So far, in Fredricksburg

We have dove in.

It took six long irritating hours to drive from Souderton to Fredrickburg, a trip that boasts four hours, if that, but plagued us with being stuck in five plus miles of stop-go traffic that followed an accident.

Our apartment is very close to everything...just a short highwayish drive away, which makes walking there harder. We are thankful that it is a reasonable distance from Ben's work.

Moving in took no time. Unpacking took a couple days (with small children, something that could take an hour would instead be a day's job, especially with no naps.)

Naisa seems to be transitioning well. It took a couple days of on and off crying for her to adjust. She has her Na-Na and her kitty and her teddy and her babies and her "odr" toys. So she's ok. But it took a lot of patience and yesterday we had a failed outing because she was too upset because I wouldn't let her climb the stairs of a Methodist church on the way to a place to throw the ball.

We successfully found a place to purchase a herd share just north west of Fredricksburg a little bit. We visited their farm on Labor day and it was a great, relaxed, fun visit. It's a (wonderful) mom, her husband, and three rambunctious boys, one of whom is Naisa's age and she, of course, had a blast. When Yonah needed to nurse while we were there, the husband said to me to "pick a couch" inside. It's wonderful to be around people who are so welcoming to nursing a baby. :)

Today was Ben's second day at Lifeway and he's getting the hang of it. I can tell he is energized by the challenge and the place, I think we are both energized by the transition. It feels like a honeymoon--that kind of excitement--the something-new joy... even though we have two little ones, one of which is a handful (now which one is that??). I think I like it because Ben has to get to bed at a a good time to get up in the morning, so we are more intentional with hanging out (whereas when we were at his parent's house on our "vacation" he would be researching Bible passages, and Greek words from Hebrews 12:17 and go to bed in the wee hours of the morning.)

We found a church we'll be attending while we are here, and are hoping to connect to a Life Group while we are here. It's called Calvary Chapel Fredricksburg. They preach line by line out of the Bible and have the nursery and nursing room right by the sanctuary (with a TV and speaker of the sermon!). We love it. And it's five minutes down the road (but everything is five minutes down the road.)

I have been able to start exercising with T-tapp while we were on our "vacation" and have continued to do it since we've been here. I'm looking forward to trying the longer workout. . . when the nap times allow. It has been helping my back pain that has ensued from nursing and and carrying around a 30lb two year old while having a baby in the carrier.

Almost all my attempts to organize have been cadoodled by my Naisa, who dumps over my recipe cards (organized by types of dish) and then gets upset about the mess, and throws all the books on the floor and rips pages (of already destroyed books) apart. Then she destroys more books, and INSISTS on having her ENTIRE basket full of toys in her Pack-n-Play for naptime (and then unloads them out of it before going to sleep. (It's another fun game for a toddler to play!) I have had success putting clothes into drawers (although I think she relocated some of Ben's socks), and managing the kitchen.

I will be chronically behind on dishes for the entire time we are here. There isn't a dishwasher.
Naisa has been eating much better while we were at Ben's parents house and now. The teething irritation must ahve subsided for awhile. Sometimes in the morning it takes her a little bit to get hungry.... and then she gets HANGRY, and I trip to pump as much nutrition into her smoothis as possible (think coconut oil and gelatin along with the milk and banana and strawberries.)

I try to prep dinner while the babies are sleeping so that I can just heat it up in the pot or in the oven once it's time to start. So far (as in, one night) this has worked. And we are getting plenty of practice nursing in the carrier out of pure necessity.)

So far, interactions with our landlady (who we see often because the business is below us and they bring their horse in and out) have been good, although she is very professional and you can tell she doesn't have children. We got internet today, which is a blessing, not having to count MB.
 
When the internet guy came, we had a discussion about Christianity in the American church, and I encouraged him to attend church, because he said he hadn't been in awhile, but because he had a kid (or more, don't know) that he wanted to start going again. I talked to him about the church we had gone to, and also recommended a couple pastors to listen to online (Skip Heitzig and Frances Chan).

So, without further ado, some pictures from a five minute window of my day.

When I wouldn't let her have the camera.

Yonah, ten weeks. Chubby as can be.

As much of a smile as I could catch with my camera's issues.

Because EVERYTHING

The couch in the living room. There is also an entertainnment center across from the couch

Naisa by the front door. Fussing because Yonah couldn't come into the kitchen for one second.

Kitchen. You can't see all the dishes I have to wash. But you can see the table.

Naisa "Cimbed" the chair all by herself.

L to R Ben and I's bedroom, Naisa's bedroom, bathroom

Our set up in the bedroom.

Bathroom. not much to see here.

Naisa's space. The toys are positioned "out" of the bed at the moment.

Look how big!

Various Writings of the past few days.

Friday
The trip lasted almost seven and a half hours, and I was very tired and hungry when I finally arrived at my grandparent's house. Bedtime is going to be a lot earlier because of my eight o'clock classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Classes start on Tuesday. 
I can't wait to get reconnected with people and start hanging out, and I'll need to figure out how I'm going to do that, considering the cafeteria is the most social place on campus, and I don't have a meal plan. I could get a partial meal plan. I'm not sure how much that costs though.
It's good to see Anna, although she is currently in possession of the room that I will be staying in, and so there isn't any space for anything of mine yet. But we are moving her into her apartment tomorrow. It's when all the new freshman are moving in also, but we won't be on campus. 
Saturday
 We woke up early (ugh), and then went to the Farmer's Market. Then Anna packed up some more of her stuff, and we went to her new apartment. It's sooo close to campus. I'm kind of peeved that I'm not granted permission to live there, because it's a pretty darn perfect apartment. Although, sharing a room with Anna might get a little bit old. I got a little bit sick of her today. We moved her in to her apartment, and I met Christina her roommate (who seems very similar to Sarah Rody), and helped bring in stuff. Lots of fun. I went down to the quad (the grassy area between all the dorms) and saw a whole bunch of people which was great. I loved it. Bekah and I walked around together doing all sorts of fun things, which means we helped bring in someone's things, and tried to get the shirts that all the people moving people into their dorms were wearing (but we didn't.)
I climbed the hill to Anna's apartment three times today!
I also crashed the Honors Reception. Not all the honors students were invited, which was weird, but there might have been some reasoning which I am not aware of. But I went to it anyway, and nobody got mad, and ended up having some great discussion with some of the freshman and other people that are in the Honors program.
I saw all kinds of wonderful people. A couple people that I lived with in DC. and got to give wonderful hugs to all.
I walked around barefoot all day. My feet look disgusting. It's great.
My grandparents that living in West Virginia have a foster child named Brandon. He's quiet, but very polite and sweet.
Anna and I went shopping in the afternoon. I was really tired, and realized it when Anna suggested that we go to this store, and then that store, to see if what we needed was there for a better price. Ugh. And she drove in the wrong direction to go to Walmart, but wouldn't listen to me when I told her directions to get to where we wanted to go. We had to call Grandma and Grandpa to figure out how to get there. I then realized that I hadn't eaten since noonish, and was hungry.
We went to Taste of Thai for supper, and enjoyed Pad Thai tofu. Mmmm.
Sunday
We went to Crossroads church today. It's a church that Anna used to attend during the first few years she was in college. At first, I was really pessimistic about it. I didn't want to car pool, and Anna was being really silly and rushing me and being annoying, so I was so annoyed by her. But when we got to the church, I felt really welcome and accepted. Anna and I were to take care of the children during the service--they were doing a healing service. In the church, there has been many financial issues and loss of population in the church, so the pastor had to leave, and so they were having some open discussion about what everyone was feeling. Anna and I spent time with Leah, a six or seven month old, Naomi, a two and a half year old, and Hannah, a fourteen year old with Downs Syndrome. We played with blocks and play dough, and Leah fell asleep in my lap as I was bouncing her. I got to talk to several people that I used to know before we moved to Ohio, and had a delicious meal that was vegan at the potluck afterward. :) Thank goodness for beans and rice. mmmm. After church, I went home and moved in all my stuff. I went to Anna's, had to bike over to the people we carpooled with's house because I left my phone in their car. Then I ran an errand for Anna, and got some tomato paste at Food Lion for her. I biked over to Maplewood and helped Mariah, a girl that is on the hall I would have been on, loft her bed, and then helped Bekah move in her stuff. I saw a few more people before I went home. I biked back up the hill to give Anna her tomato paste, and then biked to my grandparent's house for supper.
We had veggies, hummus, crackers, cantaloupe, and Concord grapes. and then peach cobbler for dessert. It was really good. and now I'm at home watching Heroes, and processing what it means for me to live off campus, and if I like it or not. I know that what it is is where I'm going to be for the next year, and I know that it's a little bit more flexible. But it's hard to see that I'm going to be able to spend time with all the people either. I know I will, but I will be tired. I will find a balance. I know it. I'll get in biking shape, and it will be easier to get where I need to go. . .
Ellie and I are going to run together once classes start. I've met several new people that I didn't get tospend that much time with in the past that are actually Social Work majors and that's great. Some of them are actually on the hall I was going to live with.
I'm looking forward to dumpster diving sometime this week. I have a bunch of friends that are planning on going and I can't wait to do so.
It's really interesting being back on campus again, and having so many opportunities and things that I like and want to do. It's distracting and wonderful.
Monday
Today was a tiring good day, for the most part. I got up this morning, ate breakfast, and made a planner so that I can keep all my dates on track when things start to get hectic. I'll be al set for the next year and a half or so, for the amount of pages that I put in (on accident).
I biked to EMU this morning, and got in the registration line. I did all sorts of registering things, like wearing a name tag and attempting to remember what Anna and I's car's license plate it. I changed my major (finally) officially to social work. Be Gone, Biology! I ate lunch in the caf with some of my friends. I'm debating about how I'm going to be able to spend time with people during the day if I pack my own lunch, because I don't think they allow people who pack their lunch into the caf. If they did, I would do that, and it would be perfect. The other option is to buy a meal plan, and then go to the caf every dat for lunch, or about everyday. I'm not completely sure I can fit it into my budget, but it would certainly be cheaper than spontaneously buying lunch a couple times a week, and it would ensure quality discussion time with friends.
I played piano in Lehman (it's the music building where they also have chapel) for an hour. I'm trying to figure out some piano parts to some of my songs.
I wandered over to Maplewood, and camped out on Bekah and Meg's couch for a little while. I ate some dumpster strawberries and was packing up my stuff when I realized I had no idea where my phone was. So I jumped on my bike, and pedaled barefoot back to Lehman, and it was sitting on the bathroom counter. . . haha.
I didn't really know what to do with myself after that, and so I was going over to Anna's house and passed the EMU garden and I saw my friend Bekah. I decided to stop (I was also rather winded. These hills are intense.) and I sat with her eating some of the garden's grapes, and we watched cars go by for a little while. Then I biked up the little mountain to Anna's house and camped out in her living room for an hour or something, rehydrating, and doing busy work. (they gave us the schedule for the spring semester's classes also, so I was planning out next semester's classes for me)
When Anna got home (she was working out) she started getting dinner ready, and Grandpa and Grandma soon arrived. We had a simple dinner, some spaghetti with homemade tomato sauce, and a version of pico de gallo "salad" that you could put soybeans and mung bean sprouts on. Anna also had this molasses bread that she made, and served Anise candy afterward.
I had to go to a meeting for the Sustainable Food Initiative group that I'm joining. Most of my friends are in this group, and the ideas and plans are totally down my alley. I'm excited to get started and spend more time with these people, and in the garden, and bringing the leftovers from the caf to Our Community Place, a sort of soup kitchen place.
I walked home. It was getting a bit dark, and knowing that, I'm going to get my bike some lights, so that I can bike home, and also let Anna drive me next time. It's a bit of a long walk to do at night. It's close to a mile and a half or something.

First Day of Classes.

I hate waking up after an inadequate night of sleep. But I did, and walked to the caf and put some milk in my water bottle and walked back to the dorm and made myself a smoothie.

Then at eight o'clock I had my first class. It was Ruling Ideas, the Honors Program required course. And somehow I felt like I was the most awake of all of them. But that may have been because they are introverts. I am not sure. We went around the room and introduced ourselves and finished the "If you really knew me..." My answer was that when I really laugh, I snort.

I went to the computer center afterward. Enjoyed the free printing and also typed my Transitions homework. Then I fixed Alisha's computer. (Meaning, I plugged it into the printer, and got the printer to work, and also got the papers to print.)

I was meaning to take a nap. Didn't happen. I played guitar instead. And Alisha, Deanna, and I got ourselves a pet fish for our floor. Then I went to lunch. Met more new people. Learned more new names. 

Went to Transitions. Still felt like the loudest person there. I answer every question, I feel like.

It was a good class. But I was antsy by the time it was over and went back to my dorm and got a Michelle to go walking with me. Then I took a shower.

Then I thought there was Chamber Singers, but it turned out that Auditions are first. So I signed up for an audition for tomorrow at 9:15. On my way back to the dorm, I saw people playing frisbee and decided to join them. They started an Ultimate game and I invited Alisha and whoever to come join me. My hair was still wet, but I played anyway. I was wearing jeans. 

It was a blast. I met more new people.

Then there was the BBQ. There were so many vegetarian options that I didn't have meat.

I talked to so many people. So many new people and it was great. I had a blast and laughed my face off.

Then we went to the mens soccer game. It was great fun. All the people I sat around and I talked and laughed and were goofy and no one wanted to come sit in the open space in the bleachers beside me. I even offered in Spanish. But Ben Bergey isn't a Spanish Major. And so he sat away from where we were. Then Mitch texted me on Deanna's phone and told me to heckle some of the other teams players. So I took number 21 that I liked his hair, that he should try cornrows next time, and that it looked better down. And also that I liked his yellow (which Evan informed me that they were gold) shoes.

I got a headache. And left early. They tied. Even after overtime.