Greeting from Iowa....nearly three months later.

No, we didn't fall off the face of the earth or get lost in the move. I have to say that the move and closings on both of the houses went well despite our nervousness with all of the financial crisis that hit over the last few months. I didn't really breathe a sigh of relief on the Wisconsin house until our realtor and friend, Dave, called to say that the closing had occurred. You never know.

It's hard to believe that we've been in our house now for two months and I'm still employed as the household domestic engineer. Some days I wonder if I should be fired and sent back into the workforce, but I guess Mike thinks I'm doing a fair job being home. Keeping the house clean with three kids, a dog and a cat in near constant presence is nearly impossible and I can see that trying to keep the house up to pristine cleanliness could lead to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I've discovered that it's a little harder than I had anticipated and requires much more assertiveness and initiative than I would have guessed.

We have settled into our new home for the most part and are trying to get settled in to a routine. Entertaining Kjersten throughout the day, every day, has been a challenge for me too. We usually visit the library once a week and go to the YMCA atleast 2-3 days a week. Ashlynn and Alec are enjoying their new schools and making friends though I'd like to see them hanging out with their friends a little more than they do. I try to remind myself that I should be glad that I know where they are and what they are doing.

I'll be glad when spring gets here so we can go to the parks, play in the yard and work in the garden. Our vegetable garden was a great source of joy for Kjersten as she always found a tasty snack to enjoy and plenty of bugs to watch in the flower beds. We'll miss our established gardens in Wisconsin, but are looking forward to sowing our new ones. I'm also happy to have the expert assistance of Mike's parents as I know very little about growing plants.