Something New (that is, a hacker)

Hello Everyone,

I'm the new hacker of the Shaffer family blog. Jon, Lisa, and Sonora are somewhat distracted, so I'll do my best to fill you in on their exciting lives.

First, they moved to the shore of Maryland and got a new house. Here's a picture:

This is what you see when you walk in the front door:

This is the eating area. Eat your heart out, Southern Living:

Second, the Shaffers took in some stray family members. Jon's cousin Valerie joined the family first. Lisa's sister Natalie moved in a few days later. When everyone is home (which doesn't happen too often), the house looks like it's hosting a continual block party, like this:

The Shaffers are settling in and enjoying their new neighbors like "Miss Ammy" (aka. Tammy) and "Miss Nornen" (aka. Lauren) as well as "Zayah" and "Eyuh" (aka. Isaiah and Amelia).

Third, Natalie was in the Shaffer home for less than a month before she got engaged to William Glaser. For more details, Natalie has a small epic on Facebook. But here's a picture:

Fourth, Sonora recently turned two. Isn't she a cutie?

Of course, the biggest piece of news is the one we're all still waiting on -- the birth of the Shaffer girls. Naturally, we don't want them born early, but I think we're all eager to meet these two little ones. We've all been pitching in. Even Sonora is contributing original art for the nursery, which is in lavender. Friends and family have given gifts, and both grandmothers are gearing up to arrive, but so far, the girls are staying put. I, the illustrious hacker, will do my best to keep you posted.