eastward bound

something we've alluded to in previous posts, but haven't really expanded upon, is our upcoming move. & now the journey is almost upon us. in mid- or late-july we will be moving to waxhaw, north carolina, just 30 miles south of charlotte, to be with my mom as she transitions into life without my dad. during our 9-month stay in eaton we have been fervently praying about the next place. we'd been considering everywhere from southern california to philly, nicaragua to israel. eventually, one-by-one they drifted into the "almost-but-not-quite" category. by april we were getting antsy, and the Lord told us He would tell us at the last minute, but just in time. He wanted me to have a peaceful last trimester, & josh to be able to focus on finishing his album, without the distraction of planning for the future. when my dad died it all made sense, & in an instant we knew where we were to move (for the next year or so). josh & i decided this the day he died. the next day my mom asked if we'd consider moving to be near her for awhile, & my brother also told us that it had been dad's dying wish that we take care of mom & the family home. but we'd already made up our minds...

waxhaw isn't initially where we would've chosen to move before dad passed away, but now that we're moving there we're surprised by how much sense it makes, & we're really looking forward to it. time with mom will be cherished, & heron will get to know her grandmother. & there are so many old saints, my missionary "aunts" and "uncles" that we're excited to re-know & learn from. & our friends josh + anya + little mateo. & a great church so many friends have told us about. & the family home + yard, so peaceful. & streets where everyone knows you & greets you on evening walks, just like my childhood. oh, & it's a great location to travel/tour from. & josh's favorite: it's only a few hours from the beach, which, unlike indiana, makes occasional surfing possible!

so we're in the midst of preparations for josh's album release, playing festivals, hosting friends & family, many meeting heron for the first time (mom & dad garrels next week, joel + charity & aimee wilson & friends after that), & packing up. thankfully, the majority of our possessions have remained in storage in anderson, IN during our stay here, so packing shouldn't be too grueling!

another heron update coming soon!