Nashville & St. Louis

We have been back in America for 3 weeks now. We've spent some time with my family in Nashville and then packed up our little Honda and drove NW to St. Louis, our new little home. Now we are in Seattle for the next two weeks. When I think about how much we have done in 3 weeks time, I get overwhelmed. I'm also just shocked at how much you can do in one day here in America. Everything runs so smoothly!

We had a blast hanging out with my family in Tennessee. Eli got to know his cousin Amos, his grandparents, great grandma and great aunt and all his aunts and uncles. He loved having 2 fluffy dogs to play with and also loved the thousands of toys that live in a big closet at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Sadly, I do not have a lot of pictures as I was just enjoying myself too much to get the camera out. If you are really curious though, visit my sister's blog for a very detailed update on our time in Nashville.

Elijah with Aunt Abby

Eli enjoying the toys at grandma and grandpa's house

Going to St. Louis was a strange feeling. I felt emotional but excited to start our new life there. We spent the first 4 days running around looking at 5 apartments a day. I couldn't believe how many wonderful apartments we had to chose from. It was a difficult choice, but I know that God provided a great place for us. We are so thankful for His provisions!


We also managed to spend time with our friends who also just moved there from Seattle as well as other friends who had been there longer. We are so thankful for God providing a community that we can really just enter into. It was hard only being there for 10 days as we were ready to start our new life. Still, I am glad to be here in Seattle and have one more vacation before life as a poor seminary wife takes off.


I feel like Eli has really grown up this month. Since returning to America, he has decided he is done with crying at nap time. As you can imagine, this has been a huge gift to me! No more stress at nap time! Also, he has taught himself all sorts of new little tricks and is becoming a much better walker. Oh and he loves to climb!

Eli figured out how to play with the Jensen's dog while also eating his snack

Getting to know our neighborhood park, Tower Grove.

On Tuesday, we packed up our belongings...

and got on yet another plane to Seattle

We are in Seattle until Aug. 5th. We will be staying with Dan's family as well as good friends. We have been well taken care of by so many people! I am excited to have these few weeks to soak up as much of this city as possible. Eli has been reconnecting with his best friend Ezra. The last time they saw each other, they were very very little.

Now they are big boys chasing after one another.

We had lunch at our favorite restaurant in the University District called Thai Toms. It was voted best Thai in Seattle this year. It's a hole in the wall with only 20 seats. Dan and I often walked there for date nights in college. Eli loved the Phad Thai with peanut sauce and I was so proud of him!

So far, our time in America has been great. It feels so familiar and comfortable. At the same time, I find myself to be very emotional. Not about anything in particular, but just ready to cry at any moment, especially at church. I think it is a good way for me to measure how I am really doing. I have a tendency to just push through and put my thoughts and emotions on the back burner until I have time to deal with them. But in the quiet moments it all spills out and lately, the only quiet moments I have had are during church services. I think it will take a while to process all that has gone on in the last month. We have been traveling a ton and have had so much to do that I think we are on survival mode. I look forward to life becoming slow and normal again. I want a schedule of some sort and a place to call home. It has been so fun though reconnecting with family and friends and we are trying to enjoy every minute of it

Now, I will leave you with pictures of our apartment in St. Louis, for those of you who care . This is the front door. I love the stained glass in the living room.


Here is our dining room. Eli's room is the door to Dan's left. Dan is walking toward the kitchen. The bathroom and our bedroom is also toward the back. I love the layout.

Bathroom to the left, kitchen straight ahead, and our bedroom and office to the right.

This is our bedroom. The office/sewing room will be in the sun room through those French doors that is actually part of our bedroom,