And April Marches On

We're in the midst of a gray streak -- lots of rain, wind and cool temps. The rain is always welcome, though I could do without the cold. I missed the beautiful weather last week -- I was cooped up in meeting rooms in Fargo for three straight days. The weather there was beautiful too, and I really wanted to enjoy it.

We have been so busy on our weekends -- family events for the past five weekends in a row, and no end in sight. Mazy's flag football season begins on Sunday afternoon and runs for 8 or 9 weeks. We also have my father-in-law's birthday on Sunday, and I hope to run by an open house in Nevada to look at a place at the top of our list.

Oh, that's right. I don't think I've told you that we have decided to leave the big city and go live in a smaller community. There were a couple on our list, but in the end, Nevada won out. It's Shawn's hometown, and has a good school district. It's close to Ames for lots of cultural and educational opportunities (not to mention Cyclone sporting events for the boys...) and it has that small-town vibe that has been missing in my life for a long, long time.

I can't wait for Friday night football games at the high school. Soup supper fundraisers. Summer parades on Main Street. Fish frys (or is it fries... 4-H and the county fair. Gossip. Drama. I've missed it all!

I know it won't be all fun and football games, but I feel really good about this decision. The boys are excited. Shawn is happy. Violet likes to tell me about her pink and purple room she'll have in our new house. I'll commute to Des Moines, just as Shawn has commuted to Nevada for the past 12 years. Mazy will finish out his fifth grade year at the Downtown School, but I think we'll get Bo enrolled in Nevada. I think he might as well get started and meet new friends and become a Nevada Cub.

Of course, all of this is dependent on us finding a house. We're looking! There's not a ton available in Nevada right now, but several possibilities. We don't have our house on the market yet. We need to paint a couple rooms still, and I've designated Saturday as the day. I'm hoping Shawn will take the kids out for a couple hours so I can get it done.

Things are also heating up at work after a couple of months of glorious downtime. During that time, I did a lot of internal projects that I've been wanting to do. It was nice. Everyone needs a chance to slow down for a little bit and get out of the weeds. But the easy days are over and it's time to earn my keep. :)

Well, on that note, I better get to work. Here are some pictures from the last week:

Tonight: Shawn and Violet designing fabulous fashions on the retro Fashion Plates maker that Shawn found at a flea market last week. 

Last night: Little Miss Vi eating her first ice cream sandwich.

Last Friday: After being away from home for three days, I got off work early on Friday and picked up all the kids. We enjoyed an hour together at the Sculpture Park downtown. The boys were playing with friends while I chased Violet around. That's why there are only photos of her. 

And finally, this was what was waiting for me in Fargo when I checked into the Marriott Courtyard. Isn't that nice! Wine and chocolates. I didn't drink my wine because we went out each night, but I definitely appreciated the gesture!