Well, we’ve seen a lot of changes in our lives since my last post. Last spring, we didn’t know where the children would be going to school and we didn’t know what jobs we would have.  Since then we have figured it all out and are now all in our places. 

Camden graduated from elementary school in June and we were able to get her into a local charter school for 6^th grade.  The school is in the process of expanding to include grades nine through twelve as well, so Camden could potentially graduate there if we decide it is right.  The school only has 80 students per grade and has that small-school atmosphere I enjoyed as a kid living overseas.  Camden seems to really like the school, enjoys having a locker and is making some friends.

We were able to get Tristan into the same Montessori school that his cousins attend.  He is in his final year of preschool, but his class also includes kindergartners.  

He is at school for the entire day and has adjusted well.  He still has some evenings when he is very moody, but they seem to be fewer and fewer.  He is also going to bed earlier and sleeping in later on the weekends, which is great for us.

            Andrea is no longer a full-time teacher as she resigned from her position last spring with much encouragement and support from her family.  She was wondering what she would do for work this school year when, just before school started, the principal at Tristan’s school offered her a teacher’s assistant position.  It has turned out to be perfect for her.  She is still in the classroom and enjoying teaching, but she is not spending endless hours at home working instead of enjoying time with the family. 

I am no longer pursuing a teaching license and have gone back to work for TelWare.  I accepted a management position in June and am enjoying my new role.  I still get to travel and work in the field a bit, but most of the time I am working from the office, learning new skills and encountering new challenges.  Also, I finally have a company vehicle that I can fit in my garage, so I can drive it to and from work instead of using my personal vehicle.

It has been a while since my last post in part because of all these changes and the work they entail, but also because we had such a busy summer.  We spent some weekends at the beach in Wilmington and the lake in Hickory thanks to Andrea’s Aunt Beth and Uncle John.  We also went on two week-long trips in July.  The first was to Texas to visit my grandparents.  My dad, step-mom and some of my brothers met us down there and we had a great visit.  We went to the Natural Bridge Caverns, the antique shops of Gruene, and went swimming in the Guadeloupe River.  The second was to Vancouver, Canada to see Andrea’s dad and step-mom.  They were wonderful hosts and took us to see the Winter Olympic ski resort of Whistler Blackcomb, where we rode the peak-to-peak gondola; Science World British Columbia; the University of British Columbia; the Vancouver Aquarium and many other sites around the city.  The children enjoyed riding on the Sea Bus, the Water Taxi and the train.  I especially enjoyed the cool temperatures; the average high in July and August is 71 degrees there.

Here are a few pictures from our summer.  The first two were taken in Texas.  Unfortunately our external hard drive failed on our computer and we lost our other Texas photos. The third and fourth were taken during a horse camp Camden attended this summer in Concord, NC thanks to Nani and Baba.  The rest were taken in Vancouver, BC.