Our NOT so Lovely House!

 Well, here it is.....our house.  It's a lot smaller then our house that we had in Lacey...but I guess when you are doing everything over the phone you can't really expect a lot. 

 We had a lot more space in our front room in Lacey and now we don't have much at all.  The front room kind of goes into the dinning area. It's an older home....back to the hardwood floors...which I don't mind. 

 Here is the dinning area.  Kind of a sad looking table now with only 4 chairs!  :(  Don't like the looks of it at all now.







The Kitchen is VERY ugly!  I just don't even want to talk about it.  Just know that I didn't even want to put the picture up...but I did...and it was for you!

Our very UGLY kitchen!

Another view of the front room.

I got my craft area back.  That's one of the things that I like about this house.  I can set it up down in the basement and when I get a chance I will try and start back up again.

Changes~

 In June I watched my son Devin walk across the stage and receive his high school diploma. It was an emotional night for me and many others.  It was a long year of not knowing if it was going to happen with our move to Washington.  But in the end it happened and I couldn't have been more thrilled and happy for him.  He deserved this and had worked very hard to make it all happen. 

 But as I sit here today I think back on that moment. It brings tears to my eyes. So, many things have changed since then.  Devin has decided that he wants to stay in Vancouver.  I know he is 19 and able to make choices on his own.....but when he told me what he had decided it was like a bomb went off.  My whole world has been turned upside down.  If I would have been more prepared for it I might have been able to handle this better...but as it is...I'm having a really hard time with this and I'm really not sure that anyone can really understand it but me.  It's like he was just taken away. No warning at all.  We were expecting for him to be here with us in a few weeks and now our life has changed. From big things all the way down to the little things. I go to set the table grabbing 5 plates and then remember that from now on it will only be 4 plates.  I sit at the table for dinner and I remember when it was all of us and now its just us 4.  It just feels wrong and different.  I walk by the room that we fixed up for him and I can't look inside....it just hurts too much.  

Devin and Ty

Emmie and Devin

 I think about all the things that I won't have with him.  In all the years I have never...not once been apart on his birthday.  Do you know what that does to a Mom?  All those little things that no one is thinking about, but I'm. 

Wahoo Parade~

 Last night we got to walk in a parade!  Hmmm....at first I was a little bit unsure about this whole thing.  Walk in a parade?  ME!  Never done that...never thought I would do that.  Tim...sure he would do that and would love it and did love it.  But we did it and it was kind of fun.  We got to dress is these pink shirts for his new work.  The only one not real excited about the pink shirts was the one down below.....Ty.  He sure doesn't look very excited about this whole wearing pink shirts thing and looking just like the everyone else thing. 

Real men can wear pink!

Pretty darn cute.

Handing out some paper pads.

 After the parade we walked down to the fair.  Nothing like the Clark County Fair. The kids went on a few ride and we walked around and saw some animals.  Something a little different.

I even had Ty take a picture of Tim and I!

Tim and Emmie on roller coaster.

Ty loving this ride! He went on it twice!

Emmie's first time on the Ferris Wheel...loved it!

The Sunken Garden~

 Isn't this pretty?  This is right down the road from us.  It's called The Sunken Garden.  It's called that because you walk down into it.  Very pretty....my pictures do not do it justice!  The colors were so pretty and vivid. With all this heat I'm kind of amazed that they can keep it looking so good.

 I had to get a good picture with Emmie and Ty in front of the flowers .

 This was all of them in front of the little waterfall that comes down the walkway.  Again, my picture just can't do this garden any justice.

 Ty decided he wanted to go for a little bike ride after looking at the garden!

 Then Emmie had to go also! 

One last picture of the garden from the back end.  They even had little peppers in the garden!  Too cute. I really loved the pond with these huge fish in them!  I could have watched them for a long time...if it wasn't so hot!

3 weeks in~

Well, It's almost been three weeks since we left Washington.  Doesn't seem like it's been that long.  But I guess time does go by fast....not that I'm having fun!  

We have been busy getting things done around here.  Last week we got the kids all signed up for school.  They seemed super nice and very happy to have two new kids start in their school system.

 Tim hasn't been working all that much until this weekend.  Which is really good for him to get started.  He needed to go out and do something.  He doesn't like to sit around much.  He has been doing that for awhile now and I think he just needed to go out and work!

I have applied for a couple of jobs in the school district.  They don't have a lot of openings.  But when we talked to the ladies at Emmie's school they were very excited about it and said that they always need subs. I would rather have a job to go to every day.  I know asking a lot.  I guess if I don't get on there I can look else where. 

House is still looking a little ragged.....but it's hard to make this house look anything but ragged! Still have unpacking to do...not much...but I have lost a few items and I just can't seem to find them.  You know the very important items.......like my camera cord so I can download pictures.  I have not had that since Kentucky.  Need to find it!  I would post pictures of this ragged house for you if I could find that dang cord!

Okay....so lets talk about the weather!  It's HOT! Very hot!  I mean the coolest day we have had here was 88 and that was a day after a little rain storm we had here.  They say that it's usually not this warm...okay....so when does it cool down?  I mean we had this kind of heat in Arkansas, but that was a while ago.  Kentucky was in the 90's sometimes.  But we hardley ever had in in the low 100's.  So, Im ready for a little bit cooler weather....but not the snow! Going to be in the high 90's the rest of the week with one day in the low 100's! UGH!!!  Can't enjoy the outside on those days!  So, it's inside we stay! Did I happen to mention that our cars do NOT have AC in them?  Well, they don't!  Double UGH!!!!  The other day when coming into the house I got burnt by the screen door....I might have said a few cuss words.  I mean who gets burnt by the screen door?  I guess you do here in the great state of Nebraska!

So, did I give you enough information?  Most likly I gave you a little too much information!!  But it's either that or go outside and get burnt up by that thing in the sky! :)

Nebraska~

Nebraska!  That's where we are.  We only got one year in Washington.  One year back in our home state.  One year back with our families...well when we could see them.  It felt like that year went by way too fast for me.  If I would have known that's all I was going to get I think that I might have done things a little bit differently.

 But to tell you the truth...last year was hard.  We couldn't afford to go down to Vancouver every weekend....we couldn't afford to go down every month!  We were not only paying the rent on the house we were living in we were also paying for our house in Kentucky.  Paying for two houses is not easy.  So, at times it kind of felt like I might as well have been in Kentucky!

The move here wasn't easy.  I hated to take my kids not only away from family again, but also away from the friends they had made and also from another school.  As a parent that is a hard thing to do.  To look in their face and have to tell them that they will have to do it all over again and to see the sadness in their eyes.  To know that they will not get to see their cousins again for a long time...when I have loved watching them play together and knowing what I had with my cousins and still do.  Not to be able to to all the wonderful family celebrations that we have been able to do this year.  I will miss that and I know that they will also. 

Two Years~

Its funny how certain dates are never forgotten. Like today's date...December 12th.  A lot of people have this date marked, maybe not on their calenders but in their minds.  I knew it was coming, I could feel it. I'm still having trouble understanding why this day had to happen.  But we can't take it back...she's gone.  I live with that fact every day.  And every day I miss her more then anyone can imagine.  Yes, now I can make it through the day without crying...but the sadness is still here.  Still looming over me...waiting for the moment when it just hits all of the sudden. 

I see myself sitting with her that day.  Having the same feelings all over again. Looking at all the people around her.  Its not just on this day that this memory goes through my mind...but on today its just more vivid.  My heart still aches to see her, to hear her say my name, to see her walk towards my children and give them a hug. 

I'm a 42 year old woman and I need my Mom. 

Two years~