Welcome to Michigan.

Still so much to update on, but here is a little bit about Michigan. 

We had a bit of a dramatic entrance as we pulled into our hotel Wed. June 6th with no home. We looked at one that night. No go.  We looked at 2 the next morning - no go.  We were starting to get a little nervous because all of the ones we had looked at were really really not what we needed. Either to dirty, to expensive, not available for 2 more weeks (wouldn't we love to live in a hotel that long!) or all of the above.  We send a fervent family prayer in the van on our way to look at house #4. 

Kalamazoo thus far had felt pretty foreign to us but as we drove out to Richland past cornfields, and barns we just felt like we were home. 

The owners of "our" house are still working on the renovations, but were gracious enough to let us move in on top of it all.  Which included a few extra stressful jobs on top of unloading and unpacking like scrubbing walls, cleaning carpets and (bless my mother) mopping the basement floor 3x to get it clean.

And although it doesn't have a dishwasher (gasp!) it does have a big beautiful fenced backyard and a long driveway the kids love to bike up and down.  Along with a village/country feel, big trees and an excellent school for Zina to attend.  It now feels like home (in large part thanks to my angel mother who came out and worked like crazy with me to get everything unpacked and flowers bought and planted etc).

Welcome to Richland MI, and our new home!

 Grandma hanging the wash while waiting for the gas line to get put in for our dryer.

 

 We love watching our little squirrels (whom Zina has dubbed Emily, Ellie and Kate) skitter up and down the front trees.

 And our little chipmunk friends who dig our flowers out and get caught in the soccer net.

The boys racing up and down the driveway.