Life in Lansing

We are nearing the end of our 2-month road trip. YAY!  I wanted to share some of our experiences along the way.  Today, I'll talk about 3 things from our month in Lansing, MI.

1. Cooking

We were able to live in a house that the hospital owned that usually serves rotating medical students through the year.  We were the only ones there, so we had the house to ourselves.

The house was . . . a house.  Not much more to it than that.  There was a living space with mismatched furniture, a 70's style kitchen table, and the kitchen itself had a refrigerator and a microwave.  No stove, oven, no dishes even!  We furnished a make-shift kitchen with the help of Dollar Tree. Luckily we brought a portable grill and a crock pot.  My grandparents sent us an electric skillet after hearing our story.

We've become pretty good at coming up with meals that can be created without the help of a normal kitchen.  I was even able to remember a no-bake frozen treat to send with AJ on his last day of the rotation. :)

2. WIFI

... or lack of.  We had no internet.  No TV.  In the days of being totally connected, it is quite a shock to be suddenly disconnected from everything for a month.  There was internet at the hospital, so once in a while we would walk to the visitor's entrance and hop online for a few minutes.  We also went to a bookstore and had some skype dates with our families. :)  After it was all said and done, it was really refreshing to be totally disconnected.  Because in the disconnect, we reconnected as a family.  We spent time together.  We took walks.  We just enjoyed being together.  And that was worth it.

3. Laundry

Many of you know that we use cloth diapers.  Well, cloth diapers become a bad idea when you have no laundry.  We found out a few days prior to leaving that the only laundry available was a laundromat about a mile from the house.  Not fun.  Especially when your 4-month old alone creates an amazing amount of laundry every day.

We decided to start with some disposable diapers and see what the situation was.  Well, in AJ's first week the doctor's who he worked with heard about the laundry situation and offered the washer/dryer in the basement of the clinic!  So much better than going to sit at a laundromat for hours.  So, we would load up the car with our laundry, diapers, head over to the clinic, Wes would flirt with the office staff and we would get our laundry done!  We only had one car, so I must admit that one day, I loaded Wes up in the stroller, balanced the laundry basket on top and walked to the clinic.  I hope we made a few people laugh because I'm sure we looked pretty ridiculous.



In spite of all of the quirks, we really did enjoy our month there.  The physician's AJ worked with were incredibly kind and welcoming.  We took a lot of walks in the afternoon when AJ would come home from work.  We joined the Family Video store - they were running a promotion where new members got 50% off for the first 30 days...and we were only there 30 days.  Perfect.   (we watched the movie's on our laptop)

Throughout the month, we would smile often thinking, "Someday, these will make great stories."  Oh yes. In fact, they already do. :)

Hospitality.

Over the past several months, we have experienced such wonderful hospitality from so many.  While in Columbia, MO we are blessed to have several families who have allowed us to stay with them for weeks at a time while AJ rotates through the hospital there.  We will continue to rotate through Columbia several months over the next year.

These past 2 months, however, we knew we were traveling to a place where we had no family, no friends, no connections.  But, still God provided homes for us to be in so that we could stay together as a family.  In May, we were in Lansing, MI and the hospital there had student housing available to us.  It was a whole house to ourselves which we paid rent for the month.  It was quite an experience - more on that another day.  This month, there was student housing available, but only for AJ - there would not be room for Wes and I.  So, we just started asking.

Does anybody know anybody who knows anybody who knows anybody in Grand Blanc, MI?

And, God provided.

AJ's Mom works with somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody. :)  We were connected through her coworker's son who did his fellowship at the Michigan hospital who goes a church there who has a family who has room in their basement.

I LOVE how the family of God works.

We were welcomed into this family's home- they have been so gracious.  We have enjoyed getting to know them, playing cards, going to church together.  We have a warm bed, kitchen, living room to spend time together as our family.  This has been a huge gift to us.  They asked for no rent, only that we pay it forward when we are in this position.  Absolutely.  We hope to be able to help families in transition as well whenever we are able.

If you're reading this and you're one of the families who have blessed us with such hospitality - THANK YOU.  You do not know what a gift you have given to us.

Romans 12:13

New International Version (NIV)

¹³ Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Body Pillows.

So, about this time last year, I purchased a body pillow.  I began having some trouble sleeping comfortably while pregnant with Wes, had heard some people say that body pillow's were the way to go, and boy, were they right.  Since then - yes still - I have been using said body pillow at night.

Now, AJ is a snuggler.  I'll say it.  He'll admit it.  The problem is, I just get too hot at night. So, we'll snuggle for a few minutes, but that's about it.  Several times over the past few months he has tried to snuggle the body pillow away from me.  Meanwhile, I turn over to take said body pillow to the other side of the bed.

This may seem comical.  And it is.

So, for Father's Day 2013, AJ requested his own body pillow.  We purchased it on Saturday, and so far, it's a hit.

Father's Day this year entailed going to church this morning as a family, and they served root beer floats to all the dad's after the service.  AJ was sweet and shared some with me.  We went out to lunch with the family we are living with for the month, and then enjoyed a long family walk/run on this beautiful afternoon.  It's been a wonderful day.

Sending our love across the miles today to our Dad's - Wes has some amazing Grandpa's in his life.  His name has both of theirs in it!  Wesley Raymond Scott.

Happy Father's Day!

Lessons from Wes : Contentment

As many of you know, our family is currently in a season of wandering.  Due to AJ's rotations with his Internal Medicine residency, the nature of the program he is currently a part of, and the flexibility he's given to do "out rotations", our family finds ourselves in a state of wandering for the next year.

Wes was born at the end of December.  He will be 6 months old at the end of June.  Through the first 6 months of his life, HALF of it was spent in places that were not "home".

There is so much that I am learning from Wes.  He teaches me every day.  But this one lesson jumped out at me as I was pondering this last night going to bed.  Wes has spent HALF of his life moving about, meeting new people, greeting new places and circumstances.  And still, he is one of the happiest baby's I've ever known.  Last night I was in the "I just want to go home" mindset.  We've been traveling for 6 weeks straight now, and we have another 2.5 to go.  As I was feeling down, I thought about my boy.  He hasn't shown a bit of sadness, homesickness, frustration with the moving.  Maybe that's because he doesn't really know what "home" is.  Or - maybe he really does.

Maybe Wes has found contentment in the things that really matter.  Wes trusts us.  He does not need much to be happy.  Although the circumstances around him change, those he loves, those who care for him does not.

I could learn a lot from my son.  I find myself wishing we were home.  Wishing for the circumstances to change.  Thinking that having X, Y, and Z will make me feel better.  But the truth is, I have everything I need to be content.  God has provided a way for those that I love to be together during these changes.  God has been faithful.  He has given us everything we need for today.  What more could I want?

Philippians 4:11-13

New International Version (NIV)

¹¹ I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹² I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

So I didn't want to become a blogger.

There are a thousand blogs out there.  (ok, more like a million)
And I'm thankful.
Because I have enjoyed reading and learning from this online community.

However, I didn't want to become a blogger, because I felt like I didn't have anything really to share or say.  What could I add to the millions of blogs floating out there already?

- - BUT - -

We live far from family, and likely will for the next few years.  We want to have a better, more thorough way to share our life with them.

I've enjoyed reading the blogs of many of my friends, and lots of people who I don't even know, but that have through their words, helped me, encouraged me.  I hope to do the same for someone.

Plus - it's fun.

So, here it is.  A blog about the every day things.  Life with the Baillargeon's.  Some helpful, some ramblings, some just a fun creative outlet for the day.

Thanks for reading. And thanks for sharing.

Shelley