We should be in therapy.

There are a number of significant life events that psychologists say predictably trigger increased stress and anxiety as a person adjusts to new circumstances. Rather than just take one of these events at a time, this year, we decided to really pile them on.

New baby. On February 11, we were blessed with a healthy boy – Ander Dawson Chlarson – who joined our growing family just three days shy of his daddy’s birthday. My parents were in town only 5 hours when they got the call that we were headed to the hospital for delivery. Ander’s arrival brought lots of family visits. Virginia came out from Sacramento within hours. Great aunties Becky and Hazel came out together in April as did my parents who just couldn’t stay away any longer (it had been 2 months, after all!). July 4th, great grandpa Bill and Shirley were visiting friends in N. Cal and met him. We also traveled to Oregon in late March, visiting sister Teresa & Chris in Springfield and cousin Deb in Portland.

Moving. But, alas, our 700-square-foot cottage in San Francisco was just too small to hold the 4 of us. Ander’s crib and belongings were tucked into a corner of the living room and the only room that had any privacy was the bathroom, which was the size of a bread box. How we managed to store 2 moving trucks of stuff in that little place, I’ll never know, but with help from family and friends, we packed it all up and moved to Mesa, Arizona in late July – the hottest time of year. I had lived in San Francisco for 15 years, Shane had been there for 7. The move to Mesa was a cultural and temperature shock (for me… Shane was happy to be “home”). But living in a house with a room for everyone, a garage, and floorspace to spare is heavenly. And the swimming pool down the street helps, too.

The move also allows us to see family more frequently. Since July, we have seen grandparents Chlarson and brother Jerry in Page; cousins John & Tamara in Anthem; greats Hazel & Howard and Bill & Shirley in Prescott; and aunt Jeanette and cousins Barb & Rob here in the Valley. Sister Kim & Brian came for a visit in September and many of those mentioned above made an appearance at the Lake Alamo Thanksgiving campout.

New School. Laurie, who was visiting her folks in Colorado for most of the summer, missed the move and had to adjust when she arrived just a few weeks before school started. She had gone through much transition herself in the last two years, from a small middle school in Mancos, Colorado to her freshman year at a 700-student high school in San Francisco and, now, a 2,400-student high school in Mesa. She took to it like a fish to water though, claiming, within two weeks, that she loved Mesa and was happy about the move (she had been dreading it since the beginning). She has found a group of friends and is enjoying her high school experience as she continues to explore herself. But, boy, as a teenager, she sure keeps us on our toes! Throw Ander in to the mix and we’re headed towards insanity!

New Jobs. Both Shane and I have found new work. Shane is hauling fuel and has a schedule that allows him to pick up Ander from daycare, be home in the evenings and share Saturdays with us. This is a blessing since most new drivers are relegated to evening and weekend shifts. I found a communications/writing job with the Arizona State University Foundation, the fundraising arm of the university, and am enjoying my new job.

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. To all of you who live in our hearts, though you might be miles away, we send you our love.