I have a story to tell. And it’s personal.
It’s not an awesome recipe or an easy DIY. And to bare it all here on the web where everyone can see it is kinda scary.
But I’m hoping that by sharing it, you’ll see that I’m just like you. I struggle. My family goes through hard times and we have to make tough decisions too.
Still, there is hope to be found.
It’s hard to know where to start really, but with any story, it’s best to start at the beginning.
2008
In April 2008, when my son was six months old, we set our sights on California and put our house on the market.
When other houses in our neighborhood kept dropping in price and not selling, our house sold in two weeks – a near impossible feat.
While we waited for the house to close, we looked for another place to live. Randomly and out of the blue, I somehow reconnected with an old friend and roommate.
She was going through a divorce and was worried about making her mortgage… and we needed a place to stay where we didn’t have to sign a lease or deal with the costs associated with moving utilities.
We rented two bedrooms and set a goal to move in 8 weeks.
Do you know how hard it is to get a job out of state? Getting your resume past the screener in human resources is practically impossible.
As recruiters saw Texas as our current address, they would automatically say no. They didn’t want to pay for relocation. They didn’t want to take a chance on someone who might not even like the area and weren’t going to give the qualifications of the candidate a second glance.
Yet one manager did and called my husband for a phone interview… and offered him the job.
We shipped 20 boxes, packed up our two cars and drove 1600 miles in 2 days.
What we set as a lofty goal to move halfway across the country in 8 weeks, God made happen in 6.
2011-2013
Moving to California was one of the best things that could have ever happened to my family. We found friends, grew close to family and most important of all, we all came to know Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
But about five years into our life on the West coast, something started to tug inside. There was a desire to move – to where, we didn’t know. But we knew deep down that California wasn’t going to be our forever home.
We started looking at jobs outside of California. There was an opportunity in Mississippi, another one two hours down the coast and countless interviews. My husband began to fit job descriptions perfectly, as he went back to school and later took on positions in management. A few of them came with salaries more than we had never even dreamed of making.
We prayed for an opportunity that would be good for the family, but none of them felt right. So we said no to all of them.
In November 2013, my step-mom was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. She started treatment 2 months later and we decided to stay in California through her treatment, one way or the other. We stopped looking for jobs and put relocating on the back burner.
Early 2015
In January of 2015, we were given the opportunity for my husband to work from home. It came with a pay cut, but we lived well within our means and had already paid off our debt a few years before. The amount of flexibility the new job offered and the increase in time together as a family felt like an answer to a prayer we hadn’t yet asked for. We took the leap and said yes.
At the end of March, my step-mom became very, very ill. She spent one week in the hospital before coming home on a Thursday. Monday morning, she was admitted again. My dad and I stayed at the hospital until she passed the day after Easter while my husband was at home with the kids.
Early Summer 2015
As we all began to find our new normal, home prices started to skyrocket, jumping up by $25,000 every few weeks.
Our rent went up. Then 2 months later, it went up again.
We looked for more affordable options in the area and in our search, saw a vacant unit in our complex listed for more than what the latest increase was. This meant a third rental increase was inevitable, and our rent will have gone up $600 per month in the past 2 years. Despite this, we were still in the cheapest three bedroom in town.
The rapid increase in rent made living within our means incredibly difficult. The other option was to take on a $500,000 mortgage for 30 years. We felt stuck.
Mr. Crumbs and I were in DISASTROUS debt when we first got married, and we worked our tails off to pay it off. We refuse to be in that position again, so we started looking outside California again.
Fall 2015
We tossed out states like Oregon, Washington, North Carolina and Maryland… applying for more jobs than we could count, knowing that we’d have to overcome the “you live in another state” issue again. We prayed for opportunity, for patience and for guidance.
At the end of one particular job interview, my husband was asked if he was interested in Georgia. We honestly hadn’t considered Georgia before, but given the job hunt odds were against us, we were willing to give any opportunity a fair shot.
Two days after the interview they offered him the job.
We had been in this spot before – considering a good job opportunity that comes with sacrifice.
We would be leaving friends who have helped us to raise our kids and taught us what true friendship was. Friends who shared the Gospel with us and showed us what it meant to walk in faith. Family that has housed us, clothed us and fed us on a weekly basis for my daughter’s entire life.
But there was something different about this one. There was anxiety and fear, but there was peace too.
In all my praying, I’ve asked God to close doors that aren’t meant to be open, and make it incredibly clear the path He wants us to take. And that’s exactly what He did.
Mr. Crumbs starts his new job in Georgia the week after Thanksgiving. The kids and I will join him 2 weeks later. Our emotions are like a bag of jumbled up marbles, but there’s something deep down inside of both of us that tells us this is the right thing to do.
Difficult, yes. But right.
My favorite view of God is hindsight, seeing how His hand has been working to prepare us for the road that lies ahead.
There are so many instances and events that if they had not happened, we wouldn’t have been able to do something else.
I have always tried to be as transparent with you as I possibly can – to be personal and let you into my home beyond the kitchen table – but sometimes pretty pictures and Google-friendly search terms get in the way.
One of my goals for next year is to be intentional with my hospitality. To open my door for you more often so you can see beyond frugal food and easy DIY’s. So you can see the good, the bad and the difficult. And I figure there’s no harm in getting a head start on that goal.
For the rest of this year, I’m sharing a more personal post on Fridays. I’ll be open about what’s going in our lives as we pack up (literally) and move from California to Georgia. Between packing, shipping, selling, driving, eating and everything else in between, I have no doubt there will be plenty to talk about!
Be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook if you want the play-by-plays of the Crumbs family moving across the country!!
The Crumbs family began a new chapter in November 2015, and I’m sharing the story as it unfolds every Friday here on the blog.
Here are the rest of the posts in this chapter:
- A New Chapter in Crumbs
- The Art of Selling Everything You Own
- Viewing Your Life in Terms of Boxes
- How to Live Minimally for Two Weeks
PS – Many of you knew we were making big decisions and you’ve emailed to express your thoughts and prayers – can I just say thank you?! I am seriously BLOWN AWAY by your outpouring of love and kindness. You have absolutely NO idea how much it means to us – thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!! Despite not being able to reply to them all, I read every single one of them, cherish the kind words and encouragement you are sharing, and I am sincerely thankful for every single one of you!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. By making a purchase through those links, I will earn commission that helps to keep the lights on in the Crumbs house – with no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Crumbs in this way. Read my full disclosure statement here.
Heather
Wow. I had to know the back story for your cross-country story, my friend. Praying for a smooth transition. Our move across two states has been one of the hardest and yet one of the best things we’ve done.
Tiffany
Oh Heather, thank you so much for your prayers and sharing your own experience. I totally agree that it’s been one of the hardest things we’ve done, but I’m already seeing God’s good hand at work. {{hugs}}
Flavia Laham
Greetings from Sao Paulo, Brazil!
Even so far away, I wish you guys all the best and a wonderful time and life in Georgia!
And thank you for sharing your fears and hopes! They do help me so much!!!
Tiffany
Greetings Flavia! And thank you for the well wishes from Brazil!
Julie B
God Bless you! We moved when our children were about your wee one’s age….as long as Mom & Dad love each other and the Lord, you’ll have given them the best transition ever! Rom 10:8..”the word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.” He is so close! Thank you for sharing your testimony! We recently move 2.5 hours from our home of 17 yrs to be closer to our daughter’s and their families—adjustments abound—-taking them in stride and time!
Tiffany
Thank you Julie for this uplifting note! Adjustments for sure – we’re taking them one at a time and with a joyful heart indeed!
Janell in Georgia
Wait, what? You are moving here? I’m so excited. This means I might by some small chance get to meet one of my heroes. Yay!
Janell in Georgia
And I have to say how impressed I am with all the Georgia readers/followers. Although it looks like I’m the only middle GA one. I live in a small town on I-75 just south of Macon.
Brittany
@Janell, ditto, it’s beautiful to see all the support for Tiffany coming from our home state.
You’re not the only one from middle GA 🙂 I’m from Montezuma, and I’m almost sure you’re the only reader who’s even heard of my small town (I hope you have)! I live overseas now but I do miss middle GA!
Tiffany
Me too Janell!
Tiffany
LOL, maybe we can meet up sometime in 2016! That’s an idea we’re tossing around… 😉
Ryann
My heart feels big for you! We are also moving soon and have been thinking about it for a long time, but we aren’t moving across the country. Best of wishes for all of the stress and craziness of packing and transition coming! xo
Melany
Thank you for sharing your story. It really got to me as my husband are in a very similar boat. We moved to Southern California from Florida 6 months after we got married. We made this place our home and all of our memories from being newlyweds to beicoming parents and everything in between!! We have made the greatest friends and have grown in every way. And soon we will have to say goodbye to it all. Things are not 100% certain but close to it. Plan is to move back to the East Coast in spring to South Carolina. This move will be 100x harder than the one to come out here…so reading your story is an encouragement to me…makes me feel like we aren’t the only ones that knows what it’s like or how hard it is 🙂
Pam
Georgia is a wonderful place to live, although I am partial to the NW portion, where I grew up. I have crossed the border into Chattanooga, but there’s not a lot of difference in the two. You are entering th bible belt for sure! Hoping you settle in and feel welcomed very quickly. Southern hospitality is a real thing 🙂 May God be with you as you make this big move!!
jean muehlfelt
We are familiar with this step of faith on your part. Thirteen years we sold our place that was to be our retirement homestead and had an auction of our things. We ventured out into the mission field and didn’t have any mission in mind. Here we are 13 years later, ready to retire, and had a wonderful adventure. Hindsight is much easier though. 😉
Christin
Welcome from one of your (many) GA readers!
Becky
Moving across country is such an adventure. We have moved across country three times in 7 years, and my husband isn’t even in the military! Yes, it’s stressful, but the new chapters that open up and the strength and growth that a family does is amazing. We moved from South Carolina to Washington state to Ohio back to Washington state. While I wish we were smarter in some of our decisions along the way, I wouldn’t take back any of the moves. Good luck in your next adventure; it’s going to be great.
Aleesha Bake
Welcome to the East Coast and the SOUTH!! You will love it here 🙂 My family moved to NC from AZ 2 1/2 years ago and have not regretted it once! Its a different life, for sure, but it’s a good one. The gospel is strong here, the members are farther apart but closer in heart 🙂
If you need a friend in NC (depending on the part of GA its not too far away) I’d be glad to oblige!!!
Sue
Hi Tiffany. Every change is a journey through life and life is an adventure. Enjoy this new chapter. Always things work out and you are at least staying in the same country. I am one of your international readers and at an age that most people retire am taking on one last adventure. We are selling the family home we have lived in for 31 years, downsizing massively and moving to a new country. If we can have the courage to do this in later life you are more than strong enough to do this whilst in the prime of life with your children with you. Look at all the positives; it will help immensely.
Mrs_MG
We hope your move is both exciting and uneventful at the same time! Looks like you already have blog-friends in Georgia, so maybe it won’t feel quite so “new” by the time you get there. When I was still in the US, I lived all over the western half of the country. It’s hard to leave your friends, but there are always holidays for visits (in both directions), and if you find a good bible-believing church, you will have new friends soon, as well. Probably the most difficult bit of this for you will be moving during the holiday season, but if this is where God has led you, then you will be “home” in Georgia before you know it. Praying for your moving preparation, travel, and getting settled in, and especially for being led to a good pastor and church family, Michelle G [An American in Derbyshire, UK]
thatgirljen
Thanks for this post. I am also facing a big move (to Texas) after 40+ years in Florida. I’ve just begun the “paring down” process and it’s a bit difficult and overwhelming. I keep telling myself #babysteps… Good luck and safe travels towards your journey to Georgia; oh and have a great Thanksgiving!
Tiffany
The paring down process is overwhelming, but one of the best things we’ve done. Babysteps is right! Thank you for the well wishes – Merry Christmas and good luck on a safe move!
Claire
Thank you so much for sharing how the Lord is leading your family! We, too, are in that place of wondering if God has a move up His sleeve, and are listening and waiting and watching. Following Him is such an adventure. I am so glad He knows better than we do! Guessing that He has a very strategic place and purpose for you in Georgia. Grace, peace, and traveling mercies to you as you follow the Shepherd! 🙂
Tiffany
Yes it is an adventure! Thank you for the wonderful note of encouragement Claire, although I’m very late to respond!
CW
Thanks for sharing your story. We’ll be praying that your move goes well. We live in the NE corner of Georgia; if we can help in any way send us an email.
Tiffany
Thank you CW!
lynn cook
I feel your anxiety and excitement i drove 2 kids 4 cats and a ferret 1400 miles by myself in A day and a half. Rhode island to Florida. But we love it here. And it was worth the drive. I also downsized. Alot and found out i did not need alot of the things I thought I could not live without
Tiffany
I commend you for adding animals to the trip Lynn – I thought it was treacherous enough with just the kids!
Leah
Hello! I just came across your blog a couple of weeks ago, and then today saw your big announcement. Our family has always lived within an hour of where we grew up, and completely out of the blue my husband got a job offer in Columbus Georgia. We are headed there next week to try and find a place to live. I’m so glad to hear all these great things about Georgia as I have only driven through it going to Florida. Who knows, maybe we will meet. 🙂
Lori
I thought Cumbus was really cool. I love the bike trail along the river!
Tiffany
I hear good things about the bike trail – it’s high on Mr. Crumbs list come Spring!
Tiffany
That would be neat if we did meet Leah! It sounds like God’s hand is at work in your life too – I hope it all works out (although, I’m sure it will 🙂 ). PS – Welcome to Crumbs!
Carolyn
Welcome to the east coast…..I hail from northwestern Pennsylvania…..God Bless your family as you settle in your new community…..
Tiffany
Thank you Carolyn!
Lindsay
Georgia?! I live in Georgia! Now do a local event so I can meet you! If you end up in Gwinnett County (I’m in Suwanee), check out the Suwanee Whole Life Co-op. It’s a Weston A. Price based co-op. suwanee.locallygrown.net.
Tiffany
Thank you Lindsay! Mr. Crumbs and I were talking about a local meet up for next year. Details TBD, but seeing as there’s a lot of readers in the area, it could be a lot of fun!