Five for Friday

So, one of the blogs I follow is A Teeny Tiny Teacher.  She is hilarious.  She blogs about all kinds of great things, not just teaching.  Although the teaching things are awesome.  Anywho.  She posts weekly to this linky party and I thought it would be fun to join.

Well, I've been thinking that for a while, but have procrastinated.  So, here I am.  Let's see how it goes.  5 things from this past week?  Doesn't sound too hard.  Maybe it could become a fun weekly addition here in Drosche Land.

So you know I love me some Walking Dead.  I was all caught up with what Netflix had to offer and was sad that I couldn't watch the new season that I'd been hearing so much about via Facebook and Instagram.  Then we got cable again.  Did I mention that before?  Well, we did and I guess it's a post for another time.  So, we got Xfinity and just the other day I found that The Walking Dead, Season 4 is available On Demand!  What up!  Plus it is available on their mobile app!  Sweet!  I'm watching it on the iPad right now as I post.  Maybe I can get caught up on the first half of the season before the second half begins on February 9.  Dream big!

Stella didn't have school yesterday and today because the EC Program was closed so the teachers could attend the big EC Conference.  So I had to take off of work yesterday and today to keep her at home.  As luck would have it today was Special Visitors Day at Epiphany and I got to be Jackson's special visitor!  It was so much fun.  It was really a great experience to be able to attend since, as teachers, we sometimes miss out on these kinds of things.  It just goes to show you, there's always a silver lining!

Last week we finished up a unit on Rocks & Soil and we were able to make edible rocks to review the 3 main types - igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.  This was originally planned for last Friday but our crazy Ice Days (see #4) have been getting in the way around here so we finally got around to it on Wednesday.  The kids had a blast and I truly think they gained a better understanding of what we learned.  In case you were wondering the top is igneous (formed from liquid rock in the Earth's core: melted chocolate chips that harden), the bottom left is sedimentary (layers of sediment hardened together: graham crackers and frosting), and the bottom right is metamorphic (3 different Starburst candies changed into a new rock through heat and pressure (our squishing hands)).  So much fun, I LOVE my job!

You get 3 pictures for this one.  Maybe you live in the MidWest and think this is just chilly weather.  Maybe you live in the North and think this is nothing.  Well, I can assure you that we down here in the South are not prepared for the crazy weather have been having over the past week or so.  Sure, we get cold weather, but never so much at once.  I can't recall any time when we have had an Ice Day, much less 2, but that is what we have had in the past 2 weeks.  Last Friday and this past Tuesday.  Crazy.  On the other hand, it provided for some impromptu family time to relax at home and bake cookies.  Again, another silver (albeit icy) lining.

Grits.  Yum.  Need I say more?  Another benefit to Ice Days are the big breakfasts that come along with it.  I mean, you have to stay warm right?  May as well find a delicious way to do it.  Thanks to my wonderful wife, this way will always be available to me.  Grits.  Yum.

So, that's this past week.  Nothing huge.  Nothing special.  I'm sure there were lots of other things that happened but these are some highlights.  That was fun!  A weekly post would be fun.  Hope you enjoyed the week as much as I did.

   

Adoption Update

Hello. 

So far this January my posts have been more frequent. New year. Near blogging leaf turned over. Also, thanks to the Top Photos of 2013 blog hop. 

But now that is over and regular posts can resume since I sort of put them on the back burner during the blog hop. So I thought it would be great to offer an update on our adoption process. People frequently as us about it. A timeline. What's going on. What's next. 

Well, January has been quite busy because every Tuesday and Thursday we have been attending nightly classes as part of the pre-adoption stage. It's not been as bad as we'd feared at first because the classes, albeit at night, don't run as late as scheduled. Also, the childcare available at the Methodist church where the classes are held has been great and the kids love it. So those things have definitely been a blessing at this stage. But it still means that twice weekly we have late nights. 

Amy's been fantastic at planning, organizing, and bringing meals. She's done a combination of fast food/restaurant gift cards and food from home. So that is also going better than we originally expected. We only have 2 more classes left, tomorrow and next Tuesday, and then we will be finished!  We a quite ready. 

Once we have finished our classes we will be assigned a caseworker from DePelchin and will move into the Home Study phase. This is somewhat familiar to us from when we went through the process for Margaux a few years ago. But things have changed since then and adopting via CPS rather than an international adoption are polar opposites. Still though. We have a general idea of what to expect.

To prepare for the Home Study we have been getting the house ready. Cleaned, tidied, rules and regulations met and followed. For example, having a 2-story house means that we have to have an escape route from the upstairs other than the stairs in the event of a fire. So we bought a fire ladder. Also, all medication (ALL) must be locked up where tiny hands cannot access it. 

We're not sure how long the Home Study phase will last or how many visits from our caseworker it will entail. But we are more or less ready for that. Truth be told, we are ready for the process to be totally done. To have our daughter here with us. To be finished. The fatigue from planning, coupled with the excitement of bringing our daughter home, make waiting even more difficult for me, an already impatient person.  But waiting is the name of the game so I play along. 

That about sums it up for now. Hopefully I'll be able to have a Home Study post ready to roll soon!  But until then we have classes to do, a bit more paperwork to fill out and submit, and many more prayers to say. Oh. And the waiting of course!

All is well, ready for the next stage, in Drosche Land. 

Top Photos of 2013: 20

Here we are.  The final day of the blog hop.  A few days into this I realized that I wasn't counting down, I was actually counting up.  So, while this is supposed to by my #1 favorite photo of 2013, it is numbered #20.  Oh well.  You get the point.  It also confused me even more when I decided to go month-by-month for the first 12 photos. 

But, I have had a blast these past 20 days posting these pictures here.  Not every post has been done on-time and it's been difficult to determine the order, but I have enjoyed it.  I love looking back at pictures and this gave me a reason do do so, several times.  I feel as though I have relived nearly every moment of 2013 these past 20 days which, I suppose, is part of the point of this blog hop.  If not, that's what I am getting from it.

I have also enjoyed visiting the other blogs that are participating and enjoying their photos and their year.  It is amazing how one simple topic like a blog hop can bring people from all over the globe together.  I have followed new blogs and look forward to continuing to read along once this is all over.  It has been so much fun.

But I digress.  I know what you are waiting for.  My #1 (or #20 as it were) picture.  Which photo made the cut?  Which photo came out on top?  Better than the rest?  The cream of the crop?

Well, I'll be honest.  It is nothing groundbreaking or astonishing.  It is nothing super artistic.  However, I believe it captures 2013, or a major part of it, perfectly.  So here goes.

#20

I know what you're thinking.  Another family shot.  And you're right.  But it is so much more than that.  See, this family portrait is the one we sent off with our initial adoption paperwork.  It is the shot that our agency will review.  That our caseworker will present when our file is discussed.  It is one of the many shots that our future daughter will see before we even meet.  Therefore, it is so special to me.  As I have mentioned before, and will discuss so much more in the coming months, adoption is the focus of 2014 here in Drosche Land.  It's busy, it's time-consuming, it's nerve-wracking, it's exciting.  This is the picture that started a whole new adventure.

Well, there you have it.  20 photos from 2013.  Sort of presented in a order of favoritism.  Sort of.  What a great blog hop!  I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have!  

All is well, picture perfect, in Drosche Land.

Top Photos of 2013: 17, 18, 19

Behind.  Again.  

Moving on.

So, here I am on the final day of the blog hop.  Since I am behind, I decided to do 2 separate posts for today.  One to catch up to today and then one devoted to my favorite photo of 2013.  Honestly, I have yet to secure one in mind.  I'm hoping for a sudden epiphany here any minute!  So, on with 17, 18, 19.

#17

Yes, another black and white shot.  This one is of the boys, I decided to play fair since the last one was Stella.  This picture was taken at the beach right at the end of summer vacation.  It was the last little trip we took before school began and the busyness of life resumed.  I love beach shots; there's just something about the sky, water, and sand that makes such a great shot to me.  I love the way that the boys are silhouetted against the water here.  Just a quick snap of them playing and a little editing and I think it turned out great!

#18

This picture cracks me up and never fails to make me laugh.  The memory behind it is something that makes it a favorite.  This was taken at Braeden's 7th birthday party in May.  We were newly thrust into Stella's milk and soy allergy and were still learning how to wrap our heads around it and find alternatives for her to eat.  She obviously couldn't have cake and ice cream with everyone else so we bought her a fruit sorbet.  This was the reaction she gave us to the fruity tartness.  Everyone died laughing as Amy fed it to her and Stella squinted and puckered.  I started snapping.  Despite the face she loved it and enjoyed quite a bit.  Good times.

#19

2013 was also the year we began gardening.  We had some initial success with tomatoes (seen above) as well as a bountiful harvest of herbs.  However, our numerous attempts to grow vegetables have failed miserably.  For a brief and fleeting moment we had visions of growing a wider variety of our own fruits and vegetables and enjoying them year-round.  Then reality set in and we enjoyed very sporadic treats from our garden.  2014 will prove to be the year of the herb garden only here in Drosche Land as that is what Amy and I have decided we do best.  But we do have the picture above, and a few others, to show that we gave it a good try!

Ok, so are you salivating at what might be my favorite picture of the year?  Kids?  Food?  a selfie?  I'll keep you wondering just a but longer and will post it later tonight.  I have something in mind.  Nothing earths shattering but definitely a favorite that keeps coming to mind.  Hope you've enjoyed the first 19.

All is well, picture perfect, in Drosche Land.

Top Photos of 2013: 16

So I tried to take pictures of Stella every month for the first year.  I believe I got about 9 or 10 months.  Not too bad.  Some shoots were easy and I got a boatload of great pictures.  Other times she was difficult and I only walked away with a few decent pictures for my troubles.  

Today's pictures come from her 7th Month photos back in January.  It was one of the times when I had many great pictures to choose from.  She was in a happy mood, smiling and giggling the entire time.  Easy.

I'm a big fan of black and white pictures, especially when it is for landscapes or portraits.  I am also a fan of high contrast in black and white pictures.  Today's picture is an example of both.

#16

It was one of the final pictures I took that day.  I love everything about this picture I think.  The fact that she is offset.  Her eyes.  The contrast.  The black and white.  The look on her face.  It is one of my favorite pictures of her.  From this shoot at least.  There are so many pictures of her; it is hard to choose which are favorites.  But this one would be up there.

Winding down the count now.  The heat is on.  What can top today's picture for Day 17?  Hmmmmm?  I'd better start hunting.

All is well, picture perfect, in Drosche Land.

Top Photos of 2013: 14 & 15

So another catch-up post.  Such is life.

The pictures for Days 14 & 15 both come from July.  From the exact same trip actually.  They may even have been taken on the same day.  Every year we get together with Amy's side of the family for one big family reunion/vacation over the summer.  This past year we traveled to Beaver Lake in Arkansas for the second time.  The first time was 2 years ago, before we had Stella, so this was her first time to go.  It was really her first big road trip and vacation ever.  She did very well, far better than either of the boys ever did for any car ride (long or short) at her age.

Anywho, it is a beautiful place and we love it.  We always have so much fun hanging out at the lake house and at the lake.  Swimming, boating, lounging, laughing.  It is always a fun and relaxing time.  So, I chose 2 photos from her because I couldn't decide which I liked best.

#14

Like I said before, sometimes I like to take pictures of things other than myself, my kids, and food.  This is Beaver Lake.  I always think lakes make such beautiful pictures.  Serene, quiet, picturesque.  This was a photo I posted to Instagram.  I love me some Instagram.  Partially because it is photography, partially because it is social media, and partially because you can quickly and easily tweak and edit photos to enhance them or make them better.  I love this one.

#15

And now we're back to pictures of me.  And my family.  But I love this shot of Amy and I at the lake.  Just relaxing and easy-going.  I think it captures the whole feeling of the vacation.  Plus, I always enjoy having a new picture of the two of us.  

So there.  5 more left to choose, hundreds left to choose from.  Here's to weeding through pictures and attempting to post on-time!

All is well, picture perfect, in Drosche Land.

Top Photos of 2013: 13

Okey dokey. 

So my recap by month plan has ended and thus began the search for 8 more photos that I love from 2013.   I'm away from home at a conference, I think I mentioned that yesterday, so I don't have access to all of my photos from 2013. However, thanks to the wonder that is my iPhone and Photostream, I have a good 1,000 pictures to root through so I'm not at a loss. 

But where to start?  How to begin?  I've basically looked through the majority of the photos as I did the monthly posts and some others jumped out at me then. But there are still tons of pictures that I didn't review.  So these next 7 days will involve a lot of visual retrospective action on my part. So here goes. 

This one was obviously taken on the 4th of July. This was a momentous occasion for Braeden because the boys have always both shied away from fireworks. However, I guess the pressure of two older cousins doing it was too much. I was surprised when he asked to hold the Roman candle, but excited as well. This picture makes me laugh though because as brave and grown up as he was being, he's turned his head away from it. Safety first I guess.  Kind of sums up his personality in a nutshell though. Wanting to be older but also still cautious and careful. 

Now, what will #14 be?

All is well, picture perfect, in Drosche Land. 

Top 20 Photos of 2013: 10-12

Well, I got behind again. 

Not really a surprise though.  I had a good streak though. 

But I'm back with another catch-up post though. This will finish up my once-a-month theme I've got going. Starting tomorrow I'll have to go back through all of the pictures again for the final 8. There are some I have in mind already though and I know I have plenty to choose from. But you'll just have to wait. So, on with the catching up.  Oh and sorry for any crazy formatting, I'm blogging via my iPad since I am out of town for a conference.

#10: October

I don't always take pictures of the kids, myself, or food. Sometimes I take pictures of object and scenery. October's photo is just that. I took this picture of mini pumpkins when we took the kids to the. Zoo for Zoo Boo. I love pumpkins and so I had to of course capture them. They totally sum up fall for me and I love having them around the house. 

#11: November

Then again, I take pictures of my kids.  So sue me. This is one of my all-time favorite pictures of them. They were all piled up in our bed, of course, and it was a wonder that I was able to quickly get them all to be still and smile long enough for a picture. Just a wonderful snapshot in time. 

#12: December

So I didn't actually take this picture myself. Amy took it. She got a great shot of the kids and myself bringing the Christmas tree into the house. It was such a fun day and evening so the picture also brings back the memories of hone holiday season for me. Plus, who can resist 3 little kids "hauling" a Christmas tree around?

We'll, there you have it. The first 12 from 2013. 8 more left. The best of the best. No pressure. Just hundreds of pictures to sort through!

All is well, picture perfect, in Drosche Land. 

Top 20 Photos of 2013: 9

Now today's picture is one of my favorites.  Scrolling through September's pictures I saw this and fell in love with it all over again.  I am so lucky to have a wife that is not only an excellent cook, but LOVES doing it.  I eat well.  Breakfast, lunch, or dinner; Amy is skilled in all areas.  Just one of the many reasons why I love her so.

#9: September

This is one of my favorite pictures of Amy and Stella.  Amy was in the kitchen making something delicious and Stella, as she loves to do, was in there with her "helping".  Stella was so happy to have an apron just like Mommy.  My girls.

Whatever it was they were making is long forgotten, but the picture serves as a reminder that I am so blessed.  Also that something new and yummy is just around the corner.  Dear future husband of Stella: you can thank Amy for that meal.

All is well, picture perfect, in Drosche Land.

Top 20 Photos of 2013: 8

August.

Always a busy and rough month here in Drosche Land.  As I am sure it is in the household of any other teacher during the month.  But since we are both teachers, it only enhances the whirlwind.  August 2013 was no different.  Well, with one exception.

#8: August

Yep.  Remember?  August was the month when Jackson broke his arm.  Right before school started nonetheless.  This picture was taken by Amy when she took him to the ER right after it happened.  He had to be put into twilight to set it.  Poor little guy, he was such a trooper though.  The next 8 weeks would see him with 2 different casts to make sure it was healed properly.

The first break in Drosche Land.  Well, not the first.  Technically the first was when Jackson broke his nose when he was about 18 months/2 years.  But it was slight and nothing could be done.  Therefore the arm gets the honor of being the first break, but of course it was Jackson again.  No surprise there.  The casts didn't slow him down one bit though and all turned out well.  Sadly, I doubt it will be the last broken bone we see.  Hopefully we are as lucky the next time as we were this time!

All is well, picture perfect, in Drosche Land.

Top 20 Photos of 2013: 7

Again, on time!
Actually ahead of time since I am scheduling this post.  See, tonight we have our first night adoption training so it will be a late one for all of us here in Drosche Land.  I wanted to be sure I got the post in so I'm writing it now, shortly after I wrote today's, which is now yesterday's.  That's confusing, on with the post.

#7: July

Another picture I knew I would choose since it sums up July perfectly.  This was when we bought out pop up!  Due to life sending us curve balls (Jackson's broken arm and Stella's illness) we have only taken it out a few times.  But we have plenty of future plans for her, namely this coming June when we head to Disney World!  We love it and the kids think it's a blast.  We love camping and this brings a little climate control into the situation.  More is forthcoming as we plan on having an air conditioning unit installed soon!

Ahead.  On time.  Call it what you will, this was #7 on Day 7.  Although it has struck me that I am counting up not counting down.  But oh well, you get the point.  This fits my theme of picking the best of each month anyway.  Hmmmm, still have to think of how to choose #s 13-20?  I have a while.  Enjoy!

All is well, picture perfect, in Drosche Land.

Top 20 Photos of 2013: 6

Here I am.

Right on time.  Day 6, post 6.  Yea me!

So, in keeping with my aforementioned monthly theme, here is Picture #6.

#6: June

Again, June was an easy month.  Stella's 1st birthday.  How could I not have chosen a picture of her for June.  Her first year had flown by and had been quite eventful as we traveled down the food allergy roller coaster.  But on this day it was all about celebrating the amazing gift she has been to us.

There you have it, 6 down and 14 to go.  2013 was full of a lot of good times.  Stay tuned for #7, I already have it in mind!

All is well, picture perfect, in Drosche Land.

Top 20 Photos of 2013: 1-5

Hey!
So, before January even arrived, one of the bloggers I follow (Duncan at The Kuantan Blog) posted about a photo-themed blog hop he was planning for January.  I love me a good blog hop and this one was all about pictures.  For the first 20 days of January I would post my 20 favorite photos from 2013.  Sounded great!  I signed right up.  Sadly, I forgot!  YIKES!

But, better late (only 5 days) than never here I am (thanks to a friendly reminder via Facebook!).  I'll do one big catchup post here for the first 5 and then continue with one a day from there.  

I take so many pictures with both my camera and iPhone all the time.  I make great use of Instagram and Facebook but many still never get posted.  To help with organization and time I have decided to make use of Apples Photostream and go through my pictures month by month.  I'll pick my favorite from each month and then 8 more others that I find along the way.  Sounds like a plan right?  Right!  So, here goes.  Hope you enjoy the visual walk back through 2013 with me.  

#1: January

I love this picture of Stella looking at Lucy.  The expression on her face is priceless.  It is what we call her "stink eye".  No one, human or animal, is impervious to it.  It cracks her and all of us up!

#2: February

Amy says I take way too many selfies.  This is one of my favorite pictures I took of myself.  My sister-in-law gave the boys this Stormtrooper helmet that makes a ton of noise.  I have to admit, it was fun to wear!

#3: March

I also take tons of pictures of my kids.  2013 being the year of firsts for Stella I took many of her, but also of all 3 since it was the boys' first time being a big brother to a little sister.  This picture is from Easter and melted my heart immediately.

#4: April

Another thing I take a lot of pictures of is food.  I love to eat.  2013 was the year Amy and I fell in love with food trucks.  We don't visit them nearly as much as we'd like, waistlines and wallets object, but we do like to get to them when we can.  One of our favorites is Bernie's Burger Bus.  This delicious burger was a splurge that Amy and I split.  It's called The Detention.  Instead of buns it has 2 bacon grilled cheeses.  Then there are two patties, more bacon, more cheese, and other delicious toppings.  YUM!  We loved it but definitely something to split, it was huge!  

#5: May

I knew that May's picture would have to be for Jackson.  True, Braeden's birthday is in this month, but with his graduation from Pre-Kindergarten it was a momentous month for Jackson as well.  He looked so grown up and was so proud of himself, as were we.

There you have it.  The first 5 of my 20 favorite pictures of 2013.  So far, so good!  Let's see what the next 15 have to bring!

All is well, picture perfect, in Drosche Land.

  

Looking Back

So here we go. 

We're one full day into the new year.  So far, so good. But what about 2013?

How was yours?  Good?  Bad?  Memorable?  Forgetful?

I think that if I had to give 2013 here in Drosche Land a theme or key word it would have to be change.  Yes, change. I think I may have said the same thing about 2012 but according to the events of 2013 it bears repeating. Change. It happened here in Drosche Land quite often last year. Some was planned and some was a surprise. But all in all I think it worked out for the best.  His plans often seem to do. 

Stella continued to change our lives. That little girl taught us a lot.  Mostly about food allergies and how much they can bring about change for a whole family. Milk. Soy. Those two ingredients are in a lot more than you'd think. Amy and I were taken aback by her diagnosis. It threw us for a loop. Kept us on our toes. Forced us to think in new ways. Now, don't get me wrong. Stella's allergies are minor in the scheme of life, I am well aware that there are people with much more severe food allergies and much more severe, and frightening, reactions. But it still turned things here upside down. But we learned. Thanks to the tireless research by my wonderful wife, and her money-managing skills, we are all better eaters now. Healthier. Educated in just what goes into food and how much of it we just don't need.  I could go much further into detail about the healthy eating changes we have made and the goals we have for 2014, but that's a topic for another post.

Then there was the job change for myself. Leaving a job is never easy. Neither is the choice to leave the friends one has made while there. But His callings to us change and we must listen. So  I did.   I moved on and I have been joyously happy at my new school.  Which, as you may remember, is the same school where I attended and where Amy and I first met in 7th Grade. So this was a positive change.  It also meant a change in churches since I am a called worker in a Lutheran school. This was also a very positive change in our lives. So see, not all change is bad. 

There was also job change for Amy as she moved up to teach 2nd Grade this year. Yes, this was fearsome and unknown. However, it has also proved to be a positive change. She loves it. Who knew?  The woman who, as a college student, vowed to only ever teach in Early Childhood. The woman who previously taught Pre-Kindergarten and Pre-School before making the jump into Elementary. The woman who was the Director of an Early Childhood Program just a few years ago before deciding to re-enter the classroom.  Yes, this woman has turned out to possess a gift in teaching those 2nd Graders who once seemed so old. Not so much now that we have one in our very own family as Braeden continues to get older, despite our pleading for him to slow down!  :)  More positive change.

Then there was the decision Amy and I made to split the kids up between our two schools; Jackson attending Amy's school and Braeden and Stella joining me at mine. We were very nervous at first. Very hesitant at the thought of imposing division among them. But again, it has turned out to be a blessing as they have ally thrived in their new settings. It took a little while to get used to it all and to work in several schedules, but it has all worked out.

There is also a bit of change concerning Jackson that I have yet to blog about. Something we have been working through these past few months. See, Jackson has always been our active child. The one we refer to as "100% little boy". A blur. A whirlwind of activity and rambunctiousness. Well as he entered Kindergarten this year we began to worry. You can guess the acronym we have been discussing by now. Yes. ADD or ADHD. Something not unfamiliar to us as educators, but something completely foreign to us as parents. Again, my wonderful wife worked tirelessly researching. We opted to forgo any route involving medication. Not at first at least. Instead we have focused on food triggers.  Sugar. Artificial flavors and colors. Preservatives. Man-made sweeteners. These were already on the top of our list to limit and/or eliminate due to our research into food allergies. But now it seemed even more important to look into it all.  So we began to cut it out and limit it. We have noticed change. Some small. Here and there. But change nonetheless. We have also noticed what happens when we slack a bit or he gets ahold of these things in some ways. Wow. It reminds us of what we have learned and what eating habits we are changing an eliminating.  So again, changes that came with positive aspects. Also again though it is a long story and a long journey, one that will have to have its own post(s) now that I have broached the topic with you. 

Lastly there was one final change toward the end of the year. Yes, I'm talking about the adoption. Sure, this  is a change that will not be fully realized until partway through 2014, but the process or change has begun. It is here and the wheels are in motion. Next week Amy and I begin classes every Tuesday and Thursday for the month of January. Part of the process DePelchin requires. Nearly all of the paperwork is in. A homestudy is in the near future. Followed by matching and placing. Of course there has been, and will continue to be, tons of prayer along the way. Extra is always appreciated!

Well, there you have it. My somewhat long-winded recap of 2013.  A little bit of a different format than from years past. But I think I got my point across. Change. It isn't so bad. In fact, looking back nearly all of the change we went through in 2013 was positive or ended up providing us with positive results. I guess that means all in all it was a good year. Yeah, a good year. 2014 is shaping up to be just a great, better in fact. With just as much change of course!  Such is life. 

All is well, changing for the better, in Drosche Land.