When Dan's parents were in town they stayed at the Marriott Residence Inn which was our home for three months after we moved. We visited them at the hotel one evening and it got us walking down memory lane . . .
In July 2006 we were living in Sandy, Utah. A recruiter had called Dan a month before and he had been interviewed a few times for a position in Washington. The end of July we accepted a position with Dan's current company. A week later we put our house on the market, "staged" it with Mom's help, and moved into my parent's basement so it would stay clean. The house sold in one week for a good price (this was before the market crashed!) By August 30th we were driving to Washington. Dan's parents followed behind, driving Dan's car. Despite two house hunting trips and hundreds of hours house hunting on the internet, we had not found a house which would work for our family (and because this was before the real estate market crashed, the houses were expensive and not too impressive). So, Dan's company put us up in the Residence Inn until we found our home.
We had narrowed down the area in which we wanted to live and we knew which high school Brandon would attend as a freshman, so the day after we arrived in town Brandon started school at Skyview High School. How intimidating that was for him! We didn't know which elementary school the girls would attend, so I enrolled them in a home/school partnership program through the school district. They attended classes 2 or 3 days a week and we home schooled the rest of the time. Or should I say "hotel schooled." Joseph was about 18 months old. It was a busy, busy time! Somehow we figured it out.
We walked around the Residence Inn while visiting Dan's parents. The kids posed in the stairwell in front of our prior "home."
I had Joseph pose by the door of the laundry. He doesn't remember this, but he and I were well acquainted with that room. A family of six creates a lot of laundry, and it seemed like I was doing a few loads at least every other day. We carried loads up and down the stairs (through the rain many days) to the laundry room by the pool. Actually, I should say that I carried the loads and carried Joseph, who wasn't a steady walker yet!
Every year the kids pose for a back to school picture in front of our home. In 2006 we took a picture in front of the Residence Inn sign. The pictures weren't taken on the first day, but they still count! When we visited the hotel the other day, I had the kids pose by the same sign.
Then: Brandon was a scared stiff 9th grader who was still reeling from the sudden change in his plans and home.
Now: Brandon is a confident college student, musician, budding filmmaker, and now missionary.
Then: Bailey was a 4th grader who loved to play Barbies with her sister, read books, and hated to comb her hair.
Now: Bailey is a beautiful and smart almost-9th-grader who likes to text on her cell phone, read books, take pictures for her photography class, and won't leave the house without her hair looking perfect.
Then: Aubrey was a sweet, shy little 1st grader who loved reading and playing Barbies with Bailey.
Now: Aubrey is a happy almost-6th-grader who fearlessly sings, acts, and performs in front of large audiences.
Then: Joseph was an 18 month old who struggled to walk and talk and was overwhelmed by all kinds of sensory stimuli.
Now: Joseph is a happy and busy almost-1st-grader who tears it up on the soccer field, has an endless supply of superhero strength and agility (and costumes), and is a great reader. (And he doesn't stand still for pictures. Ever. If he is happy he is dancing around. If he is not happy, well . . . . . stay tuned for the upcoming blog post "Family Pictures.")
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