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One Week Left

In exactly one week, Kevin has to decide where he will go for school...will it be Rochester, Miami, or UMass? He's still waitlisted at UMass so we aren't sure about that just yet, but we are actually visiting Rochester in a few days to see how we feel!

His Miami trip was stressful to say the least. Evangeline had been sick the entire week beforehand, and Kevin even called the pediatrician to make sure it was okay to leave. The doc had been under the impression Evangeline was sick with strep throat, fever, and cold. But I felt like it was worse, and that it was progressing to become pneumonia. The doc gave Kevin the go, and once he landed in Miami, not only was Evangeline still sick, but Elianna got a 103 fever! It was a hot mess in our home. Both girls went to ER, Evangeline had gotten admitted and was in the hospital for five whole days due to bilateral pneumonia (which is the worst it's ever been!) Kevin was out of town for the first time ever, and it was just exhausting. I'm so thankful for my family and friends who really went out of their way to help during that time.

After Evangeline came home, I immediately got sick with some kind of respiratory infection (green mucus, cough, aches, sore throat) and was prescribed antibiotics. Then Kevin also got super sick and eventually got on antibiotics. Then we did a follow up for the girls a week after the hospital stay, and Elianna now has an ear infection.

We are just hoping and praying that the girls don't get sick anymore the rest of this week since we are leaving Thursday evening to visit Rochester. Kevin was technically supposed to visit the week after Miami but since Evangeline was at the hospital indefinitely, he cancelled that trip. Now this weekend is basically our last chance to visit before making a huge decision that will impact our family for the next decade of our life!

I'm not gonna lie...I'm kinda concerned bc it's going to be my first time away from the girls longer than a few hours! I'll be gone for about 3.5 days (leaving Thursday at LAX 10pm, coming back Sunday 5pm) but honestly, I think I need it. I've been on stress and survival mode for the past few weeks and I think I just need time to recharge, refresh, and just reflect on all that's happened. I've been sleep deprived, exhausted, anxious and stressed. Since the girls are healing and it's all winding down...it will be a welcomed weekend away.

I'm just praying now that God make it clear to Kevin and me where our family is meant to be for the next few years. We were praying for God to nudge Kevin about whether or not Miami was the right place to live...I think it's interesting that the moment he landed, Elianna ended up with a fever. And the two days that he was there, both our daughters ended up in the ER and the hospital. And he got a text saying his dear uncle was entering hospice. Ugh. It was just horrible, uncanny timing! It was rough...also, the only other PhD student there who had kids said that his experience at Miami was whatever...Kevin had been turned to this guy as a reference by other students 'oh you should really talk to him because he has a family with young kiddos!'....when asked if Miami was a good choice for his family, the guy shrugged and said "Meh." And then Kevin asked how moving to Miami affected the guy's marriage, and the guy said, "Actually...we are getting a divorce. We haven't told the kids yet." And then Kevin and the dude just sat there watching his little kids play a little distance away. TALK ABOUT DEPRESSING. I mean, I don't want to be all mystical and read things into certain situations....God may very well intend for us to go to Miami. But if anyone looked at what happened, it really would seem like really bad luck for all that happened within the mere 3 days he was gone from us. There's a lot more too that happened, but that's what I remember most about Kevin's trip there.

I created a connection with a mom I met online who lives in Rochester who attends a church I was looking into, as well as the same homeschool co-op I would enroll Evangeline in if we do choose to move there. Unfortunately, since Kevin is waitlisted at UMass, I didn't really think it necessary to reach out to any moms in Massachusetts. But now I'm wondering if I should have!

I dropped off some coffee for Kevin at work today and we were just talking about all the pros and cons of choosing Rochester, Miami, or even UMass if he were to be accepted. We have 7 days left. At this point, if UMass accepts him, then we are going to take that as a sign that is where he is meant to be. But if we go to Rochester or Miami, I'm sure we will be happy too!

So thankful to God that He is sovereign and that He already knows where we are going to be...for the meantime though, these next 7 days has a lot of PhD prospective students on edge waiting for their waitlist schools to get back to them!!

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