Greetings from the U.S.A.

Well, we did make it back safely to not-quite-so-cold AZ. My friend Lauren and her 15 month old son Daxton came with us to escape the freezing temperatures and get a break. So far, we've done OK cramming two mini families in our two bedroom apartment, though naps aren't as fruitful as they could be if we had more space. On Thursday we went out to our friends' house in Sun City and picked some fresh oranges and grapefruit. It is now the citrus season and they are delicious! Then on Thursday night Erika, one of my friends, came over to play games.
Today we went to Ikea. Lauren is now in love with the store and wanted to take the whole store home with her. Unfortunately, she only brought one suitcase. We did hit the jackpot. We were going through the "As-Is" section when a lady announced that you could take a bag and have whatever you fit in it for $5! Most of the stuff had nothing wrong with it. We figured they were display items or something. We both got quite a few things like blankets, sheets, and other fabric to use to make things. I also bought a twin comforter that is supposed to go inside a duvet cover for Elia's next birthday (Yes, I know it is 9 months away). Well, one of the covers I found was a twin size. It is pale gray. I'm going to dress it up with ribbons going across it. Does anyone have any other ideas? I also got several matching pillow cases! We were very happy with our find. Tomorrow we're going to relax at home in the morning, then hit the Glendale hot-air balloon festival. Monday, we're going to hit the zoo. I'm just trying to stay busy until Eric gets home on Thursday. It's nice to have someone to share the time with. Stay tuned for more of our fun updates!