Tom & Brenda's Family Journal

This week started like every other week. I meet Joyce, my sister-in-law, for running down Kettle Lake Drive. We've been doing that every Monday for years. On Wednesday we run in a different location. We run about 3 miles and we think it is a great way to start our day. But this week, I stepped in a pothole which I didn't see because of the dark. I twisted my ankle. At first, I thought it was just bruised but by Wednesday, the bruising and swelling convinced me to get it checked out. I have a small fracture and am now on crutches and keeping off my feet. This has really crimped my style. I did work yesterday but because I work in a school and visit many classrooms, I put many 'miles' on my crutches. Today I'm so sore that I can barely get around. The soreness is in my arms and shoulders and I'm bruised from the crutches too. I see an orthopedic doctor on Monday and I hope I can get more mobile then. I am developing a new appreciation for people wit...

Here are some pictures of our new condo. You can see that we aren't completely unpacked and there aren't pictures on the wall but we are getting there. Moving was very stressful but actually everything went smoothly. I learned a valuable lesson during the entire process of selling the house and moving. Don't focus on how much work you have in front of you. Focus on what you have already accomplished. I found that once I started thinking about how much I had to do, it slowed me down, made me nervous and kept me from doing all that I could do. We are living in a complex called Jasonville Farms which is near Caledonia, Michigan. We only moved 2 miles but went from a 5 bedroom house to a 2 bedroom condo. Our balcony is enclosed and gives us extra living space. We put an air mattress in there last weekend when Jen visited and it worked well. We call this space our Arizona room because it reminds us of the time we spend at Kristen's in Arizona last winter. Every d...

This first picture was taken on our moving day. I looked out front and found Madelynn laying on the couch that was ready to leave. She was reading a book she had found and was enjoying herself there. This week has been one of special treats. We got Anna and Madelynn American Girl dolls. The plan was to go to Chicago and pick them out at the store but with the move this fall it became impossible to find a day to do that. We're still planning on a trip soon. So we ordered the dolls and they arrived Monday. It was very exciting. The boys weren't as excited about the dolls as you can imagine so they have a special treat coming-yet to be decided upon. Tom and I went up to the Soo over the weekend and returned with our new toy. A 5th wheel camper and a truck to pull it with. We're looking forward to many happy days traveling around with the 5th wheel. We haven't planned any trips yet but will be in the future. We are newbies to the RV life, so if you have any hints ...