An update from Virginia

Hello everyone. First of all I just wanted to thank all of you who have helped with our relocation. A few names at the top of the list are Brian and Becky Preece, James, and Heirani Blackwood, and Derek and Andra Christiensen. You have been great neighbors and we appreciate your friendships. We will miss you.

I have been in Manassas for a week. Unlike other business trips I have been on, this one will end with my family joining me. We have a house lined up in a smaller town called Warrenton (pronounced Warrington by the locals) in Fauquier (Pronounced Falkir) County. It looks like a great place to raise a family and after driving around a bit I don't know if I will ever want to leave. The city has a lot of family activities including a Christmas Gum Drop city set up for kids. Santa arrives in a carriage pulled by horses to open Gum Drop city for the Christmas season on the 6th. I did some exploring in Warrenton yesterday.

First I met our agent at the house. The floor plan in the new house is great. The only downer that I recently discovered is that our rental is located in a retirement community. DOH! After speaking with a few of our future neighbors I found out there are a few kids around and there have been other families like us who recently moved into the area. The homes are attached to each other much like town homes. We were a little worried about bothering the neighbors. However, with older folks on both sides, if sound does make it through those walls. . unless they have their hearing aids turned up.. they probably wont hear us. The house sits on a huge unfinished basement. I am sure the kids will have fun with their heelies, scooters, and bikes down there.

The new Elementary is called Brumfield Elementary. The kids will have to take the bus out there. But it is a new school and looks very nice.

I went to the Fauquier Hospital and it too is very new. The birthing center is new and much to my surprise there wasn't ANYONE there. After walking around for about 20 minutes a nurse came through and said it wasn't always that quiet and that most of their delivering mothers get more attention than they know what to do with. That will be different from our last 3 deliveries when we felt we were just a number among all the other new parents. The birthing center is surrounded by windows to show off the rolling tree covered hills Virginia is famous for. To top off my experience, the theme song of Phantom of the Opera was playing in the hallways. Anyone close to our family will know that Corinn and Gavin have been addicted to the Phantom this last year. In fact, back in Idaho I was with Gavin in a public restroom while he was taking care of business when, as loud as he could, sang the phantom theme song to hear it echo. When we left the restroom we were aplauded by a few chuckling mothers. The hospital is also very close to the house and I look forward to our daughters' delivery.

We posted the Minivan on Craigslist a while back and it sold yesterday to a kid who is getting married in a week and is planning in his words, "on starting a family right away!" - crazy mormons. Corinn and I thought this was hilarious. Unless they are expecting quadruplets within a year they don't need a minivan. BUT we were happy to sell it to them. Now we don't need to ship that van and we can buy a new van out here. We have a newer van lined up and we are excited for that change as well. I have noticed in my life that if Corinn and I make correct decisions, events fall into place and we are taken care of. It has been amazing to witness EVERYTHING about this move fall into place. In a world of recent economic hardship, we have been extremely blessed. For this we are very greatful.

We will be spending Christmas in an apartment this year. This means I don't have to hang lights on the house or set up a tree! Woo HOO. Our apartment came furnished and there is a 6 foot decorative tree in the corner of the front room. I threw two strands of lights on it and called 2008 Christmas decorating finished. I do have to admit though that this is the strangest looking Christmas tree I have ever seen.

I didn't plan on writing a book for this entry. We have had so much happen recently that it is impossible to cover it all.