Mary cleaning up in the bath
Mary at the zoo on New Year's Day
Geno's 10 month picture--taken by my friend Allison--she has her own business. If you're interested let me know:)
The One Year Update
Well, it has been nearly a year since Mary and I came to live with Gene in Texas, and it has been an interesting year. Obviously, the addition of Geno to our family has been wonderful. He's an incredibly happy baby that constantly brings joy to our lives. Aside from a monstrous earache, he's been very healthy. In addition, he is trying to walk. He can take one-two steps before he face-plants himself to the floor--he has the bruises to prove it. He also walks on his knees--which brings tons of laughter to his teachers at Kids R Kids. I can't believe he'll be one in 7 weeks.
Mary has adjusted well. At first I thought she would never stop asking about Grandma, Papa, and Ella, but with time, she met new friends. She enjoys school and has learned a ton. Each day she comes home with astounding knowledge. She knows how to spell several words, counts to 15, says many words in Spanish, and she even knows some sign language. Her teachers say that she's an absolute joy to have in class, though she can be a little sensitive--I wonder where she got that from:) A few weeks ago, I took her to see a performance of Annie, and it was love at first sight. She constantly talks about Annie and the other orphans. She even told me that she would like to live in an orphanage. Nothing is cuter than hearing her sing "Tomorrow" and "Hard Knock Life" while playing.
Unfortunately, Gene and I have had a rough time lately. On Monday (2-8-10), Gene was surprisingly laid off from USBC. Fourteen employees' jobs were simply eliminated because of the economy. Since Gene was a relatively new hire, his job was among the cuts; however, some well-respected, experienced professionals were also sent packing. We immediately made the decision to move back to Illinois as soon as the school year ends, but fate had another spin for us.
Two days after the downsize, another recreation-based company, Strike 10, called to speak to Gene about a comparable job. This was a huge compliment to Gene. Strike 10 had received notice of USBC's cutbacks and right away noticed/recognized Gene's name. Within 10 minutes of the interview, Gene was offered the job. The way Gene has explained it to me, he is in charge of the billiards--I know, not bowling--accounts. It's not really a job that Gene would typically go for, but we were in no position to be picky. Now our plan is to reevaluate our status in May, as the school year ends, and make any relocation plans then. Needless to say, this past week was a whirlwind of emotions, and our realtor is on speed dial.
The bottom line is that we moved here for the USBC job, and if that job no longer exists, reason would say we can return to our families. We'll just have to wait and see what fate throws at us next.
We hope all is well with you and yours!
Sincerely,
Angie
