euCALyptus LIFE

Our home in California is on a street named Eucalyptus, which means that we have had to learn to spell Eucalyptus! 

Life on Eucalyptus has been busy...

We host family dinners, and Chef Sethy works his magic in the kitchen-

Lucy auditioned for ballet-

We've spent time with friends-

 We often visit Coco and Tutu at work-

And we spent a whole day at the Nevada County Fair with the cousins!!

The Farewell Tour

Even though I failed at a first day of school picture of Joe, I managed to snap a picture tonight before I drove Joe and his friend Chance to the school dance.  He was only slightly mortified that I made them stand for a picture :)

Before we left Seattle, Devon and I wanted to do a few final Seattle-ish things. We sure love that beautiful city, and we wanted to say goodbye to it knowing that we'd had some fun.

The first stop on our Farewell Tour was a Mariners game, and we chose to go on the night of Safeco Field's first ever fireworks show. 

The next stop was the Duck Tour, Space Needle, and the Fremont Troll.  Joe missed out on this day of fun, but the rest of us enjoyed a day of tourism and Seattle sunshine.

Farewell Seattle!

Already Back to School

I am not sure if Joe and Lucy noticed that they lost 3 weeks of summer when they moved to California.  It has been less than 2 months since they were released for summer, and yet they are already back in school.  Their schools in Washington do not start until after Labor Day!

 

Joe started high school yesterday.  He is a freshman at Bear River, which is where my brothers and I went to school.  He even has a teacher that I had when I was there!  I didn't get a 1st day of school picture of Joe, but he probably would have given me some teenage-attitude if I had tried, so oh well.  After two days of high school, Joe says that he is happy and that he likes Bear River. 

 

Lucy started school today.  1st grade!!

She was a little bit nervous as we made our way to the school this morning. I was nervous too.  But when I picked her up this afternoon, she said that she had a great day and that she has already made a friend.  Yay!

I am really proud of the kids.  They are being so brave to start new schools without the comfort of familiar faces. 

 

And as for Max, he will hang out with me for a while until we figure out his preschool options. Today he and I went to breakfast with my mom and then stopped by her store, Nest, where Max got comfy in a recliner and was very disappointed that I wouldn't buy him the chair for his bedroom. 

 

 

Silly boy.

 

Devon has already joined a softball team, and he is playing a late-night game right now.  He is enjoying his new job, and if only the A/C in his car would work, he would have very little to complain about.  In fact, he said that he has never been happier. :)  Gotta love a happy husband!

 

And me?  I am doing pretty well.  I'm not sure if this feels like home yet or if I just feel like we are visiting and that we will soon be heading back to our lives in Issaquah.  But I am really happy to be near family, and I love having Devon home for dinner every night.  I am almost half way through this pregnancy- isn't that crazy?  The baby is very active, and I love feeling the little flutter!

 

Stay tuned for more updates!  I've got so much to share, but I really have to pace myself or I'll be too overwhelmed to post at all! :)

The Summer of Chaos

Mama Rantz, checking in!

I didn't intentionally take a summer vacation from blogging, but the past two months have been unusually chaotic for our family, and therefore I seemingly abandoned my task of chronicling the events of our lives.

So, there is much to recap!

Where do I begin?

At some point in June, Devon and I decided to finally make the move to California. It was something that we had considered in the past, but the timing had never felt right, until now.  Once the decision was made, Devon felt confident and began making preparations while I cried, and cried, and cried.  Remember, I'm pregnant :)  It took me a few weeks to fully grasp the weight of the decision to move, and once I was able to pull myself together and stop crying, I began to see all of the ways that God was answering prayers and opening doors, showing us that this move was going to be great for our family.

Between then and now, we said many goodbyes, packed many boxes, and drove many miles.  We are now home in Auburn, and we are happy to be here.  I am excited to share about life in California, but I suppose that I can take my time in doing so, and I can catch up on our final months in Washington too.

Here are a few assorted snapshots to share for now-

 

Ethan and Lucy, watching the fireworks from the top of the Issaquah Highlands on the 4th of July

Joe and the Issaquah All-Star team kept us busy at the beginning of the summer

A dessert date with Katie :)

A playdate with Caleb and Aliya at the Sammamish Commons

In June, Max and Lucy enjoyed Vacation Bible School at Eastridge Church



A final snapshot before we said goodbye to our home in Issaquah.  After a full day of loading the moving van, it was time to hit the road.