11 days!!!!

Eleven days!!!  Now that's scary!!  I'm feeling a little overwhelmed!  It seems like everything is coming fast...maybe too fast!  We still have so many things to do and I'm just not sure how we are going to get everything done! 

The second bathroom should...and I'm saying should....be done tomorrow if everything goes good.  The plumber came today and the shower is ready to go.  So, I might be able to shower in it after a year and a half!!  I'm pretty excited about that.  The paint that Tim picked out is well how should I say this.......well, it's GREEN!  We thought it was going to be a light green...but it's GREEN!  Oh well, it's up and we have to keep going with it!  I guess if they don't like it then they can change it.  Other then that it will look great.  Bead-board went up today.

We did run into a little problem today.  We had a house that we thought that we were going to rent for a year and got a call today and that fell through!  So, now we are stuck looking for a house!!!!  UGH!!!  It's just so hard doing everything from here!  Looking online is hard!  But we really need to have this done.  I think it would be easier to have it all figured out before we get home...then when we get home all we have to do is walk into a home!  

I just wish that I had my Mom here.  You don't know how many times I say this to myself.  I need her help!  It's just been so hard doing this without her.  She has always been here for me when I have did all my moves and to not have her here with me has just put a big hole in everything.  Not only for her help but for her support!   

Bathroom one pictures....finally!

Okay...so here it is.......the ugliest bathroom ever!!!  This is the before picture.  I should have taken one before we started the demo...but I forgot.  We started and I just didn't cross my mind.  I thought about it after we started it.  You can kind of see the wallpaper on the side wall.  Isn't it pretty bad?  You can say yes.  You won't hurt my feelings.  For all of you that actually got to see it in person then you know how ugly it truly was.  You got the pleasure of seeing it first hand!

I'm giving you just a little peek here.  You can't really see the color on the bottom half...but it is the same color as our living room and dinning room.  We got a little extra...so we just went ahead and used it up.

Are you ready?   Here it is...all finished.  It took is a long time......  I hope you like it!



This one I turned the light off and turned on the little light on in the corner.



Today I got Emmie's room all cleaned up and a few boxes packed up.  We sold her dresser in the garage sale.  It wouldn't have made it home in the big truck.  So, we are just going to have to buy her a new one when we get home.  I loved it and hated to get rid of it...but it would have broke.

That's all the pictures that I have for you so far.  I will post some of the other bathroom later this week.  The tile man is doing  the grout  tomorrow and then we start the bead-board, flooring and painting on it this week.  We have a busy week ahead of us again!!  The house should be on the market later this week!

So....it's Saturday~

Okay.....it's Saturday.  We are done with bathroom number one....well besides some clean up.  But pictures should be coming in the next few days.  It's been a LONG few days!!!  And I mean LONG!!!  I'm so ready for this house to be done.  It's driving me CRAZY!!! 

Bathroom number two tile is up and now grout will be put in on Monday.  Then the rest of the remodel has to happen!  Guess what?  More bead-board will be going up!!! UGH!!!  But the good thing is that this bathroom has no cut outs( look I now know the lingo) and it only has two walls!  So, that's great!  It should only take a few hours for that.  Then we have the new vanity to put in and the flooring and paint!  Sounds like a lot....huh?  But have no fear...it will get done. 

I even had time for a garage sale this weekend! Glad that's done!

I'm just ready to start packing!  I want to get things moving along so we can just get home and be done with this!

Well, I just wanted to update you and let you know that I'll be posting some pictures soon.

Just a little update~

Well.....we are still working!!!!  I'm not sure I have stopped!  I don't think we will stop until we walk out this door for our long drive home!  We stay up late and get up early!  Eat?   Whats that!  

Okay so this is what we have been doing.  The living room....done!  Dining room.....done!  Well, besides a little cleaning, but that is no big deal....I can have that done in no time.  We have been working non-stop on the half bath that is off our bedroom.  UGH!!!  It's taking a long time, but it's finally coming together.  We have put up bead-board and if you ever got the chance to see this bathroom then you know that anything would have made it look better!!!  It was super UGLY!!!!!!  But now it looks really good!  I have taken pictures along the way and when it's done I will post them.  We are putting up the last of the trim today and then all we have left to do is paint and get a mirror.  We were going to hang the one that we already had....but I think that it's going to be really hard to put back up!  It's huge!!!  We took it out and I don't think I can bring it back in! 

Tomorrow the tile guy is coming to work on the main bathroom!  That will be nice to finally have that project done!  Then after that it will be just little projects!  Tim still has to take the tile off......hmmm.....hope he can get that done tonight! 

It's just been crazy around here and did I forget to mention that I'm supposed to have a garage sale on Friday???  I haven't gotten anything done for that!  I guess I'll be up late again tonight and tomorrow night and the next night!  Maybe when we get home I'll be able to sleep.......but then I'll have to start unpacking!!!

Look for pictures soon!!!

Look What I found~

It's been a long week!  A busy week!  But I'm not really sure that I have got  a lot done!  It seems like I get up every morning and my list keeps getting bigger!

We started painting a week ago.  What I now know is that I'm not a good painter and that I really don't like to paint!  Maybe because it takes forever or maybe because I take forever.  I'm sure that my Mom would have had the job done by now and if she is watching me paint she is just shaking her head as I'm doing it!  I think....and I mean think...I should get it all done today!!  It's not the walls that have been a problem...but the darn white trim on the bottom and on all the doors and windows!  That's been the hard part! 

But as I was waiting for paint to dry the other day I was cleaning out a drawer and I found a journal of Ty's from school last year.  I didn't really go through it...I just put it in his area to go through later...well I guess it was later.  I'm going to write it just the way he did. 

My Hero

My hero is my Mom because she is always there for me and she always gives me love.  But these next two weeks I won't get to see her because my Grandma has 2 types of cancer that I don't want to tell.  So now she is in a plane flying off to Washington State.  I love my Mom and she loves me.  I also hope my Grandma gets well.  But we won't find out until 2 weeks unless she calls and says she is better.

The first time I read this it just broke my heart.  I'm so glad that he thinks of me as his hero....well thought of me as his hero. I'm sure that time in his life was hard....not only with his Grandma being sick....but also with me being gone. 

I just wanted to share with you today something special.

Homeward Bound!

After just a few months short of 11 years.......we are coming HOME!!!!  Well, not really Home, but a few hours from home!  Isn't that just unreal!  Did you ever think that it would happen?  Well, I didn't!  Not because I didn't think Tim couldn't get a job....just that there weren't that many out that way.  Nobody wants to leave the Northwest.  So, it's been a long time coming.....!

The kids are very excited about it.  Well, Ty was a little upset about leaving his friends at first, but I think he is coming around.  We have talked about it with him and told him that this would be the best time....right as he is entering middle school.  Devin was all for it!  Even though he is going to be a Senior.  He has wanted to be home for a long time.  Emmie....well you  know Emmie, she is pretty easy going.  So, it's a done deal!  Tim told his work yesterday and it's going to happen! 

So, now lets talk about my feelings. 

Of course I'm excited!  But I'm also feeling a little sad....maybe even a little scared.  Sad for many reasons.  We have lived here for awhile and really I have felt more at home here in Lexington then I did when we lived in Arkansas.  Maybe because it was more of a city then when we lived in Arkansas.  We felt like we were isolated.....had to drive forever to get to a mall or any type of good shopping.  Not that shopping is everything...but when you don't have it...then you really miss it!  I have watched my kids grow up here.  Devin has went through junior high and now was getting ready to graduate from High school. From schools we knew about and he did so well and the teachers LOVED him!  I know he will be loved were ever he goes.....he is just like his Dad.  We also watched Ty go through the same school for 6 years!  And Emmie was following in his foot steps.  Ty's name was well known at the school.  I drove past the school the other day and it just made me sad.  Ty will also not finish his last year at the ball field that he has played at since he was in t-ball!  Next year he would have got a wood bat with his name on it. 

I know that these things are all things that can be replaced and I'm willing to do so.  It just makes me a little sad. 

This is the biggie.....! 

She waited!  She waited a long time for this!  She wanted this so bad and I just wish that she was here to see it happen!  I wish that she was here with me trying to get this place in order.  I need her!  Plain and simple!  She always helped....I'm just not sure that I can do this without her.  Well, I have to, it's just not going to be easy. 

She made the long trip out this way with me, Tim, Devin and Ty when he was just a baby.  Now we are doing it once again, but this time I won't have her sitting beside me, helping with the drive, helping in anyway that she could.  I'll be thinking of her as I'm driving across the country, knowing that the last time I did this she was sitting right beside me. 

Really I'm very happy, excited and thrilled to be coming home!  My family means the world to me and to be able to hop in the car and drive 2 hours will make my world so much better.  It's been a hard 11 years being away from my family, who are not only my family members but are also my friends!  My kids will love being able to be HOME for special holidays and other things that we have missed over the years.  I know that we may not get to come home every weekend, with the price of gas.  But just knowing that we CAN come home and will be able to come home!  It won't cost us a fortune in plane tickets....just gas! 

I'm also hoping that we will have visitors come and see us since we won't be miles and miles away!  Just thinking about it brings a smile to my face!

We are homeward bound :)

Ty's 5th grade Graduation~



Last week Ty graduated from 5th grade!  Now he will be entering middle school.  I can't believe it....how fast time flies!  Where do the days go?  I guess they just go....but the good thing is that I got pictures!!!  I know what your thinking.........!!! 



The morning started off with some awards.  My son happened to get a few of them.  They were a surprise to all of us.



The first award was from the computer teacher.  She was able to give 2 awards for each class.  One was for keyboarding and the other was for the best power point.  She called the first three classes and then went on to Ty's class.  I did think for one minute that he might get it....he was always doing power points at home.  But when she called his name....I was still very surprised.  It's a funny feeling you get when you hear you child's name being called. 

First award....computer.

His second award was for art.  He was in the after school program for art.  He seemed to really enjoy it.  Last year they got to paint a little horse that was then put out on display at our local library and was also published in a book.  So, that award wasn't as much of a surprise to me as the first on was.  But I still was overjoyed that he received it!



Art award

The third one......now this one got to me.  The principal was up on the stage telling us about this one and letting us know that if your child got picked for this one then that meant that they were very special and that all the parents should be very proud of them.  There is only going to be four awarded...one from each class.  As she calls them up....I notice that they are all girls.  Then she comes up to Ty's class, which is last.....of course and then I hear it.......Ty Tommerup!!!!  WOW!!!  My son got the Citizenship award!  I was so very proud of him! 

Ty with 5th  grade Diploma



I can't explain what it felt like to see him up on stage that day.  All I know is that he is such a great kid at school.......now if I can only get him to be such a great kid at home!!!  LOL!!!  My heart was swelling with pride! 




Ty with all his medals

 


   





Ty 5th grade graduation

Memorial Day~

This weekend was Memorial Day.   Most people think of it as a three day weekend, but for me it reminds me of my Mom. 

It reminds me of her because she would always spend so much time the week before up at the cemetery getting all the markers all nice and clean, well her and Grandma would.  They took such good care of all of them.  She took over the job of taking care of Jason's marker for me since I wasn't home to do it.  It was very nice of her to do for Devin and I. 

She didn't just do it on this weekend....she did it all the time.  She kept the supplies in her car and made sure that if the weather was nice....then that was were she was.  She loved it!  Plain and simple.  I know that my family is doing it for her marker.  It makes me sad that I can't do it.  I can't do it for her or for Jason. 

I know this isn't the best subject....but it's life.  It's what she would want.....she would want her marker to be kept looking nice and I know that it is.  My family knew how important this would be to her.  I know she most likely had lots of flowers this weekend.......pretty flowers all around her marker.  Just what she would have done for everyone else.