Gold Mine or Money Pit?

A few years from now when I am panhandling off of San Antonio's Interstate 410, I want it to be clear that I predicted this from the outset. For most people, this story begins with an overly luxurious lifestyle where money-out exceeds money-in. So, as I stare at the most recent addition to our family, my one comfort is that we will be the exception, and years from now someone will be surprised to hear that we can confidently point to the day it all began... And I'm not talking about the garden of Eden either... I'm talking about our new donkey, which happens to be a baby-grand piano. With not a string in tune nor a surface unscuffed, I am confident that its tinny sound will bring endless hours of entertainment for years to come. She was born in 1928 and has spent the last decade in an non-air-conditioned storage box in San Antonio... which, oh by the way, had 57 consecutive days of 100+ degrees in 2011. Her name is Baldweena, she is a Scorpio, and she enjoys long van rides to air conditioned houses once a decade. the piano's keyboard looks like the inside of a Carney's mouth, and trying to balance on its rickety piano bench is like riding a dog that's passing a peach pit.

Almost Famous

Our family has been in San Antonio for a month, and we're already in the paper! Kudos to our new church, Hope Community Church, for getting the word out about their second annual Easter Egg Drop and some great publicity for the church in the San Antonio Express-News`this week. You can view the article here or see the pics of our family below.

Three to Four Months

Our sweet baby girl is growing up...four months old as of April 2nd! Looking back, this has been one of the most enjoyable months so far, as she is more social, sleeping and eating better, and learning more tricks than ever before! Best of all, today she rolled over from tummy to back for the first time! It didn't seem to faze her...or impress her that much either. It's exciting and intimidating to think of a mobile Jackie! But bring it on!

Portland Visit

What a nice visit we had with my parents in Portland, Oregon: full of home-cooked meals, visits with old family friends, and time with siblings Andrew and Julia. It was a great respite after being on the road and in transition for so long. Baby Jackie went through her three month growth spurt at the beginning of the week (back to eating 8 times a day!) and then began sleeping through the night without eating for the first time in her life - mom and dad can't complain! Every time we have visitors or travel somewhere, she grows leaps and bounds in her social ability, and she LOVED the attention from her adoring fans...grandparents, aunts, and uncles. We were so thankful Josh was able to take a 5 day break with us before starting his new job in San Antonio. We left for our new home refreshed and ready to start over again in a new city.