We're back to the 21st century

As of 10pm last night we have internet access at home again! It's interesting how quickly some technologies become necessities. We tried to think about not having cell phones and only having dial-up internet, but there were just too many cons like trying to pick up Jason from the train but not knowing for sure which train he caught, what if the van broke down and we were stuck somewhere without a way to get help (which we hear would be very serious in a Chicago winter), not being able to do internet banking, download online books and artcles for Jason's homework, and the greatest tragedy...not being able to upload or view pictures or videos on the family blog or picture site! Sometimes I feel like technology is telling me what I need instead of the other way around.

I don't quite know how to comment on these last two months. Honestly, it feels like a nightmare we're just coming out of. I feel like I identify with the pioneers more when they say that first Winter Quarters winter was something they didn't want to talk about or remember (Bekah and I have been reading her Church History kids book she got from Nana a while back). There were times I felt so extremely helpless and hopeless, mostly during the 3AM feedings when I was all alone...except for the reason I was awake. Many other times I was just in survival mode not really aware of what's going on around me. There were so many things that went wrong I couldn't possibly remember them all and I really don't feel like remembering them anyway for a long time. But the wonderful thing is there have been so many blessings and miracles at the same time that I can't recount those either, nor do I even know what they all are. I have been so humbled.

And James and Bekah have been troopers through it all. I'm so glad Bekah has kindergarten to look forward to. There are at least ten reasons we've realized we're glad we're in this house and this area and if the only one was so that Bekah could have Mrs. Kallaus for a teacher it would be worth it to me. Mrs. Kallaus is a very gifted teacher and she really gets the kids excited. For instance, the school sent home a CD about keeping our bodies clean and healthy with songs to listen to as part of their health class. Bekah listens to this daily and of her own accord asks to shower almost each day, and she wants to brush her teeth (instead of us forcing her to) because she wants to do what her teacher asks! I can't explain the joy I feel when Bekah comes home from school and is so excited to show me what's she's learned. It's very fulfilling. I would never have been able to duplicate Bekah's learning experience if we'd chosen to do home school had we lived in a not-so-good area of Chicago.

I don't know how Jason has survived so far, and I don't think he does either. Somehow he's been able to keep going even though he sore and tired and worn out. His schedule some days is unbelieveable. Mondays and Wednesdays he leaves the house at 7:30am to teach three sections of English writing at McHenry County College (MCC) from 8-11am. Then he has a required office hour until 11:50am. Then he rushes as fast as he can to the Crystal Lake metra station to catch the 12:10pm train so he has enough time to walk the 15-20 minutes from Ogilvie station to University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) so he can attend two of his classes that don't get done until 9pm. Then he has to hurry back to Ogilvie to catch the 9:30pm train back to Crystal Lake, and he doesn't walk back in the door until 11:15pm or so. (This is if he makes the 9:30 train since it only comes once an hour at night.) Some Mondays his evening class is at University of Chicago (UC) since it's team taught between the two locations so he has to leave his previous class slightly early to catch a cab to UC where he's a little late to that class. Then he has to get back to Ogilvie station to take the 10:30pm train, in which case he wouldn't get home until 12:15am. For two more weeks on Tuesdays/Thursdays he catches the 7:30am train back to UIC to observe a class he's required to attend and gets home about 1:30pm. Fridays he teaches at MCC again from 8-11, so all his homework, lesson prep, working on the house time has to be fit in on Tues/ Thurs/Fri afternoons and Saturday and Sunday. (He just got called to teach Course 15 Sunday School, though, so even Sundays he's doing more lesson prep.) It's truly amazing what he's gone through. Had we known his schedule would be this busy this semester, he wouldn't have accepted three sections at MCC. But come December this semester will be over and he can teach less at MCC and hopefully have more time to get to where he needs to go.

The house is coming along. Yesterday Jason was able to get the gas dryer that came with the house fixed and the washer working so we can do laundry again! (I've been doing laundry at a ward members house.) He also installed a thermostat recently and got the furnace cleaned out so we can get it inspected so we can have working heat. We also hung up some blinds and installed some closet organizers in our new closets so we can hang clothes up. And I mentioned we got internet (and cable since AT&T requires cable if you have internet and it was cheaper than Comcast) set up last night. We stained a kitchen cabinet today and started painting the kitchen so we can start hanging cabinets so we have somewhere to put dishes away. So things are coming together.

It's nice to be able to read the blog again. For a while now I've felt really out of the loop. Bekah woke me up early this morning because she really wanted to see the new videos of Kaylee and Ashlynn as soon as she could. So we're getting back in the groove.

Well, I need to go pick up Bekah from school. Thanks for all your prayers and support.
We love you.
Nikki