The Rumors Are True

I have spent a couple of days now wondering how exactly to go about this post but quite frankly, I don’t know if there is an eloquent way of putting it. It is what it is.

Some might not think it is a big deal…and yet, to me, it is a huge deal. There have been many tears shed and much grieving that ~~has been~~ continues to be done.

I don’t know what else to say. We’re moving…again…

…to Edmonton.

The bottom line is that the last three years have been difficult and as of last fall, our outlook was grim – void of potential, possibility and hope. So Ben applied to doctoral programs.

What else could we do?

I suppose part of me just never thought about what would happen once he was accepted.

I’m not going to pretend I am happy about the move.
I’m tired of pretending everything is okay.
I’m tired of trying to have a positive outlook on situations that quite frankly, suck.

That being said, I continue to put one foot in front of the other and try to focus on the present.
I pray that I will be surprised by joy. by happiness. by blessing.

I am proud of my husband for being accepted. It is in itself, a great feat.

But this doesn’t change the fact that I will be uprooting my family, my children and taking them from a good place and heading into the unknown.

We went to Edmonton this past weekend to try and get a footing. I thought maybe if I saw it, I would feel better.

I tried.
I took pictures.

(Did you know that I bought my first DSLR camera in Edmonton. When Ben auditioned for the Masters’ program at the University of Alberta four years ago – the one we turned down for Cambridge. I named her Audrey. The camera. I know, it’s confusing. We danced. It was nice.)

Back in the day.

Before we drove to Edmonton however, we made a quick stop to visit family and friends at our old stomping ground – Three Hills. Everyone was very excited to see Audrey. There was no shortage of arms to hold and hug her.

Uncle Jason and Audrey

The thing about Edmonton is that anyone whom you speak to that lives in Edmonton or has lived in Edmonton, loves it. It’s weird. Something about community. They say that everyone in Edmonton is so friendly. (Maybe they are more friendly once you live there because thus far, the people at the Edmonton School District have been not nice at all and borderline rude.)

National Geographic actually just named Edmonton one of the top summer destinations in the world! They attribute this to it’s vibrant festival culture and beautiful River Valley. They mention Whyte Ave as the place to stay and the Old Strathcona Farmer’s Market as the place to shop.

So what are we to do? Well, basically live as close as we can to all the beautiful things Edmonton has to offer. We found a house nestled on the very edge of the Strathcona neighbourhood, just a stone’s throw from Mill Creek Ravine. Seriously, it is one house from the ravine itself, which hosts many biking and walking trails as well as an outdoor pool. It is about a 20 minute walk from the Farmer’s Market and about a 40 minute walk from the University.

There are still a lot of details to work out. School being the biggest one. It would seem that all the schools in our area are full and not receptive to having a child with Down Syndrome. It’s sad really.

But at least we have a home. A hideaway. A sanctuary.