what i may have forgotten to mention

I received a text from my cousin Katie asking about my babysitting job and realized just how little I've shared with my blog friends lately. I thought I would give a little update on our life.

In the biggest news, we moved. I've already mentioned this a few times, but I guess I didn't describe the house. The layout is actually called a quad-level. The top floor has the master bedroom and two other bedrooms and a bathroom. In the bedrooms and bathroom upstairs alone there is more storage than we had in the entire house on 27th. Then main level of the home has a small front living room, a kitchen, an eating area and a mudroom. Right now the living room has one chair in it. Hopefully soon we will be able to put a couch in there and the kids and I have talked about making that our "reading room" where we keep our library. The lower level of the home has a family room, a bathroom with laundry and Lily's bedroom. It's the perfect room for Lily and has plenty of display space for all of her treasures. Below the lower level with have a finished basement that will be our playroom/art area...plus we have another storage room down there. The other two features that probably sold us this home are the 4+ car garage and the lovely deck in the backyard. The neighborhood is quiet and the people are friendly. We're excited to get settled in this new house.

In other news, at the end of the summer my good friend Shanna is due to have a baby. After a lot of thought and consideration a few months ago, I offered to provide daycare for the baby. If you recall, Shanna was Lily's preschool teacher and now is Drew's. She is planning to work this next school year after her maternity leave. So next year during school we will have a sweet baby boy with us. I'm really looking forward to the task as I love babies and love the idea that the baby will be going home everyday at four o'clock. Miss Shanna has become one of my dearest friend and I love that I get to help her out is this way. I am thinking that Julianna will be excited to lend a hand whenever I need help with the baby. I hope that's the case and she doesn't spend too much time being jealous! :)

When Tom and I were first married, and several times since, Tom has worked out of town for long periods of time. It has been at least since Julianna was born since he has had to leave us for any length of time. It used to be that we never knew when Tom might get the call to go out on the road again. We have been spoiled these last two years as he goes to work everyday at 7 and is usually home by 6 and he hasn't had to work a Saturday in months and months. However, that is about to change. Tom has gotten another call to head out on the road for the next 4 to 6 weeks. He was supposed to leave tomorrow, but thankfully it was changed to next week. He will be gone, to the middle of nowhere, five to six days a week for the next several weeks....at least. I am hoping that we are feeling settled enough in our new house and that the kids and I can stay busy enough for this to not be too hard. I have spent a lot of time not letting myself remember how hard it once was when he would leave. I am keeping an optimistic view that because the kids are older and easier...that the time he is gone will be easier too. I am also staying optimistic that this job will not last the entire summer. *fingers crossed*

So that's the Stivers update. We are looking forward to a busy, healthy and fun summer. I love summertime, the lake, road trips, sunshine and even the 100 degree temperatures. It's too bad it's road construction season too.