Happy New Year!

We found a house! I would like to say it's the Ramada Inn but we can't afford that. We are renting a house on the southwest side of town. It's out of the busy city and the house is set back from the street with woods in the backyard. The house was the cleanest we saw today and so we felt the best about it. It was also probably the smallest house that we looked at today and I'm starting to get a little worried about where we will put our stuff. It will all work out, I'm sure. So tonight is our last night in the hotel and tomorrow we will move in. We are so happy that the landlord was willing to let us move in so quickly and rent on a month to month basis. I haven't taken any pictures yet so you'll have to wait for those! Things are progressing so all is grand!

Merry Late Christmas!

We had a very nice stay in Massachusetts. It was filled with lots of work, family, food, and fun. We were lucky to arrive Friday night because a big snow storm came through Saturday night and dumped a foot and a half of snow - the most we have seen in a long time. We went to Church Sunday morning but no one was there so we went home. Kevin used the snow blower all day to clear out the driveway - it's a really long driveway. The rest of our time was spent going through boxes trying to find winter stuff, and stuff we wanted to take with us to Michigan.

Kemiah was not fond of the snow but I thought she would want to come out with me while I took some pictures rather than staying inside. Maybe I was wrong.

Can you tell how deep it was? Just look at the top of the van.



I found our fake tree so we set it up and decorated it with Memere's stuff. They just hadn't had time to get a real tree so I figured this would work just fine.



Marissa has become quite the little reader, enjoying chapter books on her own.

Memere reading to the kids. They love to listen to any book.

Can you see the stack of games? We brought up two big boxes of games for the kids to play with and they really enjoyed it. They will be fun to have during the cold winter months in Michigan.

We did take a break to enjoy Christmas! We had a family dinner Christmas Eve night - German pancakes. The kids opened their Grammy Jammies and they were perfect! It was great to watch the girls dance around in their nightgowns. So fun. We opened gifts Christmas morning with Kevin's parents and his brother, Chris, and sister-in-law, Darcie. Then we went to the Roy extended family gathering and enjoyed seeing family again. Then we went to the Fortier extended family gathering.

Here are the results on the Grammy Jammies! Aren't they fantastic? Yes, yes they are! In fact, I think next year I'll toss in my own measurements and see if I get some flannel jammies from my mom. I'm sure she'll be delighted.

A new family picture! It was painless but I would switch Ben and Marissa and shift the kids just a bit to the left (while looking at it not in it). I'm just glad we have a nice picture. Thank you!

This Christmas we decided to just buy gifts for the kids. We gave them each a gift and had them open all at the same time. It was a little crazy but the kids had fun.

Kemiah was very unsure about what to do. We decided that because we have gotten after her so much about tearing the pages of our books, she was afraid of tearing the paper on her presents.

All the other kids were done and she was still sitting there. She eventually pushed the present away and started to cry. Poor girl. I helped her with the first one but after that she understood what to do.

Kevin got a truck Monday and we had help from Uncle Dan and Pepere with loading all the boxes and some furniture. Auntie Mary read books to the kids while I did some packing inside. It was so helpful to have the extra hands!



Then it was the luggage and little stuff. We fit it all in and were ready to leave. Tuesday morning we were up and ate breakfast and were ready to leave before 9! On the road again!

I am used to being a passenger, not a driver. I am used to taking a nap on long road trips. This driving thing was new for me and I got very drowsy. I was surprised but the old habits die hard. I was also very upset that I didn't have my camera right next to me - nor would it have been very easy to take very many pictures as the driver of my vehicle. Oh bother!

We made it to our over night spot and enjoyed a nice dinner at Applebee's. We had a 10% off discount from the hotel we were staying in but forgot to use it. Oops. We had a good nights sleep and were out of there after breakfast and a stop at the gas station by 8 a.m. We made it to the Canadian border and went through quickly. We made it through Canada without having to get gas but we did stop for lunch at McDonald's. This time we got 40 chicken nuggets for the kids and they were all eaten! They are getting so big! On the way out of Canada, we spent 1 hour in line trying to get through the border. We made it and continued on - WITHOUT any of the snow that had been forecast - and made it to Saginaw Wednesday night. We checked into our hotel and enjoyed a nice dinner with chocolate cake for dessert.

So here we are!

Back in the saddle again.

Well, at least the drivers seat. I drove the van for the first time last night. It was oddly familiar and yet I had a really hard time getting up to the speed limit. 35 miles an hour is really fast when you are used to walking. I made it to our destinations without any issues but let Kevin drive home. I'll drive to Church tomorrow and maybe even to Chris and Darcie's house Sunday afternoon. Then I'll be doing lots of driving as we make our way to Saginaw. Just one more thing I have had to get used to.

Some other things that we didn't think about but remembered once we got back:

• Dry winter weather leads to static electricity. I haven't had to deal with staticy clothes and hair and I forgot how annoying it is.
• Toilet seats are really cold when the temperature is cold. I still make noise each time I sit down. What a jolt.
• I like staying in bed, not because I'm tired, but because it's warm and cozy compared to the cooler air outside the covers.
• Chapstick is not just a nice thing, it's a necessity. As well as lotion and cream on cheeks.
• Socks are now part of our daily wardrobe. Kemiah would rather not have them on but her little feet get so cold if she doesn't wear them. I love my slippers, even though they are a little too big.

So, there you have it. We are starting to adjust.