Haven't We Done This Before??

Yes, almost 2 years ago to be more exact. Apparently in the Nielson household the following formula always exists:

Pregnancy + Disc Herniations in Tanner's Back = New Job + Moving!

The details are different, but I am finding the similarities between 2008 and 2010 to be pretty humorous.

So, SURPRISE! Tanner has been in process of applying as a Foreign Service Officer for the State Department for over a year. He has now successfully completed the application process and just began the State Dept. A-100 FSO training course! We are all very excited to begin this new chapter in our lives and expect it to be filled with even more adventure than we have experienced thus far. He will continue in training, we will rank our preferences from a country bid list we have received, and we will find out where in the world we will move and when by the end of March. Our baby is due the end of April, and it is a very real possibility that we could end up moving overseas any time beginning as early as this summer. These are exciting and stressful times, and it is all becoming more clear to me why we went through all the craziness that we did two years ago ... we were being prepared for this! The great part is that the State Department is fairly organized when it comes to preparing families for international moves, so it will be a bonus not having to do this alone.

In the meantime, it seems we are playing the waiting game in almost every aspect of our life. Our life will change quite dramatically over the next 2 months, but I have felt a lot of excitement, peace, and comfort in how our lives up to this point have prepared us for our family's future. There was a reason why I chose to major and graduate in International Studies at BYU, although I was not aware of what my life would entail 8 years later. There was a reason Tanner took a job in the D.C. area two years ago that took us away from a good job in Florida. It is times like these when you can look at a lot of the big decisions you have made in your life and realize it was all preparing you for something bigger, although you weren't fully aware of what was coming down the pipe when making those decisions. It is times like these that I am grateful for a wonderful husband, a loving and supportive family, and a testimony that we can be led by a loving Father in Heaven as to our own individual and family purposes in this life. I am sure the coming months will be stressful and busy, but exciting nonetheless. Stay tuned!!!

I'll Give You A Winter Prediction:

"It's gonna be cold, it's gonna be grey, and it's gonna last you for the rest of your life. There is no way this winter is ever going to end." ~ Phil Conners, Groundhog Day.

This quote keeps running over and over through my mind. We watched the movie last week in honor of Groundhog Day, and it is hands down one of my favorite comedies of all time.

Then "one of these big BLUE things" hit us, and we got 3 feet of snow on Friday night, and life has been somewhat miserable ever since. Luckily we only lost power for an hour...HUGE blessing. But digging ourselves out is another story. Remember, Tanner has 2 disc herniations in his back and I am 6 1/2 months pregnant. Good times! Today I finished digging us out, only to come in and check the forecast, and we are supposed to get 10 more inches tomorrow! Which reminds me of another quote:

"What if there is no tomorrow? There wasn't one today."

The days are all running into each other. We haven't had church since January 24th. The kids have massive cabin fever and probably don't understand why mom and dad are just a little bit ornery. We tried to take the boys sledding, but the snow is so deep and not compact that we mostly just sunk into it. Tanner did get a relatively decent path going, but by the time it was starting to get good, the boys had had it, and were crying wrecks. But having said all of that, the snow is beautiful, it tastes really good (Clark said it's his "favorite dinner"), and we have shelter, food, and family. So, life is good.

"Winter, slumbering in the open air, wears on his smiling face a dream of spring."

I am dreaming of Spring.

Once There Was A Snowman

Back when we had a weak sauce 4 inches of snow on the ground, we took the boys outside to make a snowman. The snow was PERFECT for it, and we all loved it, even Clark who really does NOT like the cold.
Clark named him "Popcorn Popping", which is kind of funny given that it is a Spring song....he must be dreaming of spring just like I am. Andrew on the other hand is fine with just about anything and really loved his snowman.