Breaking the silence

A year! Has it really been a year since we have posted?!! What a year it has been. The biggest change in our lives has come from a change in location. After nearly 12 years in Bettendorf we have moved on to the big city, sort of. We are now living in a suburb of Des Moines. John Deere has an office here that focuses mostly on technology, so it is a great place for Greg. I don't think either of us anticipated what a big change it would mean for all of us. Greg was hired in October (I think) and started going back and forth between Bettendorf and Des Moines for months. He would spend usually 3-5 days a week in Des Moines and the other days at home. Weekends he was busy bishoping and trying to get our home ready to sell. We decided to wait until January to put the house on the market so we had some months to get everything ready. After significant blessings and very little sleep we sold the house in just 3 and a half weeks. We closed on both houses during spring break and are now here in our new home. That's where we are at in a nutshell.

Really things are going pretty well. The kids have transitioned beautifully. I think they were just glad to have a home they could actually live in again (as opposed to trying to keep our old home immaculate for showings) and be back to a routine, and of course they brought along their best friends, their brothers and sisters. I have even found a great preschool for Ben so he is not so bored. He also had his first soccer practice this week. I am working on finding piano teachers still and other activities. Getting the house together has kept me busy, but it is hard not REALLY knowing anybody yet. I miss my dear friend Leah terribly and even though we talk on the phone I wish I could just go and hang out at her house where I (and my children) felt so comfortable. I expect it will be a very long time (if ever) that I have another friend like that. It seems harder to make friends too because I don't just have little kids anymore. I also have come to desire meaningful, deeper relationships, not just casual ones. Those take a lot of time and energy to build. I am sure they will come, but they will take time.

Greg has been busy with work and figuring out his place here. He is also loving and hating not being the bishop of our ward anymore. I think he is much more relaxed than he has been in years, but he also doesn't know what to do with himself sometimes. He wants to be doing something, helping someone, planning something. I think he has also missed some of the inspiration and blessings that come when you are the bishop. He just feels different. We have loved having him home more and have enjoyed sitting with him in church with him for the first time in 9 years!! Adam was just 2 years old, and Anna was a brand new baby when he was first called into the bishopric as a counselor (it was later that he was called to be the bishop). His Sundays are a whole lot different now. Really a lot of his life is different now.

Well, this post is a start. I feel rusty at blogging. I am not sure how long it will take me to get back into the swing of things, but I definitely feel like my life has slowed down a lot. Is anyone still out there who even checks our blog anymore. Encourage me!!

Because I know anybody who looks at our blog really just wants to see the kids, here are some pictures from the not too distant past:

I was trying a new method I had read about to curl the girls' hair. Here they are the night before the big reveal. It didn't go so well and we ended up with tears instead of smiles. Jake always has to try to get in on things.

With Iowa's football season this past year, Adam has now become an Iowa fan. Don't worry he is still a die hard BYU cougar fan above all other teams. He has been worried he wouldn't fit in here because we are so close to Iowa State now. His worries were needless, there are plenty of hawkeye fans in the central part of the state too!
I don't know why I like this picture so much, but I do. This is the kids gathered around the laptop to watch something on Netflix online. Since Anna is in control she much have earned this reward. I just love how they all find a spot and sit together.
Yes, we did get our 5 year old and ipod for Christmas. Don't worry I got it used off ebay for a good price. This kid LOVES music. And he can sing! He is always telling me that is his talent. He also just started piano (with me) and is doing very well. Now if I can get him some rhythm he will be all set!

Enjoy! Encourage. Encourage. Encourage.