Drum Roll Please...

We've been home for about a week and a half now... despite our efforts to lay low and recoup a little, the changes (and the travel) keep coming. But we'll be settled soon. At last, an offer has been accepted and signed. And not a moment too soon. I've got about 10 days left before I'm not allowed on a plane. So without further adieu, I introduce our new home for the next 18-24 months: Boyne City, Michigan!

We are very excited. Its a great opportunity for Cori. The position is nice and big and has the management opportunities he was hoping for. The area will be a fun adventure for our family too. It is a very popular vacation spot in the north western part of the state on the shore of Lake Charlevoix, which is a little jetty off of Lake Michigan. This translates into hot summers, long winters, glorious autumn colors and lots of outdoors things to do: golfing, hiking, camping, fishing and (at last!) skiing. Boyne City itself is small (population 3,500 I think), but it is near a couple of other bigger cities that afford the accommodations we can't do without, i.e. Target. It is just an hour north of Traverse City which boasts a very active arts community and our nearest airport. We'll also be a day trip away from some other places we've wanted to see, Manitou Island (where 'Somewhere in Time' was filmed) being at the top of the list.

The Church is pretty sparsely populated as well. The whole of northern MI is a district of 8-10 branches functioning (we think) under the direction of the Mission President. This will be a fun adventure as well. Our social life will not be contained in the cozy blanket of church membership-- the way it has been for us both for most of our lives. I will have to rise to the challenge of finding mommy friends and play groups through other venues. I'm actually grateful, as this is something I should be better at already.

More details to come as our adventures in house hunting and home ownership begin. We are hoping to be flying out there next weekend (with as many of our necessary belongings as we can manage) and into temporary housing while we shop for houses and doctors. Then Cori will fly back to CA in Sept. for the couple days of packing and shipping detail.

I'll be posting soon with the exciting things we've all been up to these last few weeks...