some news

We finally have a summer schedule, a plan, a direction, and an announcement about a new job. Below: highlights of the big things going on.

Here are Gracie and Max on Grace's last day of school yesterday. She made special 'thank you' presents for her teachers. She said good bye to her favorite buddy, Shelby Ann. She gave everybody big hugs on the way out. Then we went to Union Dairy for some celebratory ice cream cones. Though it will take a bit of adjustment (for Grace mostly) to have her home all day long, it is nice to have the schedule clear.

Cori got the position he interviewed for in Phoenix. It is a great opportunity for him and we are so very excited and grateful to be moving West. We will be in driving distance of both our extended families. There is also a lot of opportunity with the company Cori works for there and so there is potential for him to continue advancing his career without us having to move every 18 months. We have good friends in the area already. And it is a great time to buy a home in Phoenix. We are so very grateful. We will stay here in IL until the latter half of June, and then we'll be off to settle into AZ just in time for the best of the lovely summer weather there.

He just got the offer at the beginning of this week and there are many kind, professional people who have worked hard to expedite our relocation benefits. Translation: yesterday, we were able to get movers scheduled for early next week. This is an amazing feat, and, we know, an answer to prayer. We close on the sale of our home next Friday and, as of this week, still didn't know what to do with our stuff. I had a garage full of empty boxes offered, and a small army of friends willing to come help us pack up and out next week if needed. But with relocation in place and things scheduled, the whole puzzle is coming together exactly as we hoped. Again, so grateful.

Next week's schedule:

Monday- I go in for the fantastic glucose screen and my 26-28 week blood panel. My doctors are being so helpful about our little situation. We are getting all my tests done a little ahead of schedule so that I can get my RhoGAM shot before we leave. That way, I won't have time-sensitive tests etc. to complete while we are in the midst of changing health care providers.

Tuesday- The packing of the house. We'll check into the hotel where we will stay for the next few weeks.

Wednesday- All our worldly belongings, excepting those found in the suitcases out of which we will be living for... a while, get loaded into the moving van and taken away to be stored in AZ.

Thursday- Call on my friends and clean our empty house. Final walk through with our buyers is that night.

Friday- Meet with our agent and our buyers to close and hand over keys and garage door openers. Then, tears of joyful gratitude, relief induced blissful sleep, a fancy dinner out to celebrate perhaps...

It is an indescribable relief to be able to spell it all out- to see how it will all come together. To say, yet again, that we are grateful doesn't seem to cover it. We are amazed at how the last few months have culminated into this great chance for our family. I could go on and on about the anxieties that have been running strong the last few weeks, even with a back up plan in place. But the experience has reinforced our belief in the power of prayer, hard work, and our Heavenly Father's hand in our life.

We have done a lot of cyber-looking at neighborhoods in the Phoenix area -researching school districts, commute times, home retention value, etc.- and have narrowed our home search to a couple of different areas. We hope to take our house hunting trip very soon. And then, until it is time to go, we will enjoy swimming at the hotel pool and playing with our friends here. It is always a happy and sad thing to move. We are glad that we get to spend a few weeks with our 'family' here before shipping off.

I'm also looking forward to having a little time and mental capacity freed up to start planning for this little girl coming to our family. The other night, I had a hard time getting comfy on the couch and in bed. My hips were achy from being on my feet all day long. I thought, "Man, this usually doesn't happen until I'm 6 or 7 months along." Then I remembered. I AM almost 6 months along. People ask us if we have picked out her name yet. We've talked about it, like, twice. So much of our time and communication has been consumed with the present. I'm glad for some down time to try and enjoy being pregnant with her and to make some plans for her arrival.

In Our Curio: Chicago

Cori took me to Chicago for our 6th anniversary. We missed and talked about the kids everyday, but we were so glad to be there on our own. We did a lot of walking, visited every museum we could manage, didn't eat dinner until 8:30 each night, and enjoyed ourselves immensely. Cori's sister was able to get us a deal in a great hotel just a blocks off the Magnificent Mile. We were there just two and a half quick days but packed a lot in.

We took a tour of Millennium Park. Did you know that the 'bean' is actually a cloud gate? I love seeing the juxtaposition of old and new in the architecture of big cities.
That night, we also took advantage of the free hours at the Institute of Art. I caught a few exhibits that I missed during my previous visit with Grace and Grant. They house Hopper's Nighthawks- I was so excited.
The next morning we went up to the Sky Deck in Willis Tower (formerly known as Sears Tower). It was overcast outside, but the view was still amazing. Cori wasn't bothered at all by the fiberglass boxes. I had to force my self to let go of the wall. Me and heights are not good friends. At 130 floors up, the observation point is higher than the Eiffle Tower and the Empire State. Man, it still gives me vertigo thinking about it.
The Museum of Science and Industry was probably our favorite stop. The place is palatial and we could easily have spent two or three days there. One of my favorite sites there was Colleen Moore's fairy castle. She built it in the 30's. At first we didn't know what the big deal was. But once we took the 'tour' we were amazed. It has a library full of 1 inch books, some of which were handwritten by their authors. There is a mini organ in the chapel that functions, a miniature gun which actually fires and dozens of other curiosities. We got up close to the lunar landing module that was used for training before the original Apollo mission. The museum also hosts lots of hands on learning exhibits. Cori and I participated in a little competition were in it was quantifiably determined that I am more tightly wound than he is. Surprising. :)

We spent a couple of quality hours perusing Michigan Avenue- the Magnificent Mile. Most of our time was passed playing in the Apple store and pretend shopping in the the 5 story Crate and Barrel. By the historic Water Tower, there is a beautiful church that somehow seems to fit right in.
We were quite deliberate in our dining choices. We got some honest Chicago deep dish at the famous Pizzeria Uno. The booths are so tiny there, I nearly had to sit my pregnant self sideways. But the pizza was great. We also split a rib eye at a fancy steak house, Smith and Wolensky's, right at the marina towers overlooking the river. So good.

The entrance to the Field Museum faces Soldier field (the picture with Cori in it above). We did a pretty brisk walk through of the taxidermy housed here, but spent more time on the Egyptian and ancient American exhibits.

Our last stop was the Adler Planetarium. It was so interesting. Truth be told we both struggled to keep awake during the movie presentations we saw. We were pretty pooped. But it was still mind blowing none the less. There is a great view of the city from the planetarium campus. The rain that threatened us all weekend long held off until we were on our way back to the car after this final stop. Thanks again, Cori and Grandma Sandy. Such a great trip.

Blessings

This picture was taken a couple of weekends ago- when the weather was warm. Summer clothes were unpacked. The carousel started running at the park. It was so great. We've spent the last week under chilly, rainy clouds. But we've got sunny 70* weather in the forecast for next week. I can't wait. This week I'm also grateful for:

• The anniversary getaway Cori planned for us last weekend. He is so thoughtful and always takes care of our anniversary. It was great to have some one-on-one time with Sandy. And then, we had such a good time together in Chicago - I've almost got the post together to brag about all our fun. I'm grateful for all the things we enjoy doing together, as well as all our differences which make us a useful team.
• The last couple of weeks have felt like the eye of the storm to me, and I've tried to take advantage. Things are about to get pretty busy here again. I'm grateful for the time I've had to put my feet (and my brain, and my control issues) up. I feel ready to face it all. Our plans should crystalize in the next few days. I'm hoping to give a full report shortly.
• This little baby in my tummy. She is feisty, just like her sister was. She has even found some of Gracie's favorite places to repeatedly kick me.
• Gracie's experience in preschool this year. She has only four days left. We've decided not to enroll her early for kindergarten. Academically and socially she is on target to enter next year, but we feel that it will be more beneficial in the long run to keep her with her age group. We're not sure what her schooling will be like next year, as we are not sure where we will be come school time. But we are grateful for the time she was able to spend in a classroom with wonderful teachers this year.
• The Sabbath day. It always recharges me.

what we were up to last week

For our anniversary, Cori arranged (behind my back, wonderful man- it was a fun surprise) to fly his mom out to stay with us for a week. We got to spend a few days with her, and then Cori and I got to spend a few days without the kids- more to come on that. It was great having Sandy all to ourselves for a week. And we really appreciated her taking Grace and Grant so we could have the weekend to ourselves.
We stuck mostly to our regular schedule, but did have Gracie sluff school a couple of days for some outings. Cori was working in Galena one day so we packed the kids up and visited the Apple River fort (pictured above), the President Grant home historical site, and downtown Galena. We took a picnic lunch and spent a couple hours wondering and sampling through the downtown shops.

We got to spend Mother's Day with her here, hurray! And then on Monday we were off to the airport in Chicago. Cori had some business to take care of in the morning, so we dropped him off and headed to Lincoln Park Zoo. Cori's sister and brother-in-law were able to meet us there and hang out for a few hours (she works for Marriott and he works for an airline- best setup ever- they travel everywhere and flew out just to spend the day. Who gets to do that?) I told Tiff that I feel like I get to see her a hundred times a day in Gracie's smiling face. They look so much alike to me. After lunch we said our good-byes to Tiffany and Brett and headed back to pick up Cori. Then the kids and I said more good-byes to Sandy and Cori at the airport.

at a little potty stop on our way home from Chicago that afternoon

The whole week was so enjoyable. Thanks again, Grandma Sandy, for letting us kidnap you!