This is one of my favorite traditions. Reflecting on the past year and sharing the highs and lows with those who may not have lived close enough to know about them. Especially now that my blog isn't updated as frequently as I would like.
This year feels like one of fullness and relief. After years of praying, applying and waiting for a new housing situation to work out we are now celebrating and rejoicing in thankfulness for our home of 10 months.
2019 started out with hope. We had been approved for a bank loan and qualified for a second load through a city program for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo in the Western Addition district. There was a lot to do to prepare for the move while at the same time guarding our hearts from major heartache if this were to fall through as so many other potential homes had. We cleaned out our storage unit, got rid of all of our baby stuff and anything else we hadn't used in years. All in hope that this move would happen.
And then in February we made the
move! I remember that day very vividly. I brought William to school knowing that when a friend dropped him off at "home" it would be a space he had never seen before. We hired movers and they did it all in a day. Chris handled the clean up and last minute things we'd left behind. It was surreal to see our apartment of nearly 9 years empty again. It looked so big!
In March, we got the news that William got into our first choice elementary school - a Spanish Immersion program. We were so relieved and excited. He finished out his year of
Transitional Kindergarten in June and started Kindergarten in August. He is doing well. For the first few weeks he would say "I didn't learn anything, it's in Spanish." But by the end of the second month he seemed to be picking it up quite well and he had some really great friends! Now, after 82 days of school (they keep track), he seems to really like it. And we all love his teacher.
In April, we had our first experience with stitches. William had a run in with a door and cut his forehead deep enough to need 6 stitches. I was so thankful Chris was with us and took control of the situation. We made our way to the urgent care and they cared for him so well. Seriously, amazed by the care and attention these two women gave him. They skipped their lunch hour to see him right away and let him watch PJ Masks while they stitched him up. The worst part was they finished before the episode was over! I can't say I handled this event well, but I did learn a few things. I had no idea that this would be my training for when Stephen had a collision with a railing in June and also cut his head. William, now understanding that the word "wound" was more serious that "owie" alerted me to the injury by screaming "Stephen has a wound!" Sure enough, there was blood everywhere. Back to the urgent care we went, but he didn't need stitches. Just glue and an order not to get it wet for a week. We were all much more prepared this time around, but it still isn't something I want to repeat.
In July, we spent two weeks in Minnesota. It was my favorite time of summer -- fair season. As we did when we were kids, we made it to every fair we could get to . . . for a total of three. We went to parades, rode rides, ate corn dogs, played kiddy games, saw animals. and went to a bull ride.
We spent as much time as we could with my siblings and their kids which included a few nights at a hotel with a pool. The pool provided so much entertainment for us all. I loved being with them -- would have loved more time together. It's never enough. We ended our trip with a afternoon at the water park and dinner at the buffet with my parents. The kids (and I) had a blast!
In mid-August our "Fall" schedule took affect. School started for William, and Stephen and I started swim classes on Wednesdays, attending a child observation class at the city college on Thursdays, and a playdate swap with another family on Fridays. Then my mother's group (MOPS) started in September and we were in regular a routine. I'm coordinating MOPS again this year with a team of lovely women. We have such a great group and it continues to be a blessing to me and our community.
In November, Chris flew to Texas for a few days to attend his cousin's wedding and spend time with family. The next week he started a new job as a software engineer for Granular. He had been quietly looking for a new job since May. He loved working for Rhumbix for just nearly 2 1/2 years but it was time for a new experience. The new job started out a bit rough and with the Thanksgiving break and a few days off for sickness, he was feeling a little down about it. But now he seems to have found a groove.
And for Thanksgiving break we took a road trip to Provo, Utah to visit with my sister and her family. The pass through Tahoe was a wreck with snow so we drove the long way around the mountain making a 12-hour drive a 16-hour drive split up in two days each way. Traffic on the way home was so heavy that we spend an additional 3 hours in the car than we hoped to. The boys handled it as we expected -- voicing how we all felt every 15 minutes. Even though our time with the Hunt family was shortened by a day we still had a fabulous time and the boys loved playing in the snow. Now Stephen keeps asking "When will it snow in San Francisco?"
My sister, El, had a baby on December 1 and I'm trying not to think about how old he will be when I get to meet him face to face. They are doing well! The rest of
December basically flew by. We ended the year with a trip to Texas and spent 10 days with the Babiak family. Will try to write about that soon. And now, I can't believe we're at the year's end.
There are a few other things that need to be mentioned. As is true with most of life, in the midst of the "good" we experience the "hard" and "sad" and down right "awful" moments too. When we were in Minnesota over the summer, we lost my
Uncle Jerry. So while I wrote above about all the fun we had, we also had the hard and sad experiences too. So many emotional conversations were had and hugs were given. And time together treasured. I was thankful to be home with family during that time.
And in August, a
dear friend of mine passed away. So while we were adjusting to our new routines I was in a heavy mourning season and trying to be supportive of my friend's family in any way I could. The hard moments live along side the everyday . . . making those everyday days so very hard to get through.
I'm carrying hope into the New Year knowing that each year will have hard days and good days. Our new home has given me a lightness which contrasts the darkness I had in previous years. That lightness feels so good - unhindered, freeing. With the burden of finding housing behind us I am hoping that our prayers and focus can be put on those around us and on our children as they grow.
May you have a blessed New Year - with renewed hopes and dreams; may your burdens be light.
This is one of my favorite traditions. Reflecting on the past year and sharing the highs and lows with those who may not have lived close enough to know about them. Especially now that my blog isn't updated as frequently as I would like.
This year feels like one of fullness and relief. After years of praying, applying and waiting for a new housing situation to work out we are now celebrating and rejoicing in thankfulness for our home of 10 months.
2019 started out with hope. We had been approved for a bank loan and qualified for a second load through a city program for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo in the Western Addition district. There was a lot to do to prepare for the move while at the same time guarding our hearts from major heartache if this were to fall through as so many other potential homes had. We cleaned out our storage unit, got rid of all of our baby stuff and anything else we hadn't used in years. All in hope that this move would happen.
And then in February we made the
move! I remember that day very vividly. I brought William to school knowing that when a friend dropped him off at "home" it would be a space he had never seen before. We hired movers and they did it all in a day. Chris handled the clean up and last minute things we'd left behind. It was surreal to see our apartment of nearly 9 years empty again. It looked so big!
In March, we got the news that William got into our first choice elementary school - a Spanish Immersion program. We were so relieved and excited. He finished out his year of
Transitional Kindergarten in June and started Kindergarten in August. He is doing well. For the first few weeks he would say "I didn't learn anything, it's in Spanish." But by the end of the second month he seemed to be picking it up quite well and he had some really great friends! Now, after 82 days of school (they keep track), he seems to really like it. And we all love his teacher.
In April, we had our first experience with stitches. William had a run in with a door and cut his forehead deep enough to need 6 stitches. I was so thankful Chris was with us and took control of the situation. We made our way to the urgent care and they cared for him so well. Seriously, amazed by the care and attention these two women gave him. They skipped their lunch hour to see him right away and let him watch PJ Masks while they stitched him up. The worst part was they finished before the episode was over! I can't say I handled this event well, but I did learn a few things. I had no idea that this would be my training for when Stephen had a collision with a railing in June and also cut his head. William, now understanding that the word "wound" was more serious that "owie" alerted me to the injury by screaming "Stephen has a wound!" Sure enough, there was blood everywhere. Back to the urgent care we went, but he didn't need stitches. Just glue and an order not to get it wet for a week. We were all much more prepared this time around, but it still isn't something I want to repeat.
In July, we spent two weeks in Minnesota. It was my favorite time of summer -- fair season. As we did when we were kids, we made it to every fair we could get to . . . for a total of three. We went to parades, rode rides, ate corn dogs, played kiddy games, saw animals. and went to a bull ride.
We spent as much time as we could with my siblings and their kids which included a few nights at a hotel with a pool. The pool provided so much entertainment for us all. I loved being with them -- would have loved more time together. It's never enough. We ended our trip with a afternoon at the water park and dinner at the buffet with my parents. The kids (and I) had a blast!
In mid-August our "Fall" schedule took affect. School started for William, and Stephen and I started swim classes on Wednesdays, attending a child observation class at the city college on Thursdays, and a playdate swap with another family on Fridays. Then my mother's group (MOPS) started in September and we were in regular a routine. I'm coordinating MOPS again this year with a team of lovely women. We have such a great group and it continues to be a blessing to me and our community.
In November, Chris flew to Texas for a few days to attend his cousin's wedding and spend time with family. The next week he started a new job as a software engineer for Granular. He had been quietly looking for a new job since May. He loved working for Rhumbix for just nearly 2 1/2 years but it was time for a new experience. The new job started out a bit rough and with the Thanksgiving break and a few days off for sickness, he was feeling a little down about it. But now he seems to have found a groove.
And for Thanksgiving break we took a road trip to Provo, Utah to visit with my sister and her family. The pass through Tahoe was a wreck with snow so we drove the long way around the mountain making a 12-hour drive a 16-hour drive split up in two days each way. Traffic on the way home was so heavy that we spend an additional 3 hours in the car than we hoped to. The boys handled it as we expected -- voicing how we all felt every 15 minutes. Even though our time with the Hunt family was shortened by a day we still had a fabulous time and the boys loved playing in the snow. Now Stephen keeps asking "When will it snow in San Francisco?"
My sister, El, had a baby on December 1 and I'm trying not to think about how old he will be when I get to meet him face to face. They are doing well! The rest of
December basically flew by. We ended the year with a trip to Texas and spent 10 days with the Babiak family. Will try to write about that soon. And now, I can't believe we're at the year's end.
There are a few other things that need to be mentioned. As is true with most of life, in the midst of the "good" we experience the "hard" and "sad" and down right "awful" moments too. When we were in Minnesota over the summer, we lost my
Uncle Jerry. So while I wrote above about all the fun we had, we also had the hard and sad experiences too. So many emotional conversations were had and hugs were given. And time together treasured. I was thankful to be home with family during that time.
And in August, a
dear friend of mine passed away. So while we were adjusting to our new routines I was in a heavy mourning season and trying to be supportive of my friend's family in any way I could. The hard moments live along side the everyday . . . making those everyday days so very hard to get through.
I'm carrying hope into the New Year knowing that each year will have hard days and good days. Our new home has given me a lightness which contrasts the darkness I had in previous years. That lightness feels so good - unhindered, freeing. With the burden of finding housing behind us I am hoping that our prayers and focus can be put on those around us and on our children as they grow.
May you have a blessed New Year - with renewed hopes and dreams; may your burdens be light.
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