gross

7 hours + 14 brillo pads + 2 trashed rags + 2 cans of oven cleaner + 6 broken fingernails + 1 full trash can of grease + 1/2 bottle of liquid drain-o = 1 clean and functioning stove/oven

We made it to Illinois on Sunday night and have been unpacking and cleaning ever since. Pictures of our new place will be posted after the house is completed. The house is just as I thought it would be. It is still an eye sore from the outside, but we are making it our own special eye sore. Tim's mom planted flowers outside the house which made a world of difference. Inside...well, let's just say that every night Tim and I have to wash our feet to get the black off before jumping in bed. Just walking around on the carpet makes them completely black. We will be buying rugs soon. The oven/stove was a complete disaster. It smoked the moment it was turned on. So I literally spent all that time cleaning the dang thing and it still isn't up to my cleanliness standards, but it works. I would cook on it. The house had at least one TV cable in each bedroom which the nice Comcast guy willingly cut off. We don't know who lived here before. Obviously a dirty, smoking, TV watcher. But we will make this house our own. I already met a neighbor--I think he is about 11 yrs. old and his name is Dionte. I had never met a Dionte before IL.

We already got lost downtown. I thought we were going to be killed. But we lived. We decided it would be best to discover the town in the daytime next time. We found a Target, Panera and a local grocery store. I am currently unpacking the kitchen today so maybe we will start cooking again soon. Both our stomachs can't handle fast food anymore.

We just wanted to let you know that we are alive and well. A little dirty but okay. Talk to you soon. P.S. I miss you Utah. But in a now I feel like I should own a gun kinda way.