Maryland!

So our new life finally has begun. January was a weird limbo month for us, and it seemed like Maryland would never come. And that it came too fast.

As you know, January started off with an amazing vacation in Costa Rica. Then I spent the next two weeks madly typing out my thesis. Ok. So it was more like one and one-half weeks. I just couldn't resist goofing off during the Martin Luther King holiday and enjoying my extended vacation. But I felt I made some decent progress: A 42 page thesis. That included an appendix and the filler pages. Then I jetted off to Champaign to finish writing the darn thing, and to get my professor's approval.


I got to Champaign on Thursday night and was welcomed in by the Maughans. It was so nice to see old friends again. That weekend we had a big bash and I got to see everyone for one last time (Andersons, Nyes, Noonans, Dokos, and the rest). I even played games on Sunday night with the Thorpes. It's gonna be hard to find someone to replace them as our gaming buddies. Champaign was not all fun and games, however. Well, the first 3 days were. But Monday and Tuesday were murderous. I had previously sent my thesis to all my colleagues in the lab. They all said that the thing looked great. (if they even read it). So I'm expecting things to be pretty easy going with my professor. Well, he was scared the thesis was so short. So he urged me to add a whole lot more. So I spent the next two days furiously typing away. Luckily, I jammed another 15 pages into the thing. Tuesday at 6:00pm, my professor signs the Certificate of Committee Approval. Huzzzah! That nearly seals the deal. I have a few editing rounds to go still, and a department review. And then I can deposit! So I'm in the homestretch, and it's going to happen!


Meanwhile, back in Colorado, Celeste was chillin' at home with her parents. They went to a stock show, the aquarium, the children's museum, and lots of other stuff. Brooklyn loved having her cousins around to play with. By the end of the third week, Grandma and Grandpa were just about ready to return to their normal lives. Grandkids are cute, but only if they don't overstay their welcome. ;)


So I embarked on Wed. to drive out to Maryland. We timed it so that I would pull into the Baltimore airport, right when Celeste's flight came in on Thursday. It all worked out great. My drive was a little shaky, with the crazy weather that passed through the area only a day or two before, but I survived. The scariest thing was when a huge suburban started skidding all around the highway in front of me. She ended up sliding backwards into the ditch. I'm just glad it wasn't me. I stayed in West Virginia (shout out to Tiana and Preston!) on Wed. night, then drove through to Baltimore. I got to the airport about 20 minutes before Celeste landed. I picked them up, we headed to Westminster, got into the apartment, and the rest is history!


We're excited to be here. It's a new adventure, and a new challenge. I'm stoked to begin real work, making real money. If anyone is in the Maryland area, be sure and give us a ring, we'd love to see you!