So many changes.
Just a quick rundown for everyone so you can catch up:
2015 went by in a blur of family and work...and pregnancy. Fortunately, we all came out of it together, and we are now in a whole new place getting adjusted. More to follow on that...
Maybe there is no time to revisit the last year, so I will just share what I can at the moment.
I had our baby Shingyu John Ryals on February 4, 2016, after the strangest labor ever...that technically started on January 19th, but did not continue and progress in the way I was used to...until early in the morning of the 3rd...and then he was born very early in the morning of the 4th. He was by far my biggest baby weighing in at 10.7 lbs. My sweet little boy...one day, I will write your birth story, too.
I got to come home the next day after the birth, and then it was time to figure out how to downsize our apartment and prepare for the move of a lifetime back to the U.S. Jeff had accepted a position in Arizona that we could not refuse with the belief that I would be able to find a position there as well. So, a short two weeks after Shingyu was born, Jeff departed for the States.
Long story short, we packed out the house, I finished maternity leave and went back to work for a week to transition my replacement, and then my parents and I flew to Arizona. After some delays in getting into a house, the four children and I flew to Florida (a nightmarish travel day that I may or may not share later) to spend some time with Granny and Pops and the cousins and aunts and uncles. Plenty of fun times were had!
After we got back to Arizona, Tay started right back up in school to finish out second grade. She has about a week and a half left of school now, and is really looking forward to a break! She does love her new school, though, and I even think she likes the uniform she has to wear...she looks so nice and neat when she heads to school! I need to get a nice picture of her in the morning.
Arizona is definitely a bit of a culture shock for all of us. Things like the dry climate is really rough on my skin, and I hear it is pollen season at the moment so my eyes continue to be itchy daily...and it's so much windier than I remember it being when I was here last...back in 2003...seems so long ago. The scenery is still very beautiful...
In my work aspects, I had two "interviews" over the phone while I was in Florida, and fortunately, got offers for both positions. I had intended to take the first offer, but their contingencies just didn't line up with what I could manage at the moment, so I went with the second offer and started work on May 2nd. It has now been a week, and I think I will like this job for the most part...although working in the same company as Jeff may have its ups and downs.
As for our family, we are still living in temporary housing in a tiny two-bedroom apartment as we wait for our paperwork and funds to clear so we can close on our house. I think all of us are cranky and on edge because we are constantly on top of each other and there are no really great sleeping arrangements for a family with four young children and not enough space. At least we aren't eating terribly...although I am really looking forward to my future kitchen...
This past weekend, there was a carnival in town, so we took the kids for a short while. Although only the older two kids really enjoyed the rides, I think everyone got their fill of sugar in the form of cotton candy, sno cones, funnel cake, and ice cream. The girls have also been swimming almost every single day. Definitely a plus-side of being in the desert.
Here are some photos to close out this post so I can go to bed:
And...that's it for the pictures, I guess. Maybe I will try and keep up a little better as we adjust to life here in Arizona. Until then...
