Could that statement ever be more true! Finally, the light at the end of the tunnel.
Since we were suppose to be in our home Sept 23rd we started to find some fun deals on craigslist to furnish our home. One being patio furniture. Well, since it was a steal we bought it thinking we will be in our house in a few days. Well, the days turned into a month and our 8 PIECE patio furniture along with various shelves and other things have been in our 2 bedroom apartment the entire time. YES, we literally had to squeeze our way just to get around! Needless to say after a month longer, we finally had to leave our apartment because she had another tenant so we moved into a hotel clear across town. Luckily, the seller of the house graciously let us put our craigslists finds in the garage.....whew!!!! Then we packed up again because a couple of days turned into a week and moved in with our nephew and niece in their 2 bedroom apartment. After 2 nights of that we were finally given the news we could move in! So finally.....WE ARE IN OUR HOUSE! After almost 4 years of moving about and a crazy month of dealing with lenders etc etc..... the "Gypsies" are staying put for awhile. What an amazing feeling to unpack knowing that you will not have to pack up again. The boys are thrilled to have their own rooms and mama is thrilled to have a dishwasher, disposal, laundry machines you don't have to put quarters in or walk down the road to get to, and the BEST more than ONE bathroom!!!!! Whoooooo Hoooooo
Our house is cozy and comfy and even has a little extra room we call the "Hollywood Room" Where we watch our plethora of movies. We decided no TV, so movies are our thing! (and LOTS of them) We have a cute little backyard with loads of trees and plants I am still trying to find out what they are(needless to say we are not the greatest gardeners, but we are up for the challenge) have an adorable covered patio to overlook our lush backyard. We even have a garage!!!! WOW we have come a long way. Amazing how all the little things become so exciting when you have not had them for awhile. That is what we need to continue to remember. We all become so complacent and forget to appreciate the small things.
So our lives begin in CA.....Mark is set up in his new office just minutes away. Both boys are loving surfing, dancing, and auditioning. Cade has joined the swim team and can ride his bike to his practices. Keean is working with some amazing choreographers and has had some pretty awesome auditions. We love all the wonderful homeschool groups out here and have done some amazing outings, from survival hiking, workshops at the grammy museum, art museums, park days, book clubs, game clubs and even watching Stevie Nicks perform and give a talk to a small group. So much is out here it is unbelievable. Something creative and artistic happening everywhere you look. But the outdoors and the beach right at our "backdoor". Definitely the place for us! Here's to some more fantastic adventures that lie ahead. We may have found a home to settle, but the "gypsy" is still in us all!
TRYING TO STAY POSITIVE!
We have found, as a family, a beautiful home. We were suppose to be in that home last week, but as I said below we are having "loan approval issues". So as much as we "love" living in our 2 bedroom "luxurious, air conditioned" apartment.....we are officially DONE! We have been living out of a suitcase since Nov 2010, we have no idea where anything is, and the one bathroom gig is getting a little old! Not to mention we are living ABOVE our very "interesting" landlord who has on occasion not been very thrilled with us. We were asked, on more than one occasion, to walk like "quiet indians" in the morning and if we could not flush the toilet in the wee hours(seriously?) plus water leaking in the sink, water pressure not working, no dishwasher, every time you take a shower the fire alarm goes off, and literally we are packed in like sardines with all of our stuff we have refused to unpack! Now, I think all in all, we have all been fantastic sports. We have moved so many times in the last 3 1/2 years, and we have really been totally fine with any and all of the "situations", but I think now we see the light at the end of the tunnel. We see a place we will call our own and as much as we have been so wonderfully positive along the way I think we have reached our "end" I mean in just this past 10 months we will have moved 11 TIMES! Oh my lord....we are NUTS!
But seriously, when you really look at it, we have a roof over our heads, food on the table, transportation to where we need to go, our health and most of all each other. That is what keeps us going...and remembering to put out positive energy instead of negative energy is the healthier way to be. Sometimes difficult to do, but it truly is the way to go! So even though life may seem a real mess, ya gotta brush yourself off and say" it could always be worse" and suck it up!!!!!
In the end we have been blessed and will continued to be blessed....... it is all in how you look at....eh? And all in all, it has brought us closer(more ways than you need to know) as a family. If you can live literally on top of one another, you aren't doing too bad, plus all the memories and stories we will cherish forever....... Not too bad!
But seriously, when you really look at it, we have a roof over our heads, food on the table, transportation to where we need to go, our health and most of all each other. That is what keeps us going...and remembering to put out positive energy instead of negative energy is the healthier way to be. Sometimes difficult to do, but it truly is the way to go! So even though life may seem a real mess, ya gotta brush yourself off and say" it could always be worse" and suck it up!!!!!
In the end we have been blessed and will continued to be blessed....... it is all in how you look at....eh? And all in all, it has brought us closer(more ways than you need to know) as a family. If you can live literally on top of one another, you aren't doing too bad, plus all the memories and stories we will cherish forever....... Not too bad!
Learning...PATIENCE!
I just want to try to understand one thing......they say that our housing market is not great and houses are sitting????? Well, I can tell you why.........NO ONE CAN GET A LOAN!!!!! If we cannot qualify for a loan then who the heck is? We have excellent credit, money to put down, no debt.....jeez what else do they want?
We have found a wonderful home to finally settle in after almost 4 years of moving around, and we have had a real go of it to get a loan approval!!!!!! Seems they look at our paperwork and see we have moved so many times and Mark has worked in several different places they categorize us as a "flight risk" I guess????...URGH What about all the 14 years we sat stable working away? They are now going to judge us because we moved around and had a fantastic adventure while paying our bills all along the way? Don't even get me started on "judgement"! In the end it has truly been a true test of our patience! What I don't understand is before our economy got the way it is, everyone and their mother was getting a loan. Now, that thousands have taken advantage etc... blah blah blah....we, the people who have made all the right choices, are being penalized for everyone else's mess! So darn frustrating!!!!!!!! When do "we" the one's who follow the rules and don't take advantage get our break? Seems we get punished for everyone else deciding to walk away from their loans...URGH!!!!! So upsetting! Well, just thought I would take a moment to vent.....
I'm okay now.........
Hopefully, we will get the loan soon or we are going to be sitting on the side of the road with all our stuff from storage(from Vermont) and no place to put it....literally!!!!
Praying to the loan Gods....come on you can do it!!!!
We have found a wonderful home to finally settle in after almost 4 years of moving around, and we have had a real go of it to get a loan approval!!!!!! Seems they look at our paperwork and see we have moved so many times and Mark has worked in several different places they categorize us as a "flight risk" I guess????...URGH What about all the 14 years we sat stable working away? They are now going to judge us because we moved around and had a fantastic adventure while paying our bills all along the way? Don't even get me started on "judgement"! In the end it has truly been a true test of our patience! What I don't understand is before our economy got the way it is, everyone and their mother was getting a loan. Now, that thousands have taken advantage etc... blah blah blah....we, the people who have made all the right choices, are being penalized for everyone else's mess! So darn frustrating!!!!!!!! When do "we" the one's who follow the rules and don't take advantage get our break? Seems we get punished for everyone else deciding to walk away from their loans...URGH!!!!! So upsetting! Well, just thought I would take a moment to vent.....
I'm okay now.........
Hopefully, we will get the loan soon or we are going to be sitting on the side of the road with all our stuff from storage(from Vermont) and no place to put it....literally!!!!
Praying to the loan Gods....come on you can do it!!!!
TO: MY DAD
From my earliest memories my dad has been there, always encouraging me to be the best that I can be. He taught me to play a wicked game of basketball, helped me with my math homework and watched numerous gymnastic meets, dance recitals and cheer competitions, while all along taking billions of photos! What a fantastic man!
And now as I watch him with my boys, he is proving to be an amazing "Papi". From making "log cabins" out of pancakes with syrup as "lakes", teaching boys to catch fish & clean them, to making homemade designed "weapons", he once again is proving to be unbelievably supportive and encouraging. Even though we are far apart he really has a great relationship with the boys and them with him.
As is true for a lot of men, my Dad is probably what you would call a "closed book", not one for opening up and talking about his feelings, but I sure can see his emotions through his eyes. For the past 11 years he has had to stand by and watch the woman he loves with all his heart deteriorate. As hard as it is for us all, it is my Dad who hurts the most, but says the least. My mom is a young 65 years, but has a debilitating auto immune disease, Inclusion Body Myositis. http://www.myositis.org/about_myositis/inclusion-body_myositis.cfm Simply put your immune system eats away at all of your muscles. In the past 11 years, she has gone from a vivacious woman to a very sedentary person. All her muscles are disappearing and her ability to accomplish simple tasks like brushing teeth, bathing, eating etc.... are becoming her everyday challenges. My brother and I are unfortunately not living in the same town, so my Dad, with some help, is her caretaker.
I know that everyday proposes new challenges, and I also know the stress that my mom is under is not easy. It is not easy to watch your own body deteriorate, but equally as difficult to watch it happen to someone you love more than anything in the whole world.
My dad is not a perfect person. He is a person with faults like all the rest of us. But my dad is some kind of wonderful man. I watch him and see how all he wants to do is make my mom comfortable, but what he really wants is to be able to fix her an make the disease go away. I have days where I am so sad, I can't stand it. But I am away and not there everyday. My dad has to deal with NOT being able to make it "okay" everyday. If anyone has ever dealt with a ailing family member, it is a very difficult, stressful, emotional time. Dad, you are doing an amazing job. Even when you feel lost and helpless you need to believe that by just being there it is enough. Sometimes it is the simple things. Those little things you do( that you have no idea you are doing)is why we ALL love so much. On your 71st birthday I want you to know the world is a better place because of you!
And now as I watch him with my boys, he is proving to be an amazing "Papi". From making "log cabins" out of pancakes with syrup as "lakes", teaching boys to catch fish & clean them, to making homemade designed "weapons", he once again is proving to be unbelievably supportive and encouraging. Even though we are far apart he really has a great relationship with the boys and them with him.
As is true for a lot of men, my Dad is probably what you would call a "closed book", not one for opening up and talking about his feelings, but I sure can see his emotions through his eyes. For the past 11 years he has had to stand by and watch the woman he loves with all his heart deteriorate. As hard as it is for us all, it is my Dad who hurts the most, but says the least. My mom is a young 65 years, but has a debilitating auto immune disease, Inclusion Body Myositis. http://www.myositis.org/about_myositis/inclusion-body_myositis.cfm Simply put your immune system eats away at all of your muscles. In the past 11 years, she has gone from a vivacious woman to a very sedentary person. All her muscles are disappearing and her ability to accomplish simple tasks like brushing teeth, bathing, eating etc.... are becoming her everyday challenges. My brother and I are unfortunately not living in the same town, so my Dad, with some help, is her caretaker.
I know that everyday proposes new challenges, and I also know the stress that my mom is under is not easy. It is not easy to watch your own body deteriorate, but equally as difficult to watch it happen to someone you love more than anything in the whole world.
My dad is not a perfect person. He is a person with faults like all the rest of us. But my dad is some kind of wonderful man. I watch him and see how all he wants to do is make my mom comfortable, but what he really wants is to be able to fix her an make the disease go away. I have days where I am so sad, I can't stand it. But I am away and not there everyday. My dad has to deal with NOT being able to make it "okay" everyday. If anyone has ever dealt with a ailing family member, it is a very difficult, stressful, emotional time. Dad, you are doing an amazing job. Even when you feel lost and helpless you need to believe that by just being there it is enough. Sometimes it is the simple things. Those little things you do( that you have no idea you are doing)is why we ALL love so much. On your 71st birthday I want you to know the world is a better place because of you!
What We Can Learn From Our Kids
If we just listen......
I can't say this enough. It is not what my kids are learning through this homeschooling process it is also what their mom is learning.
My son Cade decided he would like to play football. He looked online to find one near where we were going to be living in CA and registered himself start to finish. He had his first practice and loved it. It was a full first week of hard core conditioning. I could tell from the start that this organization was a much more competitive than his recreation league in Chicago. However, it was Cade's decision so have at it! After a full week of conditioning, Cade proved to be right up there with the top boys! He was very proud of himself. Working really hard and the coaches were very complimentary of him. The next week was the first week with full pads. Cade also decided to sign himself up for a full week of surf camp before his football in the evening so it was going to be tough to say the least. After the first day with pads, it was very obvious who the "new" players were and the returning players! Cade was completely beat up to the point he could not move his arm. He was not a happy boy. I watched him try to hang in there, but it was not looking good. Now when he came home his arm was still hurt a bit but not to the degree he was showing us after practice. I have watched kids enough to see the signs....are they really hurt or just trying to get attention or sympathy etc? That is a hard call. So I studied Cade's behavior. He looked in pain, there is no doubt about that, but at surfing he hid it and football he milked it.....hmmmmmmm?????? About midweek Cade came to Mark and I and said he did not want to play football because he was hurt. Mark was like no big deal and my initial reaction was "you start something you finish it" and "Is he really hurt or using it as an excuse?" So I pulled Cade aside and tried to get some answers. I tried to explain to him that being honest is a much easier route to go.... so decide are you hurt or is this just not what you signed up for? With tears in his eyes he says "Mom, I just don't like hitting other people or getting hit and these kids are way too tough for me! This was NOT what I thought it would be like!" Now that was pure honesty so now what do I do? Stand by the ole saying, "when you start something you finish it" or what? So I started thinking. I am an adult and if I do not like something I don't do it anymore. Why should I force my kid to do it? It is clear this is not his cup of tea. Sometimes as a society we all follow these silly "rules" and are concerned with what "others" will think when in the end we just need to listen to our kids and let them be empowered to make their own decisions. Cade actually came to me and said he would like to pay for any expenses that we had to incur, and he will call the coaches and director and let them know his decision. He is 11 years old and watched him work thru something very difficult, take full responsibility, make all the necessary phone calls even sent an email of thanks to the coaches and lastly, walk by his peers with his head held high to return his equipment and feel proud of his decision. In all honesty, I was scared of what people would think. They will say he is a quitter or wimp....Well, those are my own insecurities and issues and my 11 year old just taught me.....who cares!!!! I asked Cade if he felt sad or worried about anything did he think his Papi was going to be sad that he was NOT playing football and he said, "Naw, Papi would not be mad at me. He supports all my passions and desires no matter what they are." Thanks Cade, you just showed me how to stand up to what you want no matter what others think!
I can't say this enough. It is not what my kids are learning through this homeschooling process it is also what their mom is learning.
My son Cade decided he would like to play football. He looked online to find one near where we were going to be living in CA and registered himself start to finish. He had his first practice and loved it. It was a full first week of hard core conditioning. I could tell from the start that this organization was a much more competitive than his recreation league in Chicago. However, it was Cade's decision so have at it! After a full week of conditioning, Cade proved to be right up there with the top boys! He was very proud of himself. Working really hard and the coaches were very complimentary of him. The next week was the first week with full pads. Cade also decided to sign himself up for a full week of surf camp before his football in the evening so it was going to be tough to say the least. After the first day with pads, it was very obvious who the "new" players were and the returning players! Cade was completely beat up to the point he could not move his arm. He was not a happy boy. I watched him try to hang in there, but it was not looking good. Now when he came home his arm was still hurt a bit but not to the degree he was showing us after practice. I have watched kids enough to see the signs....are they really hurt or just trying to get attention or sympathy etc? That is a hard call. So I studied Cade's behavior. He looked in pain, there is no doubt about that, but at surfing he hid it and football he milked it.....hmmmmmmm?????? About midweek Cade came to Mark and I and said he did not want to play football because he was hurt. Mark was like no big deal and my initial reaction was "you start something you finish it" and "Is he really hurt or using it as an excuse?" So I pulled Cade aside and tried to get some answers. I tried to explain to him that being honest is a much easier route to go.... so decide are you hurt or is this just not what you signed up for? With tears in his eyes he says "Mom, I just don't like hitting other people or getting hit and these kids are way too tough for me! This was NOT what I thought it would be like!" Now that was pure honesty so now what do I do? Stand by the ole saying, "when you start something you finish it" or what? So I started thinking. I am an adult and if I do not like something I don't do it anymore. Why should I force my kid to do it? It is clear this is not his cup of tea. Sometimes as a society we all follow these silly "rules" and are concerned with what "others" will think when in the end we just need to listen to our kids and let them be empowered to make their own decisions. Cade actually came to me and said he would like to pay for any expenses that we had to incur, and he will call the coaches and director and let them know his decision. He is 11 years old and watched him work thru something very difficult, take full responsibility, make all the necessary phone calls even sent an email of thanks to the coaches and lastly, walk by his peers with his head held high to return his equipment and feel proud of his decision. In all honesty, I was scared of what people would think. They will say he is a quitter or wimp....Well, those are my own insecurities and issues and my 11 year old just taught me.....who cares!!!! I asked Cade if he felt sad or worried about anything did he think his Papi was going to be sad that he was NOT playing football and he said, "Naw, Papi would not be mad at me. He supports all my passions and desires no matter what they are." Thanks Cade, you just showed me how to stand up to what you want no matter what others think!
Let Go of the Reigns.....
And see what happens! That is what I did.
We have moved again and living in the most adorable neighborhood in Vt with some of the neatest people. Very small town feel with community garden and compost, loads of kids, cute community park, cliff jumping in the lake and more.....just a great summer spent inVT. So I decided since we are in New England we should do some exploring. Since I am normally the "cruise director" I decided to ask the kids and see what they wanted to see. They both said Boston, so I said ok..... you plan a 2 day trip start to finish. From where to stay, what to see, mapping it out, etc and try to keep to a budget of some sort. Well, I must say what a major accomplishment! I heard phone conversations with hotels, calling and asking about tours, google map print outs etc......Absolutely amazing! Now it was time to put it all to the test. Well, from hotel, to driving, to taking trains, to sight seeing, tours, art galleries and RAIN both days....they did an amazing job and it will be a forever memory in my mind and a dose of confidence and power in theirs! WELL DONE! I could not have done it better myself. I just let go of the reigns and got led around the wonderful city of Boston. Fantastic!
We have moved again and living in the most adorable neighborhood in Vt with some of the neatest people. Very small town feel with community garden and compost, loads of kids, cute community park, cliff jumping in the lake and more.....just a great summer spent inVT. So I decided since we are in New England we should do some exploring. Since I am normally the "cruise director" I decided to ask the kids and see what they wanted to see. They both said Boston, so I said ok..... you plan a 2 day trip start to finish. From where to stay, what to see, mapping it out, etc and try to keep to a budget of some sort. Well, I must say what a major accomplishment! I heard phone conversations with hotels, calling and asking about tours, google map print outs etc......Absolutely amazing! Now it was time to put it all to the test. Well, from hotel, to driving, to taking trains, to sight seeing, tours, art galleries and RAIN both days....they did an amazing job and it will be a forever memory in my mind and a dose of confidence and power in theirs! WELL DONE! I could not have done it better myself. I just let go of the reigns and got led around the wonderful city of Boston. Fantastic!
TO: My MOM
It's funny, but until you become a parent I don't think you can truly appreciate and understand your own parents. I have been a parent for almost 15 years now and every year I understand and appreciate my mom even more. As mother and daughter relationships go, I believe I am pretty blessed! Now don't get me wrong she can sure make me crazy, but I am sure I do the same to her. Strong women unite!
Eleven years ago my mom was diagnosed with a horrible debilitating auto immune disease, Inclusion Body Myositis. It is not something that you can receive treatment and it will go away. It lingers and slowly attacks all of my mom's muscles. I have watched my mother deal with the inability to run, walk, walk with a cane, walk with a walker, to not being able to walk at all. I watch her on a daily basis deal with the loss of another muscle we all take for granted. I watch her deal with the easiest of tasks becoming like climbing Mt Everest, and most of all I see her try to be strong when all she wants to do is quick. My mother is probably one of the strongest women I know. She was always moving, doing and creating. And now all that has been virtually taken from her. I see her tenacity to "brush herself off and move on" when all she really wants to do is give up. She feels like what does she have to give now when all these years she was able to "do" so much? Amazing....because little does she know, that we love her for HER and not what she does. I guess no one knows what it feels like to watch yourself deteriorate, unless you yourself has to go through it. I admire my mom for having the strength to hang in there, for being truthful with her feelings, for still smiling when what she really wants is to cry and for continuing to be there for all of us. I know we are suppose to learn something from this horrible situation. I believe we have learned to understand disabled people more and how the world does NOT accommodate to them, we communicate much more as a family, we are all closer and try to spend as much time together as possible, we try not to take advantage of those small moments, and we try not to take life so serious. MOM on your 65th birthday, my wish is that we have many more to come, that we are able to spend as much time as possible together and that you know how much you are loved!
A poem from Cade 11 yrs old:
To My Lovely Abuelita
Eleven years ago my mom was diagnosed with a horrible debilitating auto immune disease, Inclusion Body Myositis. It is not something that you can receive treatment and it will go away. It lingers and slowly attacks all of my mom's muscles. I have watched my mother deal with the inability to run, walk, walk with a cane, walk with a walker, to not being able to walk at all. I watch her on a daily basis deal with the loss of another muscle we all take for granted. I watch her deal with the easiest of tasks becoming like climbing Mt Everest, and most of all I see her try to be strong when all she wants to do is quick. My mother is probably one of the strongest women I know. She was always moving, doing and creating. And now all that has been virtually taken from her. I see her tenacity to "brush herself off and move on" when all she really wants to do is give up. She feels like what does she have to give now when all these years she was able to "do" so much? Amazing....because little does she know, that we love her for HER and not what she does. I guess no one knows what it feels like to watch yourself deteriorate, unless you yourself has to go through it. I admire my mom for having the strength to hang in there, for being truthful with her feelings, for still smiling when what she really wants is to cry and for continuing to be there for all of us. I know we are suppose to learn something from this horrible situation. I believe we have learned to understand disabled people more and how the world does NOT accommodate to them, we communicate much more as a family, we are all closer and try to spend as much time together as possible, we try not to take advantage of those small moments, and we try not to take life so serious. MOM on your 65th birthday, my wish is that we have many more to come, that we are able to spend as much time as possible together and that you know how much you are loved!
A poem from Cade 11 yrs old:
To My Lovely Abuelita
As you heard
Your heart dropped
You grew cold.
Then you saw your children
and grandchildren’s faces
You realized Heaven gave me a gift of family
I will cherish it until I die
Cade Johnson
7/30/2011
"What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas"
Unfortunately, not much happen...........
Well, we decided to treat ourselves to a gorgeous hotel that Mark was able to get a deal on. And boy were we excited! However, we arrived at 11pm and had to leave pretty early the next day. So most of our time was spent fighting thru the crowds and maze to get out of the actual hotel then navigate to the Chipotle down the street to only realize it did not open for another hour then we had to purchase football cleats(yes, totally waiting to the last minute as Cade's practice starts this evening) and a quick dip in the pool. Yep, it was more like a race than a relaxation. What I wanted to do was take a relaxing dip, eat at the buffet, then take a long bath and lounge about. Well, there was none of that. Oh well, no rest for the wicked eh? With our Chipotle in tow and our overpriced cleats, we are off again and driving straight to football practice.....what we do for our kids...geez. Our BIG ROAD TRIP WEST is coming to an end. Now it is time to think about what our sight unseen "new" home is going to be like. Not to be disrespectful to anyone, so I will not mention which of the latest homes, but I do hope this place is a little "cleaner". One of our "homes" was a little bit on the dirty side....nope just darn filthy all the Ajax and Pine Sol in the world was not gonna clean that mess! Just the same it was an adventure and certainately has taught the kids what can happen when you do not CLEAN!
Well, fingers crossed on our 6th home(who's counting?) this year. Let's hope at least it is clean!
Well, we decided to treat ourselves to a gorgeous hotel that Mark was able to get a deal on. And boy were we excited! However, we arrived at 11pm and had to leave pretty early the next day. So most of our time was spent fighting thru the crowds and maze to get out of the actual hotel then navigate to the Chipotle down the street to only realize it did not open for another hour then we had to purchase football cleats(yes, totally waiting to the last minute as Cade's practice starts this evening) and a quick dip in the pool. Yep, it was more like a race than a relaxation. What I wanted to do was take a relaxing dip, eat at the buffet, then take a long bath and lounge about. Well, there was none of that. Oh well, no rest for the wicked eh? With our Chipotle in tow and our overpriced cleats, we are off again and driving straight to football practice.....what we do for our kids...geez. Our BIG ROAD TRIP WEST is coming to an end. Now it is time to think about what our sight unseen "new" home is going to be like. Not to be disrespectful to anyone, so I will not mention which of the latest homes, but I do hope this place is a little "cleaner". One of our "homes" was a little bit on the dirty side....nope just darn filthy all the Ajax and Pine Sol in the world was not gonna clean that mess! Just the same it was an adventure and certainately has taught the kids what can happen when you do not CLEAN!
Well, fingers crossed on our 6th home(who's counting?) this year. Let's hope at least it is clean!
On the Last Leg.....Heading WEST
So we did make it to Colorado.....not in 2 days in ONE!!!!! Yep....that's me..... crazy! My idea was to get about 3 hours away from our destination, but as we got closer I guess everyone was travelling WEST because there was NOT one hotel....apart from a few scary ones on a lonely exit that truly looked haunted. So we ended up making it all the way but it was 2 in the morning and I just didn't have it in me to wake any of my friends. I know they would not have cared, but I just couldn't do it. So you got it.....we slept in our truck in a Walmart parking lot! Now that is an adventure! I know I could have spent $200 on a hotel for the 7 hour sleep but I am so frugal I could not do it!!! So Cade and I laid the seats back(well as much as they would go from all the junk packed in the back seat) and said our goodnights. Let me rephrase that there was no "good" in that night! Now Cade on the other hand looked as if he was sleeping on a five star bed....geez kids....so darn adaptable ha ha So after the night from HELL, Cade and I awoke to a gorgeous morning and decided to go for a short jog to get out the kinks. Of course, my friend called telling me how stupid I was for not knocking on her door, but I would not be able to tell this story had I done that. Now would I?
Colorado was beautiful and the time spent with cherished friends even more beautiful! From rafting down the Platte River and jumping castles, to Alpine Slide and Maze in Breckinridge. We did not have a ton of time so unfortunately we were not able to see everyone, but..... next time. At least we will be on the west side now...a little closer.
On the road again.......next stop VEGAS!!!!
Colorado was beautiful and the time spent with cherished friends even more beautiful! From rafting down the Platte River and jumping castles, to Alpine Slide and Maze in Breckinridge. We did not have a ton of time so unfortunately we were not able to see everyone, but..... next time. At least we will be on the west side now...a little closer.
On the road again.......next stop VEGAS!!!!
Still Heading WEST!!!
After a wonderful visit with my college roommate(best friend) and her wonderful family, Cade and I were on the road again trying to make it from Pittsburgh to Iowa. I must say road trips have become second nature for us! Cade is a fantastic travel buddy. I real trooper for sure. He makes sure to gas me up at every gas stop, changes the discs on our books on tape, gets snacks available, great conversationalist and the most adaptable and PATIENT kid you will ever meet! This leg of the trip will go down in history as the WORST! Nothing but road construction and TRAFFIC!!!!! Finally by midnight( still traffic), we decided to call it a night and pulled off in Effingham, IL at the Red Roof Inn. So much for making it to Iowa. Oh well, a good nights sleep will do us good. We are about 16 hours from Colorado, so looks like we will have 2 more days until a little R&R in our ole 'hood....Colorado!
Heading WEST!......Day ONE
We are officially moving WEST!!!! Leaving beautiful Vermont and driving to California! dad and Keean are finishing up in VT and flying out so it is just Cade and I. Somehow I think we drew the short sticks. Oh well just chalk it up to another "roadtrip" adventure! Cade and I awoke very early jumped in our very over packed truck(which by the way has been all over the US with us) and began our journey west. With books on tape, movies and good "car food" we are on our way! Of course, we had to make a little detour to stop off and see Niagara Falls! In my 43 years, I have never been so here was my chance! Cade and I pulled up in our oversized truck (looking like the "Clampets"), paid the exorbitant parking fee and made our way amongst some major touristy happenings! We must have been the fastest Niagara Falls tourist ever! We pulled up parked the truck, walked to the ticket line for the boat, stood in line, got our beautiful blue panchos and boarded the boat. I thought, seriously do we really need to put on these very hot plastic panchos? Uhhhhh YES!!!!!! It was unbelievable!!! You actually go right next to the falls like a toy boat thrust into a huge wave. Cade and I were like kids in a candy store... yelling and shouting.....yes, we were a little over excited, but it is Niagara Falls. I guess we were with the more conservative crowd, and we did not get the memo! Anyhow, we got back and were forced to walk through all the of the touristy shops in order to exit(but we stood strong...we are on a budget!) and off we went. A quick in and out but definitely worth it! Now it is off to Pittsburgh to visit an old college roommate! Get out the "cheap" snacks and turn on the book on tape.....here we go!
All BY MYSELF!
Kids are always saying from the moment they can talk....."let me do it ALL by myself" Well, as parents sometimes it is tricky, because they really are simply not capable of doing it "all by themselves" So it has been our goal to allow the boys their independence as much as possible.
My boys were very insistent that they fly on their own to Florida to see their grandparents...my parents. They have both flown on their "own" in the past when they were 6 each spending a week alone with their grandparents, but that is not the same because they had to fly unaccompanied minor and have assistance(plus pay that exorbitant fee for someone to "watch" your kid). Keean is finally of age for some airlines to fly unaccompanied so no extra fees and no assistance. Perfect! Why not, a week to myself, with my hubby.....I'm IN!!!!! They completely packed by themselves, printed out their boarding passes and on the day of their departure said " Mom, can you just drop us at the curb so we can do this ALL by ourselves?" Oh well, if there is anything I can look back on these years of homeschooling is they have definitely learned "life skills"! Their flight was not even a nonstop. They found their gates, had a bite to eat in NYC airport, and made it to Florida....."all by themselves" Way to go boys. You did it!
As for me.....awwwwwwww....ALL BY MYSELF! I need to do this more often! When do I ever get a week to myself? During the day tinkering about, exercise with no rush, reading, writing in my journal...etc and then my hubby in the evenings nice dinners, snuggling up to movies. It was like back when we first got married. I think everyone needs those moments to escape.......and be by yourselves. Definitely, well needed in my book! Now I am rejuvenated and ready to conquer the world......ok maybe just move for the umpteenth time hee hee!
My boys were very insistent that they fly on their own to Florida to see their grandparents...my parents. They have both flown on their "own" in the past when they were 6 each spending a week alone with their grandparents, but that is not the same because they had to fly unaccompanied minor and have assistance(plus pay that exorbitant fee for someone to "watch" your kid). Keean is finally of age for some airlines to fly unaccompanied so no extra fees and no assistance. Perfect! Why not, a week to myself, with my hubby.....I'm IN!!!!! They completely packed by themselves, printed out their boarding passes and on the day of their departure said " Mom, can you just drop us at the curb so we can do this ALL by ourselves?" Oh well, if there is anything I can look back on these years of homeschooling is they have definitely learned "life skills"! Their flight was not even a nonstop. They found their gates, had a bite to eat in NYC airport, and made it to Florida....."all by themselves" Way to go boys. You did it!
As for me.....awwwwwwww....ALL BY MYSELF! I need to do this more often! When do I ever get a week to myself? During the day tinkering about, exercise with no rush, reading, writing in my journal...etc and then my hubby in the evenings nice dinners, snuggling up to movies. It was like back when we first got married. I think everyone needs those moments to escape.......and be by yourselves. Definitely, well needed in my book! Now I am rejuvenated and ready to conquer the world......ok maybe just move for the umpteenth time hee hee!
How We Lived In Other People's Homes for a Year!
I know sounds crazy eh? Will it is true! Starting the begininning of this year we lived in the small one bedroom apt in Hollywood, Ca which we later had to leave abruptly due to the fact there was no subletting allowed( unbenounced to us) and moved in with our dear friends who live in a 1300 sq ft home and seriously do not have the room for the 3 of us! But they were wonderful and up we went and slept on futons and couches until our departure 3 wks later. Yes, I know.....they are GREAT friends to put up with not only 2 wild crazy boys, but all our JUNK as well!!! Plus allowed my poor nephew to stay a night as he was in between apartments and was suppose to stay with us in our "sublet". We packed up and stashed our JUNK at our nephews new apartment and headed across the states in our borrowed car. Yes, another fantastic friend in CO let us borrow her sons car for the 3 mos in LA. What a lifesaver she was....but yes we sleep in other people's homes and borrow their cars as well! Anyhow, we packed up the car and drove across to CO to return the car. Of course we cannot just go to our ole' hometown without seeing old friends. So we stayed a week sleeping on various friends' couches, air beds, and guest bedrooms. We hopped on a flight (to finally be reunited with my hubby/Dad) to NYC. Spent some fantastic time in another old hometown of ours(and stayed a wonderful hotel thanks to Mark's wonderful boss) then hopped on a flight headed to VT. My poor hubby has been working in VT while we were in CA so that part was tough, but he too was subletting a cottage near downtown Burlington, VT. We joined, but not for long as we were due to be out of the lovely cottage in a few days. So once again we packed up and moved into......yes, extended stay Smart Suites which was not so "smart". To say the least not very fancy, but it was our new home for the next month! And we learned to love it just the same. The boys immediately started a project sent from Mark's boss) of a HUGE lego building of the Tower Bridge in London. Never in all my life had I ever seen so many legos! And yes precisely organized in thousands of cups "borrowed" from the motel. Needless to say our tiny "suite" was even smaller. Luckily, the boys wanted an adventure on their own so they were off to Fl to visit my parents for 3 wks. I will join them after a week. So our tiny "suite" was now down to just the two of us.....how sweet it is....whew!!!!! What a great week to rejuvenate and rest. Like a second honeymoon minus the ambiance. But it truly is what you make of it! We had a BLAST! I once again left my poor hubby and headed to Fl to meet the boys, but Mark joined us for our final weekend there. Always heaven staying with my parents in their beautiful home overlooking the Peace River. How Blessed we are!
So we are back to VT, but moved into another adorable cottage in wonderful neighborhood and living the small town life. This neighborhood even has a community compost, garden, and adorable park filled with families, kids and basketball games being played all day! We are settled right next to a forest and along side the lake.....it does not get much better than this. The cottage is not fancy but very quaint. No TV, no microwave and it is so old it creaks in the night. A lot of character!!!! A HUGE improvement from the 'Smart Suites". Once again the boys settled into their new room with bunk beds and have not skipped a beat. Out playing with the kids, going for daily jogs and bike rides, and galavanting around doing the "boy" thing. Keean is due to teach hip hop at a local studio which he organized all by himself. Not bad for a 14 year old.
Well, our time here is short just about a month and half and we are once again MOVING!!! I think that will make 6 moves and homes we have lived in for the past 6 months. CRAZY.....but sure adventurous! We hope to finish out our time here in VT by doing a triathlon, Cade doing the kids run, visiting Boston, Nantucket, upstate NY, some hiking trips and any other FUN that comes along! Then we are CA bound to another 2 bedroom apartment sublet in hopes to find a home that we can finally start setting some "roots". Cade has already registered himself for football and a surf camp all on his own(with the help of our credit card) Not bad for an 11 yr old!
All of this has been such an amazing ride.....not just this pass 6 months but starting back in 2008 when we started this "blind journey". CO to NYC to Chicago to LA to VT..... what have I learned? Well, I learned to be very adaptable, learn to let go and watch my kids become very independent, I've learn to live in the moment, learned about living in suburbia, big cities, and small towns and how to MOVE( pack and unpack like a professional)!!!!! But most of all I have learned that it is not about where you live that makes "home" it's all being together as a family that makes a "home"!
So we are back to VT, but moved into another adorable cottage in wonderful neighborhood and living the small town life. This neighborhood even has a community compost, garden, and adorable park filled with families, kids and basketball games being played all day! We are settled right next to a forest and along side the lake.....it does not get much better than this. The cottage is not fancy but very quaint. No TV, no microwave and it is so old it creaks in the night. A lot of character!!!! A HUGE improvement from the 'Smart Suites". Once again the boys settled into their new room with bunk beds and have not skipped a beat. Out playing with the kids, going for daily jogs and bike rides, and galavanting around doing the "boy" thing. Keean is due to teach hip hop at a local studio which he organized all by himself. Not bad for a 14 year old.
Well, our time here is short just about a month and half and we are once again MOVING!!! I think that will make 6 moves and homes we have lived in for the past 6 months. CRAZY.....but sure adventurous! We hope to finish out our time here in VT by doing a triathlon, Cade doing the kids run, visiting Boston, Nantucket, upstate NY, some hiking trips and any other FUN that comes along! Then we are CA bound to another 2 bedroom apartment sublet in hopes to find a home that we can finally start setting some "roots". Cade has already registered himself for football and a surf camp all on his own(with the help of our credit card) Not bad for an 11 yr old!
All of this has been such an amazing ride.....not just this pass 6 months but starting back in 2008 when we started this "blind journey". CO to NYC to Chicago to LA to VT..... what have I learned? Well, I learned to be very adaptable, learn to let go and watch my kids become very independent, I've learn to live in the moment, learned about living in suburbia, big cities, and small towns and how to MOVE( pack and unpack like a professional)!!!!! But most of all I have learned that it is not about where you live that makes "home" it's all being together as a family that makes a "home"!
What I learned along the way......
We are still on the move. After a wonderful holiday with family in Florida we spent some time in Colorado and the drove across to California. We are subletting a small one bedroom apartment until...?????. When we arrived, the boys walked in found some space amongst someone else's stuff and unpacked as if they had lived here forever. Never a moment of... "this place is small", or "where is all our stuff, or even "you mean we have to sleep on the couch for the next whatever months"? They just unpacked organized their things and looked at me like "ok, what next?
To be able to be that adaptable is something we should ALL learn. We all young or old tend to get attached to "stuff" We feel it is what makes us whole, but in reality it is just "stuff". Watching them has truly made our "gypsy life" just that.....moving from place to place with nothing but a suitcase and the clothes on our back....literally! I have learned that as much as we have some great furniture packed in a storage unit, I don't miss it(apart from all my wonderful frames full of fantastic memories), but even with that it is just "stuff" and what really makes the world a brighter place is the wonderful experiences, and the wonderful positive people you choose to surround yourself with.
Thank you boys for showing me this, and I hope you will carry this moment of "gypsy life" with you forever. Even if you don't live like a gyspies we should at least try and think like one!
Brenna
To be able to be that adaptable is something we should ALL learn. We all young or old tend to get attached to "stuff" We feel it is what makes us whole, but in reality it is just "stuff". Watching them has truly made our "gypsy life" just that.....moving from place to place with nothing but a suitcase and the clothes on our back....literally! I have learned that as much as we have some great furniture packed in a storage unit, I don't miss it(apart from all my wonderful frames full of fantastic memories), but even with that it is just "stuff" and what really makes the world a brighter place is the wonderful experiences, and the wonderful positive people you choose to surround yourself with.
Thank you boys for showing me this, and I hope you will carry this moment of "gypsy life" with you forever. Even if you don't live like a gyspies we should at least try and think like one!
Brenna
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
