We Have Arrived and are Alive

Well, I’ve got to admit I can’t believe we are all here and the last week has come and gone. The only way I can sort out anything to tell is by doing a timeline of events:
May 16 - Zach practiced general dentistry for the last time and said goodbye to his staff and patients.
May 23 - Packed up the GI-NORMOUS moving truck with the help of Pop, Jim (Calkins), Charlie, Zach’s Dad, and the one ward member that showed up on time. J Other ward members came but we were finished. I can’t thank Kathy and Sharon enough for coming over in the morning and afternoon to clean my apartment and for Teresa and Zach’s Mom for taking care of Kaitlyn for about the whole week. THANK YOU SO MUCH!
May 24 - Left SLC at 4 am (thought it would be 3 am but you know how that goes) Set off on I-80 towards Omaha. We made it there at 9 pm. Kaitlyn was a traveling angel. Zach’s Mom and Dad made the drive with us and talk about LIFE SAVING. It’s a good thing the moving truck could only go about 65 because we stopped and gave Kaitlyn so many breaks that our mini-van driving time was worse then theirs. J
May 25 - We left Omaha at 8 am (we needed to recover from the previous day) and drove straight through to Detroit which incredibly enough took us until Midnight! Poor Dave and Kar stayed up for us and had their basement set up better than the Hilton, it was such a great way to finish off 2 long days of driving. Kaitlyn did great again but I had a heart attack when we stopped for lunch and after changing her pants I was putting things away and Kate fell out of the car right on her face on the asphalt. Of course she got over it in a few minutes, although the left side of her face is still healing, I on the other hand am still shaken up from being right there and having it happen. I’m sure it won’t be the last time.
May 26 - We slept in until 9 am and left around 10 to head for the border. Luckily we didn’t look too suspicious and after a 45 minute meeting with the customs agent about all of our visas and other paperwork they let us through around 1:30. We drove to our new city of LONDON. On the drive in we passed every major store we are used to seeing in SLC. There really isn’t any visible sign that we’re in another country besides the speed limit being in Kilometers. We found our way to Platt’s Lane where we live and pulled up to our town home and… it was not what I expected. The exteriors are older and ours looked pretty shabby, the yards hadn’t been cared for and there were tall weeds around. The playground across the street looked old and faded and I thought “well at least this isn’t the inside.” Now, let me just say that I made the mistake of conjuring up in my mind what it would be like based on our experience in Omaha and the pictures I found on the internet. I also had the floor plan from the management and made the mistake of picturing it MUCH bigger than it really is. So that’s a preface. I walked through it and went upstairs and the 3 bedrooms are more like 2 bedrooms and a 3rd space we’ve affectionately named “Mary’s Walk-in Closet” because it’s so small and our master bedroom is too small for our dresser so it had to go in the 3rd one. The basement is 2x4’s and cement, not finished at all. I saw the whole thing, went upstairs in the bathroom and started bawling. It was a great cry. I really needed it too. Packing, moving away, driving 3 days, little sleep, stress, etc plus the added disappointment of my new home feeling more like a mouse cage welled up and I was out of commission for 5 minutes. The beauty of hitting my low point right at the start is it’s all gotten better from there. While we moved in and I directed traffic, Mom put the kitchen together, Kar took over as full-time babysitter for Kate, Zach and Dad and Dave had their hands full with the entire truck’s contents. We couldn’t have done it without Dave and Kar coming to help. Kar also served as our PR rep. By the time she left, she’d met all of our neighbors and introduced us all. J
May 27-28 - We spent unpacking and working out the details of money, school insurance, etc. Which are still not resolved but in the works.
May 29 - WE TOOK OFF! We decided we all needed a break and drove to Niagara Falls and Palmyra for a 2 day trip. For the record, Niagara Falls is tons cooler than I expected it to be. It’s HUGE and the Canadian side was so well manicured and looked more like how clean and pristine the church keeps all of their buildings and facilities. What a cool place. We went on the Maid of the Mist right up to the falls complete with a drenching when we got there. Kaitlyn screamed her head off the whole time but it served to wear her out and she slept for the next couple hours. We had so much fun in Niagara that we only made it to Rochester and found a hotel.
May 30 - Palmyra trip. There is such an incredible spirit at the church history sites there. Mostly felt for me when we walked through the sacred grove. We all had an great experience. Even Kaitlyn was overcome by the peace and fell asleep for the morning. When we were done it was already 3 pm and we decided to head for home. 2/3 of the way there at the junction for Toronto I hear “Why don’t we just go to Toronto?” That’s all it took. We headed off to Toronto and found a hotel. We are a little crazy.
May 31 - TORONTO. It’s not as big as NYC even though that’s what all the Canadian’s refer to when they try to give us a comparison. Not that I’ve been to NYC but Toronto just feels open even in the heart of the city. We all decided it feels A LOT like San Francisco, complete with China town, Greek town, India town, Tour boats, a castle, a huge Beach, and it wasn’t a degree warmer than 70 the whole time there. We had a great time looking around and seeing the sites. We got home at 7 pm and hit the sack for the most part.
June 1 - Today! We went to our ward which is small but strong. There are 2 families that live here in Platt’s Lane that we’re getting together with for FHE tomorrow night. I’m not sure how many callings we’ll both get, it looks like they need the help. I guess we’ll find out next week. We’re on our way for a walk since it’s turned sunny and a little warmer for the first time all week. Zach starts his first day of school at 9 am tomorrow morning! Wish us luck.
I’d love to hear from any one and I’ll try to do a better job updating instead of the crazy long e-mail. Our info is:
TELEPHONE: 801-738-0212 (yes it’s a UTAH number)
ADDRESS: 568 Platt’s Lane London, ON N6G-3B1 Canada
Love you all!

Drum Roll Please...

Well I went to my Dr. appointment today to find out what I'm having. The verdict is: We really don't know for sure. Don't you love that. I got to my appointment (miraculously) and this baby was dead set and determined to LOCK THOSE KNEES. After much proding the Dr. gave me a fairly confident decision that we are having a GIRL!!! Personally, I'll believe it when I see it. :) I'm having an ultrasound in Canada when I get there and will be able to find out what I'm having for sure. In the mean-time... Elizabeth is on her way. Probably. :) I'm excited either way.

The Adventures of ZM&K

Kaitlyn is a DARE DEVIL! The girl is game for anything that is fast. Yep, that sums it up... FAST. Examples: The blow up slides at carnivals that are really tall and steep, Being pushed good and hard on swings, Goes for the biggest slides at the park, and most recently... 4-wheeling. She was a WRECK when we got to this location to 4-wheel. She hadn't gotten any sleep and was hungry and unconsolable but once we put her on the machine her worries were swept away and she was the happiest girl around. I love this about my little Kaitlyn, it is so fun to see. It does make me wonder a bit about what her hobbies will be as she grows up though.

We are postponing the inevitable at this point, well I am. Packing I mean. We leave 3 weeks from Saturday and I know suddenly our move will be a week away and I'll realize I haven't done enough preparatory packing but I just refuse to cause unnecessary chaos early in the game. What is the optimal time line for moving anyways? I was thinking 2 weeks before start pulling out the boxes. I just hate when every room is lined with boxes and it's all pretty much a mess. We have limited space as it is. I'll give you an update and some pictures for your entertainment.

As for little prego woman, I find out what I'm having in a couple weeks. Woo Hoo. I've got to be honest, these are my thoughts: Girl- I'd be a little relieved. Only because I know what to expect, it will feel comfortable to have another girl and I wouldn't have to buy a thing.. always good on the student budget. I find myself day-dreaming about a girl if that means anything. Boy- I'd be really excited but almost scared. That's silly, I'd love every minute of it, but just will have a lot more questions about what this little guy would be like. Zach thinks we're having a boy. OFCOURSE I will be VERY happy with which ever we get, it's fun to not know right now.

Woops!

So you win some, you loose some! I finally figured out how to start a new template but... I lost ALL the stuff I had saved before. FOR EXAMPLE: all of your addresses. Could you please just leave a quick comment with your blog site on it so I can add you all back as my friends! GRACIAS!

Alms for the ignorant

ALRIGHT! I can't take it anymore. I don't know what I'm doing here. Blogging I mean. I go to your blogs and there are all kinds of awesome things I would love to incorporate in my blog. Is there some magical place to go with instructions on how to make my blog personalized beyond what the "customize" button in the top right is allowing me to do? How do I get music? How do I add pics from the web? How do I make my background look like darn cute scrapbook paper? I must admit... I have been avoiding asking these questions because I feel like my Mom when she calls me from Mexico to ask how to fix her printer. There is only so much you can do over the phone, ya know. Bless my wonderful mothers heart she doesn't get some things to do with computers and I have to say... I have a sneaking suspicion the same gene is rearing it's ugly head! SAVE ME FROM THAT FATE. Any advice is good advice, don't be shy. Have pity on this new blogger, please.

(3 hours and still in the same spot later) Yes! We have sound people! That doesn't mean I don't still need help. This is virtual pan handling, I'll admit it.

Carpool Lane - Move over, here I come!

Mary, the mother of 1 1/2 children, now owns a MINI-VAN. Sad but true. The sad part is I really like it. Many out there are still of the opinion that you will never-ever own a mini. That was me, but after having one as a rental in Hawaii I fell in love with the convenience. I've been converted. I know you are disapointed but if it makes you feel better, I still consider the X-terra mine and this is Zach's new upgrade. :) Due to a HORRIBLE exprience with our Passat for 3 years, we have parted ways and now own a sweet Grand Caravan. The best part about it all... I purchaced it myself while Zach was gone skiing yesterday.
It's not like it was a shock or anything, we'd been looking for vans for a week after our Passat broke down on our way to Moab last weekend. We had to call AAA for the 6th time since owning our VW. Let me give you all some advice... Never own a VW. It will save you a lot of head aches. They look great but when you are stranded on I-70 with your 20 month old you will wish you could crush the stinkin' car between your bare hands. Needless to say, it was frustrating experience. SO, Zach goes skiing and I head down to the dealership with Kaitlyn. I must say, I had not enjoyed any dealership experience throughout the week but if you are looking for a car- I LOVED my experience with Henry Day Ford. LOVED IT. Is that normal to say about a dealership? Anywho, Zach kept calling about the van and what was going on and I totally lied and said I left, they wouldn't honor their deal, I wasn't happy with the van, etc. While in reality I was driving away in it. He came home at 5ish and there it was. He wasn't mad at all but was really excited it all worked out and was very proud of me for getting a great deal. I figure it was pay back for all the times in school he'd come home from the Auction with a new car and have me going about what he'd bought. He loved to pull my chain about it, so this was pay back.
Now you all know, we have room when you want to come visit us in Ontario. DON'T BE SHY! COME ON BY! That may be my new slogan. :)

It's Nice To Get Away!

We have just been on an awesome trip to Maui with Krehl and Amy Stegelmeier. We scuba dived, snorkeled (for me), hiked, spear fished, lots of beach time, body surfing, actual surfing, whale watched, spent 3 days in Hana hiking and hanging out, ate great food (unless your pregnant and everything tastes bad), and mostly had a great time with Krehl and Amy. After about 5 days I was starting to really miss Kaitlyn but since she didn't seem to miss us much I just made the most of our trip and we had a really relaxing time.

Our first day in Maui and loving every minute!
Amy and I snazzed up for our LuauThis could sum up most of the trip acually.
7 sacred pools in Hana. Lots of Cliff Jumping
Maui sunrise on the Beach!

Since being back, I'm happy to say I feel pretty normal again! Hot Dog! The last three months were tolerable but I'm really happy to almost feel like me again. Even though I knew this would be the case with #2, nothing really prepares you to look 5 months pregnant at 13 weeks. Strange. I know I should be organizing my life and maybe even packing up stuff we will not need for a couple months but I find myself completely disinterested. I'm a self-proclaimed procrastinator which doesn't help although Zach's influence has improved my worst symptoms for the most part. I figure I've got a month before I have to face the reality of moving for the 7th time in 7 years. Shocking isn't it! To think 3 of those years were spent happily living in one place. This last move from NSL to Holladay I didn't even bother unpacking about 15 boxes. WHY DO I EVEN HAVE THOSE BOXES? I am of the opinion that if I haven't missed them for a year, I'll never really remember what I am supposed to be missing anyways. The trouble is that curiosity gets the best of me and I open the box before the DI drop and low and behold: tokens of my sentimental journey through life have been hidden for a year and I LOVE THEM. So I never get rid of it and when we move to our new home, I don't have anywhere to put those things so they stay in the box until... down the road we are moving again and I rediscover my treasures. It's not so bad with my crap but does anyone else just want to throw away half of your husbands stuff that you lug around from place to place. There is no sentiment and I am itching to get rid of all the stuff taking up space. I'm not talking about pictures or journals or favorite things from childhood. I'm talking about your college Biology text book that I've been informed will come in very handy one day. And maybe it will.