New Home

We're really enjoying our new home, neighborhood, and community.  Though there has been lots and lots and lots of work to do getting the house to feel like "ours" and there is still lots and lots and lots more on the horizon.  We have plans and slowly it's all coming together.  In the meantime we're just loving all being under the same roof together and having so much fun with our new space.

 

We neglected to take any before and after shots as we began doing work on the house but, you'll note the green shag carpeting featured in the photo of North above--that, I would hope it goes without saying, has been replaced.   There's also been lots of painting and wall paper removal. 

We've made several trips to Lowe's and have taken to goofing off in the aisles a bit.

 

 And with our purchases once we get them home

North's clever adaptation of "fish & chips" - which is a swedish fish atop a tortilla chip.

 

New toy gun from grandma and grandpa - despite being nerf it packs a punch!  We've had some talks about where NOT to fire it.  They got it for him after this first soccer game - he scored the first goal during the game - pictures from "sports shorties" coming soon...

 

Enjoying a rainy day sloshing through puddles in the front yard.

 

North's favorite part of the house so far has been the pool.  By summer's end he was swimming underwater with no flotation devices and going off the diving board on his own!

 

  He also really loves the trampoline.  He's even doing flips on it now!

 

 

The favorite thing for all of us though has certainly been being nearer to loved ones--it fabulous having grandparents nearby to babysit the kiddos with regularity and great friends nearby to spend time with.  North has loved being closer to Lincoln and Mila.  Here are the 3 of them exploring one of Bloomington's brains one evening when we all got together to grab a dinner downtown.
   

 

And here is North one evening trying on each and every one of Lincoln's superhero costumes--which sweet Sam patiently helped him with.

Ironman

Luchadore

Wolverine (which is also what he chose for his Halloween costume this year)

North continues to be an amazing big brother.  Quorra absolutely adores him and he is very sweet and fun with her.

 

Also, now that we're back in the midwest North has developed a serious love for Steak N Shake.  We can't drive past one without his commenting on it.  Here are some photos from a recent visit.

And we're loving getting to go to the Bloomington farmer's market again.  Always a great treat to buy local food and walk around our lovely downtown.

Being under the same roof with daddy has been the best about the move.  Here are some silly pictures taken while I was on a recent business trip.

More photos coming soon...

So...it's been a while

And SO much has happened (hence the lack of time for posting).  Namely--we've moved!  And done everything that goes along with that from new jobs to new schools to having our sweet pup Ender living with us again (which North LOVES -- she sleeps in his bottom bunk).  We haven't snapped as many photos as I might have liked but we certainly have some.  Here are a few from BEFORE our move.  Those taken after the move coming soon.

There were many nights like this before the move....North and Quorra both sleeping in my bed somewhere around 3 AM.  While not an ideal sleeping scenario there were times when sanity had to prevail and we all needed to just get some ZZZs wherever it was most convenient.  I have to admit--while they were grueling at the time, I now miss them.

My sweet boy hanging out in our old house

Hanging out on the bed one evening.  Sweet, snuggly kids.

 

 

Before out move we did head back to Indiana for my first week at my new job (with Teach for America).  I had to travel to Kansas City for 2 days - while I was gone I needed to be around other adults who could watch the kiddos overnight in my absence.  We headed to my parents and Alan was able to get some time with them.  We also snapped some cute pictures with our camera one evening on grandma and grandpa's porch.

Water guns!

Quorra just loves him.  She's always just staring after him -- and she's desperate for the day when she can follow him around.

And he loves her too.

 

 

 Playing in the baby pool - he's such a water kid.

 

 

 Practicing putting his face in the water!

Drawing pictures for grandpa

 

After visiting with grandma and grandpa, it was back to Virginia for me and the kids for a few more weeks.  Almost everything we owned was packed up so we tended to hole up in my room, hanging out on the bed, playing, and watching tv much of the time.

 

Last picture in Virginia - after all of our stuff was already packed up.  We'll miss the house that was our home for 2 years.  Where North changed from a toddler to a little kid and we brought Quorra home from the hospital.  And we'll miss the people we met, jobs we had, restaurants we enjoyed, and museums we loved.

But now we're having Indiana adventures.  And I'll post some pictures from those soon...