Quinn and John are two and a half.

Two and a half. The thought makes my head spin. This is how old Carly was when I had the twins. What? They are still babies! Right?

Quinn would disagree. I took her to the doctor just before we left Lansing and they measured her and the doctor told her how big she was. She took this as a professional medical opinion and has since often reminded me "Me big!" When I hold her and call her my baby she says, "No, me big."

First haircut in July.

We call Quinny my little koala baby. She's a mama's girl and I'm not even mad about it (most of the time). She likes to be by me, like if I leave the room she whines, "Maaaammmm!" She likes me to carry her, and when I pick her up she grins and wraps her arms around my head and presses her cheek to mine. It is my favorite, I have to admit. She also grabs my chin and turns it toward her when she wants my undivided attention, and will put her face so close to mine when she talks to me that I can only see her eyes. But sometimes it does get a little out of control, and I have to sneak away and lock the door just to use the restroom. She is so sweet. Figuratively and literally. She has a sweet demeanor, and somehow she always manages to smell like dessert. It probably has to do with the chapstick she rubs into her cheeks all the time.

Things Q loves: bows and blankies, swings, brushing her teeth even when I don't know she's doing it, wearing bandaids even when she doesn't have an injury.

Quinn loves to swing: "High! High! Me high!" She loves sweet treats. She has recently started to care a lot about what she wears, meaning she looks crazy a lot of the time. She also has strong opinions on her shoes, and prefers sparkly ones whenever possible. Quinn likes to do what her sister is doing, whether it is groaning about the injustice of bedtime, flying like a super hero, or tending to their flock of stuffed animals. Quinn also like to boss her bigger little brother: "John-boy, no!" But she is just as quick to give him an unexpected hug or laugh at his endless antics.

Quinn's favorite thing right now is Minnie-rella, or "Minnie Mouse ball" as she calls it. She gets a little smirk as she watches it, it brings her so much joy. Lately she refuses to wear anything but a dress, and calls them her "Minnie mouse ball dress." Her favorite is the blue one (above, left) and she wears it at least 4 times a week. My mom even bought her a pink dress with Minnie on it, and she still can't be swayed from the blue one: "NO! Blue Minnie Mouse ball dress!"

Quinn has followed in her sister's footsteps of loving stuffed animals. She has a few favorites, including her little red elephant, "Baby E" and puppy "Jojo". She also got a tiny pink unicorn in a happy meal. I mean, this thing was the size of her fist. She absolutely loved Baby Neigh, as she called it, but she lost it ALL THE TIME. And it was so small, it was hard to keep track of. I spent way too much of my life looking for Baby Neigh this summer. When we came to Washington, we accidentally left it in Idaho. My dad drove 9 hours just to bring it to her (oh, and the car load of our stuff . . . and he had a meeting in C'oeur d'Alene). A few days after that, Baby Neigh was lost again. We found a bigger, prettier version with rainbow hair at a store, so we bought it. She now has a larger Baby Neigh, and I still spend way too much time looking for it.

Quinn is REALLY good at falling asleep.

Quinn is starting to prove that she is super smart. It is hard to tell, because she and John continue to be behind verbally compared to an average kid, and way behind their super communicative older sister. Once I was picking up craft fuzz balls off the floor and she proceeded to count them . . . all the way to ten. I didn't even know she could could to three, let alone 10. She has also been identifying a lot of letters, which I haven't been teaching them, and the other day she was looking at our FHE board and could identify each name. After Chris mixed them up, she still knew who was who. She's a bright girl, and it has been so fun to see more of that as she learns more and more words and combines them into more phrases.

~

The other morning I spent way too long with Carly and Quinn dealing with drama over what they wanted to wear. I've started letting them pick, more or less, but certain lines have to be drawn. And Carly sometimes just can't decide. I was losing my mind and realized I had no idea where John was. I came out to the living room to find him, already dressed, driving an army of trucks around and making loud truck noises. That is John for you. He's a man's man.

A "chochate dodut" is John's favorite.

John likes chocolate, diggers/fire trucks/trains/cars/airplanes, the "ninna tuttles" (ninja turtles; I die.), going on adventures with Carly outside, choo-choo and dig dig books, and boy things. I say "boy" things because I think having sisters has made him embrace his boyness. Or maybe he just got an extra shot of boyness on his way to earth because he is such a boy. He would drive my gender professor, who claimed gendered behaviors are taught rather than inborn, absolutely insane. At my brothers wedding he was going to wear a bow tie. I called it a bow tie in front of him and he screamed, refusing to let me put it on him. Obviously, because boys don't wear bows. So I said, "No, John, its a boy tie." And he smiled and let me put it right on and looked as proud as a peacock over how handsome he was.

John has a good heart. He really never acts out of malice or manipulation (the same can't be said for his cute sisters). The other day he requested crackers before dinner. That request is always denied in our house, but Chris sneaked him some in the kitchen. John ran out to his sisters and when Carly asked for one, he handed it right over. At the park Carly asked/told him to get her a granola bar. He came to me to get one for her, then came running back to get one for Quinn. She didn't ask him to, he just thought of her. (Sounds like he has learned the way to a woman's heart is through her stomach). He is rather a softy for his twin sister, and worries about her if she isn't where he expects her to be. He calls Quinn "Nnnn" (he has mastered the last sound in her name, apparently), and will come to me and say "Uh oh, Nnnn!" if he's worried about her. He's like a little Lassie, and will tell me, "Mama, Sissy help!" If Carly asks Quinn to get me to help, Quinn will totally space it and end up requesting milk or twirling.

Our Lansing grocery store was under construction and John loved to watch the "dig digs".

John is really good at "being a brother." I grew up with three brothers, so I know all about this. He likes to put his feet in his sisters faces, or sit on them, or giggle when he toots by them, or any other form of brother pestering. I'm amazed he has mastered it so young. Sometimes I yank him off his sisters and laugh and say, "You're such a brother!" But he has also mastered the sweet part of being a brother. When his sisters wear a pretty dress, they run to show him. They will twirl for him and he says "Ooo, sissy!" or "Ooo, Nnn!" It's his way of calling them beautiful, and it gives me fuzzies every time. He loves these girls he is surrounded by.

John is also the court jester around here. He can get both girls giggling pretty good just by being a total goof. He dances around crazy making crazy noises. He bounces, or jumps, or flops on the ground. He does silly things with toys. And the girls eat it up. "Again!" they laugh. He loves being a goof, and he loves making them laugh.

John loves to work and help. Since we've moved in there has been constant things to build, install, and fix. John has a little felt tool belt with tools and wants to help daddy. We were trying to hang our new temple print, which is big and heavy, and were having a hard time. We stopped to evaluate and I looked over to see John up on the couch hammering right where we had been working. It was so cute. He was also fascinated by Chris mowing the lawn. For the next few days he walked around with his hands out like they were on the lawn mower and would say "dada, vroooooommmmm!" He loves his daddy. John was a hard baby, but as he becomes a really great kid I can see him and Chris having a special man bond. They are, after all, in this together.

~

These two are growing up fast. They had their first trip to the dentist, and were quite skilled at "opening wide." They also switched to toddler beds. I would have left them in their cribs for a lot longer, but we didn't want to bring both cribs in the move. I had the toddler beds sent to my parents house, so when we left Lansing for good they'd think they were leaving their cribs behind. I'm not sure that many transitions at once was the best idea, but it went somewhat well. My mom took the brunt of the transition, because when Quinn would wake up anywhere from 2 to 5 am, she'd go to her room: "Mimi all done night-night!" It took about a week of adjustment, and who knows how much of that was a new place and new time zone. A perk to toddler beds is they would kind of slink right out instead of falling with a thud.

John and Quinn are both learning to say prayers. Chris or me or Carly will help them with what to say, and usually they repeat the last word: "Father . . . day . . . play . . . eat . . . night-night . . . Amen." It is sweet. It is really sweet when they add something on their own, like family members or the other day John added the "park."

They seem to know they come in a pair. They use the phrase "two babies" a lot. If they both want to be carried, which is a challenge for me at this point, and I tell them I can only carry one, they say, "No, two babies!" And when we're at the grocery store and they both want to ride in the seat they agree on "two babies" meaning they each have to put both legs through a single leg hole (not easy for John). And I love to hug one in each arm and say "I have two babies!" Sometimes they giggle, but sometimes they correct me: "No, me big!" Stinkers.

John and Quinn are so funny together. They are such a little duo and are hilarious to watch. At dinner last night Quinn grabbed a fist full of her veggies to offer them to John and he leaned over and ate right out of her hand like a puppy. After any sort of absence from each other, upon being reunited they squeal "Nnnn!" "John-boy!" and run to hug. They are little friends they are each protective of the other. I hope it always stays that way. They look out for each other, and I hope they always do.

My swaddled babies.

Has it really been two and half years? Has it really only been two and a half years? I recently joked with someone who said something about two sets of twins that I like to think of mine as a "once in a lifetime opportunity." These two and a half years have been long and hard, but the last year has been pretty great. They are fun and smart and cute and totally crazy. But we love them, and as I always think whenever I wonder why two came at once: we just wouldn't be complete without both.

Carly is 5.

Our girl turned five a few weeks ago.

She is a fun, smart, imaginative, emotional 5-year-old.

Carly is fun. She is a good player, if that is a thing. She likes to ride bikes while singing (loudly). She likes to adventure on our backyard terraces. She likes to listen to stories. She likes to tackle and giggle with daddy. She likes to be silly. It is my favorite whens she laughs so hard she throws her head back and snorts. Carly is smart. She is a realist and a thinker, almost to a fault. I was telling her about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and we watched the first cartoon episode from the 80s. She was asking so many questions. "When they turned into turtle-humans, did they already know how to talk or did they have to learn how to talk?" What?! I don't know! Chris's sister is expecting her first baby, and when she was visiting Carly asked, "Did you want a baby? Because babies are a lot of hard work, you know." (That is her mother coming out of her. haha). Carly is imaginative. She makes up a lot of games and scenarios as she plays with John and Quinn. It is amazing to watch her organize them and get them to play right along with her. She teaches them a lot through play. Often she'll come to me and spell out a complex imaginary situation and I can't even keep track. Carly is emotional. She has been easily upset and easily spooked lately. Her poor primary teachers were giving a lesson on obedience and told a story about kids playing with matches and Carly ended up in tears. We had to have a long talk about matches and fire. Similar things seem to be happening a lot. She has always been an emotional being, but the fear is a new one (we're familiar with impatience and hyperactivity!). I'm hoping it is a phase that passes quickly or it will be an interesting Halloween. 

As she always has been, Carly is a really amazing big sister. John and Quinn are becoming such kids, and it is so fun to watching them be friends and play so much together. They make each other laugh and make each other crazy. Carly has a real soft spot for Quinn. They are sweet sisters. She and John have amazingly similar personalities, and that is why there is a real love/hate relationship there; they play hard and fight hard. But Carly loves her babies, and they most certainly adore her.

Carly's birthday was 3 days after our arrival in Pullman. We pulled together a little party, and luckily her grandparents were on top of presents. She wanted a "Elsa-y and Wonder Woman-y" birthday cake. I came across a "blue velvet" cake at the store that I knew would be a hit, topped it with yellow and red candles and blue and gold sprinkles and somehow it fit the bill. The night before her birthday the house was filled with boxes. I decided to clear it out so we could have a nice day, and moved everything in to the spare bedroom. I was setting up her Elsa and Wonder Woman balloons when I realized a tragedy: the Birthday Clown was in a box, and I had no idea which one. I felt so sad, probably more sad than I should have. Chris helped me reason though which box it might be in. I took a guess . . . the first box I opened, and there he was. It was a birthday miracle! I'm so glad he didn't miss it. She woke up the morning of her birthday and saw everything set out and said "Thank you! It is just like I wanted!" She's easy to please.

We finally got around to the annual birthday interview the  other night. Carly at 5:

What is your favorite color? "Blue, purple, and silver."

What is your favorite toy? "Honey." (Her stuffed puppy from Grandma.)

What is your favorite fruit? "Strawberries."

What is your favorite show? Movie: "Frozen"  TV: "Jake and the Neverland Pirates"

What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? "Peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich."

Favorite outfit: "Blue dresses." (She has a collection.)

What is your favorite game? "UNO. And my Frozen game."

What is your favorite snack/treat? "Chocolate  . . . chocolate rice krispies with fudge inside!" (Girl after my own heart.) 

What is your favorite animal? "Baby seal."

What is your favorite song? "Let It Go." Church song? "The Golden Plates."

Who is your best friend? "Carlyn."

What is your favorite book? "My Wonder Woman book. And Frozen seek and find."

What is your favorite cereal? "Cinnamon Chex."

What is your favorite thing to do outside? "Color chalk and ride bikes."

What is your favorite drink? "Root beer!"

What is your favorite holiday? "Christmas because Jesus gets born." (Sweet girl.)

What do you like to sleep with? "Honey."

What is your favorite breakfast? "Cinnamon Chex." (Girl still loves Cinnamon Chex!)

What do you want to be when you grow up? "A scientist that discovers animals and finds real live cheetahs."

What is your favorite thing to do? "Get chocolate at the chocolate store."

What is your favorite time of year? "Summer because its my birthday."

Favorite part of the day: "School time."

If you could go anywhere in the world: "Carlyn's new house." (Her friend from Michigan who moved away too.)

If you had one wish: "Making snow and ice with Elsa!"

Favorite thing about being 4: "Playing with Carlyn in preschool and going home in her van."

Thing you are most looking forward to about being 5: "Going to school and meeting new friends."

Carly's first day of school. J and Q REALLY thought they were going to school too. They were so sad.

You heard the girl, she is excited to go to school and make new friends. So here's a story: We registered Carly for Kindergarten the last possible day before schools closed in Pullman. Having an August baby is the pits, as she seemed too old to wait, but too young to start. I felt like she was ready in so many ways, but the thought of how young she'd be, now and the rest of her life, was gnawing at me. I was asking everyone under the sun if they waited or went, and I came to a frustrating realization: it totally depends on the kid, and Carly would most likely do great whether I sent her or held her. How are you supposed to make a decision with information like that? I became increasingly unsettled as the summer passed by, and upon our arrival in Pullman I decided to explore our options. I went to tour a Montessori school and really loved it. The class is a mixed age class, from 3 to 6. They teach each child individually from where they are, rather that teaching the class as a whole, and the kids have the chance to teach younger kids and learn from older ones. This would cater to Carly, who excels is many areas but perhaps needed fine-tuning in others. Montessori also teaches a lot of real-life skills, and stresses interdisciplinary and self-guided learning. Don't get me wrong, I'm a public school girl, and Pullman has amazing public schools that Carly will begin attending next year. I just really liked the idea of Carly having this learning experience.

But there was one over-riding feeling, the feeling I couldn't let go of: she's only a kid once. Why send her off when I have the chance to hold on for another year? Kindergarten here is half-day, which is great, but then comes first grade. And it doesn't stop. I just wanted her home more. I wanted to have an extra year of her childhood. Its not because I didn't want her to grow up, but because I honestly feel the very best place she can be right now in her life is at home. We put Carly on the waiting list for the Montessori school. We were 10 days out from the first day of school, and she was fourth on the list. I had just about ruled out Kindergarten, so we started seriously discussing a schedule that would allow me to homeschool her a few hours a day. Thankfully, we found out she got a spot in the school on Thursday, met her teacher on Friday, and started school Monday. She goes half-day, 5 days a week. It was a whirlwind, but I'm grateful we are giving her an extra year. I'm not saying its the best choice for everyone, but I feel really at peace that it was the best choice for her.

So far she is doing great. Montessori has some quirky things about it that she has to get used to, but she has already met a list of girls around her age and is happy. Today I heard her singing a song of the days of the week while she played. Her first day of school was also Chris's first day as a professor. He was looking pretty gorgeous in his professor clothes. I'd take a class from him any day. After Carly's school we met Chris on campus and got Ferdinand's ice cream (from the WSU Dairy). They have a huckleberry ice cream that is to die for (and that is saying something, because chocolate runs in my veins). I think we might just make that a back-to-school tradition.

I love Carly. I mean, I just really love the heck out of her.

She is just a really great kid, and I'm so grateful to be her mom.

What a blessed 5 years it has been with her in our family.

She's our Carly, full of life with a heart of gold.

we're here.

Oh, my, I don't even know where to begin. There are so many things I'll want to remember. The last few months have contained our last days in Lansing and our stay in Idaho that culminated in a weekend of white dresses and my baby brother taking a bride, as well as my baby turning 5 years old. But today, I'll start in the present.

Tonight I sit in Chris's office. It's a nice size, is all set up according to his preferences, AND it is above ground, so he has definitely moved up in the world. I sit here because though we've been in Pullman a whopping 10 days, our estimated internet installation date is September 3rd. Say what? We're working on talking them in to coming a wee bit sooner.

Long ago, but not so very long ago, the kids and I were partying in Idaho. Chris, his parents, and some friends readied the house, packed the truck, and Chris drove our car across the country all by himself. He met us in Idaho for the wedding, and a few days after that, we packed our party and headed to Pullman. 

Let us address Pullman, shall we? We came here in May on a house hunting extravaganza. Chris had told me it was small and hilly, but what he failed to mention was that it is SMALL AND HILLY. I almost cried when we arrived. And I almost cried when we arrived 10 days ago too. Because I knew it was the right place, it was just different. And small and hilly. But in the last few days, a peace has filled my heart. We have discovered parks and a swimming pool and shopping and Qdoba. Qdoba, people! I seriously had tears in my eyes. I swear God put that Qdoba in Moscow as my saving grace. So Pullman/Moscow and I are learning to get along. I think, after all, we'll be quite happy here.

 We arrived at our house the day before the truck and camped out in our basement. The truck arrived the next day, and so did the missionaries to carry the heavy stuff. John was so obsessed with the truck. I think he thought we got to keep it, because he was beyond comfort when it was empty and we closed it up. Since then we have been living in chaos, stuff strewn about and boxes half unpacked. Moving will make you crazy, filling boxes and then turning around and emptying them. Today to have a limited number of boxes remaining, but stuff all over because I started to just empty their contents on the floor, because HEY! at least I was getting rid of boxes, right? I'm hoping we'll be settled by Christmas.

We left our table so we've been keeping it classy around here. 

Our house. In the middle of our street. (Really). I love our house. In May we came house hunting. I had such a vision for what our house would be. The selection wasn't enormous, and I think we had like 6 houses we really wanted to look at. I wanted a newer house in a newer neighborhood. We looked at all my top choices and one after the other after the other I just wasn't feeling the love. Too small, too weird, too whatever. There was one  house I loved in pictures but we couldn't get in until day 2. This house was perfect, except it was way above our price range. I chat with our lender let us know that we could actually get a loan that big, but the thought was unsettling. Our realtor, knowing we had kids, said we really needed to see the backyard. So we took a peek: this backyard was about 6 feet of grass followed by a steep drop off that ended abruptly at a fence. Totally worthless, if not dangerous. I was crushed. So we saw the last house. And it was the one. The sellers were particularly motivated, as they had a job waiting for them, and we got a great deal and a situation that was in our favor. It was perfect.

Our house is a 1978 split level. It is updated enough to make it void of any seriously major projects, but just a "work in progress" enough to make it fun. There are three bedrooms and two and a half baths. There is a living room upstairs and a good sized basement. This second living space was a deal-breaker in all the new houses we saw that only had one. We'll be painting, updating fixtures, and eventually doing a new backsplash (the kitchen is pretty new, but the backsplash they chose is not my favorite, to say the least). The mint-pistachio green paint is my major complaint. I mean, it tortures me, really. It appears the previous owners had a real fondness for the shade because it covers the master bathroom (even the ceiling! Ahhhh!), and random areas in the kitchen. Chris took some shelves down in the kids room and THERE IT WAS. They had painted around the shelves, heaven help me. Then I was messing with the kids blinds (the whole house needs new blinds) and I realized they had painted the inside of the windowsill the same color. I screamed. Like, literally a scream of terror. But all our updates are easy and fun ones, and we are so excited to make the place our own. I was worried about having only three bedrooms, but we just decided to keep the three kids together. Honestly, I don't think we could have split them. They really are the three amigos, and within days of setting up their room Carly had made an "open" and "closed" sign for the "Kid's Club". And I knew they were happy to be together.

We're exploring our surroundings. We found a park in our neighborhood where the swings go really high. Quinn loves it: "Me high!!!" It is two streets over from our house but, I kid you not, you go down a hill, up, down, and up again. And not Michigan "hills", I mean REAL hardcore hills. I thought we'd take a little walk/bike ride over there but Carly couldn't even ride her bike and then I ended up putting it on the stroller and scaling those hills pushing about 100 lbs. It was insane. I think we'll get used to it . . . and just leave the bike at home.

 Last, but not least, our house has a yard. It was completely unexpected, but I find myself most in love and excited about the yard when it comes to home ownership. Our house sat empty for two and a half months, and the yard was already not really to our liking, so it needs a lot of work. But it is fun and we're in no particular hurry. The kids and I have spent mornings out digging up weeds and dead plants (though John pulled up one of our only surviving flowers as he mimicked mom's weed pulling -- he got the whole root though so you've got to give him credit). They will ride their bikes around the garage and driveway while I work. Tonight we didn't worry too much about our dinner and bedtime schedule. We worked outside as a family and it was chaotic but picturesque at the same time. 

I feel like we've been waiting a long time for this. Life is crazy and I'm stressed and impatient all too often, but sometimes I look out the window at my kids playing the the yard and can't believe we're here. Sometimes I walk into my kitchen and wonder who's house this is. Sometimes I pull into our driveway and an overwhelming rush of gratitude washes over me. 

I'm so happy we're here.

#514, Lansing

[our first ever family visit to MSU]

Dear #514,

Remember when we met? You seemed palatial. Coming from a 500 sq ft apartment in a sweltering southern city, you were paradise. We painted one of your walls blue for our little 1-year-old girl. The decorations went up. It was clean and organized. We had it good. Life was smooth.

Then remember that second positive pregnancy test? It was early, but still showed up positive instantly. That should have been a sign. Remember the sickness? When I couldn't even take care of my little girl? Remember how I threw up on your walls and behind your parking garage? Sorry about that. Then there was the day I came home and cried in your living room after seeing two babies on the ultrasound rather than one. I was so scared. I didn't know how we'd do it. But we brought those two beautiful babies home and they were crazy but they were perfect, just like their big sister. And here we are, two years later, and we did it.

#514, remember Chris's first semester? We didn't know what to expect. He did so great, and kept doing great. We celebrated the passing of tests, the end of semesters, the success of comps, the completion of the dissertation. Years that crawled by and simultaneously flew. He has a PhD! We moved to Lansing for that purpose, and now it is done.

 

 Do you remember when Chris and I slept in your unfinished basement? Two babies were giving us a run for our money and impossible John needed his space to cry it out. So he got the small bedroom, the girls got the master, and we moved our bed to the basement. We had to unscrew the railing to get it down there. It was the first time you felt way too small. There were just way too many of us all the sudden. But we made it through that too. We moved all the kids in together and when Chris and I got a bedroom back, man, it felt so fancy. Windows and walls and a door! We were outgrowing you, but you continued to keep us safe.

Do you remember the birthday parties? Carly's friends in the kitchen eating at the little table. The twin's first party, with their cupcakes smeared on their faces? Do you remember the leprechaun treasure hunts, the Easter outfits, and the Halloween costumes? And that brick wall out in front. It was perfect for a photo op, so much so that the kids would run and line up when I requested a picture.

Do you remember the long sleepless night with two newborns? Colicky John and I would watch Sabrina. We'd watch Grey's Anatomy with tiny Quinn and Chris would make her "dance" to the closing credits music. Do you remember the tears of that hard summer. Two babies and a hard toddler and a mom who didn't know how she'd make it. But we did. We all made it. We always made it.

Because along with the hard was the good. There were first smiles, first giggles, first crawls, and first steps. There were daddy monster attacks, forts built, songs sung, and kisses and hugs and funny conversations. Life with these people is just so full of joy your walls couldn't contain it.

We loved to walk your trail, play in your park, and scribble on your sidewalks. You had the greatest maintenance men, or "fixer boys" as Carly lovingly called them. They were quick and kind and last week they told Chris just how much they'd miss our family and our smiling waving kids. You were close to our friends, to our church, to our favorite parks, to my beloved running trail, to our library, and, most importantly, to Dairy Dan's. I've been having chocolate turtle flurry withdrawals. I consumed way too many of them within your walls.

#514, we outgrew you, but you were our home. You held our sweet, scary, silly, and sacred moments. You kept us safe. You helped us grow. Look how much my babies grew while we called you home. Carly was a tiny thing when we moved in, and now she's tall and brilliant and amazing. John and Quinn are kids, walking way too quickly away from babyhood. You are the only home they know.  They left their scribbles on your walls and their handprints on your brick. And I left a piece of my heart right there with you. Because even though you're only a little townhouse in South Lansing, you will always mean the world to me.

We said goodbye last week, and today Chris packed up our belongings in a big truck. Tonight you sit empty. I was reading back on my blog from when we announced we'd be moving to Michigan, and this is what I found:

Its weird to think ahead, to think of what our Michigan years will bring. Like how Carly will be nearly FIVE when we are done. How hopefully she will be a big sister. How Chris and I will both be old. How we will have a home we've lived in for years (we've never lived in the same place for over a year in our entire marriage). How Chris will be a doctor. It will be a fabulous 4 years.

Thank you, #514, for being our home while all those dreams came true.

Love,
Erin