Welcome to the neighborhood

Reality set in this past week--our first mortgage payment. I felt like this was a momentous enough occasion to document:
Though there are only 2 houses on our cul de sac (including our house), the week after we moved in they broke ground on the house just to the north of us. It was just a big hole for a week or so, but it seems as though they have poured some foundation and there's some framing for the basement. We've heard this is a custom home and have seen a couple and their small dogs walking around the property. Thought it might be fun to take pictures as the neighborhood grows up around us.

I didn't notice it until we had been moved in for a week or so, but we only have one tiny window that faces the next door neighbors to the south, and none to the north. I didn't realize this until I was trying to decide if our neighbors were home so I could go and introduce myself. The good news is that our neighbors can't be nosy and see what's going on in our house. Bad news, we can't see if the neighbors are home, though at this point we're not really friends so it's not really important at this point.

This past week a (huge) hole was dug directly across the street from us, though from our front step it just looks like snow-covered dirt:

There are only 3 houses built on the street our cul de sac is attached to, and to my knowledge, they were all empty until today. While getting the mail I met a new neighbor, a couple whose kids are off to college so they sold the 2-story and moved into a ranch in our neighborhood. He seemed very nice. He said that someone will be moving in next door to them later this week. Our little neighborhood is growing up around us. I'm not sure what it is about it, but I have a strange urge to bake cookies and take them over while they're still warm. I just feel like that's the way you're supposed to welcome someone to the neighborhood. I guess I want to know my neighbors. We don't have to be friends, but I would like to be friendly. And since we're one of the first settled in to the neighborhood, I feel that we can help set the tone of the area. It may be silly and naive, or maybe small town Iowan, but I would like to at least put forth the effort.

My parents visited this week as they were selling cattle at the Iowa Winter Beef Expo. Dad was selling two heifers this year and although he didn't have the top-selling female like he did last year, he was still really happy with how they sold. I took a half a day off of work and Mom and I went shopping for some work clothes. Most people in my department wear sweaters and jeans, but I needed a few more in the rotation. It was good to show my parents how we had put the house together since moving day and they seemed to enjoy the place.

Other than that, things have been pretty calm. Work is going well, still learning, but really gaining strides in what I've learned and what I am contributing. The invitations and announcements showed up on Tuesday, I had them out the door on Wednesday, and we already have gotten some reply cards back already. Baked a cherry pie today and have been playing games and doing puzzles with Rick, enjoying being home together with free time. Also have some home improvements--shelving and curtains--I'll try and put up some photos soon to show you the changes. More snow, more cold.

It's funny, because there has always been something going on. Something to prepare for. Something on the major to-do list. But now I've graduated so there's no studying, we have the house so there's no looking, we're married and the party is pretty much planned already, and aside from hanging curtains and pictures around the house, there's nothing pressing. Nothing I feel guilty about not doing. Time for games and puzzles and, dare I say it, hobbies? For now the Olympics are occupying my extra time. It's just nice to have that extra.