It’s been a very busy time here in Iowa. We have a new addition to the family! Meet Ginger, our 5-year-old Beagle mix that we adopted from the Iowa City Animal Shelter on March 17. After waiting for too long, Emily finally got her pet dog. We picked her up the week of the kids’ spring break. She is the sweetest and the most gentle dog. We’re all enjoying having a dog in the house.
We also have another new addition to the household: a 2011 Toyota Prius (Winter Gray)! We finally dumped Beth’s 1994 Corolla and picked up a vehicle that easily gets twice the mileage. So far, we are impressed with the ride and the fuel efficiency (so far 52 mpg). As gas prices continue to go up, it feels good to have a car that lowers our gas bill.
Ethan turned eight in February and recently finished his second year of gymnastics competition. As the gymnastics season draws to a close, Ethan is now getting full swing back into baseball. Once again (to his Dad’s delight), he’s playing with the Oakland A’s this year. Emily has been involved in “Girls on the Run,” an after school running program that prepares girls for a 5k race in May.
Spring keeps making appearances here, only to revert back to cold, wind and rain. On April 16, we woke up to April snow showers; fortunately it didn’t stick. Prior to that we already had two 80+ degree days! We’re all getting a little burned out with work and school, and can’t wait for out next vacation.
And after eight years of trying to nurture a bird of paradise plant from seed in the cold midwest, Eugene’s patience was rewarded with the first bloom of the potted plant. Pictures of the bird are in the Photo Album.