Minnesota Bound

It's official:  in less than two weeks, we are packing up and leaving our home of the last six and a half years. We are bound for Rochester, Minnesota, thanks to a job John got at the Mayo Clinic. He'll be an Events Manager in the development department, very similar to what he does now but with the opportunity for a bit of travel around the U.S. With the added bonus of being near most of my family, a significant pay increase, and excellent benefits, it made the decision pretty easy. Still, it won't be easy to say good-bye to our friends and life here.

As we prepare for this huge change, we have a few prayer requests to pass along:

1.  Housing--we are trying to find a rental home and have some good options. John and I are going to Rochester this coming weekend to do a house-hunting trip where we hope to get something signed on a place.
2.  Church--we have a few really good options to check out and need some discernment with finding a church that will be a good fit for our entire family.
3.  The transition in general--despite Rochester being my hometown, a lot has changed since I last lived there 11 years ago as a single person. Coming back home as a married mom of two will certainly create a very different experience this time around.
4.  School--Brennan will be in a new school and Owen will start a new preschool. Combined with a new place to live, it's a lot of transition for two kids to absorb.
5.  Finishing well--we want to finish Virginia well.
6.  Travel--we leave August 25 (yikes!), driving our two cars. We'll have both boys and a cat who throws up within five minutes of getting in a car. I'm actually more concerned about Esther managing the drive than I am about the rest of us! So, despite how strange this sounds, pray for the cat--that she wouldn't get too anxious about the move or the car and that she wouldn't howl the whole way in the car or in the hotels at night (with no alternate drivers, sleep is going to be critical!).

Thanks for praying, friends! We'll keep you posted as this big adventure continues!