Van Gogh

 

About five weeks ago we were told (out of the blue) that Kelly’s agency was bringing all field agents back to DC.  This would be a mandatory reassignment. We would have until mid-September to be back in DC to still have a job.  We met in DC and our Jack was born there but we have been in Colorado for the past 16+ years and this has truly been home to us.

I had just had a group of 17 teenagers come to the studio to play for the day and as the kids were getting on the bus Kelly met me to tell me he had a bombshell.  We went back to my studio and he started to tell me about the phone call he had just received. We proceeded to spend the next 7 hours talking, praying, making pro and con lists, looking at real estate in DC, hearing the hearts of the kids and each other. We talked (and drank wine) until we could talk no more. I felt like we talked until we had our answer that very first night.

17 years ago I quit my job in DC to stay home with Jack and Kelly was the sole provider of our family. About 10 years ago I unintentionally started a small home based business making journals, paper covered letters, frames, kid’s clothes and bags. During our marriage, every place we have lived, every home we have purchased, every vacation we have gone on has been based upon distance from Kelly’s job and what works with his 9-5 schedule.  As that unintentionally started business grew over the years we always looked at Kelly’s job as safe and reliable and secure. We were always holding onto the belief that his job was there “just in case” or as a “backup”. Even if the words were not spoken it was true in my heart. I never wanted to be responsible for our family financially.  Not solely. It felt like too much.

The funny thing about that call five weeks ago is that none of us knew at the time how much we needed that call. Do you remember when I asked the Lord to help us pray for BIG THINGS?  I wanted to pray for such big things in our life, marriage, family, and business that when things started to change that only the Lord would get the credit? Well, let me tell you…be careful what you ask for! Ha!

It wasn’t long after that when we went through our home journey HERE, HERE and HERE.  We also starting hiring more help that we desperately needed and then we hired more.

Five weeks ago that call felt like something that we could go along with or we could choose differently and it would be alright. No matter what happened. I felt like if we chose to go to DC that our business would grow and change but we would figure it out. That The Living Studio could become something based out of the art and culture right here in the US.  That we could give our kids a life very different from Colorado and that it would be beautiful and good. BUT was DC how we wanted our lives and business to FEEL right now? As wonderful as DC is was it where our hearts were guiding us?

If we did not go to DC we would be scared (for sure) but we could keep this gift of land, home and studio that we feel was divinely brought to us. In letting go of what we had told ourselves was “just in case” and our “backup” was maybe keeping us from what was next for us.  We could become a true team for the first time with this business that we created together but have never been able to 100% grow together.

So, after so much talking, praying, crying and wine drinking we have decided that Kelly will be retiring from his job of 24 years.  As of this summer, Kelly will be working beside me full time to love on our family, marriage, home, land, and business.  There is a huge unknown but we are also giddy with excitement about the freedom of making decisions each day based upon what feels right for our family, marriage, and business. We are choosing again how we want our life to feel and this time we are choosing to not have a “just in case” or a “backup” plan.

We are stepping out again and expectant of beautiful things. We are scared to death. We have so many unknowns but we are doing it together and we will see where it takes us.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being a part of what we are creating. There are so many big and beautiful things coming and they are being created for you too!