TWENTY-ONE

2.1.D.A.Y.S! Twenty one days till we make the big leap across the pond to Niamey, Niger. We’re in the the final stretch and things are getting real! Our pack-outs are scheduled, our to-do lists are made, and our plane tickets are purchased. January has flown by, and we can’t believe February is already here. The past month has been full of spontaneous adventure and great memories!

For the first half of January, we decided to take a little road-trip. We traveled down to Raleigh to visit friends, then South Carolina to visit family. From there we were planning on finishing the road-trip in Asheville by visiting the Biltmore. Just FYI, If you’re ever going through the Asheville area, you should definitely make time to stop and visit the Biltmore. Can you believe we lived in North Carolina for 2 years and although we had been to Asheville, we had never visited the Biltmore. So we finally got to check that off our wish list!

From there we decided it was as good a time as ever to drive up north to Indiana and visit some more friends and David’s brother. It worked out perfectly that one of my best friends was having her baby shower in Indianapolis and we were able to see them! We spent a couple days with David’s brother, and David was able to help him with his fixer upper. Then we found out the State Department was going to be opening up, and we made the very very very long 12 hour drive back to DC, but not without a quick pit stop in Columbus! Elena was amazing the whole time, although her schedule got a little out of whack. It gave us hope for the journey we have to look forward to.

  • On the road again!
  • Hanging with dear friends in Raleigh
  • Of course a trip to see Y-framily
  • Loved visiting my cousins down in SC!
  • Being tourists around Greenville, SC
  • View from our hotel room in Asheville, NC!
  • We finally made it to the Biltmore! Elena slept through most of it!
  • “what is the big deal guys”
  • Wish it had been nicer weather to explore the grounds
  • Quick visit with some old friends and their creperie restaurant
  • Made it to Auntie Becca’s baby shower!
  • One last squeeze from Auntie Alyssa!
  • We got to visit Uncle Chris at work!
  • smiles…who needs them.
  • A quick visit with grandmommy on the way home!

And so that brings us to today! The final preparations before we make the 15+ hour journey. Ya’ll we’ve moved a lot, but this is so different. Half of our stuff from Chicago is in a shipping container probably somewhere in Europe, and hopefully we’ll see that in a few months. The other half of our stuff is here with us. Half of that is going to be packed up and shipped on air freight to us within a couple weeks of our arrival, and then the rest has to go in our checked bags. Usually when we move, we’re not flying, so anything can go in our bags. Now we have to think about TSA & customs regulations. On top of that, if I forget something essential, there won’t be a Target nearby where I can buy another. And on top of that we have an almost 1 year old, who needs ALL the things. Thankfully I’ve received great advice on what to bring from some of the other Americans with young kids in Niamey.

And so here’s a few things you can pray for us as we get everything together. Pray for a safe flight and move. And also the transition for all 3 of us. David will be starting a new job, and I’ll be getting used to life in a third world country. We’re excited to see what God has set before us, and at the same time we’re nervous. This is all new for us. But, we know we’ll make it through one day at a time.

Thanks for reading! I’m so excited to share about this adventure we live. We have so many friends and family all over the world, and this is the easiest way for everyone to stay up-to date with us and what God is doing in our lives. Talk to you soon!