Good news!!!

I just got news today that we will be staying an extra year in Basel! This is a very nice and mostly unexpected surprise--I had been hopeful, but was not optimistic that my bosses back in Washington would agree to an extension (maybe they figure I can do less damage the farther away I am?). So now we'll be here until February 2007 rather than this coming February. That sounds like a long time, but we've been amazed how quickly the time has passed (especially with Gretchen spending most of the first six months back home). As much as we really miss our friends and family back home, another year here should be ideal, at which point I think we'll be quite eager to get back to the States. So those of you who have been procrastinating about planning a trip (you know who you are) have been given another chance...