After waking surprisingly refreshed at 8:30, I spent most of the late morning trying to get Eliza down for a nap. At lunchtime she had only dozed on and off, waking when I left her side, and was unhappy while I made sandwiches which needs two hands. I asked Sara Ellen to bounce her seat and the sweet girl was so unhappy herself listening to her sister cry. Eliza finally slept for longer stretches of time so that I was able to go through photos from the last six months for Sara Ellen’s album. I have Christmas, nothing for January then they trickle in until April. This was at least an hour of going through photos and listening to Sara Ellen ask me to “go back to the photo I wanted to see!”

Tim has tons of photos he hasn’t done anything with, at least not online. So I had great photos to check out, some for the first time but there were lots of gaps because he was missing most of mine from my camera and even more since I tend to photograph more with my phone so I added those from my camera and then went to our gallery to get those I’d uploaded from my phone. I went through all these, starring some, trying to compile a balanced amount for each month.

Eliza woke during this project and when I felt I’d done enough we played Carcassone (with river and Inns and Cathedrals expansions) which Sara Ellen had taken out and been pretty happily playing with on her own. It’s a tile game I suppose, not board or card, which means that you can kind of place them willy nilly as long as the sides match up. This usually leads to gaps but since I have to direct a bit anyway, and we have new expansion cards, we had only one gap at the end. And I think we almost tied. I had 151 points and Sara Ellen less than 150 but then I discovered she had two unfinished cloisters but only after removing our scoring pieces.

Then I walked into the kitchen and was amazed to find it was 6:00. The late sunsets mess with my time perception, and Sara Ellen’s too as you can imagine. It’s hard to get ready for bed at 8:30 when it isn’t really dark yet. Dinner was totally unsatisfying: frozen, thawed, baked (and eaten yesterday), and reheated macaroni and cheese casserole. Plus a piece of left over pizza from Amici’s. I got a pretty fancy pizza and it was good at first but each bite was less yummy and reheated… it somehow tasted minty, not good for three kinds of cheese, Italian bacon, spinach, and red onions.

While writing all this reminds me I did do something, the writing itself feels more productive. Both girls are out for the night (though Eliza gets awfully noisy at some point) and I need to do something, besides continue watching season 7 of Gilmore Girls. Honestly, the outlook isn’t too promising.

This evening, after a busy afternoon then dinner for me and baby, I took myself to the library to pick up held items. The sun was setting, cool breezes blew, I could turn the music up. As I walked toward the library the breeze blew my hair, it was as if I were sitting on a beach. I felt free and peaceful.

I picked up my movies, got two more, walked happily back to the car and spent the ride home singing along with my “top rated” playlist. I got to use my full voice, not the small one I use when others are with me but I can’t help but sing. What did I sing? “Begin the Beguine” by Sheryl Crow, “When the Rain Comes” by Third Day.

What made the moment even better was knowing what awaited me at home, those sweet little faces. I loved that private, breezy cool moment to myself, driving just myself on an errand for my own entertainment. Then I got to return to my beautiful girls, the fulfillment of a life-goal and prayer, another part of myself.

It’s a good place for walking. You don’t have to sign up as a “Strider” to get exercise. If you originally park on one end for your intended errand but then agree to visit somewhere, Playtown for instance, on the other end, do you move the car, or do you decide to walk knowing it’s going to take a while? Perhaps under average circumstances this would not be the case, but me, about eight and a half months pregnant, I have to walk super slow. My body is capable of walking at normal speed but doing so ends up causing discomfort. I agreed to take Sara Ellen to Playtown to run around and thankfully she was also happy to dance her way there, not running off or complaining that I was too slow. I probably just seem to be strolling. I don’t think I usually waddle.

Playtown is a good place for kids to run and adults to sit, or for parents of little ones to explore and observe. Sara Ellen goes there in hopes of making friends. She even likes to talk to the parents of other kids. She is aware and careful of smaller children and usually has a good sense of which parents are friendly. It’s important for her to have good relationships with other adults, but I often have to remind her that while she is free to play with the other kids, we don’t have relationships with their parents and I wish her to stick to playing with the kiddos.

It seems pointless, sometimes, for baristas to request names for cups. What if they totally misunderstand you? Often the person who actually makes the beverage only announces the type of drink, not the name. So when I responded to the “grande iced chai” and saw “Magda”, I asked him if there was another being made or if I was just misunderstood. I expected the cup might read “Rebecca”, but not something completely different.

Children like to shop too. Sara Ellen requested we visit Bath and Body Works, not a place I mind visiting. She likes to pick up and smell the colorful products. I was happy to discover a new product, Shower Gelee, a cleanser with scrubbers in limited scents. I had actually wanted such a product recently, sometimes regular shower gel on a loufah isn’t enough to remove sunscreen. They only had 8-10 of their scents, not including Butterfly Flower which I currently use. Sara Ellen was more interested in smelling the body sprays. For some reason those were in better reach, but they are more potently scented and also a liquid easily spilled if opened. Next, I actually stopped at a kiosk. I usually avoid them because their employees are so pushy. As I spoke to someone, Sara Ellen was behind me in a luggage store. When I finished and turned around, she had brought out a bright pink carry-on! I quickly put it back, no one the wiser apparently and continued to slowly make our way out. Obviously I talked to her about proper shopping behavior: “If you want to show me something, come and get me, don’t bring it to me.” As I was asking her to repeat this to me, we were walking through Macy’s and she pointed out turquoise pants, in the men’s section…. Me thinks she was just drawn to the bright color, not demonstrating proper shopping behavior.

You don’t know what you might encounter by using a less central exit, and, I’m not sure what my spare change will do for a beggar. We had parked by a store close to, but not physically part of the mall. Passing between them is a sidewalk wider than a car. A man was quietly sitting next to a bag and cart asked for some change. I saw him before reaching him so kept up a conversation with Sara Ellen and looking elsewhere. He asked, I apologized, he blessed me, and we continued our conversation and on to our car. I don’t usually have cash anyway, but even having a little, I wasn’t going to dig for it. Last time we visited the mall a woman with eye troubles in a wheel chair came up to Sara Ellen and I in the same area. She never asked for anything. She was a nice enough lady and we had a short conversation while waiting for Tim to join us. I was happy to give her a little friendly interaction, if nothing else.

Despite moving at a snail’s pace, today’s was a pleasant visit. Also, I got a wicked deal on DIY baby announcements at Target yesterday. A box of 50 8.5 x 5.5 blank cards with small, pink dots for $3.99!! There was only one box left. They also had boxes with blue dots and those were $22.99. For whatever reason, the pink box rang up at the higher price so I had to go back today for an adjustment. It rang up again at the higher price, and the ladies didn’t believe it. Well, it is a huge difference. One lady retrieved the price tag and it was fixed. They won’t have to deal with it again, but I wonder if I’m the only one who profitted.

I really like it out here. It’s beautiful, the weather is great and we live close enough to enjoy both hills and water. We have everything we’re accustomed to and can communicate easily with our neighbors (those were issues making living in Norway difficult). We have a great home. The issues now are finding a good place for Sara Ellen to spend a year at preschool before heading to kindergarten and developing close friendship nearer to home.

I was having a difficult time with the school search, and have since handed over the job to Tim. He has a list of places to check out but we’re not a whole lot closer yet. I’d love her to go. I know she’ll love it, hopefully making friends there, enjoying the “work”, and have time in her own world (with peers, other adults, and no baby sister). I worried what would happen if it didn’t work out and came to decide that we’d manage as we have for the last year. Of course we’ll do what we can to get in her in, but to save my sanity, I have to give myself that freedom. Sara Ellen and I have been exploring letters and numbers in and out of workbooks. She quite enjoys them, though at times I have to close my eyes and breathe, to recapture my patience. It’s frustrating for me sometimes, wanting her to figure something out, and I have to remember she’s amazing and she figures it out in her own time. I would love to be the super-creative person that always has a great project for her to do, but I’m not really. We’ve been coloring a lot, painting now and then, and drawing with chalk on her easel or in our back garden. She loves to do “dot-to-dot”, though she tends to connect and then leave the picture without coloring. I’ve been encouraging her to finish it. I enjoy coloring, so this is something I really like to do with her. She’s not one to play with dolls much, but she does still use her trains, lego duplos, and farm with animals, making up scenarios as she goes along. It’s a lot of fun to listen to. She also likes singing along with familiar tunes. Recently she’s been singing to the tune but instead of the lyrics, she inserts words that go with the situation. She loves almost anything that gets her moving, gym class, dancing, “red light, green light” (we added even more color cues). She loves to run, play baseball, kick a soccer ball, anything really. We recently started bowling and mini-golf and she loves those too.

Sara Ellen makes friends where ever we go, she’s very social. She might start out shy, but that disappears pretty quickly. We’ve met lots of lovely mothers and children, but I am really, really missing my girlfriends. I can’t say just “back home” though several are spread through Maryland, because my best friend is in Virginia, and another in South Carolina. Then there are many Macon Women throughout the country. I really miss those times of sitting and having fun, or having talks about whatever, serious and fun. There are many times I miss Macon life. That kind of atmosphere really helps friendships along. I know my mother has made many of her best friends as an adult by becoming a La Leche League leader. I’m not sure what else I can do, but that’s what I’m craving. I know that both Tim and Sara Ellen want that too, someone to love being with as near to everyday as we can get. I love the family life that I have, spending time together at home or traveling. We just need some dear friends to share ourselves with. My request for these relationships is among my fervent prayers, including those for the growth and timely birth of Baby #2, and for the healing of bodies and hearts for friends and family members. Where can I find a kindred spirit, a bosom friend?

I don’t know how much rehearsing the little ones have been doing but we learned last Sunday that the children’s choirs would be meeting early today to warm up and process together. Sara Ellen does love to sing, and has actually been inventive this week, inserting new words into a familiar tune, but she’s not as fond of singing unfamiliar songs along with others. In the large group she prefered to walk around a bit and look at the older singers. Between the rehearsal and service I encouraged her to stay in place, whether or not she sung. It was super-cute seeing her go up with the others and watching her. She did seem to sing a little, I could see her mouth moving, but she moved around on the altar stairs and actually started to walk down the aisle a couple times. She may have been looking for us, the second time I could see her looking around and shrugging her shoulders, and the Sunday School teacher had to retrieve her both times. Tim followed when they headed to classes, to make sure she got there.

During the service we sang “O, For A Thousand Tongues to Sing”. This is one of my favorite hymns whether sung in a traditional service or a little more upbeat like during IVCF gatherings. I think we only sang four verses. The cyberhymnal website shows many more. I find it to be a prayer and encouragement in one, one of the hymns that always makes me imagine heaven.

O for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of His grace!

Hear Him, ye deaf; His praise, ye dumb,
Your loosened tongues employ;
Ye blind, behold your Savior come,
And leap, ye lame, for joy.

The visiting pastor spoke on “removing the stone” as Jesus instructed at Lazarus’ resurrection in the 2nd scripture reading, and was later done at his own. He referred to removing the barriers that we keep. As he opened, he shared “the three surprises we’ll meet in heaven”. He shared that at first he found it to be a funny joke, until he really thought about it.

Surprise number one: The people you may have thought that wouldn’t be there will be there.

Surprise number three: How did I get here!?

Many of the barriers in our lives come from judgments we make, judgments that God does not make. Much reuniting can come from bringing down those barriers.

It’s been a weekend to be thankful for, spent as a family. Yesterday we attended the church egg hunt, which was not as well attended as I’d imagined (but I still met new people), went to see How to Train Your Dragon, visited the mall for furniture research, and celebrated Tim’s hard work at Applebee’s. I only got a little worn out from all the walking and only had a few strong Braxton Hicks after a walk to and around Santana Row, and back to the Winchester Century 21 cinema. After the service today (during which baby-to-be danced around) I signed up Sara Ellen for VBS in June, we enjoyed our leftovers for lunch in our garden, I made cookies while Tim visited Great Clips and Sara Ellen watched VeggieTales, and we played some board and card games together (with more “belly dancing”). The cookies came out really well. I didn’t have any and I decided I wanted some for dessert. I used the Tollhouse chocolate chip recipe but instead of chips, I used cinnamon drops leftover from Christmas, and included crushed walnuts. This time I managed to get the dough right, softening the butter instead of melting, and they came out just right in my opinion – not too soft or too crunchy, and just sweet enough in addition to the “morsels”.

I’ve had a succession of great weekends, a “ladies only” movie date, the New Moon dvd release gathering after mini-golf, and this one. I’m so thankful for times like these, as well as for the dresses my mother made me that make it easier to feel comfortable because I don’t have much wrapping around or slipping down my belly or legs, just pure, light cotton draped around. Thanks Mom!

When I finally came downstairs it was lunchtime. Tim and I actually sat at the table together talking a little about baby names and potential activities for the day. We decided on visiting Half Moon Bay before removing to the office to check weather. We did some school research together, I had a little tear fest sharing everything I feel piling on me, and we determined to head to the coast despite the likely chill and wind.

We all managed to dress in stripes. Tim in a long sleeve shirt, me in a turtleneck sweater of blue and greens, and Sara Ellen in a pink and yellow hooded sweater and similar but different tights and her pink rain boots. She still had two braids from the night before (to prevent knots) in yellow ties. This was day two with my PackaBe and I very pleased!

I wanted to see if there was more to HMB than the cliff walk and town we visited with Emily in December so we headed north on 1 after getting into town. It does extend a little further up the coast but just a few businesses and small beaches. We stopped at one park but didn’t see much. There were small paths through the ground cover but hard to find or navigate paths to the beach. It was cool and windy but we were prepared with jackets. I discovered it was helpful to cinch my hood against the breezes trying to blow it off. Though reluctant to brave wind and possible rain, Sara Ellen didn’t want to leave. We kept driving north along the ocean-side highway very much enjoying the view but found nowhere else we wanted to pull over.

Highway 1 took us through Moss Beach and Pacifica and up to Daly City/South San Francisco where we took 280 back toward San Jose. Instead of heading home, we decided to visit Valley Fair Mall. Playtown was crazy busy so we bypassed that and went upstairs for a little baby furniture research at Pottery Barn Kids. I stopped in Motherhood and found their undergarment selection still lacking. Sara Ellen checked out all the goodies at the Disney Store (I’d like to get her a Terry cloth zip up dress to go over her swim suit), and then Tim parked us on a bench to rest his tired wife while he and his daughter played iPhone games side by side.

We enjoyed a very yummy dinner at CPK! We had the best spinach and artichoke dip ever. Sara Ellen devoured fusilli (curly pasta) with meat sauce, I had a Caesar salad with chicken (a very good choice after all the “spin-dip”), and Tim had a pizza. All of us enjoyed the red velvet cake with vanilla ice cream and then thankfully headed home where I can finally rest my tired back and belly in bed.

Feels so good to spend the day together, trying something new, and even something familiar. Thank you Alex! Tim is back to work tomorrow but not until after church and Sara Ellen and I will going to San Francisco for an R-MWC alumnae party.

Lately, as I get bigger and bigger, I have been looking at photos of myself from 2007. Sara Ellen was a year and a half, I had been dancing three days a week and exercising as rehabilitation at the chiropractors. In other words, my face etc. was looking slim; gives me hope. I know it might sound silly. Then there is the fact that I am not set with a dance studio here and my workout is with WiiFit. Well, come June I’ll start nursing off the calories. Hopefully I’ll have a tiny bit more energy than I do now.

That is sufficient introduction to one of my favorite things, at least right now: my bed. My big, foam covered mattress with pillows and a blanket on top that makes me feel cozier. My bed has been one of my favorites since at probably October. Not every day but some afternoons or early evenings, all I want is to curl up in bed to read, eat, watch something, or nap. Even if I don’t feel the need to get in early, getting in at night is a lovely feeling! If I say bedtime is my favorite time, I don’t just mean because Sara Ellen is down. I get to curl up in bed, get comfortable maybe wait for the baby to kick (I was watching the movement last night!), and drift off in hopes of sleeping soundly all night.

Just a little randomness thrown in, my belly button is becoming less of an innie. I don’t remember if this happened with Sara Ellen. And I’m still trying to get my pants to stay up! I’m hoping capris might be better except they still have to make it over my bum and my knees. I have one comfy knit skirt. I’d like another. I’m waiting for my Liz Lange swim suit to arrive; dark skirt bottom and dark green floral top halter, the kind that covers front and center, leaves the shoulders open and has a tie right around the neck. I anticipate enjoying the heated community pool when they turn said heat on in May I think. I am also totally jazzed about the babysteals.com deal I scored yesterday. I was checking mail and facebook by iphone per my usual lazy morning routine and saw the JuJuBe fan page sharing the incredible offer, PackaBe backpack for $60!! It’s usually runs well over $100 and I have been wanting one for months, and they even had the color I wanted! They ship same day. Babysteals has one huge deal everyday that posts at 9 a.m. MST and goes quickly. K, that was a lot of randomness.

Another favorite thing: Coca Cola. It is the best tasting soda in my opinion and there is bubbliness. I really don’t want to drink so much fakey sugar but my weakness for this beverage is increasing. I don’t keep it in the house and I try not to buy it or request Tim bring it home too often. I was the same way with Sara Ellen, because it helped me burp. One of my particular pregnancy symptoms is the softening of the digestive tract making lots of burps and coughs because food can go down too quickly.

Other randomness, a couple weeks ago I went through the boxes of Sara Ellen’s baby clothes looking to see what we can reuse. We do have a decent amount that we can use, especially since the weather here allows for a lot of layering and continued use. There are even a few things we can use that we couldn’t with Sara Ellen such as a 6 month-or-so snow jacket and car-seat friendly snow sack. These two girls are born in opposite seasons and especially as we are going east next Christmas. Oh geez, we’re going to have TWO car-seats to install in a rental! Anyway, baby girl number two is going to need clothes for her first months in the summer and warm autumn; rompers, tops and bottoms, probably some tiny onesies.

Next favorite: organizing and re-purposing. My most recent success was clearing the corner in our play area, getting more off the floor, and making stuff more accessible. I got a short square shelf system from IKEA. I already had a pink canvas container from Target with bowling set. I added other active pursuit accessories in it. I got a matching container in yellow to put in dolls and accessories. Those two are in the top shelves. In the bottom shelves are puzzles and coloring items. For coloring and writing books I got two unpainted wood magazine holders. We painted them “pool blue” and on the front I used fish stickers to create a little aquarium, I’m quite proud. On the top of the unit I put all Sara Ellen’s board games, which had been on the refrigerator, and a purple basket for her play-doh. Years ago I bought a white shelf and storage bench set for my own room. In this house I put the bench under our door mail slot. It was holding random stuff. Next to our couch I had what was a nice box for blankets but it got soiled and squished so I moved the bench there and it’s also making a great end table. The hanging shelf had two small shelves and three hooks. It had been sitting in our garage until I realized I could use it to get laundry products off the dryer. It’s actually sitting upside down on the very top of the dryer, leaning against the wall and working very nicely but I won’t be sharing any photos.

Another happy thing: yummy food. That’s kind of obvious but especially now when I usually don’t want to cook much. I like to put together a meal for my family but sometimes it’s hard to come up with something that’s going to be healthful and very yummy. I’m not a very imaginative cook but I can follow a recipe and tweak it now and then. I try to keep food in the house to throw together but I do not like grocery shopping, even when I have a bunch of good meals planned. If I go alone and listen to my own music while shopping it’s a little easier but still not my favorite activity. Ham sandwiches are yummy, fruit juice is refreshing, veggie and/or sauce laden pasta dishes and Chinese food are good too. Milk is delicious. Fruit is awesome.

Speaking of refreshing, I discovered that I love to wash my face with cold water. It’s almost like drinking it. However I still prefer to shower in warm soothing water. My favorite products? Biolage Matrix antidandruff shampoo & conditioner. I have tried the readily available in-store products. I even tried the set from Proactiv. It treated my scalp okay but not my hair. It was poofy and impossible to run my hands through. I never before purchased from salon but I did and it’s been great. I had been using Aveeno shaving gel but tried Venus Spa Breeze razor cartridges with the water-softened gel on the razor and it’s way more convenient and works well. I’ve gone back to Mary Kay for facial cleansing but my consultant and I put together a different Timewise system. Instead of getting all normal to dry or all combination to oily we decided my skin would be better served by combination cleanser to take out less oil and normal moisture to put in more. I tried Proactiv for a while and I thought it was okay but my skin didn’t feel smooth and clean. I’m quite partial to MK tinted moisturizer, to which I can add extra moisture if the air is drier, and MK colors. It’s that cliche female thing, putting my face together along with pretty, comfy clothes and fun earrings makes me feel good, pregnant or not.

That’s all I can think of and it’s certainly plenty. A lot of those thoughts aren’t really fascinating conversation topics but that’s why I started a blog. Writing gets out of my head what I wanted to share, though potentially irrelevant but so normal that others might possibly take interest.

On returning home from driving Tim to work, Sara Ellen and I kicked her bright pink soccer ball around in our driveway, which is a significantly-sized, paved area servicing 6 2-car garages. We came inside when the lawn mower noise was nearing us, and had some more breakfast (Trader Joe’s plain bagel with pb and jelly). I also began reading Anne of Green Gables for the first time. Sara Ellen actually asked me to read her some of it. I don’t know if it’s familiarity with the Megan Follows videos, or the writing, or both, but I’m already hooked. I finished This Present Darkness yesterday after two days, and I am still trying to get through The Secret Garden. Sara Ellen wanted to play with her little cars on their toy mat, and I sat down to filter through her drawing paper, books, and coloring books. I got rid of the used up books so we can focus on what’s still available. Naturally, when I go through things which have previously been buried, Sara Ellen rediscovers them. Not that this causes a problem, she won’t miss them, and we still have plenty of books to use. I recently bought a new notebook, we have two coloring books that are nearly a year old, and another she received for her birthday.

At lunchtime she watched “Tinkerbell and the Lost Treasure”, while I wished CSI had aired last night. As with most shows, there is a winter hiatus, but it aired last week and now won’t air again until February 13. We’re caught up on Hero’s, and apparently LOST starts next week. I watched a couple Hero’s on NBC.com but lately it hasn’t worked for me and, despite Tim’s suggestion, I am not signed up with Hulu. LOST usually comes in just fine on ABC.com. I *did* watch the the iPad video and part of the keynote, but the latter was a too long and I’m sorry to say, not riveting. When Tink was finished, it was barely two and as it’s been so nice recently, I felt like we had to get out. With Sara Ellen’s approval we headed to Palo Alto to visit the Jr. Museum and Zoo. The museum has been the same since we first visited, featuring kid-powered “Clean GREEN Energy Machines”. In this museum, as in the Children’s Discovery, I don’t have to do much. There is either much for Sara Ellen to discover on her own, or she works with other kids and has a grand time. I’m not disengaged, but watching her interact with others, or looking around. The zoo still has most of it’s displays open but is updating it’s bat house (reopening in the spring), and renovating what was something like an aviary for a bobcat run. The very cute bobcat was curled up in a cardboard box right by the window, we didn’t see it much in the warmer months. For some reason, they replaced an owl or other predatory bird with a domestic rabbit and a pigeon?! There is a shady spot (which to my currently sensitive nose was smelly) with four frogs that Sara Ellen enjoys jumping on, she joined two other children in this pursuit. After spending some time here, the other two (fraternal twins – boy [with deep red hair] and girl [with blond hair]) wanted to visit the park which is right next to, but not connected with the museum. Sara Ellen decided to join them but was distracted by the stump labyrinth in front of the museum. The others came out soon after and joined her. They did this for 30-40 minutes. Another boy joined them, and it was quite entertaining watching how each four-year-old claimed their place on the circuit. After a while I worked up my nerve, after asking a few questions, to ask the mother if she’d like to get our kids together another time. We exchanged information and soon after departed. Hooray for more potential local friends (they live in S San Jose, not Palo Alto)!

This evening involves more car play, a bath, and mini meatloaves with green beans. Tomorrow brings Sara Ellen’s final jr combo class at Studio10 Dance (hooray!) and Grandmommy (hooray again!).

Our wedding relfected the best traits. It was beautiful, relaxed, fun, and full of love and meaning. Our honeymoon included time together (even some alone), some with old friends, and some new (though it was really just in the moment). Both events included fun and challenges we worked together to manage. It was just right and not a bad way to spend a bunch of money (we even managed to save some).

Norway was a big beginning to our adventures. We learned to be married with little outside influence or interference. It was hard for me to be away from family for the first time, besides college, and so far besides, but it remains a very special place in our hearts, full of beautiful places and friends. We hope constantly to visit, to see our friends and even more of the stunning country. My pregnancy and Sara Ellen’s birth were truly wonderful, I had a really great experience. But I felt a big need to come back. Sara Ellen’s first plane ride was at three months.

From March 2006 to December 2008 we lived in my parents home. We had so much help in parenting, enjoyed the company of our own parents and siblings as they came and went. Sara Ellen developed great relationships with her grandparents and aunts and uncles as individual as each one. We shared Michael’s high school graduation and college entry, Emily’s college experience and first job, and traveled for three weddings where Sara Ellen charmed friends and family. We experienced separation anxiety when Tim began traveling back to Norway without us for work. We figured out how to survive road trips and getting in time for my dancing (I got great opportunities), exercise (disguised as Chiro Care), Tim’s bell ringing, and our time out for dates (our 1st dinner/movie date was when S was 6 months). We reconnected with old friends and made a few new ones. We hadn’t intended to crash at my parents for so long, and hoped for and wondered when it would be possible to get our own place again.

It was hard to choose a location because work wasn’t taking us anywhere in particular. We finally found a place in Charlottesville that we could afford on tight purse strings that gave us somewhere familiar still in reach of family. I left L’Ecole yet again but also left Calvary and the dancing and ringing we’d done there. We spent that Christmas alone for the very first time. We knew it wasn’t a permenent home but had no idea we would only live there four months! We didn’t make any new friends but did welcome visitors and traveled ourselves for another beautiful family wedding. Making the switch to California and Apple was a hard decision but with a little time it felt like the right next step.

Coming out here has been another series of awesome blessings, and I do mean “awe”some. Tim is busy at a great job at a company he really respects. Sara Ellen and I have both found great friends. We all enjoy the space we have in our new home and the beauty of local landscapes. Tim is getting to know his co-workers with game nights (cards, not like in Oslo), and Sara Ellen and I have been getting back to dancing. It’s hard for me after so many months of nothing but I am determined to be stronger and healthier.

Communication has been the biggest key to success, between me and Tim, and between us and Sara Ellen. Incredible grace and forgiveness has been equally crucial. We are so grateful to reach this time and excited to have an opportunity to properly celebrate. Sara Ellen will experience her first sleepover with a friend (her 1st night away was last summer with grandparents) and Tim and I will visit a new and famously beautiful area for our first getaway in five years!

• My sister. In the almost three years we lived in my parents home, I spent a lot more time with Emily. Whether I was driving her to a from work, dancing with her (kind of for the first time), or spending her rare downtime at home, we became better friends. I miss having her around.
• Movie or lunch dates with family. When big, or not so big movies came out, they would often be shared with my siblings (like Harry Potter), or with my parents as well. This would often happen after church and might include lunch.
• Johnny Rockets. It was one of our regular favorites, especially before a movie. It’s my favorite hamburger/diner place. Neither Five Guys, or In-N-Out are as good.
• Sara Ellen’s time with her grandparents. I don’t miss it just because it was free babysitting (though that’s a huge obstacle right now). I know she’s lacking the extra adults that love to spend time with her, exploring and playing. While she is a good enough judge of character not to attach to just any adult, I can see her hanging on to adults who are friends, or that we meet at the museum for instance, that she follows and enjoys playing with.
• L’Ecole de Danse. After you’ve enjoyed more than twenty years at a place, it’s hard to leave. Though I’ve wanted more challenges, it’s been to good to come back. I’ve enjoyed the new younger friends, and the opportunities I’ve been given. It’s also been wonderful to start Sara Ellen’s dancing there. Though we have found a studio here that she likes, I prefer Barbara’s class.
• Pilates with Marjorie at Evolutions Body Clinic. It was really hard work, but she was an awesome teacher and I felt so good after.
• My friend Kate. She was one of my best friends when I transfered to AACS in high school and we reconnected last year. Almost a year ago now, she was the one to see me through Sara Ellen’s first night away and introduced me to Twilight. She even made a trip to Charlottesville to visit us before we moved.
• Donne Keene, my hairstylist at JCPenney. I saw her regularly for the last couple years, and she gave Sara Ellen her first cuts. She was friendly and quiet, like we Helms-Altman women who saw her.
• John Russell and Maya Vernon. Dr. Russell was my dentist since who knows when as well as a fellow Calvary Church member. Dr. Vernon first saw Sara Ellen soon after her 2nd birthday. Though we have found a new dentist for all of us, we had great relationships there.
• Downtown Annapolis. Our favorite downtown, the best outdoor place for a date, or an afternoon out. Good playground, great places to eat, historical sites, and walking distance to church. It’s been irreplaceable so far.
• Calvary United Methodist Church. We’ve found a nice church, but it’s hard going when we don’t know anyone. Though we didn’t have close relationships at CUMC, it’s like L’Ecole because I’ve been there since I was a baby! Most recently my participation was the opportunity to dance, with or without my sister, to “rave reviews”.
• Hillsmere Beach, aside from family, the best thing about living in Hillsmere Shores. It was also a great community for walking, shady in places, nice destinations, and full of houses that didn’t all look the same.
• Rain storms. I live in the land of sunshine. Apparently there has been a drought for a while, even in the rainy winter season. We very occassionally get clouds, but it hasn’t rained for quite a while. When it’s sunny for so long, the rain is really refreshing, especially when it doesn’t get muggy.
• Road trips to Lynchburg. It was nice being able to drive down to see my best friend and my alma mater (despite her changes).
• Day trips to Washington D.C. With all it’s great museums and monuments, it’s a great place to study the past and present for a day.