We Made It!

Our spirits have been lifted. We arrived at our new apartment safely and were grateful for some of the amenities that we haven't had in a while. Our new apartment has a washer and dryer and I pretty much kissed the appliances when I saw them today. No more quarters and laundromat. Our friends lent Dan a bike for riding to the train each day for work. Can you guess what that means for me??? I have 3 months of having the car to myself everyday. Don't get me wrong, we enjoyed dropping Dan off at work in the mornings, but it will be a nice break to let the girls sleep in instead of getting them up and dressed every morning before 8 am. And if we go somewhere in the afternoon I don't have to be home at a certain time to pick Dan up. And...the swimming pool is heated on the off season so all of us can swim at anytime. We have decided to really enjoy this time and I don't think I will have any problem doing that.

And now for a sad, yet funny story with a happy ending. After much hesitation and a lot of thought, I finally decided to get my hair done. It has been growing for 11 months now and I have let it do it's own thing. So I made a hair appointment and went last night. It seemed to be going okay, although I wasn't too pleased with the cut but knew I could live with it. She left the length on it but went a little scissor happy on the top part. I decided to go ahead of getting highlights too. That seemed to be going fine also, until she turned me around in the mirror after taking the towel off my head. Eek! My hair was bleached in chunky strips all over my head. I am talking like white strips of hair. I tried everything I could to hide my shock. The hairdresser started raving about how nice it looked. What? Was she blind? I don't know much about doing hair but I do know that highlights are NOT supposed to look like that. I left the salon and called Dan. He tried to reassure me that it would be okay but I was upset. When I got home he did everything he could do to make me feel better. I can laugh about it now, but it was bad. So this morning I found a colorist in Stockton who had great ratings. I called her at 8:30 am and told her I had a hair emergency. Thankfully she met me at her shop and fixed everything. She was very good. Once again, I don't know how to do hair but I can tell when someone knows what they are doing. I have some top parts to grow out but the cut and color are much much better. I have a picture of the final product so I will try to post it this weekend along with pictures of our new apartment.

Girls Day Out

We took a break from all of the craziness on Tuesday and spent the day with our friends at the park and at a zoo.  It was such a nice time away from the stress and I really enjoyed watching the kids run and play and laugh.  Tomorrow they are helping us move so it will be nice to have people we know with us as we make this transition.  Our friends have two little girls so together we have five little girls playing together.  Very fun!

Quick Recap

As of today we have signed a lease for an apartment in Dublin California. This was a very tough decision for us. We apartment hunted in the area Saturday, Sunday and Monday. We are all tired of driving and looking. After all of our searches, we chose to take the plunge and lease a very expensive apartment in a safe, nice area with all the bells and whistles at the complex. We still feel a bit unsettled, but we are moving forward on faith. We decided after 11 months of pinching pennies significantly that we would enjoy these last 3 months and spend the money. It is not what we want, but we are taking it and choosing to enjoy this. Once we settle again I know we will enjoy the bay area. There is much to do.

On another note, we are entering into a fight with our current apartment because they won't let us out of our lease. Dan's company is using their lawyer to help us fight it. We hope it will all work out okay, but unfortunately it is a stress that we don't need right now. Worse case scenario...we pay the penalties and allow ourselves to be okay with that. Please pray that it doesn't get ugly and that God helps us handle it all with good attitudes and grace. Especially because we have 3 little ones watching us closely on how we handle all of the stress.

By tomorrow night we should be settles in our new place.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

We had a frustrating weekend apartment searching. Both of us are struggling with our current situation because we have to come to terms with the fact that cost of living in Dublin is very high. We saw a lot of apartments and spent both days in the car driving around Dublin and Hayward. We kept striking out on apartment availability. The toughest part was that we had a lot of questions for Dan's recruiter and we weren't able to get in contact with him all weekend. He was not reachable by phone which is unusual. Here it is Sunday night and we still have not heard from him. We have a few prospects of places to live, but we are waiting to talk to the recruiter before we make any decisions. We kept praying for God to make it clear to us where He wants us but we feel kind of mucky with where that might be. A big part of the decision making process involves how close we want to live to the train that Dan would need to take to work every morning. If we live far away, then he would either need to get a bike or the girls and I would have to get up very early every morning and take him to the station. The closer you live to the station the higher the cost of living. We searched both Dublin and Hayward and the surrounding areas. Our heads are spinning and we are excited to settle in for the night. We have high hopes that Dan can talk to his recruiter in the morning and we might have some answers very soon. Once again.....to be continued!

Protection

My devotion this morning was the story of Elisha in 2 Kings 6. This is when the nation of Aram was attacking Israel. Every time they were attacked God would tell Elisha what their strategy was and they would win. One morning Elisha and his servant woke up to see that they were surrounded by an army. The servant panicked and ran to tell Elisha. Elisha told the servant not to worry because the people on their side far outnumbered the enemy. I can only imagine the servant's response when he realized there were only two of them and a whole army of the enemy. But Elisha prayed for the servant's eyes to be opened so he could see the vast number of angels on the hillside. I think about this story with our situation because we could easily panic about the details of our move. And I am accustomed to doing that normally. But with this one I feel like I can see that we do not need to worry. I feel like we too have angels sitting around us. And when I start to worry about the details I feel like I immediately get reminded to let go. I hear people say often, "How can you do this travel thing? It must be so hard." I appreciate the empathy, but I will tell you that when your husband follows the leading of the spirit, you just do it. You don't question and you just do it. I am learning to be happy in the moment and just appreciate this season in our lives. We are so much richer as a family and as a couple because Dan obeyed. Who wouldn't want that, right? You just do it!

It has been a fun week choosing not to worry about details. Dan and his recruiter are taking care of most of them. The girls and I had the car more days this week so we had fun getting out, running errands, and enjoying our location. I was on a shoe hunt this week. I have struggled with dry and cracked heels on my feet for many years, but recently they have gotten very bad. To the point that they are bleeding and it hurts to stand. Of course I was the idiot who wore flip flops ALL winter long....you know, because we were in California. Why not wear flip flops?? Well, now I am paying for it. Dan was telling me that my pressure points are off when I wear an unsupported shoe, causing the callouses on my feet. So.....sadly, I had to dump the flip flops. I think I am attached to them because they make me feel young...hip. Well now I have to wear real shoes everyday. I was so worried about looking like a frumpy mom...not chic. But then I came across some Merrell barefoot shoes....that unfortunately I have to tie everyday. I have done my research on barefoot shoes and will give these a try. They do have an arch support and I can put more support inside if I need it. I put them on last night and Dan even said they looked very trendy. Let's hope for some foot comfort for Julie!

Tomorrow we spend the day in Dublin or Hayward apartment hunting. It seems like we just did this....ha ha. Our rental furniture shouldn't be a big deal because there is a Rent A Center in Hayward. Let's pray that those details go well! I do have to share that Dan's facility that let him go decided soon after that decision was made that they were wrong. They came to realize that he was a great worker. They just forgot to factor in his first week's learning curve. Who needs an orientation at a new facility, right? Oh well...their loss.

Next Move

Early yesterday morning we got a phone call from Dan's recruiter telling us that he had good news. He found us a place in a town called Hayward CA. So last night we got in the car and drove there to check out the area. It is about 50 minutes from where we are at now. The town of Hayward didn't look that great but we are able to live in a town called Dublin, which is very family oriented. Dan would take the train to work, which allows me to have the car every day. Our recruiter is working on finding housing for us and thinks he can get us out of our lease at our current apartment. So we are waiting and praying for all of those details to come together. If it all works out then we will move at the end of next week. The good news is that we are so close to the bay. We can get in the car on the weekend and be at the beach in less than a half hour. Dan thinks he can take off from his current job a few days early so he can do all the moving with us. That would be amazing if it works out that way. For the time being, I am working on resting in the fact that something will work out soon! As it goes with this job, one day you think you have it figured out and the next day it could be different. I will keep you all posted as I have more confirmation on things.

Yummy Smoothie

I had to share this recipe! It was an afternoon snack for me and Mya while the other two were napping. So good and easy!

Cinnamon Bun Smoothie (taken from Everyday Happy Herbivore)

1 frozen banana
1 c nondairy milk
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pure maple syrup

Combine all ingredients in a blender and whiz until smooth. Add more nondairy milk as necessary.

Odd......But Very Funny

Some odd things have happened around here lately that have created lasting memories for us as a family. We will remember very well the time that...

*Chloe went pee on the potty at 17 months old (true story...she asks to sit on the potty and she went this weekend when all 4 of us were watching her). She acts like and thinks that she is much older than she is.

*Sara went poopy in the bathtub while bathing with her two sisters. When asked who pooed in the tub she blamed it on her baby sister. Dan said, "that poo is definitely not the size of a Chloe poo." We knew who really did it!

*I made dinner tonight to celebrate having green smoothies for a week. I made a chocolate cake full of lots of butter and sugar. I am not certain the greensmoothiegirl would approve at all, but the kids enjoyed having something sweet and yummy finally. Funny thing is my oven at this apartment bakes terrible and burns everything so the cake came out very crumbly. I had to stir it constantly while baking it to keep it from burning. So naturally I had to go buy vanilla ice cream to go with the crumbly chocolate cake rather than throwing it away. Yummy!

*A few times Dan has come home from work to report that he was repeatedly cussed out by a patient, multiple times throughout the day. I guess we have decided to just laugh about it. It is kind of funny when he tells the stories. He usually has me laughing pretty hard.

*While driving home from church today Sara randomly said, " I wish I could go up to those clouds and walk on them." Then Mya replies, "I wish I could fly.". They have been watching Peter Pan too much lately.

The Donatini household can be quite comical sometimes!

Genesis

I continue to be amazed at the life lessons that God is teaching me while on this journey. I am amazed at how He has sustained me, especially at this new place. I know no one in this town. I am with the girls all week and I do not have relationship with anyone...not even a neighbor. I would work harder at finding relationships if I knew we were staying, but things are in limbo so I wait. It is a new situation for me. The last place was 9 months so i was very encouraged and motivated to meet people. At this place I focus on the girls, I wait for Dan to get home and lean on him for adult talk, and I find things to do to make sure I have some quiet time to myself. But more importantly I am learning to enjoy what I have, rather than focus on what I wish I had. I am learning to accept that God is always refining us, no matter where we are located. I put on His armor and allow Him to teach me and mold me during this period of time. It is okay because God refines and gives peace everyday. This lesson was made abundantly clear while studying the book of Genesis.

It just so happened that the Sunday School class at church was studying Genesis...the fall of mankind...and we were studying that with the girls during our nightly family worship time. Both studies were going on at the same time. We talked a lot about Satan and how he tries to control us with deception and lies. And how that allows for independence from God. God tells us to obey Him no matter what, just like we tell our children to do. And yet so often we give in to the sin that is crouching at the door. For me sometimes it is wanting things because we aren't buying them right now. Or getting frustrated because we have to share a car. Or just wanting a cell phone that isn't held together with duct tape. Or wanting to win EVERY battle with the kids...whether big or small. But for goodness sakes, that is Satan telling me I need those things to be happier. It would be nice to have those things, but my spirit is no different if I have them or not. Our needs are met...the family is fed and clothed and we live very comfortable. The truth is that there is no reason to need more things. Thankfully, through God's grace, He gives me peace when I admit those sins and allow Him to refine me.

Just the other day I had quite a run in with Mya. It started so small and grew large very quickly. I have only seen her act like this one other time in her 5 years of life. She wanted to close the blinds in her room to play "sleepy time" with her dolls. I told her to leave them open. She started whining. I told her to go to the corner. She told me she didn't want to. I told her to obey. She went to the corner but decided that the floor hurt her feet. She convinced herself that she couldn't stand anymore because her feet hurt. She escalated quickly and was crying very hard and loud. It was ugly. This went on for a while. Finally, I took her out of the corner, held her tightly to calm her down. I talked to her about her heart and how Satan was liking what she was doing. She stopped immediately and started asking tons of questions about Satan. We had a dialogue about her behavior. Obviously we were having quite a power struggle between mom and daughter. Both of us clearly succumbing to some negative ways. She wanted her way, I very much so wanted my way just so I could win the battle. I was frustrated, I wouldn't let her get one inch of her way. It got out of hand and the only thing that brought us both back to reality was talking about our hearts. She gently reminded me that I needed to be slow to anger. I reminded her about respecting her mommy. It was an interesting learning experience. Once Dan got home he helped by talking with Mya, calming her, and impressing on her how much God wants her to obey. Then he and I talked about the situation. I realized that I was holding a grudge with her about her behavior. I had to ask for forgiveness and recognize how much my pride played a role in that. The evening ended with a wonderful talk between mom and daughter. We both talked about how Satan is there waiting to get to us. But
God is there to teach us to obey His ways.

Why is it that we can't just be given wisdom right now? Why couldn't we have gotten it the day we had our babies? Why do we have to go through all the tough stuff to get it? Why do we get smart only after our kids are raised or after we have been married for a while? I guess so we can be drawn right back to God each time and take a stand against the devil's schemes. How would He refine us if we didn't go through these experiences? It is by God's great design that we live this way...and I am thankful.

Ephesians 6:19-20

One Door Closes and Another One Opens.....Hopefully Soon!

We received word early this morning that Dan's job will be terminated in 2 weeks. This is a very good thing as he has some ethical conflicts going on there. The quality of care with his patients is not good and he is ready to move on. So we are eagerly waiting while his recruiter is doing the legwork to find us a new placement. We could be packing up and moving in 2 weeks. This morning Dan's recruiter prayed with him on the phone. We feel very protected and know that an open door is awaiting us.......to be continued (once I know more details).

Updates

Update with Dan's job:
Dan is really a trooper. His job is getting a bit better every day. He is learning the computer system and getting quicker with it. He is figuring out ways to work around some of the major challenges that he is facing with the skilled nursing setting. The girls and I make sure to pray for him throughout the day. We eagerly wait for him to come home each day to hear how his day went. With his last job he was able to make quick phone calls a couple times a day to check in with me. He is not able to do that at this job, so I am adjusting to that too.

Food update:
We are on day 6 of green smoothies. So far, Sara is the only one that takes more time to drink hers. She usually finishes it by lunch. Sometimes I sneak some honey in hers to make it sweeter. Chloe drinks hers very fast and would drink ours if we let her. May drinks it well because she can comprehend the benefits to her body. And I have to admit...they are pretty tasty. I am still working on the right recipe for us...the right amount of greens and fruits. Yesterday I used way too many greens and it didn't taste quite as good. But everyone still drank without complaining. How cool that we are consuming more than double of the recommended servings of greens daily! Dan has battled excema on his fingers for years and it is suddenly clearing up. I have learned how to make my own almond milk...we don't drink cow's milk and haven't for about a year. But almond milk is pretty yummy. We have learned about Quinoa (pronounced keen wah) and had it for dinner last night. I sautéed fresh carrots, peppers, and garlic and added some oregano and put it all together. Excellent! And today I learned how to make ice cream from almond milk, frozen bananas and vanilla all put in the blender. It tastes like regular ice cream. For snack this morning, the girls and I baked slices of sweet potatoes to make healthy chips. So good! I am like a sponge with learning about food. I find it so intriguing and am realizing how little I knew....and how much more I still need to learn.

Update on kids:
Until recently, the kids were doing well with obedience but I think the move kind of jumbled us in that area. After realizing that my frustration level was getting too high, I had to regroup and devise a new plan. I pulled out my kids bible....I mean my Tomato Staking book....and reread parts of it. After having a very large power struggle with Mya, I sat the kids down and told them that we were going to stay home all day every day until their obedience and respect improved. That means that I have to stay off the phone, the iPad, and put my novel down. They need my attention and extra teaching until I make sure to win every battle that they present to me. My consistency needs to grow significantly and they need to understand that I will not look the other way when they slip up. So basically we are re-tomato staking until I see improvement. I will say that after outlasting with Mya yesterday she has been different...more respectful. So now I watch to make sure that continues. And hopefully one day soon we get to go somewhere!

San Francisco

The beauty of our new location is that it only takes an hour to get to the coast.  On Saturday, we decided to take a drive to Walnut Creek, board the BART and explore San Francisco for the first time.  It was amazing!  We landed at the Fisherman's Wharf and had some wonderful Clam Chowder.  It was an inexpensive adventure that we are sure to do again soon!

Enjoying Our Backyard

We spent the afternoon in the sunshine and large field behind our apartment.  The kids just love running free.  I took some pictures of the girls and then the ones of me (or me and Sara) were taken by Mya.  She is good!

Nesting

When you move, you go through a whole new phase of "nesting." I think I am finally done with that and can just enjoy our surroundings. I amazed and so grateful for the stores that are at our disposal around here. Around every corner there is a Starbucks and Jamba Juice. I just found out yesterday that we have a Trader Joes down the street from our apartment. I have found the grocery store, post office, public library and laundromat. This week we attended a MOPS meeting and I took the girls to story time at the library. On Saturday we are going to the Farmers Market that they have downtown. I am super excited to get my fruits and veggies there. We finally got a blender (thank you to Papa and Nana!), I finished reading my Green Smoothie book (there is actually a science behind it) and I made the first green smoothie today. The girls and I made it together. Do you know how good it felt to teach them to put handfuls of spinach in their drink and watch them smile as they drank it??? I feel complete as a mom. I don't have to worry about how many servings of veggies they get in a day. The best part was watching Chloe throw a fit when I took her smoothie away because she had enough. The one time I smiled at her throwing a fit. It was for a very good reason.

I haven't written much about Dan and his job. It has been a hard week for him, but he is hanging in there like a champ. The first day he showed up they gave him a full case load, a new computer system to learn, and very very little explanation. They expected the productivity level of a seasoned employee. He has had to work later hours to get things done so it has been a long week for him. But he is confident that as the weeks progress it will get much easier. He definitely misses the Porterville job right now and the relationships that he made there. But he will continue to do just fine, especially knowing this is short term.

New Apartment

We are still so pleased with our apartment.  In the living room there is a large window and it reminds me of the one at home in our house.  I love to wake up each morning and open all the blinds.  The sun never shines directly into that window so it is pleasant all day.  It overlooks green grass and a very large field.  Today after we picked up Dan from work we took the kids to the field.  They ran and played like they had been given so much freedom.  It was awesome to see!  Dan played chase with our kids and some neighbor kids.  I just smiled on the inside and out as I watched everyone play.  It was one of those special moments that makes a wife and mom feel so proud.

Looking at our apartment from the parking lot…..

Up our stairs to our front door….

Our backyard, which we didn’t have at the last place…..

Our living room with really nice couches, fireplace, and large window…..

Dining room and kitchen……

Girls’ room….

Our room and walk in closet….

Bathroom….