Happy New Year, Happy New Blog

It seems like forever since I've blogged. While it has been only a few weeks in "actual time," so much has changed in my life. In the spirit of change, I've also made some changes to the blog. As you can see, I have a new blog name, description, and sidebars. Expect more changes in the weeks to come. (But don’t worry: The URL will stay exactly the same.)

Here's what's been going on in our southern lives.

We are slowly settling in as much as we can without actually being able to live in our house. Every time I move, I am surprised by the amount of stuff I need to buy. Even though I had everything I needed in Germany, I still need new/different stuff here in the states. From light bulbs, to silverware trays, to restocking the pantry, I have been doing my part to keep the economy going.

Of course, that includes purchasing two cars in one night. Walking back into the dealership the next day to pick up the second vehicle, I totally felt like a superstar. It was crazy. Salesmen, managers, and service people waved to me, gave me their congratulations, and wished me the best.

I am frantically getting ready to have the baby. If I'm lucky I'll meet all of the doctors in the practice that I've selected. Also, Kevin and I took a crash-course on birthing, had two baby showers, and will visit the hospital this week.

During the holidays we traveled north. Last year we spend Christmas alone in Europe, so this year it was especially nice to visit with lots of family and friends. I especially have to thank my husband who did a lot of driving (not always in the best conditions) getting me everywhere that I wanted to go.

Our tenant moved out, so we were able to have the stuff from storage delivered to the house. Kevin is working hard to get the house ready. His Dad and he spent days touching up the walls, cleaning the trim, and repainting the bedrooms. We purchased a crib for the baby, cleaned up some furniture that was given to us, and are looking forward to getting our container delivered.

The ship was due to dock in Norfolk, Virginia yesterday. Depending on how long it takes to clear customs, we should have everything by the beginning of next week. This is great news to me, since I really would like the furniture to be delivered before the baby.