The Ups and the Downs

Well, Henry’s starting to stir, so I don’t have much time, but I wanted to at least post a little. Yesterday for the play group we went to the indoor playground, which is at the First Christian Church in Champaign. I had heard many moms talk about it, but didn’t realize how neat it actually is! This picture does not do it justice, but it’s the only one I could find online. What it doesn’t show, is behind the photographer there is a big red fire truck with a driver and Dalmatian in the cab with blinking headlights, next to that there’s a little restaurant and big eating area for families, and one of my favorite parts: around the whole outer walls, there are different murals of shops, and a lot of them have biblical references woven in. For example, “Samson’s Barber Shop”, or “The Good Samaritan Hospital” in which Jesus is portrayed caring for the sick. Some of the walls are 3D and the kids can touch them. Then, there is a track around the play area, which holds big and little playgrounds, buckets of blocks and toys, etc…I love all the little details, like there are big fluffy clouds hanging from the ceiling. The church keeps it really clean, and anyone can use it. I have a feeling we’ll be spending a lot of time there this winter.

Ups! Some things are improving as we adjust. Today, for example, Henry played with the kids in the institute nursery the whole time! I was able to stay in class and he didn’t cry at all! I have no idea why sometimes it’s so traumatic and sometimes he’ll go, but I’m grateful for today. The weather is cooling down it seems. Or maybe I’m adjusting to the humidity. Either way, I’m glad. Another fun thing I’m looking forward to is the harvest season. I hear that in Champaign County there are lots of pumpkin patches, corn mazes, apple picking, etc… Henry loves the dogs in our apartment complex! He has so much fun chasing after them or watching them when they’re in their “bark park” by the pool. So far we know Chief, Rusty, Bear, and their owners, and have seen several more. I love most aspects of this apartment a lot. The appliances are new, which is so fabulous. The clothes and dishes come out smelling great and sparkling. The closet space is great! I also like having a big window/screen door in the kitchen to let lots of light in. I’m looking forward to decorating for Halloween. The Young Women are in charge of the ward trunk-or-treat, and I hope we can go all out! Henry has been saying so many words lately! He repeats everything! He is really good at saying treat, egg, play, eat, no, hello, hi, and more :). It melts my heart to hear his little voice. 

Downs. Some things are still hard. We miss family. A lot. Lot. Lot. Lot. The highlight of the day is visiting the mailbox and finding a letter or envelope and knowing someone was thinking of us. I really want to make close friends. I’m as involved as I can be. I have invited a few people over. I go to everything and there are lots of nice girls. Hopefully something will evolve into closer friendships. Another frustration is, it seems like the walls here are so thin. If people are yelling outside at 2am, we hear them. If they are watching a movie, I feel like it’s right behind out headboard. (It probably is). It seems like just when I get Henry down for a nap, the lawn care people decide to start edging or mowing right outside his window and wake him up, or someone pulls in and decides to leave their car music blasting, and it wakes him. He used to be a more sound sleeper, but I think on the second floor of our last place it wasn’t as noisy. Plus, his room faced an empty backyard. I’m going to put up a curtain soon and I hope that will help with some of the noise, at least for him. Henry has had a really had couple of weeks, so I think that’s why I feel a little down. He was sick, then teething, and has just been tougher, and Gavin is in the full swing of school, often gone till 8am to 8pm or later on campus. But, he is doing so well in the program. He’s staying right on top of his schoolwork. He looks so sharp in his business casual clothes.

I’m just venting. I am so grateful that we get to be here, in such a great school, program, ward, area, nice apartment, etc… For the most part, things are awesome! I’ll leave with some recent pictures. Ciao.

Henry loves to brush his teeth! (i.e. suck all the toothpaste off and say “nummy!”)

He loves to pretend to drive the car, and he cries when I pull him out :).

He knows how to turn the mail key, and loves to check the box. I let him use the fob to open the gates and he likes to hear the beep over and over.

Henry saw Gavin butter a dish on Sunday morning, so he started rubbing his hand over the bottom of the pan, pretending to help butter. So cute!

The other day, he was so wiped out! He hadn’t been in his high chair more than two minutes when I turned around and he was zonked out!

We babysat his friend Cambree while her mom went to the doctor. They liked playing together and watching Dora the Explorer on the iPad she brought.

We tried on his Halloween Costume and he looks so stinking cute! Have you ever seen a more adorable dragon? 

Labor Day Fun

We had our first visitors come into town this weekend! Gavin’s sister Katie, her husband Drew, and their darling baby Brighton came to spend Labor Day weekend with us. We were thrilled to spend time with them and show them our new home and town. They arrived Sunday afternoon and after a quick tour of our apartment and the grounds, Gavin took them to see his campus. He walked them through the business instructional facility or BIF as they call it, past the library and other main buildings, and drove them past War Memorial Stadium and the State Farm Center. Then, we came back and had a roast dinner together, followed by games and visiting.

The next morning, we went to Champaign County’s little Labor Day Parade, also known as the Candy Parade. Henry was in heaven! When the first piece of candy that flew his way landed near him, he grabbed it and excitedly walked in circles. He was so overjoyed that we had to direct him to more stray pieces until he realized where they were coming from. He ended up with a little baggie full, and was just as thrilled (or more) than the kids that had a whole bucket! We then drove down to Arthur, a little Amish Town about 30 miles south of us, where they were having their annual cheese festival. We took a horse and buggy ride with an Amish man around part of the town, went to the petting zoo where Aunt Katie helped Henry feed the animals, we tasted some different cheeses, looked through the furniture and quilt shop, and people-watched. We had a great afternoon, followed by a yummy pizza lunch at Monacle's that Katie and Drew so nicely treated us to. We went back to our place and swam, grilled some hot dogs, then sadly said our goodbyes. Luckily we'll see them next month.

Prior to the weekend, we had some other highlights. A couple of weeks ago, Aunt Hillary very thoughtfully assumed we would be going through normal lonely feelings that come with adjusting to a new home, and so she sent us a "box of Sunshine"! AKA, a box full of yellow surprises and treats. She included the sweetest note, along with yellow car air fresheners, Swedish fish, a magnet, a Paris pen, etc...it was the first thing we received here besides our electric bill :).

We were also thrilled when other family members sent surprises too! For our anniversary, Stephanie and Norm sent the most sincere, kind card with a money to use to celebrate at a restaurant. (Gav ended up getting a cold, so we're saving it to either try Maize, a popular Mexican place everyone raves about, or one of the others on our growing list.) Then, last week, Janell aka Nannie sent Henry a copy of one of his very favorite books, The Fathers are Coming Home". He was so excited when he saw it--he yelled "low!" Which means "slowly", because on one page it says, "the snail father creeps slowly home to his little snails," and when Gavin reads it, he says "slowly" very low and slow. Then today, Grandma Annie sent a surprise envelope full of adorable new pairs of socks! Several of them are orange, which are our school colors here and will be perfect for October. She also slipped in some treats that Henry gobbled up in 3.5 seconds, a sweet note, and one of her famous articles. (My whole life, she has always saved paper and magazine articles that she knows I will find interesting or need to know about. This ones was about the new temple in Philadelphia because we'll be traveling up there soon for a career fair Gavin has to attend.)

These surprises have come as bright spots as we try to figure out how to fill our long days, adjust to the humidity, new town, etc. Henry loves the jaunt to the mailbox. He now knows how to use the electric key to help open the gate.

Well, I'd better post some pictures and get to bed. Goodnight.