In Salem, Oregon

These are the requested pictures of our apartment. Above is our triangle bedroom, below is Dillan's triangle bedroom, which is exactly the same size as ours.

Front and back halves of our family room.

Dining room and kitchen.

Our sweet triangle balcony with the pine tree that gets sap on everything.

We have now been in Salem, Oregon for 2 weeks and are starting to feel settled. So far we have:

• moved in
• gone to Portland
• gone boating, wakeboarding, and Dillan went tubing with us (he couldn't get enough)
• finished a sewing project
• picked blueberries at a farm
• gone to the beach (an hour away)
• hiked in Silver Falls State Park, a 5 mile hike with 7 waterfalls
• got forced to go the wrong way due to one way streets
• got forced to go the wrong way due to traffic
• made it to the second half of the pregnancy (ultrasound in 2 weeks)
• feel the baby kick regularly
• don't really fit my clothes anymore
• and Kyle is super excited about school after 2 days of orientation

Salem isn't what I expected

• the downtown roads are all one way
• the maximum freeway speed in the "country" is 65, and 60 in the city--makes for a lot of traffic
• the traffic lights are all timed perfectly, they turn green right before you get to it!
• Any highway going anywhere is lined with vineyards and Christmas tree farms
• Even when there is traffic (rush-hour compounded by construction) your drive time only changes by 5 minutes because the city is so small
• so far everyone is normal, no hippies, no druggies, no homosexuals
• it has only rained once in 2 weeks, and that was the only time it was overcast too
• you have to pay for metered parking at the public library, and $1 a movie you check out

I'm excited for this phase of life. I hope I keep liking Salem as I live here longer!