Finally in to our new home

Lacey and I finally got possession of our new home and we're working on getting settled. The house is great so far, our neighbors are incredibly nice, and it feels really good to know that there is no one living above or below us. We can't wait to have everyone come and visit us in Grand Rapids, MI now that we have all this extra space.

I won't show you any pictures of the inside because it's a disaster, but enjoy some pictures of the outside!

 

The front... I really need to trim those bushes on the side of the house!

 

The back of the house, can't wait to hang out on our deck, mow our lawn, and shoot some hoops!

 The orange flowers waited to bloom until we were moving in

 

Who likes lavender?

 

A (little more than) a year later

Unbelievably it has been more than a year since we drove away from Brooke and Ryan's place with them dancing and singing outside our car, got our last Bronx pizza, and headed out of San Diego on our epic journey across the Western U.S.

Looking back now it is clear to us that the trip was one of the best decisions we ever made. It taught us so much about ourselves, our relationship, and what we need to be happy in this world. Lacey and I are forever grateful to our friends that let us crash at their houses along the way, the national parks system for sharing some of the most beautiful sights we've ever seen, and (maybe most importantly) our parents and my sister Denise for letting us invade their lives for almost five months while I looked for a job.

A lot has changed since we arrived in Minnesota last August at the end of our trip. First of all, I got a job at Steelcase as an Environmental Chemist working to eliminate chemicals of concern from the office furniture products we sell worldwide. It has been great so far (in my first four months) and I'm really happy that I found a job where I can actually do some real and measurable good in the world. Along with that job we moved to Grand Rapids, MI. Grand Rapids is not necessarily where we saw ourselves landing, but we have been pleasantly surprised by the selection of food, the great farmer's markets, the excellent beer, and the incredibly welcoming people. That, of course, is not where the huge changes in our lives end. We just recently bought our first house and will move in in June. We spent some time looking... well, by we, I really mean Lacey, and found a great 90 year old house with beautiful original wood floors, awesome French doors, a great front porch, a deck in the back, and a perfect sized yard for the puppy we hope to get once we move. I'll post pictures soon... so stay tuned.

So, I think it is safe to say that the last year has been a whirlwind for us, and despite missing our time on the road, we are incredibly happy to be in a place where we can start the next chapter of our lives together. Please come visit us in Grand Rapids, we have plenty of extra space now with our new house and would love to host some guests!

Until next time...