A little long update.

It's been a little quiet around here. But for good reason. Since we moved, it's been a whirlwind of trips and busy-ness and overall merriment.

I was so sad to say goodbye to New York. It is an absolutely beautiful place. When we tell people we moved from New York, their minds automatically associate it with New York City. While we did get to visit the Big Apple, the entire state is not like that. I'm really going to miss living so close to the beach! Ezra and I had a picnic lunch during our last week and put our toes in the Lake Ontario sand for the last time.
Packing was crazy. It always is. Jeff and I took down our bed and slept on our memory foam the last couple of nights. I went upstairs one day to find Ezra with a little napping companion.
On our way West, we stopped in Indiana. Jeff and Shannon both have August b-days and Ezra was totes jealous of the carrot cake cupcakes Tyler had made from scratch. Or maybe it was the candles? He's a little pyro.

The week after we arrived in Omaha, Jeff was scheduled to work in the Nauvoo area! Talk about good luck. I absolutely, positively love Nauvoo. It was fun to take Ez to the place I went to almost every summer growing up AND where his however-many-great-grandfather John Taylor (Mormon name drop) lived. Oh. And Jeff and I were wed for time and all eternity there. NBD. (JK It's actually the biggest deal ever.)

We actually got to stay at the historic Kinglsey Inn in Fort Madison for the week. It's where Jeff and I stayed on our honeymoon. (Is it weird that we took Ezra there?) It's super beautiful. Ezra and I explored the antique shops and parks, and discovered my favorite place to eat ever. It's called The Ivy and we ate there for lunch every day. If I could eat at one place for the rest of my life, The Ivy would be it. It's just the most delicious cafe food you could ever partake of. Like Panera on awesomeness steroids. It also helps that it's in this building from 1910 or something and has the original hardwood floors and a painted tin ceiling. If you're ever in the area, or even within a 200 mile radius, you should definitely check it out.
Ezra had some firsts on that trip, as well. First time swinging (he graded it A+++) and first Route 44 Lemon Berry slush from Sonic. That's big news because Sonics are on the endangered restaurants list. If we're not careful, there won't be any around for Ezra to taste and actually remember.

Two weekends ago we traveled to Indiana to see my oldest friend (first grade, what up) Emily Marie Burman, wed Alex IThinkHisMiddleNameIsMatthew Barnes. Lady Barnes looked ravishing and Lord Barnes looked dashing. Ezra was stoked to stay out past his bedtime and eat frosting off of everyone's cupcakes.
Speaking of cupcakes (because when am I not), Katie and I made sure to have a Yum Mee's Bakery date. And then have a double date (plus Ezra) for breakfast on our last Saturday there. I ate so much that I became confident I could finish a Tough Mudder.
We had lotsa fun with fam and friends. Ezra got to be around TWO other babies that were kind of his age. His mind was blown when he discovered there were other human beings his size.
Oh, and I got my hair cut and dyed since I had a babysitter for Ezra available (sup, lil sis). It's super dark brown with purple underneath. The purple is just a little secret that will pop out and whisper to you in the right lighting. It's not what I had pictured in my head (apparently I'm not very good at verbally describing hairstyles), but I like it.

OTHER NEWS
++We saw Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel fame for Jeff Poole's birthday. Holy wow. That deserves its own blog post.
++Ezra has had lots of fun staying with Grandpa Scott and Grandma Sonya. Well, we all have. I'm so grateful we have family kind enough to open their homes to us for indefinite amounts of times. It's happened for the past two falls.
++The Pontiac has been laid to rest in the Omaha impound lot. Funny story.
++We finally have a home in Des Moines! It's an apartment on the third floor that has a huge balcony that overlooks trees and makes me feel like I'm in a cabin. We'll be moving all of our stuff there this weekend.
++The POTUS is stalking me or I'm stalking him. First, his motorcade rode through Yellowstone when I was there. Then it went through Chicago during our honeymoon. And by coincidence we stayed in the same historic hotel that he did when he came to Iowa a few years ago.
++We have adopted my family's kitty cat. His name is Bouncer. He is 12 years old. He cried most of the eight hour car ride from Indiana and has set up camp in Ezra's closet and will only come out if I open up a can of cat food. But sometimes not even for that. However, he has found his new litter box so we can't complain.
++Steak-n-Shake has THE most delicious S'mores milkshakes right now! If you are close to a Steak and Shake (we don't have one in Des Moines...boo) run, not walk, to it now and get one. You can taste the toasted marshmallows and the graham cracker pieces are the best ever.
++Crab Rangoon pizza exists. And it is the holy grail of pizza.

Our life is great. It is sometimes rough as lifes tend to be, but we are glad to be here.