Today, my children should be starting school.
All summer, I’ve imagined walking Ella and Ani into school for that first big day, especially for Ani as she starts kindergarten.
But no one packed lunches last night and their backpacks are still hanging on the hooks by their door.
Because they’re not starting school in Arizona this year.
Last week, Bart got a dream job offer in Utah and after a late night discussing all the pros and cons, he accepted the next day and everything started moving in fast motion.
We told the girls on Wednesday night and our house goes on the market next week.
School starts there in mid-August and we want to make sure the girls are there to start on time (our girls will actually go to the same elementary school Bart attended).
Although we’re sad to leave behind the friends we’ve made here, our house that we’ve worked hard to improve over the last three years, and the wonderful school the girls were set to attend (it feels like it’s taken us forever to find a good school situation and I felt like this was the year everything was finally falling into place, so walking away now is breaking my heart), we’re excited for this new adventure.
Nearly all of Bart’s family is in Utah and my sister Landen lives there as well (plus my younger brother for one more year until he graduates from college).
I can’t wait to be near the mountains, to have real seasons (remind me of this when it’s freezing cold in February and I own nothing except sandals and t-shirts), and rekindle relationships with the many friends we have in Utah.
Mostly, I’m thrilled that my children will grow up near their family and that Bart will have the kind of job he’s been working toward for the last fifteen years.
If you need me for the next couple of weeks, I’ll just be over here boxing up everything I own in preparation for our eleventh move in thirteen years.
Wishing you much happiness in your new home and congratulations to Bart on landing his dream job.
Oh my goodness! Congratulations! Best of luck to you and your family!
Oh my gosh! I feel like we all jinxed you with the instastory questions about if you planned to stay put for a while or move around more, but I’m so excited for your family’s new adventure!
Also, you should definitely do a post with moving tips (you know, once the craziness of actually moving dies down!). After so many moves you must be a pro!
Wow! What a change! Good luck with everything and safe travels!!!
Congratulations!!!!! That’s awesome news. Good luck with the moving and all that comes with it – but don’t stress out … easier said than done I’m sure though.
Oh wow. How exciting!!! Good luck with the move. Congrats to Bart! That’s so wonderful that you’ll be near family. π
I thought that you were going to say that you were going to homeschool. π Congratulations to you and Bart! Your move will make it even easier for us to stop by and say hello on our trips out west. Wish that I could be there to help you pack up. I hope that all goes smoothly and that this is the last move in a long time!
I hope so too! And we would LOVE to see you any time you’re there. And if Lindsey feels like doing a little babysitting . . . π
Congratulations on the job offer and move! It will be so nice for you to be close to family. It sounds like you’ve moved a lot, but you must be a pro at it now! I know the hard work you’ve put in the house will pay off with a quick sale. It seems like the timing couldn’t be better with the school year.
Oh my goodness, Janssen! This is not the kind of post I was expecting to find on your blog this morning, but I am absolutely thrilled for you! Where in Utah are you moving to? We will definitely have to get together once youβre settled!
Wow, congrats!!! Every one of our moves has ended up being a fast one so I know how that goes. And our last move took us to a dream job and really close to cousins and aunts and uncles. It really is awesome. βΊοΈ Congrats to Bart and good luck to the whole family!!
Oh my goodness! How exciting! Congratulations!
Holy cow! I wasnβt expecting to see this post this morning! Congrats on the job for Bart, and this new adventure for your family! Wishing you all the best in this big transition!
Ohhh, so excited for you!!! And excited for me bc it means I have a better chance of seeing you!! That sounds like a fast decision!! Good luck with the move!!!
So sad for us so happy for you. Book club will miss your comments. Weβll just have you skype in ?
Considering what a poor attendee I was this past year, you probably won’t even notice!
Crazy! And exciting!! Fingers crossed we have a mild winter again this year and you can ease into it. Congratulations and good luck with the move!
I SO hope so too!
WOW! I’m so excited for you all and congratulations to Bart on the new job. Didn’t your insta stories just have a question about moving last week??? Funny! Happy packing and unpacking – you’re almost an expert at this with all of your past moves. I just moved for the first time in 20 years this past May and I’m never moving again!
Yes! So ironic.
Oh my gosh, i am so excited!!!!!! Where? Does this mean we can be real life friends again? Yipee!!!
Yes! It was my first thought – and I meant to text you all last week and then it just got so crazy with, you know, preparing for a move. But I CANNOT WAIT.
Congrats and good luck with the busy transition. I hope you love Utah! My husband and I met at BYU, and told everyone after graduation we would take jobs “anywhere but Utah!” We were very much done with Provo. To everyone’s surprise (including our own) my husband took a job in Northern Utah. We told family we were staying here for 5 years at most, but now we’ve been here 8 years, in 2 homes, and had 3 babies….and are very happy in this little community. We’re within a day’s driving diatance to both sets of parents in Colorado and Idaho. Now that I’m 30, I see many, many friends my age who lived far away for their first chapters of school/work finally “coming home” and I’m so surprised how “at home” I feel already.
I guessed Utah! π
What an exciting announcement! Hooray for the dream job! And hooray for being close to family!
Wow, so exciting! I’ve been following your blog since you were in North Carolina. It’s fun to follow you guys on your journey without having to pack up and move myself. Ha ha.
Ha! Yes – packing is the worst π
What a whirlwind! Cheers to your family on this new adventure! That must have been what all that closet cleaning was about! π
Wow, congratulations! I love how your family embraces these opportunities and new adventures. Fantastic, and inspiring! =)
Or slightly nuts π
What great news! I know moving is NO fun, but what exciting memories lay ahead. I’ll be thinking about you!
Thank you so much, Caroline!
We are all over the moon excited to have you guys close by!!!
Thanks for making it so easy and being so excited for us. We couldn’t have done it without you!
Congratulations!! I have been pleasantly surprised with life in Utah. I’m excited to continue to follow your journey and potentially spot you “in the wild.” haha
Congratulations! That’s an exciting new chapter for you guys, and congrats to your husband on landing his dream job! That’s a great accomplishment.
If you happen to be moving to Cache Valley, I’ve got the inside scoop for you!
Congratulations!! Bittersweet with the girls’ schooling almost perfect — but I hope this change is a good one for all six of you. I’m excited to see what city you end up in and follow along on the journey!
Wow! Congratulations! What an exciting change and there is nothing better than moving close to family.
Congratulations!!! And good luck! We’ve been married 12 years and haven’t moved yet, other than into the house we bought right before we got married (and had basically no possessions). How cool your girls can attend the same school as their Dad!
Congratulations! Also, this is why I refuse to throw away my moving boxes. I really *hope* I’m settled for the next good while, but you just never know! (Plus, I have ample space in my garage to store broken down boxes.)
You already know where the girls will go to school, so does that mean you already know where you’re going to live?
It will be fun to see familiar surroundings in your posts.
Yes! We put an offer on a house over the weekend and it was accepted this morning.
Wow, congratulations and good luck! I hope everything goes as smoothly as possible. Getting the dream job is SUCH a good feeling! We had that feeling 3 years ago, but didn’t have to move quite so quickly. Sending you good vibes.
Game nights! I want more details when you have a spare minute, so in like 6 to 8 weeks. π
Heck yes!
Wow! It will be so fun for your family to move to Utah!! Good luck to your amazing family.
Wow! Congratulations! Moving is hard, but nothing beats being near family. Hoping you have an easy move and your house sells quickly!
Congratulations and good luck. We moved almost exactly a year ago to Utah and it was fast and furious for us too! Excited that I could potentially see you in perosn!
Thatβs so exciting!! Iβm not sure what part of Utah you will be in, but technically we will be neighbors. ?. Good luck with the move!!!
Holy cow! Congrats to bart, and welcome back to UT!
What a surprise ? you guys are very spontaneous! Iβbe moved only twice in my life and it took us more than a year to find a house and another year to renovate it ? you are a little faster! I cannot wait for your new adventures. Iβve been following your blog since you lived in Texas! You must be excited to live close(r) to Landen again ?
Super exciting and close(r) to your parents too!! However, now I can’t come say hello when we visit Gilbert… Haha… But maybe when we come to Utah! Good luck!
Hooray! Hope everything goes smoothly this next month! And hope to see you around! π
Also, move into our culdesac!! ?
Wishing you all the best in Utah!!
Thank you so much!
That sounds amazing! And very hard and complicated too. I am excited for Bart and for your whole family. And on a really good note, you also get to attend all the amazing blogger events they have going on.
It really is a hopping place for bloggers, isn’t it? I don’t know if that’s good or bad!
We just moved for the 5th time in 6 years so I feel your pain. Iβm currently surrounded by a mountain of boxes to unpack, half of which we intended to get rid of beforehand but couldnβt because of time. My husband and I honeymooned in Park City 23 years ago before it was taken over by movie stars. We always said weβd love to live in Utah so Iβll just live vicariously though you for now. Congratulations on the job offer and many blessings on a smooth move for you all!
You know what is ridiculously crazy? Blaine and I were talking about you guys and he said, I won’t be surprised if they wind up in Utah, and I kind you not I hopped on over to instagram that very day and saw you were moving there. It was bizarre! Best of luck on your move. I don’t feel settled where we are so who knows where we will wind up! My vote is Mexico though π
Well, at least you guys visit Utah a lot!