The blog continues!

Hey all! Remember me? I hope so because I certainly remember you. I've been meaning to write for literally months now but haven't managed to find the time. It's been an exciting, exhausting, overwhelming, and love-filled six months since I wrote last. Without doubt, the greatest thing to happen to us recently was the birth of our beautiful baby boy in June. We named him Linden. Our son Rowan is also named after a kind of tree, and after meeting our kids I think you'd agree that our forest is coming along nicely.

In mid-September Brenda had her first performance after having Linden. It was a recital at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, and you can read the glowing reviews and see her upcoming schedule on her fancy new website (Brenda hired a publicist and her website got a major upgrade). One might think that Brenda took three months off before going back to work after having the baby, but that assumes that she did not need to prepare for the recital in Washington, or for the performance the following weekend in Philadelphia, or for the opera rehearsals that began the week after that in Madrid (that's Madrid, Spain not Madrid, Iowa). It was a busy summer, and Brenda was very much working as both a Mom and a singer. We also discovered that having two children is not easier than having one (even though Rowan is a really amazing kid). We've made it this far thanks in large part to the unbelievable generosity of our families who have spent and continue to spend a lot of time helping us.

When I wrote last I mentioned I had just started working for a judge, and I'm happy to report that I've managed to keep that job for close to six months now. I'm learning a lot about how courts work, at least in Minnesota, and I'm getting the opportunity to do a lot of legal writing and research. It's a really good fit for me.

Brenda and Linden have been in Madrid for over two weeks now, and Rowan and I decided it's time to go see them. We're heading that direction this weekend and are looking forward to some quality family time (and some warm weather).

I hope all is well with all of you. Until next time, have a great week!