Memories

Yesterday was the eight year anniversary of my baptism into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I have been thinking a lot lately about what that decision has meant for my life and how much has changed since that day. I can't say that anything about me has remained untouched by that single decision. My family, my friends, my goals, my hobbies, even the way I think things through! It is kind of amazing!
I remember the feeling of panic and sadness when I realized that I couldn't be baptized on the day that we had planned. We were all so worried for a friend who'd gotten in a terrible accident the day before. It was a difficult week, but it showed me a side of the gospel that I hadn't seen yet and has been a blessing for me to have experienced.
I remember being so excited and nervous that day. There were so many people there! I missed my parents, but I had such a great big family there to support me. I will always remember the feeling of awkwardness as I was walking down the aisle of the chapel in a white suit that was much too small for me. I remember being baptized and having this amazing feeling of warmth come over me and seeing all these welcoming and warm faces looking at me as I came out of the water. There was no feeling of self-consciousness, it was just a great moment!
I had so much support from friends who gave talks, sang songs and were thinking about me from far away. I will never forget getting a present delivered to me by a boy that I had never met from a friend on her study abroad in Spain!
The past eight years have been full to the brim of experiences and I owe so much of them to the gospel. I met a wonderful man who I married in the temple and we have been able to have two lovely, albeit rambunctious children. I have been able to serve in different callings and learn new skills, make new friends and learn more about myself. I have been encouraged, strengthened, inspired, taught and lifted. I have felt inadequate, concerned and lost. I have gained the knowledge that I am truly never alone and always loved by my Father in Heaven and my Savior.
I really don't know how to express what it has been like being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It's challenging and so worth it.

My Two Crazies

Let's start with Ben as he is the oldest. 

Ben is the happiest little boy I know. He is constantly laughing, smiling, talking, singing or jumping about. He is also the most active, nutty child I have come in contact with. He loves to jump, run and, in all other ways, remain moving at all times. When he gets tired it is as if his energy level increases exponentially and I end up trying to keep him from literally bouncing off the walls. He is so delirious as he is running pell mell around the house that he doesn't always watch where he is going and often finds himself running into walls, chairs, tables, etc. This is also the time when it is easiest for him to get upset. Most of the time when he is denied something he will keep asking in a mischievous sort of way and then eventually give up and go about his business. However, when he is tired he will either do whatever he can to get what he wants anyway or he makes a terrible fuss and has to be left in his room to calm down. Neither is a fun experience for either party. Luckily, this is not a super common occurrence; as I said before, he is a very happy child.

On normal days when he is well rested and all is as it should be Ben likes to play with his trains and cars. Now, if you have had children who really love trains you know that all things become tracks. You also know that many conversations must be had about what are appropriate things to use for tracks. Ben uses everything and has, on occasion, tried to use myself, Michael and his little sister as tracks. These are the times when he and I have those conversations I was talking about earlier. 

Train books and movies are a hot commodity in our home as well as Curious George. This fits well as I believe that if Benjamin were let loose as often as that monkey he would probably end up in trouble just as often or more so. 

He is so independent and loves to do things his own way. Ben can get a bee in his bonnet about practically anything: who turns the lights on, who says the prayer, whether he has a fork or a spoon for his pasta, which red block his sister plays with. Mostly he just wants things done how he wants them done. Not only that, but he needs to do it; taking advice, help or suggestions from his parents is a sign of weakness. 

Ben is too smart for his own good and seems, at times, to notice everything. It seems as though his mind becomes a steel trap and everything done or said within his vicinity is observed, pondered and locked safe in his head until a time comes when he finds a "good use" for the information.

For all the energy and mayhem Ben embodies he is also extremely sweet and is most always willing to give hugs and say "sorry", "thank you" and "please". And though he wiggles the entire time, he loves to sit on my lap or lay next to me on the couch (not necessarily for very long). He's my Silly Monkey, Mr. Goof and Bubbalou, but mostly he's my Benny.

As for the young lady of the family... she's following in Ben's footsteps... literally. Elsie is approximately nine and a half months old and recently she learned to walk. She is now standing up on her own, walking from room to room and able to carry with her something in each hand and sometimes her mouth as well.  Needless to say she is very active. She is so active that getting her dressed should be considered an olympic sport.

Ben also learned to walk around nine or ten months. So all this walking and activity wasn't too much of a shock, it is everything else that surprises me. Ben may be curious, but Elsie is ravenous. She eats everything! She is constantly looking for something new to taste and, because she has teeth, chew on. Ben's trains and cars have lost paint, books have lost bits of their pages, even the walls and windows have felt the insatiable appetite of her tongue. And because she has tasted everything she can immediately get her hands on this leads her in search of more exciting flavors. So naturally she gets into everything. Every moment someone has to watch her or she runs towards the laundry room where clothes are soaking in Oxyclean or to the bathroom where Ben's potty seat is situated at just the right height for little Elsie fingers. Happily, we have been able to prevent any real mishap with either rooms, but I am constantly on alert.

Besides being obsessed with taste testing the house and walking, Elsie loves playing with Ben, looking at her favorite books, eating actual food and being held (unless she would rather walk). She is also quite a vocal little thing. She loves to make all sorts of noises. Her tongue is amazing and she can do quite a number of tricks with it. With this wondrous tongue of hers she can make a noise like a baby wookiee. She also can growl and this she does often, especially when she is playing. 

There are times when she reminds me of Godzilla. With her arms up near her head to give her balance and these weird growling noises coming out of her mouth she descends upon whatever track or block structure her brother is trying to play with and destroys it. This, as you can imagine, is very distressing to Ben. However, he gets her back often enough. Ben believes all toys in our house are his, and because of this he is often taking them from Elsie. When this happens one of two things happens, she either looks a little bewildered then moves on or if it is something she was really enjoying she yells and proceeds to try and take it back. The latter method hardly ever ends well. 

Elsie and her brother do get along. Ben watches out for her and lets us know if she needs more puffs to eat or a toy to play with. Elsie is always trying to follow Ben around, which can be somewhat dangerous as he often will run in circles around our table and has run into her full force more than once. She also loves to yell at him. What I mean by this is they yell at each other. Back and forth... it's a bit too much for Michael and I so we never let it last too long, but they love it!

The thing Elsie hates most of all is sleep. This has made us very sad on many an occasion and continues to do so every now and again. As many people do, I love sleep. Elsie has decided that she only really needs to sleep if she is coerced and even then it doesn't have to be for long. After many attempts we finally have got her to the point where going to bed at night is not a bad thing, though she still wakes up two to three times a night. If she is not promptly picked up, she cries until someone comes to retrieve her. You might be asking "why don't you let her cry herself to sleep?" This is of course a valid question. The answer is that we have tried this, with little success and many very sleepless nights.

Elsie is also quite the charmer. She is very social and likes to be apart of things. When we enter the room she always greets us with her radiant and toothy smile. She has the most striking smile, which she is willing to give anyone, no matter how unfamiliar, who sends a smile her direction.  However, if that same unsuspecting soul attempts to hold her that beautiful sunshine of a smile quickly clouds over and a storm of cries and tears begins. I tell myself that she just loves her mommy too much. 

Yes, my little girl is very opinionated and tells you all about it. She is lively and sweet. She is my Gooshie, Goose and Lady and I can't imagine life without her.

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Thoughts on Mom

It has been three years since my life was changed more drastically than I ever thought it could be in less than 24 hours. I have to admit I am still not quite where I would like to be. My mother was a big part of my life and I have been missing that part quite a bit these past three years. I always imagine how things would be easier and happier if she were around. I have learned, however, that I can be happy.
No, my life will never be perfect, but it can be happy. With all the difficulties that I face from day to day come so many wonderful blessings. When the great blow was struck three years ago I did not have to wait more than a matter of hours before I was blessed with a healthy, sweet baby boy. I'm not saying that becoming a mother after losing your own mother is easy or even a good thing to do, but it does divert some of your attention from your loss.
I know that things have been more difficult for me than they would have been if she were still alive and I have to admit that I have found myself jealous at times of other women my age who enjoy the blessings of their mother's presence. However, I also know that because I had the mother I did, I have been so well off in my life that I really have no right to complain. She gave me a wonderful example to strive for in my life and helped to make me the person I am today.
Even though she is not here to hold my babies and exclaim over how much they've grown, even though she isn't there to talk me through the difficult times we have with potty training and sleep training and tell me my feelings are normal, the memory of who she was and how she lived is with me, to guide me and let me know how blessed and good my life is, even in the tough times. I love her so much for that, I feel so blessed because of it. Thanks, Mom!

Elsie's Blessing

After five months Elsie was blessed with her Grandpa Jerry, her Nani Annette, Uncle Matt, Auntie Katherine and new cousin Amelie in attendance. It was wonderful to have the family together at the church and then afterwards at our little place.
She was a good girl and didn't cry, but she did smack her daddy in the face :) All of the men were helping to hold her so she wouldn't wiggle free from the circle. By the end of sacrament meeting most of the family had been quarantined to the foyer due to unruly children.
After we returned home we celebrated with lasagna and treats. Nothing big, but it was nice to have everyone together. The kids loved playing with their grandparents and we all admired the newest addition to the Perrone family, Baby Amelie!
We are so blessed to have such a fantastic family to support us!

It's Elsie! ...and BEN!!

So it's been a crazy few weeks with our new little lady in the household. I think part of the craziness has been a result of the lack of sleep we have all been getting. Elsie and Ben decided to take shifts for awhile. Ben would sleep at night and Elsie would sleep during the day so that there would always be someone awake to keep Mommy and Daddy company. Then Ben decided that he didn't want to sleep until midnight and Elsie decided she didn't really want to sleep, so we were all a little worse for wear. Happily, this phase did not last long and Ben is now going to sleep closer to eleven and Elsie is usually asleep by twelve, yay!
Apart from all our wonderful adventures in sleep, we have enjoyed watching the two siblings get to know one another. Ben has been very interested in this new person called "Baby Sister" and always wants to be involved in anything she is doing. Of course, there is the inevitable grab for attention every now and then: throwing balls/trains/cars in the house, getting into everything he shouldn't, and attacking his parents when their backs are turned. All in all, though, he really does seem to like his sister.
Elsie loves watching her older brother run around performing all his antics. She is never so happy as she is when he is screeching at her. He thinks this is how she communicates and screeches until she answers back or Mommy and Daddy tell him to stop. She is quite the smiler and very verbal; I think she'll be a singer like her brother

Elsie Kathleen's Grand Arrival

This is a little late coming, but here it is. On November 21st I had gone through my day looking at my very full planner and checking off the to-dos. That night I spent two hours visiting teaching and telling my fellow sisters that there was no way the baby was going to come before Thanksgiving. I returned home around nine o'clock and got Ben to bed - this took some time (he's still not the best at going to sleep). We finally got him to sleep and were discussing what late night snack we would have when at about ten thirty I felt a contraction.
By 11:00 I had had four contractions and all were rather irregular, but since Ben came so quickly and I needed to be on antibiotics for four hours, the doctor told me to call and get checked if I felt anything. So we called the hospital and told them we were coming.
Poor Ben got about half an hour of sleep before we woke him up and dragged him outside in the cold to the hospital. Where he had to hang out in triage while they asked all the usual questions.
I still felt that she couldn't be coming- she wasn't supposed to be here until the third of December, but we still called Michael's brother and his wife to come get Ben just in case.
Well, as I am sure you've guessed, I was told that I was to be staying in the hospital and that I needed to get on antibiotic right away. Ben was taken home and went right back to bed, thank goodness and we, shocked as we were, prepared to meet our daughter.
At 1:15 in the morning, that's right, only two hour and forty-five minutes from the first contraction, she was here. With brown hair, blue eyes and seven pounds five ounces to her name, she came out crying and healthy. Apart from the fact that the labor was quite intense, all was well and we enjoyed getting to know our new baby.
Ben, of course, spent his first visit to the hospital exploring the room and driving his trains on the different equipment, but he eventually realized there was a baby and that it was supposed to mean something to him :)
Elsie has been a great addition to our family, even though we are all still getting used to being a family of four.

She's got Friar Tuck hair, it's awesome!

The Evils of Mold and Pregnancy

So there is nothing evil about being pregnant, but finding mold in your home is that much more irritating when you are pregnant and trying to get everything ready for a new baby.
Last Saturday we were moving our room around to make room for a crib and discovered that some things that we had been storing under our bed had mold on them. With further investigation we found it on several items on the bottom of the closet and very little, but still some, in Ben's closet. Thank you Seattle humidity... Needless to say we went out and bought anything we could find that would treat mold and began work. We had to throw several things out and decided it would be best to wash pretty much everything (including carpets). Then we called an inspector who told us that this issue was in its early stages and as long as we watch it there shouldn't be a serious problem (good news).
Our dehumidifier has been running practically 24/7 so this problem will not occur again (I hope). Now that it is all pretty much taken care of I am realizing that am now even further behind in my to dos, but it is nice to know that we have thoroughly cleaned our home. One item off the list!

Rob and Nancy's First Visit

On July 16th my brother Rob entered the United States for the first time in two years and this time he brought his lovely wife Nancy! We had such a great time visiting with them and just being in their company.

While they were here Rob showed Nancy all around Wenatchee and brought her over to Seattle a couple times to visit with friends and family (us). We also enjoyed two fun family reunions and an exhausting camping trip. Hopefully we didn't wear her out and she'll be excited to come back.

Ben loves his Auntie Nancy and hogged all her attention anytime she was around. He would get pretty upset when she had to go and would ask for her randomly. He also had a great time trying to mimic the phrases that Rob would throw at him (some were Chinese) and he actually did a pretty good job :)

Their first meal in the States! They were both pretty tired, but covered it up well and Nancy got her first taste of a "Chinese" salad.

At our cousin's wedding.

The first open house/family reunion.

Of course there had to be some water gun fights :)

Ben having the greatest time with his Auntie.

Playing with Uncle Rob.

When we went camping the kids, Rob and Nancy all went to catch crawdads. They caught ten and we all got to look at the haul before they threw them back. On a side note, Ben really liked to say the word "crawdad".

Saying good-bye at the airport. It was hard to see them go, but they told us they would be coming back next year. Can't wait!

We love you guys!!

Nana's visit and News

Our July was packed with excitement! We had Michael's mom come to town and we had so much fun touring our own area. Apart from our trip to Wenatchee for Ben's birthday we also visited the aquarium where Ben discovered Nemo. As he had never seen Finding Nemo I was rather surprised when he started calling the clown fish Nemo until I realized that there were about two or three other kids around him who obviously had seen Finding Nemo. Besides Nemo his favorite fish was the "back fish" (black fish).

He also really enjoyed the little lookout area on the top floor. He and Nana got to look down and see what we were all up to.

After the aquarium we went to Pike Place Market where the fish fly and there are wonderful treats around every corner. Of course Ben had to test one.

We also visited Whidbey Island and Ben and Nana got their first ferry ride. We went to Fort Casey and saw some lovely large guns as well as a beautiful lighthouse. Then is was off toward Deception Pass and the ocean. It is such a pretty place and one we will have to visit again when Michael can come with us. 

It was also Ben's first time seeing the ocean.

But quite possibly the favorite part of the trip... for Ben, was seeing Thomas (the tank engine). We decided to splurge and take him for a ride on a life-size Thomas. Although at first he wasn't too sure what to think (or maybe he was just so overwhelmed by excitement he didn't know how to show it) he was sad when it was time to leave.

One of our favorite parts of her visit was the day she took this picture of Ben.

We loved having Nana visit us here in Seattle and hope she will come back soon! 

Ben is Two!

Ben turned two-years-old last Friday and had quite a day! We headed over to Wenatchee the night before so we could celebrate with the family. Nana was in town from Texas so she and Auntie Katherine got to come with us. Our first stop for his day of fun was Jeepers It's Bagels. Although his lack of sleep caused some irritability, he very much enjoyed drawing trains on the chalkboard and eating his raspberry bagel.

After a nice breakfast Ben got to hang out at the house while we prepared his party and waited for the guests to arrive (the Quincy cousins and Auntie Ali). It was a bit cool outside, but that didn't stop the kids from playing with bubbles, water, balls, etc.
Ben's dinner consisted mostly of watermelon and then it was time for cake and presents!

Of course the wonderful clothes he received were tossed quickly aside and he ended up getting distracted with each toy. His cousins helped to "persuade" him to open the rest of his presents and then they helped him play with them. He played for several more hours with his new toys and said goodbye to Chad, Valentina and the kids and then it was time to rest with Daddy.

All in all a very successful second birthday!

So this is Life

Again it has been a long time since the last post. I am really not good at this blogging thing, but am hoping to get much better in a hurry :)
Over the past few months both Ben and I have gotten haircuts. Both were dramatic, but in different ways. Let's just say that Ben was not to happy once the scissors got close to his ears.

Apart from our change in appearance we have also changed our renters status to home owners. Long story short. Our landlord told us that they were putting their condo on the market and within a few days it was on Zillow and we were on Zillow looking at listings (apparently now is the time to buy here). After only a few days of looking at homes and even making an offer on one we decided to buy the condo from our landlords. It was just too crazy out there in the real estate world. We are very happy with our decision and have already begun to make a few minor improvements.

Ben will be two in less than three weeks and we are already getting excited for his big day. His Nana will be here to help us celebrate and we will be heading over to Wenatchee to cut the cake.
The amount of talking and physical feats he has accomplished over the past few months never ceases to amaze me. He can get around the park toys without too much difficulty now and looks like a pro on the big slide. Not to mention he is finally giving his mother a break and taking pleasure in the swings from time to time.
His vocabulary has grown so much and every day he is adding to it! It is amazing how fast those little minds pick up things. It is great to be able to have a conversation with him (a very short/limited one, mind you) and actually understand what he is talking about. Right now his favorite topics are bubbles, food, and trains (Percy especially).
Life is going well for us. Michael is still enjoying his job and is about to start on a new project for his company. I am busy trying to keep up with Ben and deciding what I want to accomplish most with my limited free time.

An Update

It's the end of another year, time for another attempt at a family photo

We have now been in Kirkland for six months! Michael is enjoying his job and Ben is growing like a weed and learning new things every minute. We are loving being close to family and being in a more stable situation.

Our big boy

Ben just started going nursery on the thirteenth and we were so worried that he'd fuss and we'd have to stay with him, but so far he has done just fine. Michael goes to check on him from time to time and I get the reports from him and the nursery leaders. Apparently Ben spends most of his time walking around, but at least this week he sat during the lesson. Strangely enough he isn't very interested in the snacks they provide: Goldfish, dried cherries, bananas (all things he loves).
Michael is in the middle of his project with Microsoft and really seems to enjoy the people that he's working with and the schedule he keeps. There are days when he can work from home, which means we get to have lunch together. With the flexibility they give him he is able to miss the morning and evening traffic and we get to see him more often.

As for myself I am still trying to find a schedule and hobbies that I can handle while taking on an eighteen month old tornado. Right now I am working on a family photo album, that was supposed to be a Christmas gift for my family, but will more than likely end up being a Valentine's or even early Easter gift. It has been a lot of fun looking through all the pictures though. Apart from this very large project I spend most of my "me time" sleeping or watching television (ugh), but I have plans to change that.
Here are just a few pictures from late 2012:

Daddy and Ben playing basketball.

My favorite disgruntled Ben face

Benjamin Michael

Now for the introduction of the little boy that has kept my life so busy these past nine and a half months. Benjamin was born on July 12th. He was 8 lbs 4 oz and from the moment he came into this world he has been very alert. In fact, he went through a very long period where sleeping seemed to be a very unpopular option for him. We spent many a night wondering when our child would decide to be like other children and sleep those supposed 14 hours a day they tell you babies get the first few months of life.
Apart from the lack of sleep he was also on the smaller side.  He began rather average, but because of his constant movement he lost all the calories he was taking in and consequently slimmed out a bit. We found that once he started on baby food his weight seemed to no longer be an issue. At ten months he is an almost 20 lb, almost walking, now sleeping baby, with a grin as wide as the moon.
Benjamin decided one night in late March to take his very first step. Of course I was not there to see it. Michael was playing with him in the living room while I was cooking in the kitchen and they were just out of my sight when it happened. Ben had been practicing standing on his own the couple of weeks before, so it was only natural that he would want to move on.
Every day now he practices walking and can make it about eight or nine feet without falling.  When he is not walking on his own, he has us walking him around the entire house holding onto his hands, and can that boy run!
It has been so much fun watching him grow and learn. I can't wait for more!

My Mother

It has been a very long time since I have written anything on here.  This is partly due to the fact that the baby I was talking about so much before was born and I no longer have time to write my name let alone a post.  The other reason I haven't been keeping up with things is that too much has happened and it hasn't all been good.
My wonderful mother passed away this summer. This was a big shock to myself and all my family.  I have been thinking that, although it has been so very hard to lose her, I know that I have been so blessed to have had the few short years with her that I did.  She did more for me and with me in that time than I deserve.  I wouldn't trade those memories for anything.
My mother was one of those people that everyone loved, not liked, loved.  She was always cheerful and kind and always ready for the next adventure. Often she was ready prematurely, like the time she bought a wardrobe for both a girl and a boy after she found out I was pregnant.
Her support and love was always something I cherished. I just remembering hearing her scream, "Go Kari, go!" at all my sporting events. She could be heard over everyone else (I loved that).
She was also the greatest person to just sit and talk to. I could talk to her about anything and everything and for hours. There never seemed to be a limit with her.  If I needed to talk to her for an hour about the best way to cook a turkey she was there for me. I appreciated being able to express all my frustrations and joys without the worry of being judged or offending.
My mother was always ready to be the teacher, not only in her classroom, but at home as well.  She was constantly giving advice, letting us make mistakes and talking us through our problems and instilling in us good values to live by.  She did it all and, it seemed, without even trying.  She was truly Wonder Woman.
Along with all the wonderful motherly qualities, she possessed the knack to nurture a friendship between herself and her children.  I loved that she was not only my mother, but one of my best friends. She let me into her life outside of being my mother and I got to know her as a whole person.
My mother taught me so many life lessons, but most of all she gave me a wonderful example to strive for as I begin my journey through motherhood.

Baby and His Name

I am now 37 weeks pregnant and feeling every bit as big as I ever want to.  It would be one thing if the weight were evenly distributed, but as it is, I find the constant jab to the ribs every time I sit down quite a nuisance.  Nobody ever told me that it would be excessively uncomfortable to sit up properly because the baby would lodge itself right under the ribcage.

Apart from the occasional discomfort things seem to be going well.  The baby is constantly on the move and I am feeling fairly prepared for him to come.  I have gotten all his laundry done, the crib is all set up, the car seat is in the car and we have finally chosen his name!  

The story of deciding on his name is an interesting one so I will share.  We spent the first couple months after we discovered he was a he trying a new name every week as we didn't want to spend the pregnancy calling him baby or just plain he.  Then we decided we really liked the names Benjamin and Samuel best so we went back and forth between the two for the last month or so telling ourselves that we would eventually come to an agreement.  This did not happen.  I liked Samuel just a little more than Benjamin and Michael liked Benjamin just a little more than Samuel.  We both agreed that no matter which we chose we would be exceedingly happy, because both names were great, but we still had our preferences.  On June 12th we decided that we had to make a decision by the following Saturday as his birth was getting awfully close and I was getting very frustrated at not having anything to call him.  We were to think about the names all week and then come together on Saturday the 18th to decide.  

Well, it didn't turn out exactly as we had planned.  No new revelation came to either of us and we still couldn't let go of either name easily.  At some point during the past month or so both of us have come to the other and said let's just name him whatever name the other person liked better, but this never stuck because one of us always felt guilty.  So after going over the names for about an hour and a half (meaning looking up facts about them online and talking about the pros and cons of each) we decided it had to be done.  Michael suggested we pull the name out of a hat and I had just the hat for the job.  So I wrote each name eight times on pieces of paper, folded each one very carefully and put them in the hat.  Then we decided that we would make it best out of seven since we were married on the seventh of November.  Michael began to draw the names.  He pulled out two Benjamins, then a Samuel, and finally ended it all by pulling two more Benjamins one right after the other.  So Benjamin Michael Perrone is due on July eleventh and we can't wait to see him!

This is me at 33 weeks.  I realize I am a little behind, but you can get the basic idea of what I look like.

Louisville, Here We Come!

 On May 13, in the early afternoon hours, we rolled into Louisville, Kentucky.  Our tour of the town began with a visit to GE Appliance Park.  Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of that, but it isn't much to see unless one is really interested in looking at very large nondescript buildings all in a row.  

Michael and I went into one of these to meet his boss and get an overview of what he would be doing over the next three months.  His boss is Timmie and she is exceptionally nice and very understanding!  She asked us several times if there was anything she could do for us and made sure that we were aware that she was willing to be flexible, especially with the baby on the way.  She has helped us find furniture and even let us borrow a great deal.  

After our meeting with Timmie we started the lookout for own new residence.  We weren't sure exactly how to get there, but we found it and with little trouble.

When we first got here we enjoyed looking at all the amazing sights such as the White Castle.  We have yet to go, but we plan to venture there very soon :)

Below are some pictures of our apartment and the surrounding area.

This a little walk that is on the Mallard Crossing grounds.  There is a gazebo, a fountain, lots of geese and a little walking bridge.

Michael in front of our building on one of the first days it decided it wasn't going to rain.

Our apartment is on the second floor and has a lovely dogwood tree in front of it.

This is one of the views from our patio.  It is a fairly secluded place or the trees make it feel that way.

This is the view from the other side of the patio.  I like looking out and seeing the dogwood tree.  When the weather is nice this is the best place to be in the entire apartment.