On to catching up. . .
Saying goodbye in DC was sad! This move has been a possibility for over a year, so in some ways, it was a long, slow farewell. Each season, month, and week of the past year has been marked by the thought, “This might be our last ________ in DC,” which has been nice, because we’ve been able to savor all of it.

In a formal sense, though, our “official” goodbyes really began late this spring. We have played with Chomp, an ultimate frisbee team in DC, every spring and fall since 2004, but we knew wouldn’t be able to play this spring. We had hoped to make it to one last game, but between weather and our schedules, we had to settle for an e-farewell.

In mid-April, I spent my last evening at “The Porch.” I have worked as an adult leader with this youth ministry on Capitol Hill for the past three years. In fact, one of the girls in my small group was even my “tutee” back when I tutored at the Neighborhood Learning Center from 2004-2006. Which means we’ve had a mentor/mentee relationship since she was in 4th grade, and now she’s a rising 10th! grader. Saying goodbye to all of the youth at the Porch- but particularly to my small group- was emotional. I so wish I could be there as they walk through there remaining years of high school– to see them in grow into young ladies, wear prom dresses, pick out colleges, graduate, etc.

Although we said farewell to a few friends from church and other social settings on an individual basis, we didn’t have too many other larger goodbyes until our last week in DC. Caleb’s office hosted a going-away luncheon for him on his last day of work, to which the kids and I were also invited. Several of his former co-workers who have since moved on to new positions were invited, and plenty of people came by to wish him well. Overall, it was a really kind send-off.

Then came “moving weekend.” We picked up our HUGE Budget truck on Saturday, May 1. That truck was a BEAST! I was glad that I didn’t have to drive it!
Many, many thanks to the wonderful friends who helped load our belongings, including Laryn, Corey, Rebecca, Sara, Jana, Mary Ruth, and Brett. An even more special thanks goes to our friend Janel, who watched Andreas & Simona ALL DAY that Saturday. Hers was hands-down the most taxing job of the day. She also hosted our family for dinner that evening. . . and I have no idea how she managed to cook for that 7 people while watching three kids all day!

Sunday, we ate one last breakfast at Pete’s, a diner on the Hill that we’ve visited a few Sunday mornings a year throughout our seven years in DC, even before we were married or had kids. After that, we headed to WCF for our final Sunday service. We had been given a brief time during the service to say goodbye to the congregation, but I was most emotional during other parts of the service. Looking at all of the faces, I couldn’t help but think that this is what the kingdom of heaven will look like: A random bunch of quirky people all trying to do their best to love God and love each other.

Sunday evening, our friends Heather & Kevin and Laryn & Janel hosted a going-away party for us at Heather & Kevin’s house, which was really special. So many friends came by to say goodbye, and aside from our wedding, I don’t think I’ve ever felt more surrounded by people who love our family. A huge thank you to our gracious hosts!

Monday, my dad flew up from Georgia to drive the truck back down. He loves to drive and was eager to take the opportunity to help us out. We were glad not to have to drive in two separate vehicles! We worked all day, loading final belongings and cleaning the house. Caleb and Dad concluded the day with a wild chase for our scared cat, which apparently involved crawling between drywall and the outer wall of the house, pulling the cat out of her hiding space with a hoe, and trapping her in a garbage can to get her into the back of the truck . . in the end, she did make the journey to Georgia, just not in her cat carrier as planned. Our friends Heather & Kevin again hosted us, this time for our last night in DC (Maryland, actually), while Dad drove overnight to avoid traffic with the big truck.

Tuesday, May 4, was the long-anticipated moving day. It was also the day of Simona’s “graduation” from Little Learner’s Playschool, which she attended for two years. It worked out perfectly to be able to attend the last day of class and feel like she had some closure around that. We love all of the kids and families we have met through the school and will miss this group, too.

After graduation and the class party and luncheon, we piled into our packed-up car and hopped onto 395 for the long drive to the Peach State. Watching the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, the Capitol, the Pentagon, and the Potomac fade in the rear view mirror was sad. So long, Washington, D.C. Thanks for so many great memories and for becoming our home.

The first is the most important! In late March, we took a trip to Georgia to accomplish as much as one can possibly accomplish in three days: rent an apartment, attend Emory’s MBA orientation weekend, participate in a bridal shower for my sister, drive to Greenville, S.C. to have fun at her bachelorette party, and then get back to Atlanta in time to catch a return flight to DC. During those days, I had several hints that turned to suspicion that turned to confirmation, in early April, that baby #3 is on the way!
We are excited to welcome a new little one to our family but approach this pregnancy differently than the previous two. Having watched dear friends go through the wrenching experience of losing their newborn daughter in the past year has reminded us that we are not guaranteed a healthy pregnancy or a healthy baby. We know that at this point, “odds” are on our side, but we move forward with joy tempered by a heightened awareness that we cannot know what the future holds for us or this baby. We are due the second week of December.

The second highlight was another confirmation:

The third April highlight were Grandma’s & Grandpa’s visits to DC. Caleb’s mom came for about 10 days to spend time with us and the kids as we packed, ran errands, and prepared to move. His dad spent one weekend in town, and the kids had a great time playing with Grandma & Grandpa. I didn’t get any pictures of Grandpa, but I have a couple with Grandma:

We would not have been able to move without all of Grandma’s help. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

Fourth, Caleb and I celebrated our FIFTH wedding anniversary (and our TENTH anniversary of “couplehood”)! Because Grandpa & Grandma were in town, we spent a night away from the kids, wondering at how quickly the time has flown by and at how much our lives have changed in five short years! This year, all three of my sisters and one of Caleb’s brothers will be married (plus two cousins!), and reflecting on our own experience with marriage fills us for excitement for them. Sadly, I captured not a single picture to commemorate five years.

Andreas provided the fifth highlight: He FINALLY started walking! At sixteen months, little man decided to the time had come to explore the world upright and hands-free. (I think he was waiting for the one-year anniversary of his surgery!) We have been anticipating this since he began “cruising” at 8 months, so it’s been a LONG wait for “independent ambulation,” as it were. Here are a few of him and the trouble his new mobility let him cause:

Finally, the sixth highlight was simply savoring our last springtime in DC. The azaleas at the National Arboretum are stunning in April, and the weather hovers near perfect for much of the month. Simona FINALLY got her long-anticipated ice cream from the ice cream truck, and we soaked in our last days of trips to the playground and being with friends.

COMING SOON: Part 2- Saying Farewell and Adventures in Moving

First came an after-work picnic near the Washington Monument and a (partial) walk around the tidal basin to see the cherry blossoms during twilight.

We have seen the cherry blossoms at sunrise almost every year, but we really enjoyed them at sundown, too!

The second adventure was during the workday, so Caleb couldn’t join us. The kids and I took the Metro down to Union Station and enjoyed the sunshine, flowers, and fountains along the Mall.

We rode the carousel near the Smithsonian “castle,” which was fun for Simona but a bit nauseating for me! That thing spins much more quickly than I remember, and balancing Andreas and a camera left me no free hands with which to hold on for dear life! Nevertheless, I did not fall, and she had a GREAT time.

The “half smoke” is the only food item I can name that screams Washington DC, so it seemed only appropriate that we end our touristy morning with a bite of local flavor from a street vendor before hopping on the Metro and heading for home.

We will miss living in our nation’s beautiful capital!

A mom-friend of mine whose husband is a pastor at a local church recently described ministry in DC as “like trying to hug a parade.” She was referencing the transience for which this city is renown. The reason behind the revolving door is manifold: student interns who visit for three to six months, congressional representatives (and their staffs) whose time in office is brief, presidential administrations and their political appointees who rotate positions, college students who attend one of our many universities, government employees who rotate between domestic and international assignments, and so on.

We recognize that this characterization of the District primarily describes our demographic- educated, white collar people who did not grow up in the region- but the fact remains that this trend shapes and affects relationships of everyone who lives here- from the third-generation-native-Washingtonian to the just-arrived-yesterday-college-intern.

Our DC friends & acquaintances who have moved away have landed across the country (and even the globe!), meaning that we now have friends all over the place but that we have also had to say our goodbyes far too frequently over the past nearly-seven-years. Each person who’s moved on has left a mark on our hearts (and often, a void in our social calendar! One of the upsides, though, is that new friends have always stepped into those voids.)

Well, the time has come for us to start marching again. Our parade is moving on. . . to Georgia. Caleb will begin a graduate program at Emory University in Atlanta in May, so VERY soon, we will be the ones saying our goodbyes. It is bittersweet– we are excited for what is ahead, but we have come to love our lives here. This is where we went from dating to engaged to married, where we bought our first home, and where we welcomed our two children into our family. This house and this city are filled with memories and friends, and parting will be difficult.

We hear the music, and we know that God will be there right beside us, wherever this parade may lead.

Just a smattering of the nicknames we have heard for the snowy weather that has pounded DC this winter. I heard on the radio today that if we were located in Upstate New York, we would be in the running for their “Golden Snowball” award, which goes to the NY city with the most snowfall in any given year.

I’m snowver it. This may be fun for those who own cross country skis and/or Netflix subscriptions, but it’s snow fun for those of us with small children with bundles of energy and a constant need for entertainment. Since Caleb has turned the kids’ bedroom into his home office, the three of us have been restricted to amusing ourselves in about 500 square feet. . . for DAYS on end. I’m snow excited for spring, but I think that is still a ways off.

In case you somehow haven’t heard about DC’s many snow storms this winter, I have chronicled a few here:

Our first snow of the year barely even counts anymore! It’s funny now that I was very deliberate about making sure the kids took advantage of the inch or two. Had I known then what I of course snow now, I probably wouldn’t have taken snow many pictures of this!

Second December Snow (The first “Snowpocalypse,” on December 19th)

Our kids really LOVED the snow. . . can you tell?

But at least our Christmas lights looked beautiful in the two feet of snow!

January was not snow bad. . . I think we had a few light snowfalls, but these days, we barely take note of anything less than a foot! We had some snow on the 30th/31st, and another light, fluffy snow on February 3. You can see some of the remnants of the first and beginnings of the second of those two snowfalls in these pictures. At least they were not significant enough to trap us indoors!

Then came snowmaggedon. We got about 25 inches on Saturday, February 6. It was too cold and windy for our kids’ tastes on Saturday, but Sunday was sunny and allowed for some good sledding.

We also were dog-sitting Bo for my sister.

Simona and I made a snowman, and she was VERY proud. (Unfortunately, the snow was a little too fluffy for a really good snowperson, but she didn’t seem to mind one bit!)

One of the reasons I am not snow excited about all the white stuff is that this is my route to our laundry facilities:

These icicles have formed on the back of our house. They are pretty to admire, but they are dangerous! I was on our back steps when a sheet of ice fell and shattered around me; luckily, I was just hit by a few small shards.

Finally, today’s snow has been the most grueling. We are snow tired of sitting around the house, but wind gusts of up to 50 mph and white out conditions have meant yet another day of staying indoors. Simona has been asking if we can please GO somewhere, and even Andreas seems antsy. It’s snow fun for active preschoolers and toddlers to be trapped! A few photos from today:

And now, pop quiz: Can you find our car?!

1. Rock Creek Park. Technically, this may not be in “our” neighborhood, but since it is only a mile away and since it is where I have logged hundreds of running miles, I think it counts. RCP is a national park and is an amazing forest within Washington, D.C.’s city limits. (Thank you for your tax dollars, which help maintain it!) With dozens of hiking (running!) trails; beautiful streams, trees, and wildlife; a nature center adjacent to horse stables; and some historical sites to boot, RCP is the perfect escape from city life. Some of the animals I’ve seen on runs in the park include hundreds of deer (some quite bold!), foxes, blue herons, and a hawk. I love witnessing the changing seasons and experiencing a bit of nature on a a regular basis.

2. The Takoma Rec Center. We live literally a 3-minute walk from the Takoma recreation center, which includes outdoor basketball & tennis courts, our amazing playground (see below), a kid-sized & Olympic-sized swimming pool, a community center, a baseball field, and a soccer field. It is such a privilege to have all of this at our doorstep, and we try to make good use of the open spaces and the facilities on a regular basis. I swam throughout both of my pregnancies and continue to frequent the pool to cross train on non-running days. (The rec center also offers a wide variety of classes and boasts a fitness center, but I’ve never availed myself of those amenities. Still-nice to know they’re there.)
**Incidentally- if you click on the link for the rec center, it takes you to a picture from the website for. . . Caleb’s employer. Yep, this gem was one of his company’s projects, though Caleb himself did not work on it.**

3. “Our” playground. I know there are many wonderful playgrounds all over the world, and there are several wonderful parks within walking distance. Still, I love the one by the Takoma Rec Center for several reasons. First, it is about a 7 minute walk from our house, so we can go any chance we can. Second, it has swings, which not all playgrounds do these days. Third, it is surrounded by beautiful shade trees, which are a must on those hot summer mornings! Fourth, it is a true cross section of the world. I have met au pairs from Thailand, Germany, and France; nannies from Honduras, Peru, St. Martin, and Costa Rica; moms from Mexico, England, Liberia, China, and Latvia; day care workers from Jamaica and the Dominican Republic; and Dads from El Salvador and Cuba. (Of course, there are plenty of born-andbred Americans, too.) What a mix! Finally, fifth, our playground is a community-building center. I know countless people in our neighborhood only because our kids play together regularly, and I treasure that connection to the community around us.

4. Walkability. In addition to the above-mentioned amenities around here, we also live less than a ten minute walk from a major grocery store, a pharmacy, a post office, a shoe store, three or four dry cleaners, several carry out restaurants, a few sit down restaurants, a variety of banks, a thrift store, a dollar store, multiple churches, and a public library. We can also access public transportation without problem, as we live steps from a bus line connecting us to the Metro (which itself is less than a 15-minute walk). We enjoy the convenience of having a car because we have kids but believe that if we were childless, we could easily get by with bikes, our feet, and public transportation. Even with kids, we occasionally go for days without using our car.

5. Coolidge High School. Living across the street from a large DC public high school is certainly a mixed blessing, but we enjoy being able to use their recently resurfaced track and football field (for playing soccer with Simona) during non-school hours. We also get to watch their drum line, football team, and cheerleading/dance squads practice, which is cheap entertainment to a young preschooler!

6. Our neighbors. Last but not least, we enjoy our neighbors. This is a predominantly African American, working class neighborhood, and many of our street’s residents have lived here for decades. Living in such close proximity to others- sharing walls, parking spaces, and sidewalks with them- can sometimes be difficult, but it creates shared space and shared experience nearly non-existent in the suburbs. We have been awakened by the police knocking on our neighbor’s door to deliver tragic news, and we have shared another neighbor’s joy at finally receiving a wheel chair for her disabled son. We have helped and been helped in snow removal and car repair efforts. Kids have spent lazy afternoons having a tea party with Simona on our porch or coloring with sidewalk chalk outside our house. Sometimes we feel like we live under a microscope, but we believe that sharing life with those around us has helped us feel connected to our street and neighborhood.

There you have it– the reasons I love our neighborhood. I will periodically be posting more lists about “What I love about DC.” Stay tuned!
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Other udpates: Simona has fallen and hurt her other top front tooth, so we’re waiting with bated breath and hoping that it will not also need to be pulled. Andreas is taking more and more unassisted steps, so we think he will be fully walking in the next week or so.

In July, a good friend emailed a group of moms and asked if anyone wanted to go peach picking in early August.  Now, I am ashamed to admit that, despite being from PEACHTREE CITY in the PEACH STATE, I had never been peach picking before.  And since I do love peaches, I figured a Friday spent picking peaches in the fresh non-city air would be fun.  So I replied that I’d be up for it.

Come Peach-picking Eve, however, I realized that the next day was going to be a *mite* crazy.  I was scheduled for a 20-mile marathon training run, and we were supposed to meet in rural Virginia at the orchard at 10:30 AM.  Little did I realize that the orchard was an HOUR AND A HALF drive from our house, which meant loading up the kids to head out by 8:45 AM.  But by then, I decided it was too late to back out on my friend, despite Caleb’s urging me to reconsider.

The next morning, I overslept and did not end up with time for my long run.  That meant another day of hydrating and mentally preparing to run 20 miles.  In the meantime, I got the kids ready and headed out the door remarkably punctually, since I had an extra few hours in my morning.  We made a quick stop by the gas station to fill up, and somehow I managed to spray gas all over myself in the process.  After a brief debate about whether or not to run home to wash off, I opted to wipe down with baby wipes and continue on my way.

The peach picking itself went fairly well.  Minor “episodes” included Andreas eating part of a leaf and a handful of dirt, but otherwise, the morning in the countryside was great.  The drive was indeed a bit much, but I was feeling pretty good about the whole outing. . .

Peach Orchard
   

. . . until I got home.  And realized that I had about 50 peaches, 15 tomatoes, and one HUGE zucchini to deal with.  I didn’t have any “canning” supplies, so I spent HOURS over the next few days looking up recipes for peaches, zucchini, and tomotoes.  Caleb gamely helped out in the kitchen, though I doubt having “bake night” for 3 or 4 days in a row was his idea of a good time.  We mashed and froze peaches for Andreas; ate LOTS of peaches ourselves; made zucchini bread, peach pie, and peach-berry cobbler (twice); and STILL had peaches to use up.  Some went bad, but we made a valiant attempt to not let any go to waste.  We suffered from a terrible fruit fly infestation (that I think we have just about under countrol now), and there were even a few ants appearing in our dining room.  I felt incredibly domestic. . . and I think Caleb just felt incredibly like he did not want to deal with ANY more peaches.  His estimate is that between driving, picking, looking up recipes, baking, cooking, freezing, mashing, etc., we probably spent a good 20 man hours on those peaches.

    
Moral of the story: If your gut AND your husband tell you it’s not such a great use of your time, you should probably listen.

In the fall of 2007, a good friend of mine was feeling drained by life in DC.  She was tired from the busy pace of life, the distance from family, and the frenetic chase after worldly success that dominates this city.  She had been praying for relief, unsure of how that would look.  Some changes (moving from a 1BR to a 2BR apartment with her husband and daughter, primarily), helped her in her outlook, and her attitude towards living here was starting to look up.  She felt some renewed energy and enthusiasm when- COMPLETELY out of the blue- her husband was offered the perfect job in the perfect location for their family.  They moved, and to this day, she couldn’t be happier.  She thought her prayers had been answered with the apartment change, but she had no idea that God had something much bigger and better in store for her shortly thereafter.  I was thrilled for her but was sad to see her move (and still miss her!!).

As we entered 2008, I began to realize that I was in a place similar to where my friend had been the previous fall.  I was unhappy in DC and wanted to move anywhere else, really.  The thought of sweating out another hot, humid DC summer; sitting in urban traffic & fighting for parking spots; dealing with slow, inefficient District government bureaucracy; watching more friends move away from this transient city; and attending a church that was without a pastor and was bleeding members left me drained- emotionally, mentally, and even physically. As I talked to my friend who had moved, she told me (only half jokingly), “Well, start praying now.  It takes about a year.”

In my head, I had “the solution” figured out.   Caleb and I had been discussing his applying to graduate school for the fall of 2009.  He had long debated the pros and cons of attending and felt like it might be a good time in his career to go back to school.  Since we had never thought we’d end up permanent residents of the District, and since we had already lived here for 5 years by 2008, we thought the timing was right.  Because I was so unhappy, I encouraged him to apply “anywhere but in DC,” and figured this was God’s provision for us.  This would be my ticket out of the District and out of my misery.  I had seen God provide the perfect situation for this friend- and for several others who had moved away from this city- so I figured I’d trust him to provide.

Despite “knowing” that we only had about a year left in DC, I felt like I couldn’t stand one more minute here.  The trip to Germany had been a welcome relief from the “grind” of daily life, but I didn’t want it to end.  As we sat in the airport in Hamburg awaiting our return flight, I started crying and said I didn’t want to get on the plane.  (I nearly cried again when we landed at Dulles and the captain announced the local time and temperature as still being in the upper 80s . . . at 8:00 PM.)  I was miserable, and, unfortunately, I made those around me (read: Caleb) miserable through my whining, complaining, and bad attitude throughout much of the summer.

So, it’s been a year.  Which means it’s time for the “perfect” move to the perfect location for our family.  Except that God didn’t answer my prayers like I had hoped or expected.  A variety of circumstances- ranging from Andreas’s surgery to Caleb’s admissions and financial aid decisions to opportunities here- have lead to our decision not to pursue grad school this fall, meaning we’re not moving anywhere.

INSTEAD, God has answered my prayers in an even better way.  Over the past year, as Caleb went through the application process, I began to treasure my life and experiences in DC.  Maybe it was early nostalgia for what I’d be losing, or maybe it was a realization that living in a walkable neighborhood with amazing playgrounds, access to public transportation, and plenty of other free fun for moms and young children is a rare, precious commodity in this world.  I’ve come to realize that I have thousands of reasons to be thankful for living here, and God has completely turned my heart and mind around.  Plus, He has provided for us in so many ways: a pastor for our church; friends with whom we’ve grown closer after others moved away; and even some family nearby (one of my sisters was here for an internship last summer, and another just moved to Maryland!)

We still don’t know much about where God will take us in the future.  Caleb still has an option to pursue a grad program beginning in 2010, and the possibility remains that jobs or families will take us elsewhere in the future.  But for now, I am excited to be living here and am determined to take full advantage, just in case all that’s left is about a year.

Otherwise, all has been well around here.  We have had A LOT of rain this spring, which has made for more indoor time than we would have liked.  The plus, though, is that everything looks amazingly lush and green now.  Caleb and I have kept busy with our ultimate frisbee team, which we’ve played on every fall and spring since 2004.  Simona has been riding her tricycle all over the place.  On rainy days, she rides around in circles on our porch, and on dry days, we have ventured as far as the playground and library. This month, we attended our first Nationals game of the season and witnessed one of the few wins the Nats have had this season. . . unfortunately for Caleb, it came at the expense of his beloved Cardinals.

Another highlight was participating in EU Embassy Day, on which the EU nations open their embassies’ doors to the public.  We went to the German, Czech, and Hungarian embassies.  Simona enjoyed face painting, a moon bounce, and Kinderschokolade at the German embassy, while Caleb and I enjoyed the chance to see the ambassador’s residence and get a good Currywurst.  The Czech embassy (which Andreas and I skipped for his mid-morning meal) boasted live police dogs and, importantly, restrooms.  The Hungarian embassy was also a hit, with a kids’ craft corner, goulasch, and traditional folk dancing that had Simona mesmerized.  Three embassies was plenty for one morning for our little family, but we hope to visit a few more next year.  (We also learned- a bit too late- that the non-EU embassies have open houses earlier in May, so next year we’ll hopefully take advantaged of two weekends of embassy hopping.)

All pictures have been updated through the end of April.  We’re traveling to NY for KK’s college graduation soon, and we’re looking forward to how beautiful Ithaca will (hopefully!) be at this time of year.  And before you know it, May will be over!

Nevertheless, we boldly brave the droves of tourists for an annual walk around the tidal basin, and it always proves to be worth it.  The keys to viewing pleasure are to arrive VERY early (7:45 AM at the absolute latest), know where to park (Maine St. SW), dress warmly (it\’s always colder on the water than you would think!), and bring your camera!  It also helps not to dawdle too much, as the crowds only get thicker and thicker as the morning progresses.

For those of you not fortunate enough to get to see the cherry blossoms (and for Andreas, who slept through them), here\’s a peek at this year\’s flowers: