Living the Dream

For the past few years, my sister Jackie and I had a little game. She was living in Dallas, and I was living…wherever I happened to be living at the time (not Dallas).

I’d write something like, “Just made a big batch of chili. Want to come over? Movie afterward.” She’d write, “We’ll be there in an hour with oreo brownies for dessert.”

We did this a lot. A LOT. (Jackie’s and my constant texting singlehandedly prompted me to increase my phone’s message plan.)

We were totally teasing ourselves, but our teasing had genuine feeling behind it. Jackie and I haven’t lived in the same place since she graduated from college ten years ago. We came *this close* to living in Arkansas together, but they ended up staying in Dallas and we moved to Chicago.

Cue the Debbie Downer sound effect.

So for the last year and a half, Jackie, Greg, Jared, and I have been scheming up a move that would get us both in the same city once and for all. We looked at several different cities. Greg and Jared had job interviews. Jackie and I researched housing costs and schools. We skyped with them once or twice a week for months. When Jared got his job offer here, we skyped with them right afterward and asked them if they were comfortable with his accepting it. Charlotte was at the top of their list—and ours—all along. No brainer.

For the months after we moved here, we were still talking constantly to Jackie and Greg. The plan was for them to make it out here whenever they could. Six months…and lots of agonizing waiting…and lots of teasing texts later, they moved! When they pulled up to our house on December 7, a years-long dream was realized. That was a sweet night.

They live less than half a mile away from us. They’re in an apartment for now, but the dream continues for us to live in the same neighborhood (preferably next door with a communicating gate in our fences). We are all looking forward to what these next years bring…our kids going to school together, lots of meals, free babysitting, lake house trips, and shared hobbies (Jared and Greg are already scheming about camping, motorcycling, and mountain biking). The best part will be seeing our kids grow up with a second family nearby. Judah already lists off “Uncle Greg Aunt Jack Noah Lauren Baby Chase” in every single one of his night-time and meal-time prayers.

In one month, they’re fast friends already.

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