Maryland Madness

Hi Everyone! We hope everyone is having a wonderful 2011 so far! It's been a while since we updated our blog, so there is a lot to say. Here goes!

God has been working amazing things in our lives since we got here to Maryland. The trip here went smoothly in November, and we moved into our townhouse, which we have been renting. It's a tad smaller than our house (1/3 the size, to be exact), but we're managing famously. It just means we're all a little closer, which is a good thing with a crazy, wonderful little 21-month-old boy running around! :) We still have a lot of boxes we can't unpack because we don't have room for things, so our bedroom has turned into a temporary storage area.

We have been in waiting to find out what the future holds for us, either here or back in the Midwest. Recently, Noah received a job offer from a competitor, and Boeing actually fought to keep him and gave him a wonderful raise, in addition to the great benefits they offer, so we could stay on the East Coast. So in a nutshell, we're staying in Southern Maryland permanently. It is bittersweet, since we are farther from friends and family, but we are thankful that we finally know where we will be living on a long-term basis.

Noah is liking his job more these days, now that he as actually gotten to fly on the plane he works on! The days he flies on the plane (to gather data), he comes home in his flight suit and boots and looks like one of those spiffy pilots from Top Gun. They even gave him an official name patch and a flag patch for his arm. Pretty cool. I think he'd agree that it was worth it to go through all the crazy swim tests and hypoxia training to be able to fly on the aircraft he works with. It sounds like he enjoys working with his team, and he has a good boss too.

Along with that good news, we received word that a family from Arkansas wants to buy our home in St. Louis! We will (hopefully) be closing the deal on that in the next month or two. Please pray that the family buying our home will be able to sell their home quickly so they can buy ours! Right now the contract on our home is contingent upon the sale of their home.

In addition, we have been doing some serious, heavy-duty house shopping out here in Maryland, and God has blessed us with a great deal on an amazing house out here! So we are writing an offer on it today. The only catch is that it is a HAP home (which means it is basically owned by the DOD, and they have to approve or reject our offer, which could take up to 3 weeks to hear). So please also be praying that they will accept our offer! It is an amazing place, in a wonderful neighborhood, great schools, closer to everything. We feel so blessed to have found the place, and are just praying the deal will go through. Please stand with us in praying and believing it will happen!

Judah is doing great. I think I mentioned a while ago that we were starting formal potty training. Well, in the midst of all of this chaos and house hunting, it just wasn't working. If we didn't have all the craziness, Judah would probably be doing awesome with potty training. I don't think Judah was ready to do the potty thing in so many public places with so much noise and people and action going on around him. So he's back in diapers again, but we're still putting him on the potty when we're home (and whenever he tells us when he has to go when we're out and about) so we don't lose all that we've worked for so far.

Other than that, Judah is having a blast being outside more lately. The other day we went to the park and all he wanted to do was swing for 45 minutes! He loved being out in the sunshine and feeling the breeze on his face and wearing his new shades. Judah is talking a mile a minute, and it just blows me away how much he knows, learns and remembers. He is such a sharp little guy... you tell him something once and he will come back days later and repeat it to you when you least expect it! One of his favorite things to help with lately is opening the front door when we get home. He will want to find the key on the ring, put it in the lock, turn it and open the door (and ring the doorbell 15 times!). He also knows what all of the keys on my key ring are for, including the mail box key (we have lock boxes, not an actual mail box). Getting the mail is a daily ritual for him, and if we don't get it by 4pm, he will remind us! haha Here are some recent pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2100039&id=1075628199&l=a9c9c1d4b3

Noah's parents recently visited us, and we took a trip up to New Jersey with them to visit Noah's Uncle Randy and Aunt Sue! Noah's brother Nick, and his cousin Tresa and her family joined us for the weekend too, so it was like a big family reunion! It was a packed house, but we had a wonderful time visiting with everyone. Here are some pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2099914&id=1075628199&l=6017fdcc84

Speaking of seeing family, Noah's brother Nick (who is normally stationed in Hawaii in the Army) has taken a temporary 6-month position up in Bethesda, MD, which is just outside of Washington D.C. - only about an hour and a half from us! So we have gotten the opportunity to see him a few times since he's been here, and hopefully will get to see him some more before he leaves for Hawaii again in July. Here are some pics from our last visit: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2100047&id=1075628199&l=fbae58a780

We'll keep you updated about what happens with the house situation. We are looking forward to a trip to Wisconsin for Easter and seeing lots of family! We will be arriving in Milwaukee on April 22, and I will be staying until May 1st with Judah. Noah needs to get back to Maryland for work, so he will be leaving on the 26th. But we look forward to a great visit and catching up in person with as many of you as we can!

Lots of love and hugs,
Noah, Krista & Judah