We hope everyone enjoyed a happy Thanksgiving. We spend a fun filled week with the Russin clan in a rental house along the north west beach of Florida. Cordelia had a great time playing with Mimi, Papa, and her cousins. She is still going through her shy phase so it took her a bit longer to warm up to everyone else, especially the Uncles. But by the end of the week she was much more comfortable. Corrie went bowling for the first time. She had a fun time and surprised us with her strength by picking up an 8lb bowling ball. We went to the beach almost every day and Tim went swimming/boogie boarding some days. Tim also got a chance to go mopedding with his dad. Alicia had a fun time visiting and catching up with everyone.
Prior to Thanksgiving, the month of November started out very hectic and mellowed out just in time for the trip. We hired a nanny to watch Corrie in the mornings since Alicia started her part time job. Cordelia really enjoys her nanny, Julie, and it has been a good experience. Corrie has been steadily increasing her vocabulary and becoming more interactive. She really enjoys animals and knows several animals and their sounds. Corrie is still getting the chance to go to play groups and Alicia recently joined another mom’s club in town which will hopefully provide more play opportunities without a 15-25min drive.
Alicia started her part time job on the 9th. She only worked two weeks before the Thanksgiving holiday so she is still getting up to speed on things. The work seems interesting and Alicia feels she will be able to contribute once she gets a feel for how things are currently done. Alicia still gets to spend time with Corrie in the morning for about an hour and then all afternoon. Alicia was able to meet some of the moms from the local moms’ group. They have an afternoon playgroup, so Alicia will still be able to participate with that.
Tim continues to gain confidence at his new job. After two months of work he feels like he understands what is going on for the most part. This month his previous company, KLA-Tencor, was acquired by another semi-con company so we feel God’s confirmation in choosing to change jobs and move. At hope Tim and Corrie have lots of fun together. One of their favorite games is hide and seek. We also got a small basketball hoop that they enjoy playing with. No real house projects this month, we are enjoying not having the pressures of home ownership as a primary demand on our time.
We are enjoying American Canyon and the surrounding areas. We went to 6 Flags- Discovery Kingdom, which has an animal park as part of it. Unfortunately Corrie is still too small for most of the rides but was able to go on two, accompanied by Tim. She enjoyed the small Shark and fish aquarium too. Hopefully next time we will get to see more animals. We still enjoy the house and being out of the craziness of the bay area. Our renters in San Jose seem to be working out well with no issues so far. We are still looking for a church, which has proved to be more challenging than expected.
We hope you all have a wonderful December, good visits with family and friends, and have good health. We are thankful for our families and the opportunities we have to spend time with them. We are thankful for God’s provision and timing and his faithfulness to guide us. Pray that we remain in good health and that we get more comfortable in our jobs and in the area.
