We're in!

We plunked down our money, signed our lives away, and got the keys to our first house! It is so exciting! We are really happy with the home and have spent the last several days unpacking, buying furniture, gardening, and using our very own dishwasher! (This was Jocelyn's happiest addition as we haven't had a dishwasher yet in our married lives.) The house is still very much in process, but we have some fun projects planned and are trying to just take our time and enjoy every step. We have new living room furniture (super comfy) and a beautiful dining room table, so that is fun, plus David did his first home improvement project by converting drawers into a built in garbage holder for me. We have not attempted any projects of Randy DeGreef proportions yet, but maybe soon! :) Another bonus of this house is that the previous owners worked really hard on a garden, and now everything is getting ripe, so we get to eat it! (It does seem unfair to eat the fruits of another person's labor, but they moved to Stevens Point and I don't think the postal service allows the sending of produce.) We have cucumbers, several varieties of tomatoes, onions, squash, beans, and maybe pumpkins. So even for someone who is not a huge veggie fan, it is exciting to go out every day and find more goodies. I'm sure we'll have more adventures and projects to post about, so TA-TA FOR NOW!

PS. Notice the quick turn around since the last post. This may be an all time world record for the Pinkerts!

Lots of changes...

First off, Jocelyn has accepted a chemistry teaching position at Little Chute High School (Home of the Mustangs), and we are both excited and nervous about the new change. The job seems like a great fit, and there are lots of possibilities for develping new curriculums and being involved in coaching. But since Little Chute is up in the Fox Valley area, that means that the Pinkerts are moving out of Madison! As excited as we are for the next stage in our lives, we will miss all our friends tremendously. We guess it just means that there will have to be more planned camping outings (High Cliff State Park is just 20 minutes from us) and perhaps even some group road trips!

Another exciting change is the purchase of our first home! It is a beautiful 1.5 story house, with plenty of space and even a 3-seasons room. The lot is really what drew us in, as it is filled with huge oak trees, is completely enclosed by greenery, and has a backyard that is right up against a park for all our cross-country skiing and bocce needs. We have lots of room for guests, so if you're in the Appleton area, please stop on by! We have enjoyed the house hunting/purchasing process but are definitely ready to just move in and make it our own. Our closing/move in date is August 7, so we are almost there. Here is a picture to give you an idea, with more to follow:

Address: 637 E. Hoover Avenue, Appleton, WI, 54915-2078