It's been a busy six weeks for us. Sven completed a month-long master's level class in the Springs. Adding a half hour to each end of his commute really lengthened the day for all of us. I feel like I didn't talk to him for a month even though he was home every night! Emalie openly displayed her dismay for her daddy's long hours. I had to do more juggling than I normally do since Nikolas is now playing basketball. Unfortunately, Sven has missed several of his games this already-short season. It was a relief when Sven's class ended. But, the relief was short-lived (one weekend) before Sven flew to Atlanta to help his mom pack up her house. We're so proud of her-- she sold her house, quit her job and is moving to Seattle to begin the next chapter of her life. She's dreamed of living in Seattle since we first moved there (her first visit was when Nikolas was born and we lived on Whidbey Island). Ironically, she'll be temporarily living with Sven's sister, Nina, who also moved to Seattle the second time we lived there (in Silverdale) and had stayed with us while she got herself situated. Hmm....we started this Seattle thing, maybe we should reconsider moving back there, too? (I think Sven has gotten tired of hearing me wonder that aloud.) All this 'Seattle talk' has really made me think about some of the things that I miss about the Pacific Northwest. I just don't know if the things I miss outweigh the things I don't miss. I'm eagerly awaiting our summer vacation: a long road trip visiting family all the way from Montana to Seattle. It will be nice to visit all the places we have already lived and the places we have considered moving to after Sven's retirement. I know, I have repeatedly posted how much we like the Denver area. We're fickle that way-- you can't move every 2.5 years for 16 years and not wonder where the next greener grass is! Anyway, back to the matter at hand. So, Sven helped his mom pack up her house, coordinate the movers and drive from Atlanta to Denver. Then, Nina flew to Denver and stayed with us for a few days while Mom was here. We then sent the girls on their way-- girls road trip-- to Seattle. There has been a lot of creativity involved getting the logistics arranged, let me tell you! I think we'll all breathe a sigh of relief when Mom and Nina arrive in Seattle (and her household goods, too, of course!). We're very excited for Mom and hope this move is all that she's been dreaming of. Good luck! We miss you, Mom and Nina!
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Grandma loves reading books of all kinds.
Emalie loves listening to them. |
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| A sweet photo of Grandma, Nikolas and Emalie. |
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| Since Mom is a pastry chef, we (ok, I) wanted to test out her high-altitude skills and learn any tips she may have. Here Emalie and Nina compare recipes for this endeavor. |
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| More stories with Aunt Nina and Grandma. |
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| Emalie loves "Bama" (Grandma). ("Not YOUR Bama, MY Bama.") |
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| Mom brought us her childhood Monopoly game. |
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| Sven and Nina taught Nikolas how to play (and I think he won....). I still need to learn (I have never played!). |
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| Like I said, Mom loves to read all books-- including cookbooks. |
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| "Tada! Looking good!" |
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| Look at these!! I have made cinnamon rolls here and they did NOT look like that!! They were delicious! |
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| They passed Nikolas' taste test..... |
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| .....Emalie's, too. |
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| My pretty sister (in-law). |
