Micro Preemie Steps: Selling This Old House, Travels & the Loss of a Loved One

Well, it seems that all things come to an end - and for us, it's this old house.

This was the first place that Karl and I knew as a married couple. Purchased two months before our wedding, it was truly our dream home. We opted to finish up our restoration projects, and sell the house for a variety of reasons - one being Kyle.

With our upcoming move to a neighboring town, we'll also be shifting counties. In doing so, we'll have access to EI/therapy programs not currently available to us, due to overcrowding and financial constraints in our current district. In addition, as Kyle gets older, we'll have the peace of mind - knowing that a newly built school is only 2 blocks away, within the neighborhood and far from busy streets. He'll also have access to play areas, near the community center - and a more traditional neighborhood setting.

We'll certainly miss the charm of our old house, an 1897 Victorian, listed on the National Historic Register as a top contributor to our neighborhood (maintaining it's style/original design over the many years). The house offers 5 bedrooms, 1 full and 2 half baths, a new kitchen featuring granite counter tops, and an enclosed yard with detached 1.5 car garage. As a unique feature to this area, our home has a full depth basement complete with laundry room and work shop area (Karl's hangout). If you're interested in this Old House, please email me for details and access to the Realtor's site.

Here's are some recent pictures of Kyle playing in his nursery (ignore the teething spit please, still working on molars). I love how the daily light filters through the windows. He's getting more playful everyday! He loves studying his toys, every little detail and working part.

I have no doubt that he'll be an engineer like his daddy - and the many other Knoernschild's that fall in line around him. I want to take a moment and talk about this, as many things in life occur and affect us. Karl's uncle, Gene, recently passed away. He was a great inspiration to so many - and most certainly to Karl. He was an Electrical Engineer by trade and Pilot by hobby. The year before he passed away he rode across Iowa, participating in the RAGBRAI. Gene was overcome by a rare form of cancer, and while waiting to see if his bone marrow transplant would take, his body became overcome by infection.

Gene gave Karl his first computer - an IBM XT back when he was in High School, and encouraged Karl to finish up his flight training as an adult. He had a role in inspiring Karl to be the man he is today. In our recent visit to Seattle, Earlene passed on Gene's flight bag and gear to Karl - and I know that touched him, as well as myself. Visiting brought our own recent loss to the forefront for me - and made me that much more thankful for Kyle and the family that cares so much about us.

Kyle already has his first computer keyboard - and as you can see in the pictures above, his "big boy" room is already sporting a couple vintage model planes. We will be happy with any path that Kyle chooses in life, but helping him explore life without limits will be one of our primary goals as his parents. Although raised on a farm, education was a key factor in Karl's house. Both of his parents are well educated (Master's degrees), and his father traveled through Vietnam during the war helping to educate people on farming techniques. Life is a journey with many paths - no matter what path is chosen, it's important to never limit your learning and exploration. There's too much out there that is just waiting for you. On the last day of my life, I hope to be able to look back and say that I did I all that I could to help Kyle learn to achieve anything he wants in life - whether that be in career, hobby or happiness.