We Have a Home!
We finally have a place to call our own! It's the second floor of a cute little duplex in downtown Elmira. It's a huge upgrade from our last place, and we get to furnish it with our own stuff! Before moving in Everly and I were back in Winnipeg for a quick visit with family and friends and we got to spend time with her cousins, build our annual gingerbread houses, experience some really cold weather, give her a taste of real food, apply for her Canadian citizenship and take her flight count up to 7 (of which one plane was a 1 by 1 propeller plane and I thought it might be the end for us).
We didn't totally ditch Jason, he was in Florida for a week with his team. Once he was back Everly and I flew into Rochester, as we had to pack up the storage unit we had there with all of our stuff to take down to Elmira. Jason found someone to help him pack it up before we landed, then he came and picked us up from the airport and we drove down to Elmira. It was dark and snowing when we arrived, but that didn't stop us from moving our things into our new place!
Well it didn't stop Jason. I was exhausted from traveling all day and starving - I tapped out after the big items. Do you know how hard it is to get couches and mattresses up tiny stairwells with only one person who works out for a living? Lets just say there were some near death slips. I definitely got my workout in for the day. Once that was done and Everly was tucked into her crib (in her own room!!) and our bed was set up, we ordered pizza. I don't know if it was because I was starving or what, but Elmira has good pizza. Another win for this small town.
The next day we finished unpacking the Uhaul truck and returned it. Then we started unpacking boxes! You do not know how good it feels to wake up and get your clothes from a CLOSET until you have lived out of a suitcase for 2.5 months. Best. Feeling. Ever. For the first time in a long time, Everly has her own room. Her crib is set up, her clothes are hung and her toys are out! Girl is living the dream (and her parents who can now leave lights on and make noise after 8pm).
Just as we are getting settled Jason tells me he's going to be on the road from Thursday-Sunday for away games. Pretty normal with this hockey life, but I'm always sad to see him go. About an hour before he was supposed to leave for his games with Elmira he gets called up to Rochester. They send a car to get him to PA for the game the next night and then back up to Rochester for a game the next night. He is headed back to Elmira as I type this though. Can't wait to see him!
People ask me if it's hard living in new places all the time and if I get lonely (especially when Jason is gone). I have determined that it's only as hard and lonely as you make it. There are good people wherever you go, and I am always determined to find a few. While he was gone I met this lady Barb, whose name I got from a lady I met while in Rochester. Everly and I went to her house and hung out for a bit and she told me about Elmira and her church and family. She was so lovely and we had a great visit! We filled the rest of our days with errands, getting a few small things for our place, finding Everly a doctor and cooking. Elmira is turning out to be not half bad. There are a lot of great surrounding areas with lots of good stores, including Target!
Now I have the best serendipitous story for you. Last night I started googling churches to try out today. There were a lot of churches of different denominations that I really didn't know a lot about - they mostly seemed very traditional (there seriously needs to be a Yelp for churches). There were like 2 that looked similar to ones we went to back home, one of them being Elmira Christian Center. Well about 2 weeks ago I was emailing a few local photographers in Elmira because I wanted to get family pictures taken. Well I decided to look up one of the photographers on Instagram to see her work, and in her description it said Christ Follower. Right away I email her, partly because I loved her work and wanted to use her for photos, and also to ask what church she goes to. She also has a son 6 days older than Everly and is into healthy holistic living (I creeped her Instagram)! I literally texted Jason right away and was like I may have just found my new best friend in Elmira. Well low and behold she goes to Elmira Christian Center! After I emailed her she said she found my blog and also told her husband we could be best friends! You could call it a coincidence, I'll call it God. No matter where this crazy life takes us and what little town we end up in, He has always gone before us. All that being said I met her today at church and she was just as lovely in person. Her family and friends were all so welcoming and I can't wait for Jason to be home on a Sunday so we can all go together.
We are slowly getting unpacked and got our tree up just in time for Christmas! Once we are all set up I will post some pictures of our place. Also, if you want our new address comment below and let me know and I can send it to you. People have been asking for our address for a few months and we never had one to give!
Best,
Stacey