We have made our home in Yucaipa!
True, it has been less than a week, but it definitely feels great.
I could not wait to leave Yucaipa as soon as I was old enough to head out to college. That is exactly what I did – I left for San Diego my freshman year of college and came back one summer to live here, then never returned. I love that coming back 13 years later, I have no feeling of “moving backwards.” Yucaipa is beautiful! And I love that the first morning I was out with Cana figuring out her school situation, I ran into two people I knew, at two different locations! I love it!
We are figuring out our schedule. Life is different here! Cana’s school is a 10 minute drive and she has AM Kinder here. Here she is going to school on her first day.
She wasn’t too happy about leaving Mrs. Cruz and all her friends. I don’t blame her at all. She had such a fun class and teacher at Power Ranch… but she made it through her first week. I’m just praying that she will meet some sweet friends like in AZ. I know that will come with time.
There have been so many thoughts about the fact that we are living with my parents. Getting through this first week, all I can say is that it is so fun! I’m not up alone with the kids in the early morning, and Papa and Tete are always so happy to see the kids anytime! (and the kids are just as excited!!) I just maintain the fact that I’m Mom, mostly for the sheer fact of keeping that loving and unique relationship strong between my parents and their grandkids.
The biggest affirmation of us moving here is Chip’s take on it all. He LOVES it here. There are huge snow-capped mountains in the background, all the time. The nights are cold, the days are warm, and there are these amazing hills and a trailhead right across the street from my parents door! It was when Chip said “I just feel ALIVE here” that I knew, however hard this move was, it was the best thing we could do.
We feel blessed to share this time with my parents and just be close to them and the rest of our family. We obviously miss all of our friends and family in AZ, our neighborhood and all those silly little boys in particular… but we are praying that we will find that here. In time. 
Some other pictures of life thus far:
We are officially out of the desert. We are moving forward and looking forward to what God has for us on this side!
