Road Trip to Washington: The Road Part

Last Thursday I loaded our single stroller with a 1 year old, a diaper bag, a bag full of books, toys and snacks and a third bag filled with last minute things that didn't make into the suitcase that was already loaded into the car (like the baby monitors, sleep sacks, and lovies) and requested my almost 4 year old walk by my side to the car parked two blocks away. We made it! Whew!

Then we drove to my husband's office and picked him up for what would be our first road trip with two kids. We were taking this in two chunks. Four hours on Thursday night and hopefully only 6-7 hours on Friday morning.

The traffic in San Francisco was terrible. It took us an hour to get onto the Oakland Bay Bridge .  . . which is less than a 2 mile drive. After that we didn't hit any traffic and were able to make it to our resting place in Redding CA around 8 p.m. (so it had been 5 hours instead of 4, but we stopped for dinner on the way).

Redding was HOT. We stepped out of the car and were shocked as the heat hit our faces and made me feel like my jeans were going to melt to my skin. It was only 95 degrees, but my summers are usually around 68 it so really did catch me off guard. The boys were in love with the hotel room and explored every corner of it. It took at least an hour to calm them down and get them in bed. And since it was just one room we all went to bed at the same time.

The next morning we had a leisurely breakfast at Lumberjacks cafe which was pretty good. Stephen refused to sit and eat and William only had ate a quarter of his plate-sized Mickey Mouse pancake. This is totally what we expected but even by 8 a.m. I was ready for a break from the chaos.

The drive was uneventful. Very little traffic until we reached Portland, Oregon. Stephen fussed and cried off and on and took one little nap. William refused to nap but was content listening to his audiobooks of Winnie the Pooh, looking at his comic books and doing some sticker projects I had packed.

We arrived in Vancouver, Washington a little before 6 p.m. on Friday. (With a few stops along the way it ended up being a total of 9 hours the second day.) Whew, we made it for real!

What did we do there? Read here!

_________

On Monday night we decided that we would just do the drive home in one day instead of spending the money to get a hotel room. That night Stephen woke up around 3 and had a hard time going back to sleep. We ended up getting everyone up and packed to leave at 5 a.m. but didn't actually get out the door until 6 a.m. Our poor hosts had to hear Stephen scream for such a long time before we actually left. We thought if we could just get out the door and drive he would surely fall asleep and it would be okay.

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. We were so entirely wrong.

Stephen cried and screamed for what seemed like forever. Finally we pulled off the freeway to grab breakfast (William and Stephen had already eaten at 5 a.m.). That seemed to settle everyone down momentarily. I tried to give Stephen his nap-time bottle and sing his songs and cover him with a blanket and after 90 minutes of trying he finally closed his eyes as I held his hand (doing a side-back bend maneuver from the front seat that messed up my back).

It was a good nap. A solid 90 minutes. And then we had some calm play time with books and songs and snacks. Followed by, you guessed it, more screaming. Earlier on the trip Chris had noticed how hot Stephen got in his seat so he purchased a fan to blow on him from the back seat. It helped him from over heating but this little guy hated feeling it on his hands and face. We tried everything to help him be more comfortable but nothing worked. Finally after our last stop for dinner we were able to get him to calm down again for a short nap by me holding his hand again. (If I could have fit in the back middle seat, trust me I would have gladly sat there the whole time.)

Once we got on the Bay Bridge he had woken up but was only softly whining/crying, not really screaming. Total time spent on the road that day: 13.5 hours. Total naps/quiet time by Stephen: 3 hours. Chris handled it all really well while he did all the driving. Where as I was super stressed out and feeling helpless, a little angry and mostly worried that Stephen cried so much and so hard.

We made it home! So ready for bed. So ready for normalcy. So thankful that William handled it all like a champ (other than throwing a fit anytime we asked him to turn off his audio book to eat, go to the bathroom or take a nap).

Where to next? I don't know, but we'll be flying!

Last Thursday I loaded our single stroller with a 1 year old, a diaper bag, a bag full of books, toys and snacks and a third bag filled with last minute things that didn't make into the suitcase that was already loaded into the car (like the baby monitors, sleep sacks, and lovies) and requested my almost 4 year old walk by my side to the car parked two blocks away. We made it! Whew!

Then we drove to my husband's office and picked him up for what would be our first road trip with two kids. We were taking this in two chunks. Four hours on Thursday night and hopefully only 6-7 hours on Friday morning.

The traffic in San Francisco was terrible. It took us an hour to get onto the Oakland Bay Bridge .  . . which is less than a 2 mile drive. After that we didn't hit any traffic and were able to make it to our resting place in Redding CA around 8 p.m. (so it had been 5 hours instead of 4, but we stopped for dinner on the way).

Redding was HOT. We stepped out of the car and were shocked as the heat hit our faces and made me feel like my jeans were going to melt to my skin. It was only 95 degrees, but my summers are usually around 68 it so really did catch me off guard. The boys were in love with the hotel room and explored every corner of it. It took at least an hour to calm them down and get them in bed. And since it was just one room we all went to bed at the same time.

The next morning we had a leisurely breakfast at Lumberjacks cafe which was pretty good. Stephen refused to sit and eat and William only had ate a quarter of his plate-sized Mickey Mouse pancake. This is totally what we expected but even by 8 a.m. I was ready for a break from the chaos.

The drive was uneventful. Very little traffic until we reached Portland, Oregon. Stephen fussed and cried off and on and took one little nap. William refused to nap but was content listening to his audiobooks of Winnie the Pooh, looking at his comic books and doing some sticker projects I had packed.

We arrived in Vancouver, Washington a little before 6 p.m. on Friday. (With a few stops along the way it ended up being a total of 9 hours the second day.) Whew, we made it for real!

What did we do there? Read here!

_________

On Monday night we decided that we would just do the drive home in one day instead of spending the money to get a hotel room. That night Stephen woke up around 3 and had a hard time going back to sleep. We ended up getting everyone up and packed to leave at 5 a.m. but didn't actually get out the door until 6 a.m. Our poor hosts had to hear Stephen scream for such a long time before we actually left. We thought if we could just get out the door and drive he would surely fall asleep and it would be okay.

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. We were so entirely wrong.

Stephen cried and screamed for what seemed like forever. Finally we pulled off the freeway to grab breakfast (William and Stephen had already eaten at 5 a.m.). That seemed to settle everyone down momentarily. I tried to give Stephen his nap-time bottle and sing his songs and cover him with a blanket and after 90 minutes of trying he finally closed his eyes as I held his hand (doing a side-back bend maneuver from the front seat that messed up my back).

It was a good nap. A solid 90 minutes. And then we had some calm play time with books and songs and snacks. Followed by, you guessed it, more screaming. Earlier on the trip Chris had noticed how hot Stephen got in his seat so he purchased a fan to blow on him from the back seat. It helped him from over heating but this little guy hated feeling it on his hands and face. We tried everything to help him be more comfortable but nothing worked. Finally after our last stop for dinner we were able to get him to calm down again for a short nap by me holding his hand again. (If I could have fit in the back middle seat, trust me I would have gladly sat there the whole time.)

Once we got on the Bay Bridge he had woken up but was only softly whining/crying, not really screaming. Total time spent on the road that day: 13.5 hours. Total naps/quiet time by Stephen: 3 hours. Chris handled it all really well while he did all the driving. Where as I was super stressed out and feeling helpless, a little angry and mostly worried that Stephen cried so much and so hard.

We made it home! So ready for bed. So ready for normalcy. So thankful that William handled it all like a champ (other than throwing a fit anytime we asked him to turn off his audio book to eat, go to the bathroom or take a nap).

Where to next? I don't know, but we'll be flying!

Stocking #4: Complete

Last month I finished a project that has been on my to-do list for over a year. I finished sewing Stephen's Christmas stocking! I remember when I was sewing William's (two years late) that I should just make a fourth one just in case. But I just didn't have the capacity for it at the time.

The only reason I got around to it when I did was because Stephen was on the cusp of dropping his morning nap and William was starting a summer school program so I had a few mornings of uninterrupted time. And I mean literally. Stephen hasn't taken a morning nap since I finished this project!

I had a few hiccups along the way - mostly with my iron meeting the wrong side of my fusible fleece. Both ended up being victims. I have a few seams that look bunchy and the cording along the cuff is not nearly as precise as I had hoped, but it will do just fine the way it is.

Merry Christmas a little early.  I can't wait to hang it up with the others!

Last month I finished a project that has been on my to-do list for over a year. I finished sewing Stephen's Christmas stocking! I remember when I was sewing William's (two years late) that I should just make a fourth one just in case. But I just didn't have the capacity for it at the time.

The only reason I got around to it when I did was because Stephen was on the cusp of dropping his morning nap and William was starting a summer school program so I had a few mornings of uninterrupted time. And I mean literally. Stephen hasn't taken a morning nap since I finished this project!

I had a few hiccups along the way - mostly with my iron meeting the wrong side of my fusible fleece. Both ended up being victims. I have a few seams that look bunchy and the cording along the cuff is not nearly as precise as I had hoped, but it will do just fine the way it is.

Merry Christmas a little early.  I can't wait to hang it up with the others!

Housing Update: Hard Decisions

I had asked for your prayers two months ago that our number be drawn again for a 3-bedroom condo in the Mission (a much desired location). And God answered, although it was in a convoluted cloudy way . . . our number was drawn, but it was fourth on the list for the one available unit. So, we thought that maybe, just like before, they work their way down the list and get to us and we would jump with glee and laugh and praise His Name with a new found joy. We had already seen the place and knew it would work for our family. But, the call never came (or hasn't yet anyway) and from what we were told, lottery winner #1 took the space.

But in that same conversation, where we were told it wasn't meant to be, we were told to consider another 3-bedroom condo space. The deadline to apply was approaching rapidly. I think Chris had to fill out an application, submit one hundred pages of proof-of-everything-we-have in 48 hours. We weren't able to connect with the realtor before the deadline so applied after just seeing photographs. No one else had applied so we had a really great chance if we were approved for the loan.

The photos showed a nice looking place and a good layout so I was hopeful. Started to dream again. Finally after a loan pre-approval and many discussions with the city's program contact and the bank and our realtor, we were able to see the place. I can't say the photos were misleading - but it left a lot out. The space was fine and the layout made sense. I was thankful that it seemed to have ample storage and a connected garage (it looked more like a townhouse than a condo). But it was dirty, the floor was sticky, everything in the kitchen was covered in grease. The bathroom doors didn't close all the way, the closet doors were hideous. The carpets and walls were badly stained. Of course, all of these things can be fixed up, replaced or repaired. But when we went home and ran the numbers we wouldn't be able to afford any of them. And if we did decide to buy it, the things we have said we valued wouldn't be possible either (retirement, savings for our children, travel, fun money, haircuts . . . you get the idea).

I've been waiting for a larger home for years. Seriously, we've been looking for over 2 years. And every time we have a contract in front of me and I think of what increasing our mortgage/rent payment would do to our lives, I can't sign it. And I look around our apartment and I wonder why I need more space at all. Thoughts circle in my mind nonstop. Needs vs. wants; present vs. future; security of savings vs. living paycheck to paycheck; faith vs. numbers on the screen; my desires vs. God's will . . . it doesn't end.

Paul writes in Philippians 4 (emphasis added):

10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me.Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

We stayed up late discussing the pros and cons. Chris feeling that he could be confident in either step we took. Me feeling like I could be talked into taking it, but felt the loss of what we would give up. This morning, Chris grabbed our white board and we started making a list of what we loved about our apartment. It's a practice of growing in gratitude he has found helpful. Over the course of our lunchtime, this is what we came up with:

I am certain we will find more things to add - like it has a dishwasher and coin-operated laundry on site! So once again I find myself coming to a place of contentment in the space we are in. The space we have been in for 7 years. I think we'll keep trying to find a bigger space - we would like to host small groups again or have space for someone stay with us (please come visit us anyway!). But for now and the immediate future we are okay.

Dave Ramsey has a saying "Live like no one else so that you can live like no one else." He refers to saving for your retirement/future and not spending all your income now. I think that quote applies to us in a different way. We can live simply in a small space (when our culture tells us more/bigger is better) and save for retirement and do more things like travel or we can get a mortgage twice our rent and not really live. It's worth considering.

I had asked for your prayers two months ago that our number be drawn again for a 3-bedroom condo in the Mission (a much desired location). And God answered, although it was in a convoluted cloudy way . . . our number was drawn, but it was fourth on the list for the one available unit. So, we thought that maybe, just like before, they work their way down the list and get to us and we would jump with glee and laugh and praise His Name with a new found joy. We had already seen the place and knew it would work for our family. But, the call never came (or hasn't yet anyway) and from what we were told, lottery winner #1 took the space.

But in that same conversation, where we were told it wasn't meant to be, we were told to consider another 3-bedroom condo space. The deadline to apply was approaching rapidly. I think Chris had to fill out an application, submit one hundred pages of proof-of-everything-we-have in 48 hours. We weren't able to connect with the realtor before the deadline so applied after just seeing photographs. No one else had applied so we had a really great chance if we were approved for the loan.

The photos showed a nice looking place and a good layout so I was hopeful. Started to dream again. Finally after a loan pre-approval and many discussions with the city's program contact and the bank and our realtor, we were able to see the place. I can't say the photos were misleading - but it left a lot out. The space was fine and the layout made sense. I was thankful that it seemed to have ample storage and a connected garage (it looked more like a townhouse than a condo). But it was dirty, the floor was sticky, everything in the kitchen was covered in grease. The bathroom doors didn't close all the way, the closet doors were hideous. The carpets and walls were badly stained. Of course, all of these things can be fixed up, replaced or repaired. But when we went home and ran the numbers we wouldn't be able to afford any of them. And if we did decide to buy it, the things we have said we valued wouldn't be possible either (retirement, savings for our children, travel, fun money, haircuts . . . you get the idea).

I've been waiting for a larger home for years. Seriously, we've been looking for over 2 years. And every time we have a contract in front of me and I think of what increasing our mortgage/rent payment would do to our lives, I can't sign it. And I look around our apartment and I wonder why I need more space at all. Thoughts circle in my mind nonstop. Needs vs. wants; present vs. future; security of savings vs. living paycheck to paycheck; faith vs. numbers on the screen; my desires vs. God's will . . . it doesn't end.

Paul writes in Philippians 4 (emphasis added):

10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me.Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

We stayed up late discussing the pros and cons. Chris feeling that he could be confident in either step we took. Me feeling like I could be talked into taking it, but felt the loss of what we would give up. This morning, Chris grabbed our white board and we started making a list of what we loved about our apartment. It's a practice of growing in gratitude he has found helpful. Over the course of our lunchtime, this is what we came up with:

I am certain we will find more things to add - like it has a dishwasher and coin-operated laundry on site! So once again I find myself coming to a place of contentment in the space we are in. The space we have been in for 7 years. I think we'll keep trying to find a bigger space - we would like to host small groups again or have space for someone stay with us (please come visit us anyway!). But for now and the immediate future we are okay.

Dave Ramsey has a saying "Live like no one else so that you can live like no one else." He refers to saving for your retirement/future and not spending all your income now. I think that quote applies to us in a different way. We can live simply in a small space (when our culture tells us more/bigger is better) and save for retirement and do more things like travel or we can get a mortgage twice our rent and not really live. It's worth considering.