The Bullet Point

So, to catch you all up on how we ended up in GA, I'm just gonna bullet point the details...otherwise I'd never get this up.

So, first off...WHY MOVE?

* We wanted to raise our family anywhere but California. 

* We could NEVER  afford a house in California.

* Brandon (and Aaron) want a dog...a big dog, one that wouldn't fit in a tiny apartment.

* I liked the idea of never facing earthquakes again.

But, WHY GEORGIA?

* Our move had a few requirements:

   - It had to be a place Brandon could transfer to, rather than look for a new job. 

   - It had to be a place where we already had close friends...we are too introverted to move to place knowing no one.

   - It had to have a solid, Bible-teaching church that could support Brandon's desire to be trained in marriage and family counseling. 

    - It had to be a place where we could afford a house. 

    - It had to be a place with trees and places to hike and explore nature, otherwise I would really never get out and exercise. :)

Georgia met all of these requirements and so, here we are!

Ok, so HOW?

* We decided to visit at the very worst time of year for this part of the country: summer. We figured if we could handle the humidity and bugs, we'd be fine the rest of the year.

* We visited our friends (the Irbys) in late August, thinking we were scouting it out and taking "notes" on whether we liked it or not...possibly thinking about a move in 2014. Brandon even set up a visit to the Atlanta branch to see if he'd like working here.

* Long story short: every single reservation Brandon had about working in Atlanta was dispelled and they offered him a position on the spot, for the same pay he was receiving in California (which is HUGE), and with perks that no one could pass up.

* We had plans to just move out and stay with our friends for a few months until we found a house but, after scouting out just a handful of houses, we found "the one"...we put an offer in and they accepted! 

* Headed back to California in early September, packed our stuff, made all the arrangements, and were back in GA on October 4th to close on the house!

Really, a 4400 sf HOUSE?

* Part of why we wanted a house in the first place was so that, in time, we could Fost-Adopt; with the rules in place that opposite genders could not share a room, we needed at least three bedrooms.

* If we were going to move so far from friends and family, we'd have to have a place for them to stay when they visit. :)

* We wanted a house where we could take in our parents, should we ever need to, and have space to allow them their own space. In the meantime, we wanted room to minister to others who might need a place to stay.

* We've decided to homeschool, so we needed a place for that...a place where I could teach as I'm used to. :)

* We wanted room to host Bible Studies or other church events, if possible.

Overall, we had no idea that this would come in the form of 4400 sf, but that's where The Lord led and this is where we ended up. Our prayer is that we would never use this space to fulfill our own greedy desires, but that we would always be about using it to do His work, for His people. 4400 sf can have the effect of puffing one up, but Brandon and I pray very much that this never be the case: that we continually acknowledge that it is His and that we did absolutely nothing to earn it ourselves. For the rest of our time here, may people see and understand that God's work is being done within these walls and that we are using it for His glory!