Hi, long-lost blog! I’m here to catch you up a bit on our latest round of adventure. We last left off at the conclusion of Nicaragua, with Erik more interested than ever in farming …

… and me more interested than ever in babies!

So … we bought a farm and had a baby!!!

JOKE! We did not buy a farm, nor did we have a baby. I’d say both of those endeavors are still quite a bit out of our price range.

Instead, we spent several months at my mom’s house in Massachusetts, giving me the opportunity to rediscover the beauty of my state and even my hometown, something I definitely took for granted while growing up here.

We enjoyed outdoor music festivals …

… scenic walks around my surprisingly charming and very New England hometown …

… my mom’s four cats, for whom my allergies dissipated after a couple weeks of 24/7 exposure …

… local parades …

… random wild turkeys on the roof …

… some of the best music ever at my dad’s coffeehouse …

(The Steel Wheels, Jake Armerding, & Mark Erelli …. Go see them all! More photos in real size here.)

… pumpkin carving with Wife and Ted …

… the serious business of Christmas cookie decoration with Wife …

… and the list goes on.

We also took advantage of our time off to squeeze in some family visiting, with an incredible deal on flights to San Francisco, where I got to visit with my siblings and rapidly growing cutest nieces in the world (who have since been joined by an equally cute little sister, baby Jasmine) …

… and a trip to Austin to visit with some of Erik’s family and see the Texan sights …

… and then it was time to get to work!

We found new jobs and a new city. Entering Gloucester, MA (and surrounds):

Motif #1, Rockport:

Ocean Lawn, Coolidge Reservation:

Ravenswood Park:

Local chocolates:

Locally brewed beer:

My own arugula patch in the scrap of ground on the side of our building:

Stage Fort Park:

Pavilion Beach:

Downtown Gloucester:

Welcome home 😀