It's been a remarkable year for our family. We started the year in a rental home in Galva, KS, with the expectation that Dedrick's job would require moving our family to Mobile, Alabama in May or June as the third and final rotation of a training program for engineers, and that we'd probably have another move after that before he received a long-term assignment. About the time preparations were underway for the move, the position of facilities engineer for the area we have been in for the past year here in Kansas opened up and Dedrick was asked to apply for the job. Now he is the engineer for a natural gas liquids (propane, etc.) fractionation plant, 3 underground storage facilities and rail and truck loading racks. We think we will be here at least 3-5 years. We miss the mountains, but we like the people here and have found we like small town life.
We bought a house in the town we've been renting in the last year. The kids have been able to stay in the same schools and keep their friends and teachers. Damian and Dedrick have made some really good friends here and have family date nights with the other two families several times a month.
Damian has started working part time as postmaster relief for our town of Galva. Her boss Linda thinks Damian is a real gem and says she's been learning the job very quickly. Damian enjoys getting out of the house and hearing all the town's gossip!
Dedrick has discovered a new hobby that he can share with the kids. He has gotten into hobby-grade electric off-road remote control trucks that go 30-50 miles an hour. Rebecca and Aidan each have trucks to run with Dedrick. Dedrick took the trucks to show a coworker and now his friend Robert at work has bought 4 trucks that he keeps at work. Somehow now Dedrick doesn't go out to eat nearly as often, since he and Robert are always out driving or fixing their trucks on their lunch break!
A few highlights from the year:
- We took a trip to Kansas City and visited LDS Church historical sites and then went to Worlds of Fun amusement park.
- Rebecca was baptized.
- Kaliska started afternoon preschool.
- Aidan had his tonsils and adenoids removed. He's breathing better at night now!
- We found out Aidan has acid reflux, joining his dad and grandparents in that category...
- Dedrick had surgery to correct a deviated septum; now he's breathing better through his nose than ever before.
And at the end of next January we will celebrate our 10th anniversary! Thank you to all those who've supported us through the good times and the bad. Nah! Nah! Na-Na-Nah! to those who said our marriage wouldn't last. ;-) And we'd especially like to thank Janine and Howard for all their help and love.
