September 2010

The pictures will be sparse this month!  I misplaced my camera and only now just found it!  It has been missing since our Labor Day camping trip...so that is the extent of the pictures!  Shame on me, especially since this has been a very eventful month in the C house.   Our month consisted of the start of all the activities we abandoned for the summer, PC began walking, LC started a new job and we made some decisions about life in general and our house.  

Labor Day began our month.  We took the camper out for its' last hurrah of the season, marking our 7th weekend away.  Fall camping would definitely be fun, but with the current state of life, we are happy being homebodies for the remainder of snow-free days.  NC's college buddies moved to BIS and now have a seasonal camping spot at Lake Sakakawea.  They also have a wake boarding boat so when they invited us to visit, we were excited!  We dropped PC off at Grandma and Grandpa C's farm and picked up my cousin TB.   It was a great time catching up with them and NC, IC and TB enjoyed all the water toys.  I was just too darn cold and wimped out.  A new trend with boating is wake surfing and this boat was made for just that- making a large wake.  It fills with 1200 lbs of water in the rear creating a tall wake ideal for boarding and surfing.  NC had a blast!  All of them make it look so easy!  Lake Sakakawea is a large man made lake and it was very cold, but with wet suits it was bearable.  

Next up was my new adventure!  My background is airlines.  It is all I really know in terms of work.  Living in GFK and the current airline environment forced me to make some decisions I never thought I would!  It started shortly after PC was born.  The company I worked five years for was not awarded the ground handling contract in GFK.  Enter in new company.  Most of our old staff stayed on with the new company, including myself.  New employee, new pay, new position....well it didn't really work for our family.  I tried couple of different things through out the summer with schedules, different positions, daycare and finally concluded that GFK would not be a career, but rather a job.  In MSP, sure - more opportunity.  GFK, not so much.  Then came the next question.  Be a stay at home mom?  This summer provided me with so much time with the girls and I treasured every moment of it, but I surprised myself with a lingering feeling of wanting to pursue something new, outside of the airlines.  So the search began, both soul and job searches.  I knew I wouldn't take a full time job to just have a full time job- it had to be right, for me and my family.  The middle of this month I began my new employment adventure with a local non-profit.  I am now working as an employment specialist responsible for assisting "new Americans" with obtaining a job.  Starting them in their first steps in gaining self-sufficiency.  These new Americans are not just immigrants, they are refugees looking to start over because their home country has become unstable and sometimes unsafe.  The US accepts a certain number of refugees here legally for resettlement.  ND has about 400 new arrivals.  400 individuals, not families.  GF resettles about 80.  The job itself is proving very challenging.  Personally, because it is a whole new direction and just the environment we live in provides so many challenges.  I am finding people to be very accepting of our newest Americans, but with everything there are the ignorant.  That is my biggest frustration.  I am not a seasoned social service worker (yet) and I am getting a little feisty dealing with certain people.  I am now reminded everyday that we all are really some sort of immigrant and these people deserve the same chances our families did.  Plus the fact they are refugees.  Hearing some of the life stories of these individuals is something I can't fathom.  It is hard to believe that - if a refugee-  I couldn't just think what I want, worship who I want, marry who I want, work where I want, buy what I want - I have taken my beautiful life and my freedom for granted and now feel very blessed for the opportunity to show them that America really is an awesome place.  So that is me!  We'll give it a whirl and see if I sink or swim!

Now to the REALLY EXCITING NEWS!  Miss PC turned 9 months old.  In honor of that, she began walking.  Seriously, she walks.  My little 25 percentile shorty who looks still like a baby and not a toddler be-bops all over.  She can usually make it about 7-10 steps before plopping down and using the faster crawling method.  We kinda thought she'd be an early walker, maybe starting early 10 months, but really hoping for 12 months, but 9 months?   She is such a happy baby!  We did find out some kinda icky news.  Her poor tear ducts just won't open.  We meet with eye doc/surgeon this month to see treatment.  I guess they run a tube through the duct to open it up.  Yikes!  She won't miss the gunky eyes and neither will we!  

On to Miss IC.  She started piano lessons this month and is doing fantastic.  She has a good ear and is really responding to the suzuki method.  Twinkle, Twinkle is not far away.  I am amazed at her ability to mimic rhythms first by clapping, then on the piano.  IC works really hard with practicing.  Her attention span isn't the greatest.  Yes, I know she is only 3. If she isn't interested she will not even entertain the idea.  So we have to make sure it is challenging enough for her or she gets bored.  She also is in ballet and gymnastics, but one of those gotta go.  TOO BUSY.  Not going to make that mistake again!

Poor NC has been forgotten!  He is just the glue that holds us together.  Really and truly.  I wonder how he survives living with 3 females.  NC is so busy with the big web project at work, yet he never complains, is always there, and is always doing for us.  We love him so.  

Lastly, our house.  We have been so wishy washy with what to do, what not to do our house has been at a stand still.  Buy, stay, build, move?  After many long and painful conversations, I think we will stay in this house for the long run.  Meaning our duration of GF, who knows if that will be forever.  Doing so positions us nicely for the future and opens up other doors of opportunity.   That said, we are getting new cabinets.  This is a huge deal for me, I am so excited.  The kitchen will be done.  Then maybe we can get our second bathroom done.  Then maybe we can trim our windows and tape/texture the walls, then paint, then landscape.  Soon a homey home!  If only I could decorate.