Graduation, Thanksgiving and 2500 Mile Road Trip

We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and were able to enjoy some special time with family. We were very thankful this year because we were able to close the chapter of us being  thousands of miles apart.

Jared's graduation went well, it was short and sweet, but exciting to see Jared finish Signal school knowing he had accomplished a lot and taken advantage of several resources. Jared's parents drove down from Memphis to help us celebrate too. We hardly get to see our Hrabak parents since they live in another state, so it was a lot of fun to spend a few days with them. 

After the graduation, we packed up the cars and drove to Memphis to spend a few days with Dad and Mom Hrabak and celebrate Thanksgiving. Jared's sister Renee flew in too for the holiday from college, so the Hrabak family of five was complete. It was so special to spend time together and we were thankful for the opportunity to be together for Thanksgiving. We celebrated the holiday on Wednesday since we needed to begin our drive back to Phoenix. 

We began our road trip back to Phoenix on Thanksgiving, which actually worked out well for us because we didn't have any traffic and cut off a couple of hours of the 23 hour drive. We work well together as a team when it comes to road trips, take turns driving and let each other know when we are getting tired and need to switch. We have become true believers that every couple needs to do a long road trip together because it truly tells you a lot about the other person! Clearly it went well for us, since we are still together! 

We spent a couple of days in Phoenix, then both drove separately down to Sierra Vista to explore our new home and get Jared settled in. Kayla had to drive back the next day since she is still working in Phoenix. Jared started his new job last week in Sierra Vista and is really enjoying it. He is still going through training and adjusting, but he sees a lot of potential and is excited about the opportunities to come. 

We originally were going to look for a home to rent, but decided to do an apartment for the first six months, while we adjust to the city and figure out the area a little better. We would hate to be locked into a 12 month lease and not like the neighborhood or surrounding area. We move into our apartment on December 21st, then will come back to Phoenix to spend Christmas with Kayla's family. 

We are counting down the days until we live together again and have all of our belongings under one roof. Once we are all moved in and settled in our new home together, we will be sure to post pictures! 

Until then, Merry Christmas from the Hrabak Three: Jared, Kayla and Max