There are so many changes going on in our lives these days! After being traded to Detroit, we are now based in a place where even the leaves change! This is not something my California and Texas babies are used to, but we are trying to embrace everything.
When I found out we were going to Detroit initially I was pretty disappointed because it was an extreme change. We have been a part of one team for so long and we got adjusted to Los Angeles very well and just bought our LA house.
It was very emotional leaving LA for so many reasons that I just didn’t want to believe that we were going through such a big change with our family. Since we’ve never changed teams before (this is unheard of in NFL life), I knew we had to start with a house.
Looking for a home in Detroit was much harder than I thought because the homes here are very different from our homes in Los Angeles and Houston. I found myself being pickier than usual because it wasn’t my taste or what I was used to, but we eventually found a really nice rental home in an area that I really like.
Finding a school for the kids was surprisingly not as challenging. It was our second school tour that was recommended by our Detroit realtor. I’m so glad we found this school because the first one was never going to be a match for our family.
The most important thing to us when we look for a school is its foundation of faith. We wanted to ensure that our children are taught what we believe at home and this is why Mike and I choose a private Christian school. The school we chose is also very diverse in the cultural background of students which also added to the decision to choose this school for our kids.
Overall, the kids and Michael are adjusting very well but I am still trying to get my bearings. COVID has made it so hard to decorate our rental and feel that we are at home due to everything being back ordered. I am also having a harder time finding beauticians and nannies which makes it harder to feel like myself.
The snow is nice during the holidays because it does give a feel of holiday cheer, but I do not enjoy the cold weather being from the south. The wonderful part about being in a new city is that we are really enjoying the time as a family learning a new place together. The hardest part about being on a new team is learning the new organization and how they operate as well as getting acquainted with the significant others especially since I am an introvert.
On top of all of these changes, we are also expecting baby number four. We found out about our pregnancy about four months after the trade to the Lions and I was already 10 weeks along! I hadn’t been feeling myself for a while, but I still had no true early pregnancy sign other than one I haven’t experienced before which was extreme sensitivity to smell. I thought it was just a lingering side effect from having COVID last December and we soon found out was the farthest from the truth.
When we told the kids, they were all so ecstatic to be expecting another sibling especially MaKaela when she found out that it was a girl! She said, “I have been waiting for a sister for a long time.”
They all love to kiss the belly and put their ear up to it to see if they can hear her. I love watching them enjoy the pregnancy and we will be spending this off-season in LA. I am much more comfortable with the doctors there and thankful we can go back to our second home.
However, Houston is always home and will continue to be our home base especially in the off-season. Needless to say, I have learned so much during this transition, this has been one of the biggest and unexpected changes in my life since the death of my father. I have heard from other significant others in the league how daunting the transition to a new team could be but experiencing it for myself has allowed me to grow even more as a supportive wife, mother and a business owner and has had both its share of struggles as well as beautiful memories made in a new and unfamiliar place.
