You are (your? you're? yer?) Here.

Greetings Minocqued Upians!  That's right, after much delay I am back to update the blog.  A lot has happened since the last post.  1. The family has moved to Minocqua.  2. We moved (and sort-of sold our house.  3.  We conceived a baby.  4.  We settled into the culture/community of Minocqua.  5.  We finally told everyone about the baby.  6.  We've had friends visit.  7.  We found out the baby is a girl.  8.  We've come to terms that the baby is a girl.  9.  The RNC is in full effect.  10.  I updated my blog!

1. The Family has moved to Minocqua.

I think I've mentioned this in a previous post that mentioned the Oregon Trail (i don't even read my blog).  The family has moved to Minocqua!  We've been soooo in love being together again full time!  I can't believe how greatful I am every day that we all wake up together in the same place.  I love this family so much!

Karen has settled into the routine of working from home.  She misses getting all fancy-dressed for work and her morning stops at Dun Bros. Coffee but likes sleeping in later and wearing a HOT shorts/slippers combo every day!  She does wear glasses and a headset, so that's pretty professional of here.

Kendall settled into school and sports.  He missed his friends back in Blackduck.  His best buddies were Aiden, Logan, Carter, Bryce and Brody.  He still mentions them once in a while and thinks it will be great when they all have facebook!  Kendall had a great welome into his class here in Minocqua!  The kids were excited to meet him and he has made many new friends.  Kendall (and dad) have been busy with baseball and soccer this summer.  Kendall is also quickly becomming a master archer since getting his first bow and arrow set!

It's like The Hunger Games!

2.  We moved (and sort-of sold our house).

We lucked out and have a signed Purchase Agreement on our house!  The people are renting the house for the next 2 years until we close.  It works out well for everybody involved and the realtors involved did a fantastic job!  I think Karen & I expected a lot more stress in trying to sell/show the house but things just fell into place and worked out!

I can't really say if it was sad or sweet to move everything out of the house we called home for 6 years.  We loved the yard (especially all the wildlife in the summer, ducks, geese, deer, rabbits).  We loved the trail for hiking/4-wheeling.  We loved that over the last year we became better friends with neighbors (and our neighborhood bar POUR WILLIES).  We have special memories of Kendall's first steps, birthdays, Christmas and Vikings Football Parties!  However, it was a relief to move forward and start the next chapter.

Kendall Merrill & Mya Gustafson measured themselves on the kitchen wall every June 1st.

Nearly everything we owned fit into that truck!

3.  We conceived a baby.

So as it turns out, Karen & I were VERY happy to be together again under the same roof.  If you need more info on how this happens, I'll explain.  When a mommy and a daddy want to have a baby, they take off their clothes and "hug" for a half an hour.  If the they "hug" for a half hour then they have a baby.  If they "hug" for an hour they have twins.  If they "hug" for more than an hour then it's a miracle and daddy deserves a high five!

You're welcome Ladies.

4.  We settled into the culture/community of Minocqua.

We all ran in the 'Only Fools Run at Midnight' 5k.  Karen helped me coach (as an administrative assistant) and Kendall played Little League Baseball.  We all helped with 'Taste of the North'.  We've been busy with Youth Soccer (they call is Futball in other parts of the world).  We even have made some friends and figured out where we like to eat!

You're welcome Ladies.

5.  We finally told everyone about the baby.

YAY BABY!  Kendall has been asking for years for a baby brother or sister.  I have been envious of families with more than one child.  Karen has the ability to be pregnant.  We all win.  I discovered that Karen was pregnant by accident.  I have no idea how to use her i-pad but one day I happened to pick it up and see a page about "Your Pregnancy."  I still had no idea but jokingly asked Karen if she was pregnant.  she said, "yes."  It was the most anti-climactic/exciting moment in my life.  Through past disappointments I believed that Kendall would be our only child.  I thought that maybe that was God's way to balance out the universe.  We had the perfect child and maybe it was selfish of us to want another.  I really thought that Kendall would be an only child and doubted if I could love another kid as much as I love him.  Things changed and I am thrilled.  Kendall decided that we could tell evryone about the baby after we found out the sex.  Karen was the first to post on facebook (something that didn't exist when Kendall was born).  My plan was to never comment on it on the pregnancy and just surprise everyone when the baby was born.  We couldn't keep it in.

The teddy bear should say, "My Daddy had sex with my Mom and all I got was this crappy bear....and a sibling."

6.  We've had friends visit.

We've had Karen's sister, Jenny, and her children visit twice and her always smiling husband Ty came with on the second trip.  We had a great time getting the kids together.  I forget how funny Karen and her sister are when they use their "sister voices" when talking to eachother.  They are hillarious!  The kids had a great time.  I think Kendall misses his cousins from both sides of the family and it was great for him to have the familiarity of the Moens coming to visit.  ps. Ty Moen is an outstanding cook!

The newly married Dan & Jenny Foley (Anderson) and Makayla (Kendall's arranged bride) came to visit.  We had a great time eating at the Minocqua Brewing Company & The Bunyan.  We rented a boat for some fishing on Lake Minocqua.  Jenny even drank wine straight from the bottle (she's classy as crap!)

We look forward to having more visitors this fall/winter (this invitation goes out to the Long's, Huggin's, Gus, Addler's, Merrill's, Adams's, Pol and anyone else willing to make the journey.

That fed us all for two weeks.

7.  We found out the baby is a girl.

WE'RE HAVING A GIRL!  AHHHH......WHAT DO I DO WITH A GIRL!  I swear, starting at birth in the nursery at the hospital, if any boys look at my daughter!  I'm going to be Dr. Jekyl/Mr. Hyde with these kids.  Kendall is allowed to watch whatever, do whatever, and say whatever.  This little girl will be protected to no end!  I'm going to put her in little dresses and then wrap her in bubble wrap.  When Kendall was little he would ckimb on the couch and then launch himself off.  This little girl will NOT be doing that!

She's so cute!

8.  We've come to terms that the baby is a girl.

(see above)

9.  The RNC is in full effect.

I try to stay out of politics.  Whenever I have friends getting heated up about politics I try to bring it back down with humor.  After all, there's only so much we can do, why not laugh & love.  The Republican National Convention started this week and it has been interesting how both sides view what's happeneing with our country. 

Here is my statement:

You decided who's who.  : )

10.  I updated my blog!

WOW, how long did that take?  6 months?  I'll keep them shorter and more freaquent from here on out.

And to wrap it up, here Kendall, just because:

You're welcome Ladies.