8425 Miles, 26 States, and Closer to a Dream

 In December 2012 the Dashers6! were faced with a choice.  Staci was so close to finishing her school, but 

the time Montreat took from me was not helping her complete this long 7 year journey.  Added to that we had a huge hope to start an outreach to women someday.  These facts created uneasy questions.  When was Staci going to be able to finish her schooling? Would we, should we try to start an outreach to women?  If so when would we have enough money?  Could we gather enough rescourses to ever start? Could it be done as we coached and delivered babies?  How would we make the time? These uknowns needed to be address.  So we made the choice to take a step of faith and try our hardest to find our way closer to the answers.  We decided to take a needed break from coaching and walk on a different path for a year.  It was an exciting adventure we felt worth the risks. 

Cecily calling the goats"Hi Gokes!"

We spent the first few month learning about urban farming and community living while calling a yurt our home.  This time was the greatest season of our lives and trasformed us forever.  Duing this time Staci was able to finish her class work and graduate from the College of Midwifery.  At the very end of our time there we were offered an oppertunity to move to Costa Rica.  This presented some challenges that eventually couldn't be overcome but it was nice knowing strangers wanted to share all they had to help women in need.  We spent the next 3 months in Ohio hoping to draw some family into our outrageous endevor.  Even though we were uable to sucker anyone in we were able to complete our non-profit paperwork...a huge step in the process. Thanks Dad for the hook up!! This was also a time Staci was able to study for and take her National Assocition of Registered Midwife Board Exam.  Unfortunatly she was not able to pass but will retake the test again this next month.  

Thanks Bobbi!!! 

We spent the remainder of the year traveling around the country visiting all we felt might be drawn to partnering with us.  We visited family, friends, others already connected with the vision and even strangers introduced to us by others.  We had the hope on our sleeve and it was the topic of almost every conversation.  We had some wonderful times on this journey and some interesting challenges.  One can only expect to be side tracked, marooned and out of luck a few times when traveling around the county with four kids in a Suburban! However, nothing seemed to break our hearts desire and our family grew closer during this year long mission.  

Kids continue to study all we saw on the trip!

As the year ended we very discourged.  Have you ever been woken up when transfxed in dream you didn't want to end.  Well that was us.  Floundering to try and fall back asleep and pick up where we were interupted.  However, in the end it was time to wake up and face reality.  Our year was up and our time to dream had come to an end. 

At first this was very tough.  But the more we reflected, all the ups and downs transformed us.  And more and more I feel at peace with where we are at.  To be honest I think it was an extreamly productive year.  Staci finished her school!, She took the NARM and will retake here again soon.  We learned how to farm! We finished all the paperwork for a non-profit.  Our little ones reconnected with all their family and friends.  We saw our country and have so many stories to tell.  We shared our hearts with so many and hopfully planted seeds of hope in many of them.  And most importantly we grew closer as a family and united in how to move forward.

That said we are now in Knoxville TN, staying with my Aunt Mimi.  We love it here!  Its home base while I apply to college that look like good fits for our family.  This was always the plan...take a year and return to coaching if we didn't hit gold.  And even if we did find a way to start our hope, soocer was going to find its way into it somehow.  We are excited at all the openings we have already applied to and look forward to seeing where we land.  No matter where we go next we believe it too will be a step towards our dream of helping women and living on a farm.         

Our Home Base in Knoxville!