A little bit of heaven

I am working on the slow, old computer upstairs. This is the one Mike built from scratch years ago that the kids now play on and that connects to our wireless network about 75% of the time. It's slower than I'm used to, but it's an old friend and I'm so grateful to be up here working because it means my sweetie is downstairs busily working away from our home office.

For the past several months, I have been kicked out of my downstairs office--the place I run to to check my email each morning, the place I retreat to when Evan naps to do some online shopping, update blogs, research something, etc. How did I live without the Internet? How have I survived without regular access to my office these last few months?

It's been a little slice of heaven to have Mike work from home while he was on search time from his consulting job and since he started at TANDBERG. We have time many mornings to take a brisk exercise walk together (we go at about the same pace now that I'm great with child and he is still recovering from ACL surgery) and then instead of jumping in his car to commute, he showers, puts on his suit, and heads into his office for a day of work.

Today we just finished having lunch together and discussing the many items on our to-do list as we prepare for the move next week. Today's topics included reviewing the utilities I am setting up in our rental home, getting a Virginia phone number, and discussing which FIOS service we're going to use.

When 6:00 comes, Mike steps out of his office, changes his clothes, and joins us for dinner and an evening to do what WE want to do. It's so nice not to have him traveling or even commuting into an office. Yesterday while Evan napped I left and did my visiting teaching. Many days I run a quick errand (childless).

Since he's on video calls much of his day, we do sometimes have to schedule our piano practice around his conference calls, and keep Evan from screaming too loudly outside his door, but it's been wonderful to have him home. We'll be sad to lose him to his office in Virginia, but we hope this tradition of working at least some days from home will be able to continue!

Counting down

What is it that makes me think I can't blog if I don't have a picture to attach with my update? Since I'm to busy/lazy to upload any pictures of the last few weeks, I have neglected to blog. I've been busy, to say the least. But things feel like they are falling into place around here . . . mostly.

Mike spent two very long weeks in Norway for work training. He loved the time there but missed us all like crazy. I spent a very long two weeks at home showing the house like crazy and feeling very grateful for my sweet mother who came down and spent Mother's Day and a few extra days with me to help out with the house and the kids. We had a wonderful visit, stayed up way too late every night, made it to the Dallas temple, and managed to enjoy and entire trip without taking any pictures. How sad!

In the meantime, we keep wishing and waiting for our home to sell. We have had lots of showings and good feedback and interest, so we keep praying it will happen . . . I've had 53 showings so far . . . which one will be the magic one?

I am tired to death of keeping a home show-ready at a moment's notice, and given that Mike needs to be working at his office in Virginia, and I figure I should at least attempt to meet the doctor who I hope will deliver this baby girl before she arrives, we decided it is time to just pack up and move to VA.

After sending Kara and my mom to look at several rental homes and a few we were considering buying (nearly put an offer in on what we still think was the "perfect" home for us, but decided that with Mike out of the country, neither of us seeing the house, and still having to pay a mortgage in Texas it was a bit much . . . ) so we decided to rent a home for the next year and see where life takes us.

I can't express the relief I have felt since we found the home we're going to rent (also sight unseen, but a 12-month rental seems like such a smaller commitment than actually purchasing a home!) I am so happy to have somewhere we can move all our things, and unpack them, and enroll the girls in school (even if it might only be for one year at that elementary school). I am so relieved to think that I don't have to move into a temporary apartment and then purchase a home, deliver a baby, and move all in the same month. I am so happy that when this little girl joins our family in late July or early August, I will be unpacked and living in a home and ready to just enjoy the new addition to our family.

So we're moving on, and doing it rather quickly. We load the moving truck the last week of school, clean the house one more time and hope someone loves it vacant as much as we loved it furnished, and head to Virginia as soon as school is out. We are all sad to leave our beloved neighborhood, our home, our friends, our church group, our elementary school, our neighborhood pool, etc. But we are looking forward to living near family and dear friends in Virginia and hope our lives will be as enriched by those we meet in the next chapter as they have been by those we are leaving behind.

Horseback Riding

 

For Brooke's birthday, all she wanted to do was go horseback riding.  Thankfully, her Primary teacher at church teaches horseback riding lessons and was kind enough to help us have a horseback riding birthday event!  Brooke got to Flash out of the stable, and then each girl got a chance to ride the horses through an obstacle course.  The ride ended with them riding up to the mail box and picking out a treat.  

 

Megan was very nervous at first to get on the horse, but then she quickly got over it and she couldn't get enough turns to keep her happy.  She loved it!  Here she is taking Flash over one of the obstacles.  Unfortunately for Megan, she is SEVERELY allergic to horse dander, so even though we doped her up on benadryl and she didn't touch her face at all, she sneezed and her nose ran most of the time, and by the time we got home her red, itchy eyes were almost swollen shut.  But still, so worth it to see her leading a horse around by herself and loving it.  After a shower, visine in the eyes, and some more benadryl, she was back to normal tonight.

 

Evan played in the dirt most of the time, but was delighted when it was his turn to ride the horse.  I didn't get many pictures of him because I was busy walking by his side so he didn't fall off, but he loved it and cried when we made him get off.  It was a great birthday memory for Brooke!  

 

Swine Flu and a Readathon!

The kids were given a few days off school this week due to fears about swine flu in the district. We decided to take full advantage and host a read-a-thon at our house. Our kids LOVE to have read-a-thons, mostly because that means Mom buys them treats to eat while we read. I was amazed that we got six kids QUIET for nearly an hour of good reading. Even Evan wandered around, whispered very quietly, and ate as much candy as he could stomach in an hour.

It was such a fun glimpse into what the summer holds for us! I do love quiet, creative (albeit usually messy) play, and dear friends to enjoy our breaks with. Evan LOVES having sisters home, and we've had a nice couple of days. Yesterday we showed the house three times (no offers yet, but at least people are looking!) and the girls are so helpful at keeping it cleaned up. Summer is going to be fun!

The joys of shredding

 

This is what it looks like when your purge your filing cabinets of all the useless documents you've carted around for 1o+ years but don't dare just throw in the recycling bin.  Mike diligently spent FOUR HOURS shredding on Saturday not long ago!  Hooray for a clean filing cabinet.

Randon Evan pics

 

Loving the treats Papa and B. sent him for Valentine's day!!

 

Brooke is so nice to read Evan his library books!

 

"If Mom says no more chocolate milk, that's okay, I'll just make it myself!"

 

Brooke is 9!

 

Brooke had a great birthday, despite a few changes of plans for her day.  We started the day with presents and her favorite breakfast, Australian pancakes (which is really a Grandma B. creation from her visit down under of pancakes with a scoop of ice cream on top).  We had planned to go horseback riding after school, but we got rained out and had to reschedule for a week later.  To make up for it, I agreed we could go to Chuck E. Cheese.  An hour before we were supposed to leave, I realized that with swine flu fears running rampant in Texas, I couldn't think of a more germy place than Chuck E. Cheese, and I refused to take them.  Brooke was very understanding (and very afraid of the swine flu) so instead we went to Jason's Deli for dinner that night and then had our neighbors over for ice cream cake.  It turned out to be a great day for her, and we now get to go horseback riding tomorrow.

We feel so lucky to have Brooke as the oldest child in our family.  She is a great example, a stellar student, and wonderful help to me around the house.  I can't believe how much she is growing up!  I am enjoying her new abilities to crochet and create beautiful things and her love for playing pioneers and doing things with her hands.  She has recently made us butter from cream, ground wheat with stones, and loves to sew.  We love you, Brooke!