All Settled In...

The last few months since returning to the U.S have been quite busy. Just days after arriving home, we traveled to Houston for Erik's JOLP (Junior Officer Leadership Program) Graduation. We were able to see many work friends that we hadn't seen in a long while. We were hoping to get a round of golf in, but the torrential rains in the days before our arrival caused the course to be closed. Nonetheless, we had a great time! Our next trip was a drive down to Wheaton, IL (Erik's hometown) to celebrate the MDiv Graduation of our brother-in-law, Jonathan. We spent a lot of time with our family and were able to see all the nieces and nephews on the Barton side (7+2 on the way!). It is truly amazing how fast kids grow!


We have also been able to spend some time with Marin's family. Marin's parents took care of Lola when we were gone and although they didn't mind having the fat cat, they were more than willing to bring her back shortly after our return!! Marin's childhood cat "Murphy" did not take to Lola so well. When the Anderson's came they helped us prune our yard to get it ready for summer. We are now enjoying the fruits of all of the boys labor! Here are some pictures of our backyard in bloom!

Still waiting for the daffodils to bloom....

We also took a last minute trip to Las Vegas with the Anderson's. It was a great weekend, and Erik and I had some luck. The weather was actually perfect for walking around (mid-seventies). We are looking forward to spending the 4th of July with Marin's parents, Aunt/Uncle and cousins in Duluth. If we're lucky, we might also squeeze a trip up to the Boundary Waters where Marin spent a lot of time as a kid.


Marin is back at work full time for the same non-profit that she worked for before, but no longer managing the foster home. Her new role is as a project based consultant, which she really enjoys. She is currently working on updating policy/procedure and conducting a organizational review and workflow/process analysis of the residential treatment program. Erik is finishing up his Blackbelt projects from Aberdeen and negotiating his next position within GE, which could require a move to Houston, TX.


As we patiently wait to see where we might be headed next, we are enjoying the WI summer. We have been golfing, spending time with the Ross's, enjoying BBQ's with the neighbors and Marin has rejoined her neighborhood bunco group.


We hope this post finds everyone enjoying the beginning of summer. Happy Father's Day to all the dads in our life!