Goodbye, Illinois

Over the past three months, Ian and I have been living in central Illinois visiting family and friends. We decided last year we were going to save up and come home during this transition period to spend time with loved ones over the holiday season. The past few months have flown by, and we have absolutely loved every minute of it!

In October we visited Shenadoah National Park, New River Gorge National Park, Cuyahoga National Park and Dunes National Park. My family participated in our first 5K together where Ian took 6th place. Our friends Kitty and Garrett got married, Ian's mom hosted a cookout at her place. My friend Haley married her lovely husband and Ian and I joined my dad and brother in Colorado and Utah to visit some family members. It was a great first month home!

November slowed down a bit. We had dinner with friends and visited with college roommates. It's really nice having a home away from home with them. Ian and I headed to Arkansas to stay with his grandpa and grandma. We stayed for two weeks and helped then with things around the house, including building a patio. One of the weekends we were down there, we held a celebration of life for Ian's great-grandpa, Pappy. He lived to be 99 years old! It was wonderful to see family and spend some time with everyone.

December picked back up. I scheduled all my doctor's appointments for this time. We celebrated Wyatt's (cousin) 3rd birthday and Andy's (friend) 26th with parties. I was able to see one of my favorite Christmas shows, the Nutcracker, with my mom. It was absolutely lovey. Ian had his wisdom teeth removed this month. Luckly everything was fine, and he had a quick recovery. I was able to be with my grandma, mom and aunt as we remembered the life of my uncle Tom who passed away 39 years ago. He is still near and dear to us all. Dad, Ian and I then went and saw Spider-Man: No Way Home. Needless to say, it is now my all-time favorite movie! I spent the day with my grandma and aunt babysitting my little cousins. It was really great getting some one-on-one time with them. We all live so far away from each other. Christmas was spent going to different family's homes. Ian and I haven't seen everyone since last year and the time spent with them was much needed. 

This last week spent in Illinois has consisted of saying our goodbyes, packing and applying for new jobs. I am pleased to say Ian and I are doing well in the job department. I'll post more on them when things become more official. We leave tomorrow morning for this new adventure. We really don't know what's in store for us, but we are hopeful. We have always wanted to lie in Colorado and hike its beautiful mountains. We are truly blessed with the lives we've been given.

Thank you to everyone we have seen and who have supported us these past three months. We are truly grateful for your love and kindness. We will keep you updated and share what we can. We love you dearly.

xoxo,

Polly