Bloomfield Hills.....home.

So I know I have a lot to catch up on, but for now you get to experience our new home and what we've been doing here.
Our departure from St. George was on June 19th in the afternoon. Craig and I drove with Hope, while my parents drove our other car with Addy and Lauren. We drove to beautiful Green Springs, CO and spent our first night. It was beautiful driving through Colorado the next day. Some day I will raft the Colorado!
Then we spent the next few days crossing Nebraska-blah, Iowa-blah, Illinois-a little better, then Michigan! Somewhere in Iowa Hope got carsick (or so we thought). She threw up several times along the way and we had to stop and clean up...I lost count how many times. To be continued....
So we drove straight to our new home even though it was 11pm to check it out. The neighborhood seemed darling as did the house as far as we could tell in the dark. To be continued...
We spent our first night in MI at Paul and Lora's. They were so nice to take us in and treat us so fine.
The next morning we came to our new home. The neighborhood was darling as I had expected, but the house was a little older and more rickety than I had envisioned. It was lacking central air which our landlord had previously told us but stated it wasn't a problem because she never needed it while living here. Plus, there are portable units just in case. Well, our first few days here were blistering! I thought Phoenix was bad. Humidity does make a difference, wow! My parents, Craig, Lauren, the girls and I sweated out a few days getting moved in. Once my parents left things cooled right down and I'm starting to enjoy the home now that we have all our stuff situated. We are going to try to negotiate central air...we'll see what happens.

Back to HOPE--she continued to be "carsick" after we arrived here. Then she got diarrhea, which progressed to anorexia and lethergy. The poor thing was dehydrated. She had picked up a bug some how and was really sick. We almost took her to the hospital one night when we struggled to wake her up just to drink. But after we got a little pedialyte down her, she began to perk up. She's back to her old self now, playing in the toilet every chance she gets saying "na na (no no)" while she's doing it. She's also into pens...writing all over herself and anything else she can reach before I catch her!

CRAIG
As for Craig, he oriented the first 4 days we were here and just began his first day of residency today! He is on the ICU and on call today. He left at 5 this morning and I don't expect him until tomorrow afternoon. I talked to him briefly this afternoon enough to hear that he likes the resident he's working with, and his patients are all fine....so far.
The first week we arrived here there was a banquet at the Detroit Athletic Club for the graduating resident for this year. They put on quite the production for him. A fancy buffet, speeches by the program director and other doctors that worked with him, and gifts. Something we have to look forward to in 5 years! It was really great to meet all the people Craig will be working with. The program directors, attending physicians, PA's, residents, and new interns were all there with their spouses.

Here he is the night before the most dangerous day to go to the hospital. (All residencies begin July 1st)


ADDY
Addy is adjusting and doing really well. She likes having her own room. She is really helpful around the house and with Hope. She often tells me how she misses her family and friends. Today she took me to a park (she and Craig had gone there previously). It was beautiful! Several playgrounds, forest trails, and lakes. It is really close to our house too! We went to the library yesterday--it was incredible! It was beautiful and had little reading rooms decorated for children to go read in. I can't wait to go back.

That's my Addy



ME
The sweetest Target you have ever seen is about 3 minutes from my house. It has underground parking so in the winter you never have to step outside while visiting Target. Then you just put your cart on a special escalator for carts, and wah lah...our winter retreat! There is also a Costco right across the street from it.
I joined a gym yesterday and have been there twice already. I LOVE it! It is a great facility also really close to my house. I am training for St. George so I've got to keep up with my running! I am a nanny for Paul and Lora's baby, Summer. She is such a cutie. I had her last week during orientation, but won't have her again until I get back from Utah mid-July.

Overall, so far we are happy here. Craig has been telling me, "you bloom where you are planted." It was very difficult for us to decide where to live. It was quite the roller coaster. But I'd say we're already starting to bloom.
Here are a few pictures of the house.

Master bedroom. I love the rug we got for our room! Good pick mom.

Addy's room will have some remodeling soon with new bedroom furniture and a bright new quilt made by Grandma Juanita.

Hopie's room

Family room

Backyard

Kitchen

Bathroom


I neglected to post pictures of our big empty living room, the laundry room in the basement, and the dining room/office for reasons identified. Hopefully we'll get it all straight soon!
Thanks everyone for your support and love. We couldn't have made this move without you! We miss all of our family and friends and look forward to your visits in Detroit! (Don't buy into that armpit of the nation stuff...it's not true!)

One more picture. This is Addy with the Swans at Kensington Park. We went there for a run the other day and it was one of the most beautiful runs I've ever done. The trail is an 8.5 mile loop around the lake and through the forest. I can't wait to go back!