Walking Tour...

I'm back!! After a few setbacks getting the internet hooked up in this little house in this tiny town...I'm proud to say I'm back connected with the world!

Some of you may be surprised, but we're actually doing really well. Dan LOVES the practice (actually he loves everything about this little place). The girls LOVE school and Kallie was so excited to be voted in as student counsel secretary last week. It is so funny when I drop them off in the morning...no traffic jam, no crossing guards, no first-second-tardy bells. Usually I'm the only car at the curb (I think most kids ride the bus). They think it's great that the lunch ladies actually COOK food and put it on real TRAYS! They think it's great that they have recess together and that their PRINCIPAL comes out and pushes them on the swing (underdogs even)! And most of all...we LOVE-LOVE-LOVE having every Friday off school. I'm telling you that 4-day school weeks are the way to go.

I knew you would all want to see what this little place looks like, and even though I know you are all going to come visit us in person, I thought I would give you a quick sneak peak. I snapped pictures as we walked down to the park Saturday to have a picnic.

The first stop on our 'walking tour' is the rental house we're staying in. A modular home (with an addition) that is the perfect place for us right now!

This view is for my friend Amanda R. who saw our house in a dream/vision with a gravel 'parking lot' in front of the house. Funny huh! Is this what it looked like in your vision Amanda?

A view of the house from the road...we can't get over that this place actually has vegetation (for now- we are preparing for what we've been told is a long/torturous winter).

Here are the girls as we are walking towards the park...

I think this little side street looks a little like a hobo jungle/tent city. There is a big family of quail that live under that bush in the front. We have had a lot of fun watching their babies run around as we walk by...

This is the old abandoned house that Kallie wants to buy and fix up to live in. She thinks it is so cool that it has 4 chimneys! We couldn't quite decide where the front door was however...

This is the house that Dan wants to tear down and put a house in it's place. Probably won't happen, but it is a cool old house in a spooky sort of way.

Every once in a while we pass by a real gem of a historical building. I love this one.

The catholic church is really pretty neat too, except for the hot pink fake flowers they have in the front...I tried to leave them out of the photo.

A very funny attempt at a self portrait once we made it to the park for our picnic.

Avery and I are putting some serious miles on this stroller. I've been trying to walk as many places as possible while the weather is good. We had to put gas in the car finally the other day and it made me mad :)

Back at home playing on the hill behind our house as the sun goes down. Kallie and Syd both had a broom 'horse' and they were yelling from the top, "You guys have to come up here- the view is spectacular"!

That's the end of the walking tour...I hope you enjoyed it! And as a bonus here are a couple of photos from Kallie & Syd's first soccer games (ever). Yes, we had to drive 2 hours to Round Mtn, Nevada to play the games but we had a great time anyway.

Here's Kallie who almost had heat stroke by the end (really)...but her coach said she has "skills"!

And Syd is by far the fastest runner on the team! Both of the girls teams lost but who is keeping track really :) Syd's coach took the kids aside and told them to kick the other team in the shins because they weren't wearing shin guards...who tells kids that really?!

There you have it...Eureka in a nutshell. So when are you going to come visit us?? Let me know and I'll see if we can fit you into our very busy schedule :)

Guess who...

Guess who is 4 months old
weighs 10lbs 10ozs
and is in the 3rd percentile...

Dr. was thrilled that a baby starting at 3lbs is already on the growth charts at 4 months...Someone is feeding this baby some creamy milk :)

Take a guess...

Anybody out there want to take a guess as to what Ken might have done to deserve this kind of treatment?!?

Maybe he told his wife they were moving again! (Saturday's the day)

Thought the picture was too funny not to share :)

Sunday Afternoon...

The advantage to having 9am church is that you get to enjoy a nice relaxing Sunday afternoon. At our house that almost always includes an afternoon nap (for some of us at least). I thought this nap was too cute not to photograph...

Kallie and Syd love little miss Avery. They love to hold her, especially when she's sleeping.

Sydney and Avery...

Kallie giving kisses...which she does very regularly.

My girls...truthfully they were being very (extremely) silly, but you can pretend this was a sweet, peaceful moment if you want.

And, as I eluded to before. The Norris Family is moving yet again...and beginning a new adventure yet again. I've decided Dan probably should have signed up with the military because at least then they would pay for his relocation costs every few years. Dan has purchased a dental office in the itsy-bitsy town of Eureka, Nevada. Eureka is a little mining town west of Ely and south of Elko. I haven't been there myself...but I know the sign as you drive into town says "Welcome to the Friendliest Town on the Loneliest Road in America". (Hwy 50 is called the Loneliest Road)

Dan is purchasing the practice from a general dentist who is retiring and who happens to be the only dentist for miles and miles (and miles) in any direction. He may (or may not) keep working his Vegas office a few times a month...we will wait and see how scheduling goes. We are excited and nervous and optimistic and anxious all at the same time. We feel like this is a really great opportunity and we are looking forward to some of the positive things that small town can offer. The office is located in the county health clinic pictured below.

So there you have it! I said it will be an adventure and I meant it. The town has about as many people in it as Kallie and Syd's elementary school here in Henderson. There is no ward just a branch...I've never been in a branch before. I've visited a lot of branches when I was in the stake YW in Iowa and now we get to take part in one. There is one school for elementary and one school for middle and high school combined. Kallie and Sydney will both have 11 kids in their class and the elementary school is actually one of the highest ranked schools in all of Nevada (plus they have every Friday off). I will keep you posted as the days and weeks progress...but in the meantime, thanks for your positive comments and support! I will post photos as soon as I see it in person!