Missing the Panda

Here are a few photos of our house, and one of the girls at White Birch Lodge in Michigan.

I am beginning to feel more at home here in Lexington. Just tonight I found a grocery strore I really like. My local Kroger, only 5 minutes away, is a little cramped and feels old. There is no horse to ride for a penny like at our King Soopers in Louisville, and, perhaps due to the store being crowded and cramped, each time we have been there, we have had meltdowns and people looking at me sympathetically. So tonight I found Meijer - I had my photos sent there from Snapfish, and I went to pick them up and to pick up a few grocery items. I found a nice, spacious, friendly store with a really cool kid cart, great prices, and...a penny horse! They also have an icee machine for 75 cents for a huge cup - we all had a great time. Perhaps it was because Ann was asleep the whole time :), but I felt again like I could brave the grocery store with three kids. Add to that - I found a "back way" to our home from Meijer that avoids the major traffic street, Nicholasville Road.

Speaking of beginning to feel at home, we miss Panda Express! We were reading a Tomie dePaola book from the library the other day and I pointed to the brown meat on a plate in one of the pictures, and asked Cate if she thought it was meatballs. She said it looked "more like the Orange Chicken we get from Panda Express." While we have found most everything we "need" to feel at home, the one thing we do really miss is Panda Express -nowhere to be seen! Just questionably-named establishments such as "Asian too" and "China Express." Can someone FedEx us some Orange Chicken and Chow Mein? Panda had become a family favorite in the weeks of quick meals before we made our move.

Tuckered-out Ann

Can you believe this? Fast asleep while munching meatballs and carrots. Ann has never been a good napper, so she falls asleep at odd times. I thought I was keeping Jane's bottom shot up for too long, so this is a great replacement. Finally have lots of things "in their places" - but way too many boxes remain, and I am still not sure exactly where we will have school time - probably all over the place, with a 3 and 1 year old in tow!

We made it!

After tearful goodbyes and two days of driving in a minivan packed to the gills - we are here in Lexington, KY! Our welcome by neighbors and the local church community has been more than warm, and we have been beyond blessed to have Meghan McCartney with us for a few days to play with the girls, pick up breakfast and snack food and clean a very grimy kitchen before moving our dishes into it. We have a family with five boys who live right behind us (with a kitten named Mr. Weasel and a trampoline) and five other little girls who live in various houses around our cul-de-sac. After weeks of wondering where we were and how long we were going to be there, Jane is finally happy to hear us say, "Yes, THIS is our new house!"Besides the layer of "garshz" (Podhaisky word meaning "muck") which we are wiping away room by room, the house is great and will be perfect for our little family, as well as for having students and the FOCUS team over for gatherings.

The stage photo is from Ann's birthday dinner at Bogart's at the Crown Plaza here in Lexington. The girls found an empty stage and were hooked. When you look at the photo of Jane, know she was singing (and often shouting) "It's a Hard Knock Life"while she scrubbed the kitchen with Meghan.

We miss you, mom and dad, Jackie, Teddy and Tony!

Jane celebrated her third birthday in style at FOCUS staff training in Champaign, IL, with 200+ missionaries and dozens of random high school kids singing to her. She enjoyed the celebration! Then, we spent a week with Matt's family in Swanton, OH, where all three girls rode Baxter with Daddy. Matt looks right at home on a horse. The girls were loving it. We returned home to start packing our house and preparing for our move. We took some time Sunday to enjoy the Colorado mountains by hiking in Nederland - Cate and Jane are great little hikers, even in skirts. Making dandelion bouquets for mom is what keeps them going. Ann is the first of our three to stay in the backpack with only mild squawking.

White dresses

Just had to get this photo of the three girls in their white Easter dresses up here. Also, here is Ann's new trick - climbing. She now climbs stairs, too! She loved to perch on this CD case, until we packed it away to our storage unit because - as of today - our townhouse is on the market!

Thoughts upon the death of Al Ariniello, April 13, 2009

Last summer I was touched to see Grandpa hold Ann. He sure held a lot of babies in his lifetime! He just looked very peaceful and she slept happily. I remember he held her for a long time at her baptism party. Just a week ago, he came to celebrate Cate's 5th birthday with us - yes, he was moving slowly, and had his new oxygen tank with him. But he and Nanny came. He drank wine, ate dinner, and told me my rum cake was good. He asked Matt about his job, and how his parents' visit was. These past few months, I have tried to drop by their house more regularly with the girls after Cate's gymnastics class. I think I only actually made it twice. Just on my last visit, Grandpa was going to make me espresso, but his machine would not work. I am tickled that he liked to make me espresso when I came over. And it was always so GOOD. Jane got really concerned about a month ago when grandpa's elbow was hurting him badly. "He should see the doctor and get some medicine." She also thinks Nanny must be "really sad" now. I was deeply honored to sit next to Nanny and cry with her just a short while after grandpa died this afternoon. I brought little Ann, and Nanny loved seeing a baby, as did several of the aunts and uncles. I am so happy that Grandpa died at home, surrounded by people he loved, on this beautiful Easter Monday. I am thankful to him for taking the time to come to our family birthday parties, and for coming to see me in the hospital after the births of Cate and Ann - he really showed us how important and special we were to him. Lord, welcome him home.

Third Child

Our little Ann is such a sweet third child. Her smiles radiate from her face to her little toes which curl in delight when her sisters come near. You've probably heard us talk about how blessed we are she is such a good sleeper. Well, lately as she has become more active and aware, Ann is less of a good napper. Our sporadic family schedule and noisy house probably don't help. She often catches her morning nap in the car on the way to gymnastics or the grocery store.

I have been used to Cate and Jane needing a good afternoon nap, so I thought Ann would just fall into place and take one as well. Not so. The past few weeks, I have had a difficult time getting the smallest one to sleep in the afternoon. I can usually get Jane down, and Cate is old enough she will rest and then go play, but little Ann is smiley and awake when I was sure she should be tired enough for a nap. We try everyday. Including today. After stories and "rest" for about an hour, I gave up and let everyone get up at about 4pm. Cate and Jane decided to take a bath, and I put Ann sitting up on the floor with some toys. I made my afternoon coffee and sat down to read. After a little while, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ann sinking down slowly, and looked up to find her folded up, asleep. See the cute photo. The bright side is that even if she goes to bed at 5:30, she's been sleeping a straight 10-12 hours. Love that girl.