Decisions, Decisions.....

Back by popular demand.....yes, I decided to relaunch the blog. It's a great way to tell everyone what we're up to (and to share pictures of course), and it feels good to get a little more in-depth than a Facebook status.

Everyone's life is unpredictable, and everyone has to make decisions and live with them.  For this family, that is especially true.  Aaron's career is like one of those Choose Your Own Adventure books that were popular when I was a kid. We never know what's on the next page.  But even when we "choose" an adventure, there are always unexpected details and twists and turns.

Since Aaron took this job in 2003, we've made a lot of decisions, good and bad. Everyone year or two we are faced with huge, life-changing decisions (mostly involving when and where to move) and you'd think by now we would be really good at it, but we're still learning.  We were living a ridiculously normal life in Minnesota last year, living in a nice suburban home, going to church every week, the kids attending an amazing Christian school. We made friends with the neighbors, enjoyed the nearby parks and stores and the zoo; now and then we'd travel home to visit the family, and it was.......nice.  But we knew it wouldn't last.

So Aaron put in bids last summer for his new post in 2010.  We honestly thought we'd be going to the Washington, DC area, and would not be headed overseas any time soon.  The assignment to Nouakchott came as a total shock (that is, he bid on it but did not expect to be posted there, since a lot of overseas assignments have been going to guys coming out of AIP).   Even more shocking was finding out that Aaron would need SIX MONTHS of French training, especially since he had been allowed to start in Tunis without any French at all. 

What to do?  Have me stay in MN with 4 kids by myself?  Move the whole family to DC?  Neither option was super attractive.  As a compromise of sorts, we took Aunt Faye up on her generous offer for me and the kids to stay there, while Aaron went to Washington. I'd have some help from family, he could come and visit whenever we could afford the round-trip ticket. So we put the house up for sale, had our stuff moved out to be stored in MD til we went overseas, put the kids in Lansing Christian, blah, blah, blah.  You know the rest.

About 2 weeks into this arrangement, we knew we'd made a mistake by breaking the family apart. Despite the temporary chaos it would have caused, we should have moved everyone to DC.  Of course, it has been good for our families to spend some time with the kids, and for Nick and Olivia to be at LCS.  But I was going crazy without Aaron around, and he was totally depressed being without me and the kids.  So we made the decision that I would do some extended stays in VA with the little ones, and that's why I'm here now.  This has been made much easier by Aaron's parents' offer to have Nick and Olivia stay with them, since they are still in school. 

It's not an ideal arrangement. But it's temporary, and it's what is working for our family right now. Aaron and I have really loving, caring families, who are willing to jump in and help where they can.  Believe me, we understand the sacrifices on everyone's part.  I know our families would like to have us living close by, all the time. In some ways we'd like that, too.

On the other hand, we have gotten used to the constant change, and we love the experiences we're having as a family, not to mention all the people we've gotten to know. I think our kids are turning out really well, so we must be doing something right.  The truth is, we have come too far to give up the adventure of what's around the next corner. We take things one month, week, or sometimes one day at a time.

I can't even tell you how happy I am to be here with Aaron and the little kids. It's been like reliving the great  times we spent here with another little boy and baby girl, back in 2004.  We miss Nick and Olivia, but they're having a ball at Grandpa and Grandma T's. I feel good that they're with family; they have plans to do things with Grandpa and Grandma V as well, and all their aunts, uncles and cousins. I'm grateful for this, because they are at an age when they'll remember the fun times. Thanks to all of you!!

In a little more than a month, the 6 of us will be together again here in Virginia.  Aaron will be done with French mid-June, and in July we are looking forward to our Yellowstone vacation, followed by another move overseas.  Follow us on our adventures; we love to share them with you!