Summer went fast. Classes started back up last Thursday, and I taught both of my classes on Friday, and again today. There's so much energy on campus in the fall semester, and I really enjoy that. Plus, I'm teaching Structural Analysis, a 3rd/4th year undergrad course that I love to teach, and a graduate class on the design of steel buildings for the first time, and I'm happy about it, too.

Ceci started at her new daycare at Marisa's a week ago, and she is doing great! What a smooth transition - I was worried that it wasn't going to be easy for Ceci, but it seems like it has gone far better than I could have even hoped for. Aaron and I have felt so happy to have found a wonderful, caring, proactive home for Ceci during the daytime (what a huge, huge, huge deal to us), especially after a really long and at times, disheartening, search over the past couple of months. I am 100% convinced that Ceci lives like a princess while at Marisa's, and we are so happy that there's a little boy there about the same age as her. She loves to be around other babies! The list of things she does while she's there just makes us smile - wagon rides and building blocks and stories! She also eats like a princess (seriously, I want to eat breakfast at Marisa's, too! - strawberries, blueberries, pancakes, bananas, waffles - this seriously puts my cream of wheat to complete shame.) Oh, to be a baby again. :-) Aaron and I feel very lucky to have found Marisa and her family.

Christine, Daniel, and family watched Cecilia from January, 2009 til a little over a week ago, and it was a wonderful experience. Aside from spectacular childcare, they are wonderful people, and Aaron and I feel lucky that our lives intersected with theirs. I am so, so, so happy for them that their travels to their little Amelie are just right around the corner. I can't wait to meet her myself, and I know that Ceci is going to love to have a friend - she and Amelie are only about a month apart!!! :-) I can't wait to see the look on Ceci's face when she sees Christine, Daniel, Sorin, Liam, Prasad, and Sky next, too!!! Ceci smiled constantly when she was around Sky - he brings out such a playful spirit in her. Sky and Prasad made the most adorable cards for her, and Aaron and I love to look through them; they make me smile no matter how many times I look at them. Somehow dinosaur stickers manage to scream affection on these cards - something I never would have guessed - but they totally do!!! In any case, I'm looking forward to our next visit with the Peebles family when they are settled in with Amelie. :-)

Christine and Daniel - wishing you a wonderful trip to Addis and home again, with Amelie.