It's good I held off on buying a new winter coat...

...because I won't need one where we're going!  Eric accepted a job at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo.  Cal Poly is not to be confused with Cal Tech- it's much more small-time, and we love it all the more for that.  The people Eric will be working with are some of the nicest I've ever met, and the students are amazing.  Most of all, we're ecstatic to be moving to a place that we think is perfect for raising our family.  It's magic.

We had three great options, and it was the hardest decision either of us has ever made.  But now that we've made it, we are SO EXCITED!  Bonus: we happen to have a dog named after their mascot:).  Go Mustangs!

Thoughts before bed...

Thanks to Google Cloud, I can see the world through Eric's eyes while he's away.  Pictures pop up in iphoto and I have to stare at them for a few moments to connect the image with where I know he's been.  I think this is a view of an N.Y.C. street from the Highline.

Right now he's on a plane back to the West Coast.  At first I thought I had the hard job, staying home with the kids while he ate steak for dinner every night.  Then we tagged along on a trip and I realized I would never want to trade places.  Can you imagine selling yourself and your work for an entire day, from the time you wake up in the morning until you go to bed at night?  Then doing it again, and again, and again?  Also- he's gained ten pounds.

The kids and I were late to church this morning so we had to sit in the foyer until the sacrament was over.  I wanted to shout with joy when a woman in an electric wheelchair approached the front door and Eric popped up of his own accord to open it for her!  Out of the corner of my eye I caught Brigham staring intently at her as she buzzed passed.  I couldn't resist asking him, "You're thinking how great it would be to have one of those motorized chairs to ride around in aren't you?"  He smiled and admitted that he was.

After dinner we had a family meeting, during which it was mentioned that Brigham needs to work on flushing the toilet more regularly.  We planned playdates this week and made snickerdoodles to have for after-school snacks.  Then we talked about the possibility of making homemade lunchables to take to school.  We hit an impasse over the cheese- Brigham is anti-unmelted-cheddar, and Eric is anti-provolone.  I might try making my own little pizza crusts for the pizza version.  They both like mozzarella.

For some reason, my heart is so full tonight.  My sweet children and my dear friends here, our wonderful, crazy ward, this beautiful city, and a bright, wide future- all of it seems like too much.  But I'm too tired to analyze it, so I guess I'll just leave it at that and say goodnight.

A Day

I woke up.
I expressed my desire to sleep 10 hours a night for a solid month.
We went to the vital records office to finally get Eleanor Kathryn a birth certificate.
We drove Eric to work.
Marley asked me why he has to go to work and I said so he can get money for us, and she said ooooooohhhh....so he can get monkeys for us?
I finished a book.
We went for a run.
I noticed a stethoscope in our front yard.
We ate lunch.
Marley ate a second lunch (growth spurt).
Ellie took a nap.
I vacuumed all the bedrooms that didn't contain sleeping babies.
Marley decided she needed to play her princess piano and woke Ellie up.
I hurried and took a shower while Ellie was still happy in her crib.
The boys came home.
I accidentally made my neighbor cry.
I called Cindy and unloaded some thoughts about moving.
I picked Eric up at the train station.
We ate actual meat and potatoes for dinner.
The boys went to cub scouts/webelos.
I accidentally made my friend's baby cry and she didn't stop for an hour.
Everyone under 18 gradually fell asleep.
I ate three nutter-butters and a bowl of icecream (growth spurt).
We looked at pre-fab houses online.
I abandoned my desire to sleep for 10 hours in favor of blogging.