We Made It!

On Tuesday morning, July 19th at 1:30 am, we said a very difficult goodbye to my family and got on a plane with a one-way ticket headed for Taipei, Taiwan. After many months of planning and more shopping trips than we would like to admit (yeah for Marshalls!), our bags were packed and ready to go. However, not without some crazy rearranging. We ended up with our allotted nine bags which were ALL dangerously close to being overweight along with at least two carryons a piece. We also carried on our desktop computer because we were concerned it would get damaged if we checked it on. With the help of my mom, it was cleverly concealed in a fashionable tote bag from Target (thanks mom!). What a sight we were walking through the airport....two strollers, three very tired children, one carseat, 84 carryon bags and two frazzled parents. OK, 84 is a bit of an exaggeration, but that's what it felt like! But the Lord provided for us in a merciful way and we had a fairly smooth flight. The plane was empty and we had about nine seats to spread out in. After sleeping for a few hours, the kids were able to watch a movie, play with some of their toys, eat breakfast and generally wreak havoc with the flight attendants. I think they pushed the call button about 15 times. Eventually, we just told the flight attendants to ignore it! The 15hour and 40minute flight seemed to just fly by(insert sarcasm here):) Actually, it really was better than we had expected and we are grateful to the Lord for His protection and provision. Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers! We are now staying at Garett's parents house for a few days to spend some time with family before making the trek south to Taichung where we will be living. Sorry there aren't more pictures yet. I'm still trying to figure this whole blogger system out.

The Beginning

For a long time now, I have played around with the idea of starting a blog. But, I always came to the same conclusion...why? Why should I write a blog? Who's going to read it? What would I write about? Would it even be interesting? Basically, I lacked a solid purpose for blogging. Well, now I have found it! In less than three days, my family and I will step on a plane holding one way tickets for the place that we will call home for at least the next two years, Taiwan. We will be moving from Los Angeles, CA which is approximately 120º longitude to Taichung, Taiwan which is also approximately 120º longitude (give or take a little, but it makes for a nifty blog name). As our time here in Cali is quickly coming to an end, our hearts are heavy with having to say goodbye to our family and friends. But, we are thankful for God's goodness to us in blessing us with so many special relationships that are irreplaceable. Many of you have expressed an interest in keeping up with our family's adventures over the next two years and hopefully this blog will provide you with at least a glimpse of our experiences. I would like to think of myself as a very faithful blogger, however the reality is that updates probably won't happen as frequently as I would like. If it has been a while since you have heard from me, don't hesitate to leave a kind comment inquiring as to my whereabouts!:) And if there is anything you would like to know specifically about our crazy adventure just ask! There are so many thoughts rolling around in my head that I'm having a hard time deciding what to write about first. Thank you to those of you who are praying for us!!! We covet your prayers as we begin this journey of faith. It is a huge blessing to us when you take a few moments out of your day and bring our family before the Lord! Until next time...