Where have we been?

It has been way too long since I have updated our blog...so  much has happened and life seemed to spin out of control for awhile.  It all started when Matt was offered a dream job in Washington DC.  Moving a family of five across the country is a HUGE undertaking and we had a ton of things to consider.  In the end, we made the decision to move and had three weeks to do it.  Much was left behind...family, friends, education and OLIVIA!  She was in her senior year of high school and we didn't feel right pulling her out and having her switch schools.  She stayed behind with our great friends, The Schmokers, who took excellent care of her.  She visited at every break and we talked every day.  Still, it was a challenge to have our family split up for almost 9 months.  I dropped out of my final year of grad school at ASU and planned to continue my education at a DC school instead.  Hopefully, that will still happen at some point.  Matt was able to continue his teaching position at ASU by offering his class on-line, but he did say goodbye to the Tempe Police Department.  They were good to him but exciting things were on the horizon.  His job is with a software company that has a contract with the Department of Defense...and that is all I know and so all I can reveal!

Matt flew out to DC early to find us a house.  Scary...but he did a great job and found us the perfect house!

DeAndre missed the first few weeks of 8th grade but we arrived just in time for him to try out for the travel basketball teams.  He made one of the teams and made many new friends right away.  The lifestyle here is  much faster paced but it is also somewhat traditional.  There is a strong sense of community and family in Chantilly.  Chantilly is a suburb of DC...it is beautiful here, especially in the fall.  Still, home is Arizona and I struggled being so far away from my friends and the comfort of knowing what is around the next corner...