Together Again!! Matt's Return & Our Move Back to Va
Matt came home at the end of May!! He ended up being stuck in Korea for an extra month because of COVID, but eventually he got an exception to the no-travel policy. The rest of his unit has to stay in Korea until late July (he would STILL BE THERE without that exception! 😱)
Now we're back together as a family and in our new home in Virginia!
Here's what happened since the last blog update:
After waiting for weeks to know when we'd see him again, Matt called to say he'd be home in 8 days! Suddenly we scheduled movers to pack and load a moving truck, ended the apartment contract in Ca, told the homeowners we were renting from in Va that we were FINALLY on our way!, and scheduled car shippers to come get my car.
Phew!
The day Matt came home was the BEST day! I went to pick him up at SFO while Lyd and Luke stayed with my parents.
Luke wasn't too sure about Matt at first - he looked back at Grandma Trudy for reassurance that he was OK!
Matt stayed in WC for 3 days, during which the house got packed, the rental truck was loaded, and my car shipped off. Then he headed off to make the cross-country drive! (We decided he should drive our things instead of shipping because the virus delayed shipments, so it would've taken a month+ to get our things in Va.)
Matt met his dad in Utah and the two of them, plus Barkley, made the cross-country drive in 4 days.
Lydia, Luke and I stayed at my parents' house while they drove.
Lydia, Luke and I flew out the day after Matt and Mike arrived. It was interesting to fly during a pandemic: the airport was empty, stores were closed except a few restaurants doing limited service, we had to wear masks in the airport and were encouraged to wear them through the flight, too. Workers were constantly walking around the airport with cleaning spray, wiping things down. During the flight there was no food service, but each passenger got a bag with snacks and a water bottle as we boarded.
The airlines were taking lots of precautions and I felt like it was pretty safe.
It was also my first time flying solo with TWO kids! Thank goodness for the iPad and getting Luke his own seat - it went a lot more smoothly than I expected!
Matt and Mike picked us up at the Richmond airport that night. It was SO exciting to finally go to our new HOUSE! After 7 years of marriage this is our first house - we've always lived in apartments or a townhome. We love it!
Mike stayed with us a few days and helped us settle in. On his last day, Zac, Whitney, Daniel, Stanton and Lucy all came to visit! It was a small, impromptu family reunion / housewarming party and so fun. :)
Matt had a 2-week required quarantine, during which we spent time as a family close to home. One of the highlights was going to the Drive Through Zoo! We loved seeing a tiger right outside the car window, but it scared Lydia (you can see it in the video).
Since then time has flown by as we've settled in, Matt started work, and Lydia started at a wonderful new preschool that she loves.
Her new school sends us pictures every day and Lydia already has a couple new best friends that she tells me about almost every day.
We're looking forward to starting to go to church with our new ward when the shelter-in-place restrictions lift, whenever that happens. I already have a calling and a ministering route here, so I feel welcomed in and like we're part of the ward, even though we haven't met anyone in person.
We love living in Virginia and can't wait to see what our 2 years here will hold!
Now we're back together as a family and in our new home in Virginia!
After waiting for weeks to know when we'd see him again, Matt called to say he'd be home in 8 days! Suddenly we scheduled movers to pack and load a moving truck, ended the apartment contract in Ca, told the homeowners we were renting from in Va that we were FINALLY on our way!, and scheduled car shippers to come get my car.
Phew!
The day Matt came home was the BEST day! I went to pick him up at SFO while Lyd and Luke stayed with my parents.
Lydia was so excited to see Daddy!! She insisted on wearing the "Korea dress" he had gotten her a few months before. ❤️ Their reunion was pure joy!
Luke wasn't too sure about Matt at first - he looked back at Grandma Trudy for reassurance that he was OK!
Matt stayed in WC for 3 days, during which the house got packed, the rental truck was loaded, and my car shipped off. Then he headed off to make the cross-country drive! (We decided he should drive our things instead of shipping because the virus delayed shipments, so it would've taken a month+ to get our things in Va.)
Matt met his dad in Utah and the two of them, plus Barkley, made the cross-country drive in 4 days.
Lydia, Luke and I stayed at my parents' house while they drove.
Luke and my mom were good buddies and it makes me so sad to think he won't remember her the next time they meet.
We also made sure to visit our favorite places one last time!
Lydia, Luke and I flew out the day after Matt and Mike arrived. It was interesting to fly during a pandemic: the airport was empty, stores were closed except a few restaurants doing limited service, we had to wear masks in the airport and were encouraged to wear them through the flight, too. Workers were constantly walking around the airport with cleaning spray, wiping things down. During the flight there was no food service, but each passenger got a bag with snacks and a water bottle as we boarded.
The airlines were taking lots of precautions and I felt like it was pretty safe.
It was also my first time flying solo with TWO kids! Thank goodness for the iPad and getting Luke his own seat - it went a lot more smoothly than I expected!
Matt and Mike picked us up at the Richmond airport that night. It was SO exciting to finally go to our new HOUSE! After 7 years of marriage this is our first house - we've always lived in apartments or a townhome. We love it!
Mike stayed with us a few days and helped us settle in. On his last day, Zac, Whitney, Daniel, Stanton and Lucy all came to visit! It was a small, impromptu family reunion / housewarming party and so fun. :)
Luke and Lucy, cousins born 1 day apart, met for the first time!
Meanwhile, Lydia and Stanton had fun playing in the moving boxes and building a big fort with Uncle Daniel. :)
Matt had a 2-week required quarantine, during which we spent time as a family close to home. One of the highlights was going to the Drive Through Zoo! We loved seeing a tiger right outside the car window, but it scared Lydia (you can see it in the video).
Matt was also excited to buy a piano! He's wanted one basically since we got married. :) He found one on Craigslist for $100 (plus paying movers) from a woman in downtown Richmond.
Since then time has flown by as we've settled in, Matt started work, and Lydia started at a wonderful new preschool that she loves.
Her new school sends us pictures every day and Lydia already has a couple new best friends that she tells me about almost every day.
We're looking forward to starting to go to church with our new ward when the shelter-in-place restrictions lift, whenever that happens. I already have a calling and a ministering route here, so I feel welcomed in and like we're part of the ward, even though we haven't met anyone in person.
We love living in Virginia and can't wait to see what our 2 years here will hold!
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