So, I don't know if anyone but my husband still reads this thing, but here goes. We've had a whirlwind year. I'm putting pictures on my computer now, so hopefully I'll get some on here soon. But, to answer anyone's question as to why I haven't put much on here lately let me give a quick recap of the last year.
October 2009 - great family of 4 vacation to Barcelona for a week. Ulysses was in meetings for most of the week, but the boys and I got to explore Barcelona and I could understand most of what was going on around me. It was a great feeling and made me feel not like the "stupid American who only knows one language" like I do at home.
November 2009 - Ulysses gets notice that his funding has been cut and will not be paid beyond June 2010; The university is not sure if there is enough money to bring us back to the US, but they will see what they can do if he doesn't have a new job by then.
Day before Thanksgiving 2009 - We receive notice from the hospital that I can't deliver there because insurance is not cooperating unless we come up with 30000chf to guarantee the bill will be paid. During the course of the next week, we get the hospital to agree to me signing a guarantee and insurance sending a promise of coverage. This was not an easy process. Thank you to my wonderful Bible study group (and others) for their prayers during this process.
December 2, 2009 - I check into the hospital
December 3, 2009 - my princess Makenzie is born :-)
December 2009 - I try to figure out the French/Swiss birth system all the time stressing about what insurance is going to pay and what we're going to have to come up knowing that we only have a paycheck for 6 more months.
December 2009 - my parents come for almost 3 weeks for Christmas holidays and to walk the boys back and forth to school so I don't have to take Makenzie into the germ infested school. (Ezekiel's RSV stint in ICU has scarred me, but I think I managed pretty well last winter.)
January 2010 - I figure out life with 3
February 2010 - I figure out life with 3 at home
March 2010 - I start planning VBS for our church
April - June 2010 - Ulysses is applying for countless positions, I'm planning VBS, Makenzie is trying to walk, the boys are in love with their sister.
April 2010 - the deadline to tell our landlord if we're moving at the end of June (we have to give 3 months notice)
May 2010 - Ulysses is offered a job, but with less money
June 2010 - negotiations on said job since it is the only offer on the table. Insurance pays the hospital.
July 2010 - VBS and Makenzie's first fever. Thank you again to all of my prayer warrior friends!
July 2010 - told Ulysses has to go to Taiwan for 2-3 weeks, but will be paid for the trip
July 2010 - Ulysses interviews with another university and is offered the job, but it would mean a move to Germany in 6 months
August 2010 - Ulysses starts working with a Taiwanese university, but isn't getting paid until he goes to Taiwan
September 2010 - Xavier starts primary school, Ezekiel is alone in preschool
September 2010 - Ulysses goes to Zurich for a week
October 2010 - Ulysses goes to Taiwan for 17 days
We're still waiting on insurance claims to be figured out from the last year or more. We think we have all of the pay figured out and are now living in 4 different currencies (thankfully I have a smart husband because our budget is a nightmare).
Those are just a few of the highlights (lowlights?) from the last year. Thank you to all of our friends stateside that have been praying for us even though you haven't known what's been going on and thank you to all of our friends here for their prayers and letting me talk/cry/stress myself through.
I can't believe my baby is almost a year old. I know I will always regret how stressed I've been and how I missed most of her milestones.
