Update

We just wanted to give a little update on our efforts to get overseas. Dave has his resume out to several schools in Europe who are in the beginning stages of hiring. He recently went to a recruitment fair for an organization that connects teachers with international schools. He did get the opportunity to interview with a couple schools. Unfortunately, there were not many schools there that were hiring in his area or that were in regions in which we were interested in moving. He still has applications out to several schools to which he applied independently. It is still early in the hiring season. We will continue to wait and see what develops over the next couple months and keep you posted on anything new. Thanks for your prayers and support!

Christmas

We had a relaxing Christmas. We spent a quiet morning at home with Amanda's parents watching the kids open their gifts and stockings. they had so much fun. Thanks to everyone who gave so generously to the kids this year!

Finally...

It's been a LONG while since we've posted an update. So here are a few pics of a day at the park:)

Settling In and Saying Goodbye

We recently moved into a house in a new city a few miles away from our former home. And while it was hard to leave the familiar surroundings, it has been so easy to enjoy our new space. The kids have a yard to play in. We have our own walls. There are no worries about how loud Willow screams, except for our ears, or the kids running around and jumping inside. There is no coin op washer that may or may not be being used for 6 hours straight and I don't have to lug baskets of laundry up and down a rickety set of stairs. But there is no courtyard here. There is no next door neighbor to keep an eye on your kid while you run to the store real quick or from whom to borrow some organic milk and eggs. It is an adjustment going from such intimate and intense community, where everyone knows your comings and goings, helps parent your children, can tell just by your facial expressions if you're having a good day or a bad one to a more private and quiet life within your own walls. We have definitely been grateful for the years of community that have taught us how to be better neighbors, friends, believers and human beings. But we are equally grateful for a respite of sorts. Some time to be reclusive. Some time to not answer questions or deal with other people's kids. Time for our kids to play outside, just the two of them. Time for us to listen to music as loud as we want. Time to come home and just relax together as a family. Yet, the quiet can be eery. The kids get bored. We get bored. So there are play dates, and trips to the park and walks around our nice, new little town. All things to help fill that need for community that is missing when you live "alone". It has definitely been an adjustment for all of us. The kids miss their friends. We miss our friends too. Saying goodbye to those whom we have grown to care about so deeply, is hard no matter if the move is down the road or hundreds or miles away. Because no matter what, distance means more work, more intentionality. But the relationships that have been developed in our community experience are not ones that will quickly fade. They are relationships that changed us, challenged us and made us better people. So we will be intentional. But it doesn't make saying good bye any easier. And no matter how many times we have had to do this over the last 7 years here, it never gets any easier.

But for now we are slowing getting used to this new set up, finding a balance between family and community, alone and together, reclusive and hospitable. I imagine by the time we really discover how to achieve that balance, it will be time to move on to something else. But I guess it's more about the journey, learning along the way. And I hope that we will all come away better and wiser than when we arrived.

2 is the new 4

And boy does our newly branded 2 year old think so! Our days are filled with "I do it", "No", "That way", "Mine" and many repeated attempts to redirect her from taking toys from Mason, using toys as weapons against Mason, throwing toys at Mason. In between all of this are moments of laughter, smiles, and silliness that make all the rest bearable of course. But our 2 year old definitely thinks thinks that she is 4, or older! She insists on picking out her clothes and dressing herself and doing just about everything else by herself as well.

So it was only fitting that for her second birthday she pick out the cake and theme of the party. Her world right now revolves around her brother, Elmo and Dora the Explorer. It was a toss up but I put my money on Elmo. I lost. She chose Dora! So on June 6th, a few days after her birthday Willow had a birthday party complete with her Dora cake and Dora party supplies. I still don't think that she got that the party was for her. But she had fun playing with her friends and eating her yummy cake and opening her presents.

On her actual birthday we celebrated at DisneyLand. We visited her favorite places and rides. Then we had a special birthday party with Mickey and Minnie where she got to decorate her own cake and take pictures with Mickey and Minnie after they sang to her. We all had a fun day celebrating her birthday at the happiest place on earth.

The Big 3-0

I guess a little late is better than not at all, right? So here is a tribute to Dave's big day and only about 2 months tardy! Dave joined the ranks of the rest of us cool people in March when he turned 30. After the great birthday surprise Dave pulled off for me on my 30th, I felt a lot of pressure to do something grand and memorable and unexpected. This was not an easy task. After several ideas and attempts at planning adventures, I finally settled on a plan. Since Dave loves outdoors, good food and scotch I figured a day of skiing at one our local mountains would be fun. We haven't been skiing at any SoCal mountains since we moved here- unbelievable, right? I knew he would love that. And once we finished a day on the slopes I made reservations for us at a local restaurant with an extensive selection of single malt scotches, Dave's drink of choice. So early Saturday morning we dropped the kids off at a friend's house and took off for the day to enjoy our child-free adventures!

On his actual birthday the kids wanted to surprise him with a birthday party. So while Dave was at work, Mason and I made him a chocolate chip cookie cake, picked out some balloons and set up the house for a party. When Dave walked in the door he was greeted by Mason yelling "Happy Birthday Daddy. We made you a surprise, it's a big cookie!" He still hasn't gotten the whole surprise thing down yet. We're working on it:) Here are a few pics from that party!



Here is the big balloon that Mason and Willow picked out for their dada.


The cookie cake before it was devoured.


Mason's chocolate hands after helping Dave eat his cake.


Dave enjoying some cookie with a nice big glass of RAW milk:)


Willow's green frosting goatee.

Easter vacation

Since it had been about a year and a half since we'd been back to the Midwest to visit our family, we thought Easter would be a good time to get back and say hello. To be honest, it mostly had to do with the fact that Dave had Spring Break and Willow would still be free to fly (it's expensive to fly with 2 kids now). We were able to spend a week in Michigan visiting both sides of the family briefly followed by a week in Wisconsin with my folks. All in all it was a great trip visiting with and meeting new cousins (nieces/nephews) and catching up with grandparents and siblings. Here are just a few pictures from our trip.


Mason and Willow with great grandma Martin.


The kids with their cousins on Easter day opening their baskets from Grandma and Grandpa Baughman.


The kids opening their basket Easter morning with us.


Mason warmed up quickly to my former roommate Kate and her youngest daughter after a much too quick breakfast.


Mason with his cousins after a fun morning at the park and local ice cream parlor, though I forgot to get pics with Aunt Karla who joined us for the fun times. Willow was feeling a little camera shy!


The kids playing at the lake with Grandma in Wisconsin.


Mason flying a cool Nasa space shuttle kite with Papa.