I know friends that this was supposed to help us stay in touch and I feel about as inadequate now as I do when I receive 443 Christmas cards and still wasn't able to get any sent out. To the three people who haven't quit checking to see if I was ever going to update - I'll try to be brief.

We are well settled in Tampa now, with Adam still loving his job at two good schools. We moved into a great little house in Temple Terrace right before Christmas. We had a wonderful experience living with my parents and it is so cool to see how much Walker bonded with them in that time. We are officially worshipping at Henderson Blvd. and glad to be fed and guided by attentive shepherds - half of whom are related to me, but that's besides the point. We are glad to be plugged in and getting to work with God's people there again.

Walker is 21 months old now and acting like a little boy more than a baby. He is very entertaining and tries to talk constantly. I would be so sad about his growing up if baby #2 were not a constant reminder that I need Walker to be more independent. We got a great deal on furniture from good old Dicus at FC and Walker is loving his big boy bedroom. This weekend we are trying to get the nursery really set up since my due date is four short weeks away!

I am at the point of very restless sleep which is why I finally got around to posting again - you can't really vacuum at 2am when your whole family is trying to sleep. It seems like the Lord would have planned for the end of your pregnancy to be very restful since we all know what is coming - but I keep telling myself that God must need prayer warriors every night from 2-4 so He keeps me awake and talking. I figure that is a better use of my time than on-line shopping - have you discovered site-to store shipping yet - it will change your life.

Okay - enough for now. Maybe I'll get in a few posts before this baby is born. Hope that we get to see many old friends during lectures next week!

Thanks to everyone in Mid-TN for their kind farewells and to Florida for the warm welcome. We are glad to begin new routines here in Tampa. Adam started school with students today - he looked like a real teacher in his school spirit short sleeved denim shirt this morning! He is really excited about this job and getting to know the kids - so far things have been ideal with the other teachers. Walker is getting used to our temporary home with my parents. He is certainly enjoying the extra attention and interesting new toys like Dad's Wii and remote controls. He is getting a lot of extra cuddling time because he keeps crying in the pack-n-play and ends up in bed with us. Oh well, this too shall pass!
One more exciting piece of news to report, we are expecting another baby this Spring. I am thirteen weeks along now and feeling great, thankfully. I got to hear the baby's heartbeat at my last check-up in Nashville, and I am so amazed by the miracle God works through our earthly tents. We are humbled by the opportunity to raise another one of His precious children and are looking forward to a great pregnancy. Our little one is due to arrive March 2nd, and we will try to be surprised again with the gender, but we'll keep you posted on the progress.
Love to all!

Exciting news for the Olson Fam - we are moving to Tampa! Though I am really sad to be leaving NashVegas I am thrilled to be back in closer proximity to my family and many dear friends. Adam was offered a job on Thursday with Hillsborough County Schools to teach music at Twin Lakes Elementary. I am so excited for him to get the chance to put all of his talents to work and have a career that is so rewarding. Adam has to report on August 4th so we have just over a week to pack up. We are going to be staying with my parents until we can figure out if we are selling or renting our home here in TN so that should be a fun experiment. We are looking forward to seeing many of you Floridians soon!

Thanks to everyone for all the advice about weathering camp with a baby. It was great! Walker loved all the attention he got - everyone was so sweet about entertaining him and watching him when Adam and I had responsibilities. He was so tired from playing so hard that he barely noticed he was sleeping in his pack-n-play thanks to a powerful sound machine.
We were glad to be at camp and enjoyed our time with the kids and counselors. To all of you FC camp alumni who have thought about going back to be counselors - I strongly encourage you to give it a try. It is a great way to give back and encourage young people in a way that energizes and uplifts you too. We are glad that we went back to camp when we were still young enough to adjust to the lack of sleep and luxurious accommodations.
I am thankful for my great experiences with FC camps from way back in the on-campus days to being a Group 4 girl in Leesburg and the first year of NC camp. It is exciting to think about my own children making those same kinds of memories with the same wholesome fun I looked forward to every year. What are your best camp memories?

We head out to FC's North Carolina Camp tonight. After a brief stay with the Moseley's to celebrate my nephew Canon's first birthday and my OLD sister Carrie Ann's 30th we will join the counselors to begin camp on Sunday. It almost killed me to miss out on camp last year but Walker was only three months old and there was no solution. We are looking forward to working with the kids as Bible class teachers all week - but I am not sure why I decided that camp is a good place for a very curious 14 month old. I am most concerned about Walker waking everyone up because he hates sleeping in his pack-n-play. I probably should have sent him to grandma camp, but I am a little too attached and I think it could be a little traumatic for him and grandma! We'll see how it goes. Any suggestions from all you pros out there about helping your kids adjust to different places and schedules - besides Benadryl?