Sign Of The Times

See the little sign next to the road on the left side of the picture?

Yep, it says 'For Sale'. Crazy, huh?

There's been much activity around the ol' homestead, trying to get ready to put that sign up - and we hope we've made the place irresistible to just the right buyer. Or at least sellable. Now we wait for a nibble...

I'll post some pictures of the results of some of the projects we've been working on these last four weeks - I think you'll be impressed. We're impressed, which makes us more sad than ever to be leaving because now the house looks like we've wanted it to for a long time!

See the little kid in the middle of the picture? He's oblivious.

Bright Eyes

How can anyone resist?

First Day of School, 2010

Andrea accompanied the boys to their first half-day of school today and snapped a couple of photos.

I guess fourth graders eventually grow into their desks...

No grandma, the water jugs aren't for hydration, they're going to be art supply totes.  Anthony begins second grade, moving over from the high school building (where the first graders are) to the grade school building (where the grade schoolers are, duh!). He looks a little nervous, but I don't think he really is.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Moving Pandemonium

So, just when we thought life couldn't possibly get any more chaotic... Bam! Congratulations, you've just reached a new level of crazy: we're moving.

Not just moving, transferring. To a new town. New schools, new gym, new library, new taxes, new commute, new routine.  Oh yeah, and a new job.  I got a great opportunity to start in a brand new design group working on Caterpillar's newly reintroduced mining shovels in Aurora (Illinois), and it's going to mean a tremendous interruption of our current state of Comfortable Pandemonium, but I couldn't pass it up.

We're just starting the relocation process, so we don't know exactly where we'll land. Aurora is just on the western edge of the Chicago suburbs, with lots of little towns surrounding it, so we could end up in new development (surrounded by foreclosures) or out in the country (for a price!). We're trying to work out the school situation for the boys and are trying to wrap up some of the perpetually unfinished projects here on the house.  Dad's here helping with the house. We'll start talking to a Realtor in Aurora within the next couple of days and work on getting our house on the market to sell.  Anyone interested in a four bedroom classic?

The schedule of events is still a little fuzzy.  I'm supposed to 'start' work in my new group on October 1, but I'll be in transition for at least the month before that. Depending on how things progress on the home-finding front, we could be moved as early as the end of August or as late as November.  We'll let you know.

It's going to be tough to move out of Peoria. The folks here have treated us like family since Andrea and I first crashed down the door, newly married and full of energy. Now we're older married and surrounded by energy and our friends have truly become family.  And even though we'll only be a couple of hours north it's still going to be hard to leave.  Needless to say, we didn't ask any of them before we decided to move.

But, we look forward to new friends and new experiences and new challenges and we'll always be able to say Pandemonium played in Peoria.