I have never been so busy.  We are still setteling in to our new house.  We are also celebrating and enjoying the arrival of Mason.  I am working two jobs.  It’s hard to even find the time to check my email and I haven’t talked to my friends in weeks.

But we have a lovely home, and Ella and Mia are enjoying the church activities they get to go to during the week.  Mason is growing so quickly – He is more awake and aware each day.

Not so sure what I will get the chance to catch up.  It looks like it’s going to busy for a while…

The first month in Alabama hs us setteling in…

We have now been in Alabama for just over a month now and it seems like much longer.  We have library cards and new driver’s licences.  We know where most of the shops and groceries stores are.  Karly now has a new Doctor and ultrasound specialist (which we drove down to Birmingham to see).  We have also been house hunting and trying out new churches.

We seem to have settled in Madison as the place we want to live.  We have looked at about 10 houses and really like one that has the right combination of size, yard, location and layout.  It needs a few cosmetic updates, but is really a pleasant home with good bones.  It’s very likely that we will make an offer.

We have also found a church that seems like a nice family of people.  We went to a PCA church and it was really nice, but just a little to far away from Madison.  Ella already really likes the Sunday School and the singing.  We went on Wednesday night and tried out a bible study, which also seemed very good.

Ella and Mia are doing well, and Mason seems to be growing well.  I get a thrill now being able to feel him kicking.  I love my girls, but there is something unique about expecting a boy.  I keep hoping that I will be a good example of a man for him.

Ella is a fireball of energy and Mia is a tender giggler.  Ella is so happy when I come home for lunch and I really love it when she jumps into my arms to cuddle in the morning.  Both can throw real fits – Ella is always a chore at bed time, and Mia hate to be buckled in the car.  But I love my girls so very much.  We took them on the merry-go-round at the Bridge Street shopping center and had a fun evening together.

My job is also finally starting to take off.  I now have my full system access and can now log into the database and do some work.  So far, MDA is a ver diffrent group from MILASTCOM.  They are still in implementaiton and we need to get them all ups to speed by the end of June.  It’s going to be a busy month, that’s for sure.

I no longer have many issues remaining from my GBS aside from some facial paralysis.  It would be nice if I could stop crying when I eat – something about the muscles when I chew.  I have also discovered that Alabama has polin, something my sinuses have not dealt with in a while.  At least allergy meds have improved th the past 10 years.

All in all, while we still need to find a perminent home (maybe today?) and money is tight (same old story), but we are moving ahead as a family.

And there is a lovely thunderstorm outside right now…

I sent this out as an email to our friends and family as a recap of the recent events involved in moving to Huntsville and the tornados that effected the area less than a week after we moved.  Feel free to comment.

Well – I need a vacation.  This last month has been just a little on the crazy side.  Hopefully now we are getting a little back to something close to normal.
 
We have completed our move to Huntsville, AL.  I was more than a little stressful.  We underestimated our moving van size and ended up leaving behind more than we thought we would, but I think is also felt good to get rid of a bunch of stuff as well.  We wanted a new couch and vacuum anyway.  The main difficulty was that we left a day late and felt like we had to race across country to get here.  The only real difficulty was the first night when we got caught in a windstorm in the desert and had to stop early.  I was driving the moving van with a trailer on the back with my pickup, which was loaded with stuff in the bed.  The tarp I originally used tore in the wind and we almost lost a bunch of stuff.  Luckily we were close to Barstow and we made it there for the night.  First thing in the morning I got an heavy duty tarp and some extra straps and bungees, and we did not have any more issues the rest of the trip.
 
But just a few days after we were here, the tornadoes cam riping through the state.  Out new apartment was not damaged, but we ended up living without power for a full six days.  We had water and the stores opened after a coupled days, so food was not an issue, but boy was it nice to take a hot shower.
 
All in all – we are grateful and feel blessed that God kept us safe – even when it is tough that so many others lost so much.  We went to church last Sunday.  In the dark, the preacher talked about how God was in the storm;  How it’s better to have a great and powerful God we don’t fully understand than a god who has no control but good intentions.  I believe in the former: One whose timing and intricate mastery and sustainment of all things makes me feel small,but opens my imagination, and threads my life with hope and meaning.
 
We are working now to get back to some kind of normal routine, get established in the community, and get the girls back on a regular schedule.  I am now back to work, but still going through the process of getting my access badges and computer access, but I am not the highest priority right now.  But it’s good to be back on contributing, learning, and generally getting on with it.
 
Some logistical info:  Karly and I are not changing our cell phone numbers and we are not getting a home line for now.  The only thing that has changed is our home address:
 
6249 Rime Village Drive Apt 204
Huntsville, AL 35806
 
Thanks Alan, Keith and especially Matt and Elizabeth Chapman for your exceptional help in getting us on the truck (we hope you like the couch!).  And thanks to Kathi – you are the best Mom-in-law!  We are so grateful you came out, traveled with us and unpacked the kitchen; I have no idea how we could have done it without you.  And thanks Charlie for coming down and helping unpack.
 
Thanks to all for your prayers and good wishes. 
 
Roll, Tide, Roll (that’s a ‘bamma reference, football fans…)

Just wanted to let you all know that we are ok.  I just got back to work today – power was out in our area until last night.  I have lived more time in Alabama without power than with it!

We did not have any damage in our immediate area, but We did see some of the wreckage that others happened to others. We were driving from Huntsville to Athens to get gas last Friday and were waiting for traffic to clear near some downed trees and we saw a family pull up to their house that was utterly devastated.  It was very sad to see: what had been a sturdy brick house had become a pile of rubble with nothing standing more than a foot above the foundation. 

The next day we wend to Birmingham and saw major damage every 5-10 mile in the 70 mile drive. I have seen other tornado damage, but this was on a scale I have never encountered.

We went for 7 days without power, had some cold showers (we never lost water service)  and burned a few candles.  But we were spared when so many lost so much, and we are grateful.

I will be posting a more detialed update soon.

After nearly a decade in California, we are moving to Huntsville, AL! I have accepted a transfer with my company to support our contract with the Missile Defense Agency, and Karly, the girls and I will be hitting the road on  April 17th.

This move has been a long time coming; we determined to move almost 3 years ago, just as the economy was crashing.  I sent my resume out to so many companies that past few years that it felt like I was standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon flicking playing cards into the abyss. I would have an interview here and there, but I always would hit one or two main barriers:  I don’t have my bachelor’s degree, and there is still a deep pool of local talent.

I had let my employer know months ago that I was looking for an opportunity and would consider a transfer, but every time we expressed interest, the door would shut for some reason.  We had pretty much given up on staying with my company.

Then out of the blue a couple weeks ago I got a call wondering if we would consider Huntsville. It took us some time to investigate, pray and get used to the idea.  Alabama has a certain reputation that we were leery of, but the more we investigated, the more we learned that Huntsville was quite progressive and met most of the qualities we were looking for:

• Good Job? Check – MDA is the best contract IDS has going: stable and growing with opportunity for further advancement.
• Education? Check – Good rated schools for our kids and I can finish my degree and the University of Alabama, Huntsville.
• Housing? Big Check – We will be able to buy a good house in a good neighborhood for a fraction of the cost we pay in rent now.
• Cost of leaving? Everything costs less than LA by almost 33% on average.
• Smaller Town? I can leave my crazy LA commute behind and get back 2 hours of my life everyday!
• Closer to Family? Huntsville is just about 1,000 miles closer to St. Paul – almost exactly halfway there and a long day of travel or two short days.

We are thrilled to finally have the opportunity to move on with our lives, and start the process of finding a house to call our own.  We are definitely disappointed that this move does not take us directly back to Minnesota, but when we consider the economy and job market, the willingness of my company to support and pitch in for relocation, the fact that the girls are growing and we need more room, among a host of other reason great and small, this is a great step for us.

I am confident that this is the direction we should be going, and that God’s blessing is on it, but leaving California does carry some angst for me. When I moved out here in May of 2002, I wanted to be a screenwriter. That dream obviously hasn’t come true, and that is certainly my biggest regret.  My own personal demons and issues have prevented me from finding the success I initially sought and expected.

Yet, I have been become and continue to be a professional writer – if only for technical manuals and press releases. I have built my language skills, acquired a much deeper comprehension of story theory and practice, and learned a number of other technical skills to my advantage.

As for my own writing, now that I am over 40 with the responsibility of a family, and with a greater understanding of the entertainment industry, I recognize that my creative expression needs to take a tactical shift. While I ultimately would still love to produce film and TV projects, I will be focusing on completing a novel over the next couple years.  If I can successfully publish a novel, then film or TV production could follow. I still need lot of personal and professional growth, but I feel confident that this is the right direction for me.

There are other things about California I will miss – Most of them are my friends: Alan, Roger, Keith, Key, Kevin, the Chapman’s and the Smith’s and others. Being busy parents, it’s been difficult to spend a lot of time with our friends, but we really will miss the opportunity to hang around.  Emmanuel church, despite our sporadic attendance, has been a steadfast source of encouragement.  In and Out – no Dino’s on Hollywood Way. Man, they have good Pizza!

One of the best parts of California was traveling to see the wonders of the region.  We have been everywhere from Death Valley, Yosemite (3 times), Sequoia, Lake Tahoe, the Grand Canyon, Catalina Island, Big Sur and all along the coast from San Diego to San Francisco. We have quite a few great memories from these trips, and enjoy reminiscing over the pictures.

Despite all the good memories, there are plenty of things we won’t miss.  Chiefly for me: the traffic.  Commuting across the LA is one the great time-wasters in the world. There are a lot of cultural issues we are happy to say good-by to as well.  I know the typical demeanor of Armenian men towards women is something that Karly will not miss.

So was California a ‘lost decade’? Absolutely not. An unexpected adventure? Yes!  The experiences I have had in the last 9 years have deeply redefined my sense of self and transformed my perceptions. I have lived through many life changing events:  Meeting and marrying Karly, losing both my parents, suffering through two miscarriages, celebrating the birth of Isabella and Amelia, and surviving GBS, just to name a few of the big ones.  My life is radically different from what it was a decade ago; old dreams fade, but new ones have grown up strong and vital.

Politically, I have moderated, and spiritually as well. I remain steadfast in my faith in Christ, yet more tolerant of others than I used to be.  I have some genuine growth to do to become more patient, less defensive, and more consistent.  Bottom line:  I haven’t stopped trying to grow as a person and a Christian.

More than anything else, Karly has changed my life.  The challenges we have faced together, both the Joy and the Heartache have grown me more than anything else this last decade. She has challenged and encouraged me to become better in so many ways, and I am exceptionally blessed to have her in my life.

My children have become a wellspring of joy in my heart, and in my darkest moments, it was the hope and joy I feel for my daughters that reached down deep inside me to lift my soul. God has opened a whole new world to me through my children, and I am eternally grateful.

And I can’t explain how frequently I see the hand of God providing and shielding, pushing, pulling and providing all along the way.

I remember when I was 8 or 9 years old. My parents took me to Huntsville to visit the Rocket Center there and I played among the ‘Rocket Garden’. As a teenager, I longed to go to Space Camp. Now, as an adult, through a wildly improbable course of life, I will get to be a part of the show. I came to Hollywood to write science fiction. Now I get to be a part of the reality of the space program through the Missile Defense Agency.

In the end, though, my life doesn’t orbit around any job, or career, or individual achievement.  The best part of every day is when I come home to my beautiful wife and children.  It makes it easy to let go, let life evolve, dreams scatter and reform, and life move on.

OK.  Gotta start packing, yah’ll.

Check out this video about the VW Phaton factory in Dresden.  How awesome is this place:

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to thank everyone for their prayers and offerings of support.  I am home now and slowly, very slowly, starting to recover. God has been very faithful and good to us – things could have been a lot worse than they are now.

The treatments I received in the hospital seem to have stopped the progression of the disease.  But the nerve damage I already have will take awhile to recover from.  My face is still paralyzed:  I have trouble blinking and sleep with my eyes partly open, causing them to dry out (and unnerving Karly a little . Eating is a challenge when your lips can’t always keep food in or heading in the right direction.  My feet and hands tingle all the time like they are ‘waking up’ and are sometimes really sensitive.  But this is a good sign that some of the nerves are recovering.

I will still be out of work this week and next, but I hope to be back soon.  I am using the time at home to do some studying and get ahead on some certification course work for my job.  I am also enjoying some time with my family and resting a lot, since I still get fatigued easily.  My Mother-in-law Kathi is here to help with the girls and I am very grateful for her kindness, sacrifice, love, and positive attitude.

Please continue to pray for my recovery and for my family, especially Karly, who has done an extraordinary job of taking care of me and the girls while holding in her own worry and grief.  I truly have and exceptional woman in my life.

I have a long recovery ahead and will continue to covet your prayers.

And to all who have given of their time, money, and prayers already for me and my family:  Thank You!  There are no words to express my true gratitude.

In Hope,
Michael Bailey

Something to look at…