Here are some pictures from my birthday dinner. Susan came from New York and we all went out to a nice dinner. Here is also a picture of the kids reading on the couch which I thought was cute.
Things here have been busy. We just went and signed up for our next session of swim lessons and the kids are starting Tae Kwon Do too which they are excited about. Both the kids are doing super in school too.
Rob is really starting to study for his exam the end of May/June. He has also started the job hunt!! Hopefully by the end of summer, we'll know where we will end up after fellowship and begin planning a permanent home. I think we are all ready to stop living in temporary situations. Although our lenght of stays have been a little longer each place we've been, we've always been just staying a couple years and then moving on.
I will try and do better of posting a little more often. I do have my camera with me all the time so you'd think I'd get more good pictures. Hopefully as summer gets here and we're out doing things, I'll get things worth sharing. So far, we've had cold and wind which doesn't make for a lot of interesting things happening!
Happy New Year! I meant to have some pictures of the kids skiing on New Years, but it was too cold and windy so they cancelled ski school. I went up to the ski hill the next day but as Lauryn is with the older kids and out on the mountain, she is hard to find and Robert skis so fast I couldn't get the picture with all the people in the way. However, they both did super and had a great time.
We've also started swim lessons. I tried to sneak a couple pictures in where they wouldn't notice to interupt their lesson so they are not the best but they both had a wonderful first class. Robert got over his couple moments of panic and realized his teacher was only going to tell him to do things that were fun and not scary like jumping in. Once he did it, he didn't want to stop!
We hope everyone else is having a great start to their year as well!
Happy Holidays!!!We hope this finds everybody enjoying the joys of family and companionship this holiday season.Wow, has it been a busy year!!!It has also been pretty stressful.We started the slow process of moving the family to Philadelphia this year, although Rob has to stay in Danville until June 2009.The move has been hard on everybody, with difficulty selling the house in the current market, getting the kids set up in a new neighborhood and schools, and having the family separated all week.We’ve really been cherishing the weekends we get to spend together.
Rob has been occupied all year with his position as Chief Resident for his residency.It has been a lot of extra work, and he’s glad it’s finally over.During the spring, Rob interviewed at Neuroradiology fellowships, and found out in June that he will be going to the prestigious University of Pennsylvania for a 1 year of fellowship.Now he’s contemplating finding a “real” job.Hopefully we will start the process this spring and have something in place by the time fellowship starts in July.
Everyone else’s year gives a clue on Lisa’s year.Our lack of a definite plan for the future – not really being able to look ahead any further than next week – really raises the stress levels.Selling the house was awful.Going back to selling the house after the first deal fell through and we already had everything torn apart from packing was even worse – especially with all the crazy people who came looking in the down market and thought we should pay them to buy the house!I am very thankful that any sort of computerized match process is over for our family and I am looking forward to the end when we can finally know that we are staying put.I have gotten involved in things with the kids schools but am limited in what I can do when our time here is so short.I’m thankful that both the kids are doing well in school.I don’t know if I’m looking forward to all the craziness and stress I know is ahead of us in the year ahead, but I know that we will be fine and I remind myself that there are a lot worse stresses that we could be facing which helps keep it in prospective.
Lauryn started 2nd grade this year.There are a lot of new things to learn, but she’s made new friends (which mean new parties to go to).She has started taking French classes and is doing really well.Soon she’ll be able to talk to her Auntie Christine without her parents knowing what she’s saying.The new neighborhood is much better for riding bikes, which Lauryn really likes.She has been out riding with Leah.She had a great time at the island.She’s really looking forward to getting some time in ski school and on the slopes this winter.
Robert Angus wants everybody to know that he rode on the “Phoenix” this year for the first time.It is a “big kid” roller coaster at our local amusement park (Knoebels), and he had a blast.He started kindergarten this year and he has lots of fun.He has been learning so much at school.He loves his teacher, his school bus driver, and all the friends he’s made.He even likes homework!
Here’s hoping everybody has a safe and happy holiday season, and a great 2009.It looks like it will be another busy year for us, but hopefully with the family moving back together and the end of Rob’s medical training, it will be a lot easier!
Here are some pictures of our trip to VT. We had great hiking weather and tried out a new trial which the kids thought was great. We also got to stop at the apple cider mill and had some doughnuts and cider. They also had wine tasting there from a local winery that we discovered some very nice wine.
Our trip back was very eventful. We had outlet mall traffic where we got to creep along for awhile. We also had a wonderful couple hours on 84 when they shut it down due to a propane truck spill. Then we had our worst trip out to eat ever. We were sat at a table that was broken that they had just moved people from. They were out of a ton of stuff including trip and every kind of vodka. They took well over 30 minutes to even make a drink. Only the kids were lucky enough to truely get what they ordered. The ones who did get food did not get the right stuff and they just totally forgot to make food for 2 of us. After an hour and a half of waiting and still not really having food, we got up and left with the manager standing there having no idea of what to do and going to Wendy's. It was an extremely late night when we thought we would be home before bed but the views were beautiful, our dinner was wonderful, and the break was needed.
Here is a preview of Robert's Halloween costume that he doesn't want to take off. He has tried to put it on every moment we've been home. Lauryn, didn't want to be left out so is the scary purple cougar.
We also took a trip to the flower shop Otts. We were there when they were just planting and was a bunch of pots with green in them. The view and the smell was amazing.
Now we are getting ready for Canadian Thanksgiving and then a 5th birthday for a little boy who is so excited about it so there should be lots more pictures to come!
Lauryn loves her new school. She has more homework and the expectations they have are higher but they also have lots of extra people like Math and Reading specialists to help the kids worth through any issues they have. She's made lots of friends and even went to her first birthday party of the year Saturday. She also is very excited because on Wednesday she starts French classes! She can't wait to call her Auntie and say things I can't understand.
Robert also loves school. He says his favorite part is homework which he has every night except Wednesdays. He's teacher says he's doing awesome and she had no idea he's still only 4. He reports back every day how many behavior stars he had left. They start out with 3 and if they do anything wrong (forget to raise their hand, be crazy in the hall) they lose one. As long as they don't lose them all, they are OK. His biggest problem was remembering to raise his hand but he's always had 2 or 3 left everyday.
The house is sold! After a couple more little bumps in the road, it is finally done. We're happy to be finished and finished working with the person who bought it. I'm glad we had a realtor and did not try and do it by ourselves because she was a pain in the bum and made things much harder than they needed to be.
Rob and I are good too. He's got so much work he's trying to get done at the hospital that he hardly sees his apartment. However, he likes the walks to and from the hospital and it serves it's purpose. I'm trying to keep up with everyone and getting all the chores done. With two schools to do things for and dogs to walk, I never stop but that's good I guess too.
