Weekly Chronicle October 1, 2006

Well, I've decided that for correspondence and record-keeping purposes I'm going to try to write a Family Update every Sunday to chronicle the goings on in our lives and to keep in closer touch with the friends and family that we are now so far away from, but still so fond of. And this is a great week to start because it was a momentous one for us! Before we even moved, I spent hours online perusing the Texas MLS for the perfect starter home. It seems that the first call we made upon arriving (after we had phoned the utility companies), was to our real estate agent. We (me especially) couldn't wait to find a home...a permanent address, a phone number that wouldn't change in 4 months and a place where we could stick nails in the walls and hang our memories. We found our 1600 sq.ft. palace about a month ago and we closed the deal on Friday afternoon. I've traded one time-wasting vice for another, now that we're not looking for a house, I've kicked the MLS habit, but my new obsession is Craig's List (for those of you who don't know, it is an online classified ad forum where you can find anything from stereo speakers to sneakers for a bargain.) I look for used appliances, coffee tables, light fixtures--anything that I think might fit nicely in our house. So far we've found a washer and dryer, a great light fixture for our dining room and a desk for Nate's study...so all my hours of browsing have not been totally frivelous.

Nate is adjusting to his new job. We probably won't make a long term career out of auditing, but it is good experience and we feel blessed to have work. He wakes up early and studies for the CPA exam before work, works a long day at his client's location, comes home and eats dinner with Henry and me, and then hits the Becker CPA Review for a few more hours before bed. It's pretty rigorous--we miss him and will be so glad when the exam is over. He is so cheerful, though, and a master time-manager. And he is always thinking of me--the other night in our bedtime prayer, he asked the Lord to help us (especially me) be more grateful for what we have and not resentful of what we don't. I have to admit that I got a little bit defensive about that and thought in my mind of a hundred things that I could pray for him about...so after the prayer I told him that I thought I had been doing a better job of having gratitude and he said matter of factly, "well, that's because I've been praying for you!" We both had a good laugh about it.
I am really grateful to be here--there is so much to do. Our church has a great play group that Henry and I go to every week, there are lots of parks and museums and more shops and malls than anyone would ever need. We hear that there are great restaurants as well, but we haven't tried them yet. The people really are friendly here and I love the way the natives talk. When we bought Nate's desk (from an ad on Craig's List, like I mentioned) Henry and I talked to Fayreen (the mother of the seller of the desk) while Nate and her son dissembled the desk and loaded it into the car. Well, she was just as friendly as can be--and she sounded just like one of those cute ladies on Steel Magnolias. She told me all about her "grand-dogs" -- since her son and his partner won't be having any children, she's just as tickled as can be to have grand-dogs :) By the time we had to leave, she was holding Henry and kissing his irresistably kissable cheeks and inviting us to come and see her again some time. She even called me sugar! With her thick southern accent and true hospitality, I just couldn't help but love her!
Henry keeps us smiling and running. He is sweet and cute and so funny. I have a mole on my collar bone that he gets fixated on when I'm holding him--he points to it and says, "dirty." I agree that it does look dirty, but I assure him that it isn't dirt, it's just a mole. We've had that exchange several times now. So the other day we were driving in the car and he kept saying, what sounded like, "more" (though he says it, "mow") over and over. Finally I looked back to see what he wanted and he had his ankle grasped in one hand and with the other hand he was pointing at a tiny freckle on his foot saying, "mow! mow!" (mole, mole!) he was just so delighted to discover a mole of his very own...I thought it was funny, though, that he didn't think his was dirty. He loves to point to his mole, look at his "I Spy" quilt, read books, watch Einstein, play outside and take baths. I am attaching some pictures so you can see how big he's getting and how cute he still is :)