As if life wasn't crazy enough....

This weekend we packed up the car and loaded everyone (and 50 million bags!) up to head north. A little weekend getaway. I wish I was more excited about this getaway. We were staying in a hotel and we were going to take the kids swimming and to a Children's Museum on Sat. Sounds fun, right? But as we drove there my stomach was in knots knowing that we had some big news to share with our kids. (yes we waited until the LAST min to share this with them!!) We were heading up north to look at some suburbs of Chicago. A few weeks ago Jeff was asked to relocate with ADM to Chicago. There has been talk that ADM was taking about 100 people from the corporate office to downtown Chicago. That news came out in Nov. and Jeff reassured me that he was not one of them going. So we enjoyed the holidays and went to China to bring home sweet Mayleigh after the New Year. When Jeff got back to work he started hearing rumors that the head of his department (who was going) was proposing to take the whole group.

Jeff was smart and gave me a little heads up when he heard the rumors. But he really kind of downplayed it so I really didn't think it was going to happen. I am so excited for Jeff. He is so excited about working in downtown Chicago. I on the other hand am still trying to get excited. Like I said earlier in my blog, we have some GREAT friends here and such an amazing support system. Not to mention, my parents live here half of the year. I am so thankful my parents have gotten to be as close as they have all this time. Now we will be living closer to Jeff's family which will be nice. His mom and dad and sister will be about an hour from us and his brother and their boys will be about 45 min. away. We are excited about that. My boys LOVE to spend time with their cousins so that will be fun to be able to get together more often.

 I  know Chicago has a lot to offer and Naperville is suppose to have amazing schools and it's suppose to be a wonderful area, but it is hard to think about starting over. New friends, new schools, new church, etc. The good news is that most of you probably know that Jeff got offered the opportunity to take a new job with ADM in Switzerland about a year and a half ago. Had it not been for Mayleigh and the adoption, we would be there now. So this feels so easy compared to that move we almost did. At least this isnt a different country with a different language. And its 3 hours away from what we know. That we can do. Getting home from Switzerland with 4 kids...probably wouldn't have worked too often! See I am finding at least a few positives for this move.

 So we headed up north this past weekend to check out some areas. We looked around Naperville and Geneva. We obviously will not be living in the city with 4 kids so Jeff will be commuting by train everyday. That will take some getting used to since he is used to having an hour to himself at the gym in the mornings. That hour will now be spent on the train.
So nothing like getting home with a new adopted daughter, trying to figure out her medical needs and seeing lots of doctors, adjusting to life with 4 kids 6 and under...why not just throw a move in there too! ;) The office will not be ready in Chicago until Aug. So you Decatur/Mt Zion people are stuck with us for another 5 months! We have a busy 5 months ahead! A few trips to Naperville to look for a house, a few trips to Columbus for testing and 2 surgeries, and a move. PHEW! Sometimes I just need to take a deep breath....one day at a time!
As we drove back into Mt. Zion today Jeff says, "we are going to miss this place." I second that!