Where have we been?

It's been almost a year since I last wrote!! My how time goes by so quickly. Once school started, I started working and volunteering (possibly too much). In November I began working full time at the Academy and then there was no time for anything else. Our days were very short - at 7:30 a.m. the girls and I left for school/work and didn't get home until somewhere between 5:00-6:00 p.m. If Maddie had Kumon, we weren't home until closer to 6:30 p.m. Then it was time for dinner and homework. We hoped for a 9:00 p.m. bedtime, but were lucky if it was 9:30 p.m. This was our lives every weekday until the last day of school.

About mid-May, Pete was offered a promotion to RMM in Virginia. He had been hoping for this job offer for about the last ten years. Jordan said she would move as long as she was able to go to an IB school. Madison took a bit of pursuading. I sat her down in front of the computer to see the possible houses we could buy. I also let her know that we would be about an hour and a half from the Virginia Beach and could go any weekend she wanted. The last thing I told her before she said "Okay, let's move" was that she would be able to run around in her back yard barefoot and not have to worry about fire ant bites or sticker bushes.

Right after school let out in June, we left for a trip to Italy, Croatia, Monte Carlo, and France. The girls stayed in Minnesota with Aunty Rachel (and Tom, Shelby, Matt, and Buster). The girls definitely had more fun that I did. Jordan enjoyed learning how to make Raggedy Ann dolls and also making monster dolls for her cousins. Madison loved the shopping, especially garage sales. She sure can find a bargain!!