A bit of an update.....

It has been ages since Mike or I have taken time to update this blog. A couple of times Mike mentioned killing the blog, but I am not ready to do that. We just need to get back in the habit again and take the time to sit down and put our lives in some sort of perspective. I know that my mindset has really been changing now that I have the luxury of time and energy to start thinking and learning about things that have intrigued me for a while. I am getting involved with a couple of moms groups that are allowing me to really dive in and figure out how I best want to raise the kids and the lessons in life I want them to learn. I have been questioning a lot of things lately and trying to figure out ways to help make our family unit stronger. I have also been making it a priority to develop friendships and a support network that I have never really had. It's a journey that scares the heck out of me since it is something I have always struggled with. I have been fortunate in the past to know some incredible people, but have always had a fear of being close to them for various reasons. I've come to the realization that family and friends are what enrich your life. Without it is emptiness.

Life has changed for us since we left Wisconsin and I think we are starting to feel like we are home here in Iowa. It has been an adjustment with all of us having our own struggles, but I think all of us agree that it has been a good move overall. Ashlynn might disagree from time to time as she misses many of her friends back in WI as the rest of us do. The kids have settled in well here and have a good network of friends, especially Alec who had many difficulties with his own peers in the past. The school year (homework wise) was a challenge, but now that summer is here and they are visiting their dad in Texas I am trying to analyze the heck out of things to gear up for the next year. Both of the older kids will be in middle school!

Mike's job is going well and he continues to be busy which we try to remind ourselves is a good thing with the economic uncertainty. He is being challenged professionally, both good and bad, but from my perspective appears to be handling it quite well. From what he tells me, it leads me to believe that he has a great opportunity to help strengthen the weaknesses he has identified in his new job with things he learned that worked well in his old job. He is also being allowed to gain experience in areas not available to him in his prior job, sometimes with a good deal of frustration. Speaking as a former co-worker and not just as his wife, Mike is good at what he does and always puts in his best effort to do his job to the best of his ability. He also has an amazing ability to not recognize that and can be his own worse critic....but I think sometimes we have to do that so we stay grounded and continue to strive to better ourselves and our work. I think that people he works with now see that in him and view it as an asset. I'm proud of him and appreciate everything that he does for us. (I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't balk at this paragraph and/or erase it completely)

Kjersten is growing up fast and quite the talker. She amazes me with the things that come out of her mouth and seems to be 2 going on 8. She loves her brother and sister and the dynamics between the three of them are really neat to observe. She can hold her own with them and they all seem to love each other. Right now, Ashlynn and Kjersten are two peas in a pod and Alec is somewhat the odd man out. It changes from time to time, as only a few months ago Kjersten was all about Alec. In November, we will be welcoming another little one into our lives and we look forward to that.