Home Sweet Home

It has been a really long time since I've blogged. Jared and I came back to America for the first time in 2 years on May 4th and have been on-the-go ever since. I haven't had much of a chance to sit down and update my blog until now. We wanted to enjoy this time to the fullest. And I believe we have!

Jared's Dad, Step-mom and sister were waiting for us when we stepped off the plane and it was so good to see them and hug them! It was so surreal to be reunited again! The cats did so good on the trip over. We didn't even have to sedate them and we didn't have any problems getting them through customs. It was miraculous how in just a few days of being back in America we saw Tot's health improve without the need for any medicine or treatment. He has returned to full health and we are SO thankful!!! Still not certain what made him so sick in Switzerland but I think it was a number of things...lack of climate control since there wasn't any central air/heating there, or perhaps a negative reaction to the food/water there. Not sure...and I really don't care at this point...I'm just so happy he is 100% healed! He's gained all of his weight back, his fur is soft again, he's no longer lethargic and he doesn't have the nasal issues anymore. Praise the Lord!


We joke that Tot saved Jared's life but there is actually a bit of truth to that. Just days after arriving home Jared had a physical where they took his blood pressure and it was so high that he was at serious risk for health issues. All of that Swiss stress had apparently gotten to him and were it not for this emergency trip home for Tot then we may not have caught the problem. Amazing how in just a week's time of being in America his blood pressure went back down to normal. That gives you a clearer idea of just how much stress he was under over there. He almost wasn't able to return with us but God made a way showing once again how he works in mysterious ways and always takes care of us.

The first thing Jared did once we touched down in America was LITERALLY kiss the ground. Then we immediately ate at Qdoba and he had a Mt. Dew! :) We drove to my parent's house (my childhood home) and as soon as we got in the driveway I burst into tears. Two long years of trials and hardship had come to an end and I felt overwhelmed by the mere sight of what had always been a safe sanctuary for me...it felt even more so now. My nephews had made a "Welcome Home" banner for us and my family had decorated it with American Flags and made it very patriotic with red, white and blue everywhere. I got a little taste of how military families must feel after a long deployment. Pure joy. Relief. Patriotism. Love. There really is no place like home. 


Upon our return we were able to spend time with so many friends and family(after 2 long years this time was PRICELESS!), we traveled to 4 different states, watched just about every movie that was in theater this month, exercised together daily, dined out at a new restaurant almost every single night, Jared drank Mt. Dew like it was water, took sunset walks around the neighborhood every evening and we got to drive our car again! We have been having a blast! :) Freedom feels SO good!!

We were also able to visit Atlanta recently and see exactly where we will be living in a few months. We are even more excited now. It's such a clean and friendly city with so much to see and do! We're definitely going to enjoy our time there.

I've been able to get back into photographing families since I've been back as well. Oh how I've missed it! I just photographed my first newborn session last week and have determined that babies are my favourite subject to shoot by far! :) I had so much fun and was really happy with how the photos turned out! You can check out My Photography Blog for a glimpse of that session and other upcoming shoots. :)

Feeling really blessed right now. The Lord has really carried us through a lot over the past few years and is continuing to guide us with His strength and love. We are so thankful for all God has done for us and for all of the wonderful people He has placed in our lives to help us along the way. Our story is continuing to unfold and we smile at our future. :)

Thank you for all of your love and prayers.

Homeward Bound

Our plans seem to change daily but I have learned a lot in the last two years...and even these last two weeks about patience, flexibility and faith.

A few days after learning most of our plans had fallen apart we got some really great news. I had shared in a previous blog that Jared would be working at Georgia Tech in Atlanta once we returned to America. The original plan was that he would stay on his current salary through his Swiss employer but would be working in a lab in Atlanta. But the Swiss backed out last minute so that plan fell through and we were left wondering: "Where do we go from here?" Jared didn't have anything else lined up because we thought everything had already been secured. So he reached out to the professor at Georgia Tech and explained to him the situation of how the Swiss side of things had fallen through and how he would still be interested in working in his lab if that was still a possibility. In the academic realm of chemistry, jobs largely depend on available funding and we had heard from a recent employee from the group that he was downsizing because of lack of funding so we feared that there wouldn't be any funding and therefor no job for Jared. But God is faithful and good because the professor got back with Jared almost immediately and not only offered him a position, but offered him a larger salary than we had expected along with a flexible start date. Such an answer to prayer!

So despite many disappointments God has once again revealed that He is in control and that He will always take care of us. Our future is secure in Him.

Our plan now is to enjoy a month at home visiting our loved ones, getting Tot healthy and savoring all the freedoms that come with being in America. We'll return to Switzerland for 3 months to finish out our apartment lease then move to Atlanta in the early fall.

My purpose of sharing these blogs is to encourage others, so I hope that if you are experiencing disappointments, challenges or uncertainties that you will trust that Jesus is for you. He is behind the scenes perfecting all the details. When you seem to be out of resources or opportunities and your situation appears to be bleak...you can still have faith that God will provide. It is in those moments where all hope appears lost that God can be glorified best because where there is little hope, God's divine power and goodness is magnified.

We have so much to be thankful for. We are incredibly grateful for all of our dear friends and family who have taken the time to pray for us and let us know that they are praying. Your prayers are so valuable and appreciated! We are thrilled to be returning home and sharing lots of hugs and smiles! :)

Tomorrow we will be HOME! Home sweet home. I feel like a child on Christmas Eve...too excited to sleep! :)

Plans, Purpose and Pouting

The waters are raging over here in Switzerland. I shared in my last blog post how we needed  some things to fall together before we leave next week to return home. One of which was getting an approval from our apartment leasing agency for this American couple so that we could transfer our remaining lease over to them. Well, they were denied yesterday. The absurdity is that they have literally an IDENTICAL application/history as us. Married couple, same employer as Jared, same work contract, same salary, they even have two cats...everything about us is exactly the same except our last names practically. But they were denied anyway and the Swiss aren't giving us any reason as to why. So our plan of being able to move back home permanently in May has been wrecked. On top of that, Jared has had multiple set backs at work that hinder us from returning and staying as well. As you can imagine with these unexpected blockades, along with everything that we have endured these last two years living in Switzerland...the level of frustration we are experiencing is off the charts. But we have to trust that God has a better plan than ours.

So our course has been re-charted and we still don't have a clear destination but what we do know is that we are coming back to America temporarily through the majority of May to try and get Tot healthy as well as visit with family and friends but we will ultimately have to return to Switzerland possibly through October.

When I first learned that our plans had fallen apart and we would have to come back to Switzerland for awhile I was so angry. I was like a child in the supermarket whose parent tells them they cannot have their way and they just stop in the middle of the aisle, cross their arms, plant their feet and stubbornly says "but I want it MY way". However, I quickly learned that I could either go kicking and screaming or I could let go and obey my Heavenly Father who is clearly saying "YOUR way is not MY way and my way is perfect". He has already proven that His way is always better. Even though this may not be what I want...in a way, it still is. You see, I want what God wants and there must be a reason why He wants us to stay in Switzerland a little longer. I'm not certain yet what that reason is...but I am certain that one day I will look back and it will all make sense.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't dragging my feet a little bit though. Just as the child who has surrendered to the parent's authority in the grocery store...it's as though I am reluctantly following instruction but with my bottom lip pouting. The thought of having to come back to Switzerland, even for a few weeks, is not a pleasant thought for either of us. But this trip to America will be like a break in the storm. It will give us a chance to renew our strength and sanity so that we can come back and finish this once and for all.  The good news is the Swiss can't keep us here forever! Before the year is over we WILL be back home in America for good.

Looking forward to seeing everyone and tasting freedom again.

Freedom In Our Future

If you have been following my blog then you know that we have been living in Switzerland for the last 2 years. Well, I am happy to announce that in just over 1 week we will FINALLY be coming HOME!!!

The original plan was to come home at the end of July, but if there is one thing I've learned in life is that things don't always go as we plan. But that's simply because God has a better plan than ours. We're currently still trying to figure out what His ultimate plan is for us but one thing is for certain...we are coming home May 3rd! Freedom is in our future!

Our cat, Tot, has been sick since December. We've taken him to the vet so many times I've lost count and our bank account has suffered right along with him. We've realized that the vets here can't do anything else for him so while he is stable enough to travel, we want to get him back to America where he can get better treatment. My parents had planned several months ago to make a trip over here in April so we coordinated our plane tickets so that we would simply return home with them. It will be a blessing to have them here to help us pack and move our belongings along with the two cats. When we moved to Switzerland, it was just Jared and I, 4 bags and two cats...flying the 8 hours then trying to navigate the Swiss train system(which broke down mid-travel also adding another 2 hours to the travel time and we almost got separated) then we lived in a hotel for a month. I'm pretty sure I blogged about that messy experience. I'm glad our return home will not be a repeat of that.

We had originally planned for me to go back with my parents and the cats so that Jared could finish up his work obligations, but the airline my parents had already booked did not allow cats in the cabin and all airlines allow one cat per passenger so Jared ended up booking a ticket with me and now we both get to come home to America...TOGETHER! I was really apprehensive about traveling without him and being apart from him for possibly months. But God takes care of the details.

One thing that needs to happen before we leave is that we can get out of our current apartment lease. Now, an apartment lease in Switzerland is not like in the U.S. You are absolutely locked in unless you can find someone to take over your lease. There is no option of breaking the lease early and paying a fee (unless you have $10,000 lying around...which we don't). Good news...we found someone who is willing to lease our apartment. It is an American couple who will actually be a post-doc at the EPFL just like Jared. But the trouble is that the Swiss system works differently than America's (go figure, right?). Here, the landlord selects the renter after reviewing their application (yep, here you apply for an apartment like you would apply for a job...and you don't always get the one you applied for and the waiting period can be forever). So there is a real possibility that this couple could be denied for any reason the landlord wants and we could be stuck in our lease until as late as October if we are unable to get someone in here before then that the landlord approves. Because this couple has an application that is practically identical to our own...we're hoping there will be no problem in transferring the lease over to them.

The real problem of it all is that we are now in a time crunch since Jared and I are both flying home in just over a weeks time. We need to get everything wrapped up before then but the Swiss are never in a hurry and there are always so many hoops to jump through before you can get anything done. So please pray that everything gets taken care of before our departure.

I'm certain most people would be in a bit of a panic right now if in the same situation, but I know that so many people are praying for us and I really feel God's peace about everything. These last two years have really helped me to grow in my faith and because I can look back and see the hand of God in so many situations, I know that He will take care of us in this current situation. He has come through each and every time and I can trust that He will again. He has never failed us and I know He never will. He will reveal His perfect plan for us in His perfect timing. While we wait on the Lord, we would appreciate your prayers! They are so valuable.

True Love

Today is Good Friday and this Sunday is Easter. But what makes these days so significant? What are we commemorating?

Come close, listen to the story....



Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy, He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead... (1 Peter 1:3)

True Love by Phil Wickham

Come close listen to the story
about a love more faithful than the morning
The Father gave his only Son just to save us

The earth was shaking in the dark
All creation felt the Fathers broken heart
tears were filling heaven's eyes
The day that true love died, the day that true love died
When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn’t move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day that true love died, The day that true love died

Search your heart you know you can’t deny it
Come on, lose your life just so you can find it
The Father gave his only son just to save us

The earth was shaking in the dark
All creation felt the Fathers broken heart
tears were filling heaven's eyes
The day that true love died, the day that true love died
When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn’t move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day that true love died, The day that true love died

Now, Jesus is alive!
Jesus is alive!
Oh, He is alive!
He rose again!

When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn’t move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day that true love died, The day that true love died

Come close listen to the story.