So lots has happened since I last posted. I guess lots usually happens in ten months, but I'd say these have been the craziest ten months I've ever had. So I'll just give a quick recap.
I think the last thing anyone really wants when they are seven months pregnant is for their husband to come home one day and say, " The company has decided to move us." WHAT? thats what was going on in my head at least. We had heard in April that we should expect 2-3 more years in Canada and just like that they changed their mind. Besides the fact that we were about to become a family of four, we had come to love our Calgary home. Moving wasn't going to be easy in any sense.
In the three years and three months that we lived in Calgary, Canada, we grew so much as a couple and quite literally as a family. It takes a lifetime for some to be given or to find what we had in three short years. The friendships that were built in that short time span will last a lifetime. For Andy and myself it was the first place that we called home as a married couple. For Angela and Charlotte it is a country they will always be able to claim citizenship to. The winters were freezing, but (and if you told me I would say this the first December I was there I wouldn't believe you) we were so looking forward to staying there as long as we possibly could. Ah I could go on and on about how we were blessed.
Well, July brought us our little Charlie Beth and we had a great rest of the summer celebrating her and hosting family who came to see her. Angela has loved her little sister since day one...and the big challenge has been to not let her hug or kiss her to death. We are so glad though that jealousy hasn't really been much of an issue. I know we are still in the middle of it, but at eight months Charlie can respond a bit and her and Angela are starting to play together. It is at moments like that that I am so glad we had them close together. The first few months were not easy ( not like its cake now...but we're better) but they have both been such a blessing.
So, with Charlotte being born it felt like the move just came quicker than expected and time hasn't slowed down since :) For some reason even though we knew we were moving the official paperwork didn't go through until October. This gave us a two day house hunting trip in mid October, move to USA date of November 1st, and a closing date on our house of November 29th. Yeah so Andy and I also turned 30 in the fall; we have yet to celebrate...but we will.
For the weeks before closing we were in a company apartment, which was beautiful, but for a 20 month old an 3 month old who suddenly didn't recognize anything or anybody it was hard. We did go back north to visit family for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Although that was hard to add travel to the mix it did allow our girls to see family and feel comfortable with familiar people.
We had some crazy night, some very stressful weeks, but through it all God was faithful. We feel so blessed with our new house and neighborhood. We have found a church here that we feel welcomed at and are excited to call home. Charlotte is sleeping through the night, Angela has made friends, and Andy and i are adjusting to calling 85 degrees winter weather...but we know we are where we are suppose to be and that feels good.
Well, that is the quick version. I hope to start posting more soon and give some updated pictures.