New Beginnings

Not to be too clichè, but this really is a "new beginning" for us here in Cape Coral, Florida!  Everything is new and full of fresh starts!  We are so excited that God has blessed us with this opportunity to learn, grow, bless, and be blessed through the people and community of Cape Coral/Fort Myers!

Where to begin?  It's been a wonderful first few days since we arrived at our new home.  Our drive down couldn't have gone smoother.  We pulled out of Leo, IN around 9:30am last Thursday, Jeff in my car, Tina in her van, and Zach and I in the truck, while we waved goodbye to Olivia and Jane.  The first hour or more was a little tense as Zach was feeling out the dynamics of driving a truck pulling a heavy trailer.  Lots of jerking and shaking :/  It wasn't long before Zach was driving like a pro!  Mom and Dad Schu's plan was to fly home to Indy so they made a stop at the airport to leave the van while we kept plugging along.  

Our plan starting out was to have fun with our food stops along the way so I created a list of restaurants featured on the show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives that were not far off our route.  Unfortunately, every single Nashville restaurant on my list was lunch only!  We pulled into Nashville around 4:30pm and stopped at a little BBQ counter called Buck's Barbeque.  It didn't wow our socks off but the banana cream pudding was gooooood :)

The threat of rain and our not-so-secure tarps on the truck and trailer forced us to call it a night in Chattanooga.  The boys secured the tarps and we got a great night's sleep before hitting the roads again the next morning.  

Rain was the theme of day 2 but it didn't cause any issues, just some nervousness as we drove through Atlanta.  Once we crossed the Florida-Georgia line things got real for me and Zach.  All of a sudden it hit us how far we were from home and everything familiar.  Though it was hard to reflect on what we were leaving behind and think ahead to the unknowns that awaited us, we felt a tremendous peace as the Truth of the Word of God rose up in our hearts, reminding us that He has gone before us.  

We made it to our new home around 10pm Friday night and after poking our heads in every room we soaked our feet in the pool and prayed over this next chapter.  The excitement of arriving to a beautiful home safely after 20+ hours on the road prevented us from going to bed until after midnight :)   

Here's a look at where we're living!

That's it for now!  I'll write a post on our first few days in Florida and TNB in a day or two :)  Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes for our safety driving down!  They were felt!!

Prayer request:  We need jobs!  I have an interview Friday morning and Zach has several applications sent out or ready to be sent.  We feel confident that God would provide but we would appreciate prayers!