin to feel a little settled and reestablished before we went into the next realm of unknowns. With that in mind, we picked March 27th as our target day of departure.
The Lord was very gracious as we were able to meet our deadline! We felt like it was a very daunting task trying to pack up our life as we have known it, find housing, determine the best way to relocate our family and stuff to another state, transition Daniel’s work, and close up our house all within a 3 ½ week time period. Yet, it all happened! We are grateful for all the people that came alongside us to help us in our endeavors and made it possible for us to meet our goal. We are humbled by the amount of generosity, time, care, and effort people have given to make it possible for us to make it to California in such a timely manner. People blessed with us meals, borrowing vehicles, babysitting, cleaning, packing, loading, driving (even to where they sat for hours waiting on the side of the road for a flat tire to be changed), and financially. Words cannot express the intensity of our thankfulness for each and every one who made this transition happen and help alleviate what felt like a heavy weight that we were unsure of how to pick up and move. We wanted to make sure we left our house in good order before we left as we do not know when we will return, and one of the loose end items that we were hoping to tie up was to sell our second vehicle. The Lord brought along a buyer the day before our departure and we were able to make the sale. We are amazed at how all the details have come together as everything we thought we needed to do before leaving was actually accomplished.
As we began our trek towards California on Friday, March 27th (the targeted day), we sat in astonishment of all that had taken place in such a short expanse of time, and how God had made the way forward not only in the tasks that needed to happen, but also with mine and Matthias’ well-being. The Monday before we left, I had my last ultrasound and appointment with my doctor in Albuquerque. Everything with Matthias was good in the sense of nothing drastic had changed, and I was surprised to be given the report that my amniotic fluid had decreased and not increased. The polyhydramnios condition had been making it very hard for me to breath easily and move around comfortably, and I was getting concerned that I was leaving the moderate range and heading into severe. The week leading into our departure, I began feeling a little better and was shocked when I learned out why. My doctor said my amniotic fluid levels dropped from the moderately high range to high normal. Praise the Lord! This doesn’t mean the condition isn’t still present, but I was thankful for the reprieve. Now we just needed to get to California before anything else changed.
This would also be another hurdle to overcome. The good news of the amniotic fluid came with the admonishment that we shouldn’t drive without stopping every 90 minutes to 2 hours without taking a break for me to walk around. Otherwise, I could run the risk of getting blood clots. We had determined that our family would drive our car hauling a trailer with our belongings. So with the realization that we would now need to stop with such frequency and California having a law that anyone driving with 3 axles must drive at 55mph as the posted highway speed we began considering if we needed to adjust our travel plans. Thankfully, a gentleman from our church, had offered to help us drive if we needed it. Our contemplations led to the decision that we would rent a car for our family and dog to travel in, and our friend would drive our car hauling the trailer. That way we could stop as we needed without having to drive so slow and then maybe everyone would arrive in CA within a reasonable amount of time. We were all given travelling mercies even with the trailer getting a flat tire, and amazingly, arrived at Daniel’s parents’ house in two days’ time. We were grateful that not only our friend was safe with the trailer trouble, but that we were able to continue driving onward to be able for everyone to arrive at the end destination on Saturday night, accomplishing the trip within two days instead of three.
Now we wait to move into our new abode on April 1st in the Sacramento region, we have the opportunity to visit with family, set up care with the medical team on April 8th, catch our breath after what seemed like an insurmountable effort, and celebrate the resurrection of Christ Jesus this coming Sunday. We are enjoying spring weather, grass and greenery, budding plants, and the sound of Sutter Creek flowing through the background. In a way we sit in stunned silence, taking it all in, like it’s the calm before the storm. In some ways, we feel like we are on a vacation, and yet still have a longing to be able to settle in, become a little more established, and find what will be our new normal and routine knowing that life will soon change again. Certainly, having no idea as to how long California will be our new home. We do not know what each day will bring, but what we do know is that the Lord is faithful and merciful and is caring for our every need. He has given us such a beautiful family to love and steward, and it is a great privilege to care for the children He has gifted us with. They truly are a blessing and we love each of them dearly!
