Why Italy?

We had just arrived home from  our 10 day trip to Italy.  It was exactly what we needed, and it pleasantly surprised us.  It was one of those once-in-a-lifetime type of trips.

Why had we gone?  Well, 7 months prior we lost a baby through miscarriage.  The baby's expected due date was supposed to be the same day as a close family members', and we did not want to celebrate a birthday when we were grieving the loss of our baby.  So what was the natural thing to do?  

Run away!  

We decided to run as far as we could... to a country called Italy.  I had asked God in the months leading up to September 10 to bring us to a place with stunning views and beautiful scenery - a place where we could celebrate the life that was supposed to be. When September 10 came around, I realized the date and where I was.   I was peacefully alone, sitting in our campsite and surrounded by olive trees overlooking the city of Florence.  It was a beautiful moment - one that I took as a gift.   Nine years later, we are returning - and bringing our three sons with us!

So why now?  

With much, much thought and prayer, we've concluded that there is something special about the place that we want to be a part of.   We couldn't get Italy out of our minds and hearts, we couldn't stop dreaming about it and imagining ourselves being a part of it; so we decided to pursue it.

We know that in this season, we belong there.