We called an audible.
Baby 4 on the way and an Italian landing pad of a King Size, one-bed hotel room was just a little too much for this motley crew. So, we made the call: Dad will jet set to Italy now and the rest of us will follow once our newest addition arrives. Until then, the kids and I are finding our new routine back in my childhood home - with all the help from grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.
Sometimes, the hardest decisions are the ones you make because you know they’re right for your family, even when every part of your heart wishes things could be different.
So, after 10 weeks of time together, we said goodbye. Again.
I’ll be honest, after eight months of deployment keeping our family apart for the first half of 2026, I was desperately looking forward to: finally being together again.
And we were. For a little while.
But after weighing the pros and cons of a LARGE move at 28 weeks pregnant, with three littles all aged 4 and under… our plans have taken yet another turn.
But this time it was our choice. Cue the tears.
Dad is heading to Italy. Solo. With a HEAVY “honey-do” list!
We’re viewing this chapter as our “Divide and Conquer,” let’s tackle this next adventure in the only way we know how - as a team.
Dad’s job: Make Italy home.
Find us a house.
Find us a car.
Figure out how to get around Italy.
Get the groundwork laid for our family to eventually join him.
Prepare for the arrival of his very large, very loud, very lovable family of six.
No small tasks.
Mom’s job: Man the homefront.
Get the kids settled back in Maryland, close to family.
Navigate the big emotions that come with changing schools, routines and our day-to-day.
Keep three little people happy, loved, and reasonably entertained.
And, of course, be sure to prepare for Baby Four’s arrival.
Easy enough, right?
Right.
In all seriousness, this arrangement gives us the opportunity to get some important things in place on both sides of the Atlantic while making sure the kids and I have family nearby as we prepare to welcome our newest little one.
It’s not how we pictured this season unfolding. Not even close.
But we’re choosing to believe that sometimes, making the best decision for your family doesn’t mean finding the easiest option. It means finding the option that gives everyone the best chance to thrive, even if it comes with a bit of heartbreak along the way.
This is just Phase One.
Even though we’re not all moving to Italy together right now, we’re still all moving.
So, while one chapter of our Kansas life has officially closed, the next chapter is already unfolding in two very different places.
And we have the joy of doing it all again in approximately 6 months.
This is our trial run of adjusting, finding our footing, and reminding the kids that this is all part of the adventure. In some ways - it’s our soft-launch into realizing, there truly is nothing we can’t handle.
Because distance doesn’t change what’s most important:
We’re a family. And we can do anything, when we do it together.
Finding Gratitude
I wish I could say that this goodbye feels easier because we’ve done it before. But knowing how to do something doesn’t necessarily make it hurt less.
The kids still miss their dad. I still miss my husband. And there are moments when the weight of everything we’re navigating feels heavier than I’d like to admit.
But we’re also incredibly fortunate.
Fortunate to have family who can help us through this next chapter.
Fortunate to be growing our family in the middle of all this change.
And, fortunate that even when our plans don’t look the way we imagined, we’re still moving toward something we’ve dreamed of.
The reality is: It’s messy, and complicated.
But also filled with joy, excitement and a foundation that’s stronger than any distance that could be between us.
We have our marching orders! And while it all comes together, we’re counting down the days until we’re together again.
Because home was never just a place.
It was always us.