Retirement/RV update

Two days into terminal leave and the thing I'm enjoying the most is more relaxed evenings with Michael. We have time for walks, chatting, games, movies....of course, we'll begin school after we move and won't have such care-free days....but for now....it is super nice to be more relaxed in the evenings.

 

Michael is wading through paperwork

We continue packing. Movers will come on Monday. We need to have all our donated items out of the home by then. We also need to have all the trailer stuff separated - we'd hoped to actually PACK the trailer before the movers came so if something wasn't going to fit, we could put it in storage.

We'd appreciate prayer about our trailer repairs. We took it to All Rite RV Repair in Yuba City 3.5 weeks ago. We've called weekly. We went by yesterday and were told they were "working on it," though it didn't seem to have been moved in 3.5 weeks. They said they'd call us by 4:30 p.m. with an estimate. No call. Michael is calling new places this a.m. to see if someone else can work on it. He plans to go pick it up. We need some water damage repaired and the AC fixed.  We had hoped to have it this week to pack into it.... We need to move into it on the 30th....we may well move into something else while it is being repaired - please pray the repairs are easy and we find a good shop which will actually do what they say they are doing.

Our Plan X is to put it in the shop, store the van, and catch a space A somewhere until it is done. LOL We still have a 3 room tent.

Sweet Reminders

It's GLORIOUS to have the Gherkins home.  I'm always contemplative when they leave. This morning I find little reminders of our time together.

Looks like Jamin won

Such sweet times with all....

And now....time for a walk and on with the day. We really need to integrate some work into the plan today.....though I know it's starting with a morning trip to Roseville...with Michael...because, you know, "He's not working!"

Then and Now

It seems fitting to share this photo today as everyone posts "first day of school" photos. We schooled through June and July. This allows us to have time off to adjust to retirement and move out of our home the next few weeks.

Here's a photo from the older three boys taken in Great Falls, MT - 18 years ago. They LOVED the Lewis and Clark Center and we spent many school days touring the center and playing in the park nearby.

They tried to recreate the photo for us while out here. They did fairly well - just couldn't find a ninja shirt for Jamin.  18 years...passes in the blink of an eye. I'm happy to have invested the years schooling them and am proud of where each of them are in this season.

Here is what Jared said when he posted it: "18 years later we recreated this photo from Malmstrom, Montana! Fast forward to now and Josiah is getting set up in Seattle, Jamin is starting his second masters degree in College Station, and I'm punching out for DC. The only thing that hasn't changed in the last 18 years is how awesome our parents Michael and De'Etta are! Love yall! Best of luck on the next phase in your adventure!"

Stacia's Milestone

When a military child turns ten, they are required to have an id. They will carry this with them, ready to display it at all times, until they are twenty-three.  Stacia has dreamed of having her own id. She's had an "imaginary id" since she was 3 1/2. She passed it up faithfully with all the other ids.  She's practiced signing her name for four years.

 

She turned ten yesterday. Today, she signed for her military id - such serious business. 

"Sisters" necklace - which she got on her birthday

She fit her WHOLE name Anastacia G in the little space.

 

 Stacia is blossoming before our eyes....we look forward to seeing the woman of God she will become. She's grown a lot this year. She's learning to curb "princess chatterbox" when appropriate. ::wink:: She's a big help to us and her brothers.

 

I don't know when I started calling Arielle "Baby Girl," but Stacia truly is my baby girl...and our plan is to totally enjoy the next 8 - 10 years we have with her before she flies the nest.

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!

BTW, I renewed my id today and was THRILLED to get rid of the terrible photo from Misawa which made me look like a bearded lady. LOL

Final Five Leave

0330 comes very early. When I booked Jamin's flight, I was thinking it was early enough  Micahel would just take him up. He's a NIGHT owl....but he had a sleep study...so early this a.m. all stumbled out of bed to tell Jamin goodbye. Nolan came with Jamin and me and we headed for the airport.

 Mom and Dad left while we were gone.

Nolan and I had a bit of an adventure! I took I5 NORTH home from the airport...everywhere we go we head north to get home...but um..I should have headed SOUTH to get to 99 and then NORTH... it's final - I'll never be totally confident on the way home from the Sacramento Airport. ::snort::

This was an adventure as it was DARK and I was quite low on gas. The phone wouldn't pull up maps (it's SLOW) and so I pulled over and parked. We waited. Nolan suggested I lock the doors - which I did. We found a new town with a gas station and then headed home in time to catch Jared and Larissa and say goodbye to them too....that makes FIVE  leaving today. For the first time since 1 Aug there are just the five of us at home again - and it feels empty in this big house. I'm reminding myself, to "live fully present," and that the five of us are "enough."



Jared and Larissa were here for 16 days and we enjoyed every minute of it. We love Jared muchly - but we greatly enjoyed getting to know Larissa better. They'll be separated soon as he goes to DC..prayers appreciated for both of them.

Photo take on Saturday. LOL



They're off!

I always clean when the Gherkins leave...but really there isn't a lot left here to clean. ::snort::  I grabbed Stacia and we headed for Walmart. I'm not sure what we bought. We came home and baked cookies. I made some chicken stew/mush for Yuuki. Michael got home and we realized HE DIDN'T HAVE TO GO TO WORK!!!! We headed to base for a very important event (next post), to turn in keys, wash cars, return Cynthia's car, mail a package and visit with the Air Force's sweetest Sgt.

I put a roast and veggies in the pressure cooker - the guys are playing Cribbage and I'm catching up the blog. Why do I work so hard to keep the blog caught up? Because this is our Family PHOTO JOURNAL....I have kept "up" for 10 years...I'm working to get a couple of decades of photos in photo albums....I'm determined not to get behind on the electronic album. LOL

We'll probably play a few games and go to bed early....we've had early mornings twice in a row...

Emptying

Our home is emptying....three more Gherkins hit the highway today.

Krista's trunk is worth a picture. She and Arielle are storing many games until Nolan can collect them.

Krista, Arielle and Josiah get ready to leave

Arielle said it was on her bucket list to ride in a U Haul.

They will drive to Eugene, unload the truck and put BreZaak's thing in the garage and the girls' things in their new house, drive to Gma and Gpa T's and pick up stuff they've stored there, load Josiah's things back onto the truck and tomorrow he will drive on to Seattle. Where he'll have to heft furniture up three flights of stairs - no elevator.

Most went back to sleep after they left....I blogged, Jamin wrote

Zander's (Alex) finger is looking MUCH better this a.m. YES.

Our home is emptying in another way....family room 

Living room...

Our goal is to have enough furniture to fill a modest home when we're ready for a stick and brick home. The love seat will be repaired and donated...but you see we have the step Tonsu from Japan, a couple of lamps and a couch left. We'll also have bedroom furniture.

I was glad our "family room" table fit in the kitchen..

After all woke, we went for Chinese food. We watched Tim Hawkins. We visited. We played Nintendo.  Michael left for another sleep study.

Tomorrow morning the remaining five family members will leave....and our home will be truly "empty" in the only way that matters much to me these days.

Clearing Out the House

Izaak, Bre and Dakota left this morning so they could be back in Eugene on Sunday.

 

The rest of us worked hard.  Josiah had planned to rent a small Uhaul truck to move a couch, table  and two recliners to Seattle. He upgraded to a 20ft truck to help everyone get their stuff to OR too. Worked well. The "men" received a call telling them the truck in Yuba City needed to be picked up in Roseville... instead of getting it at 0800 it would be 1200 at the earliest.  This put them loading a truck in triple digit heat. Shew. They headed out. The rest of us began dismantling furniture, cleaned a BBQ grill and moved it all to the living room and front yard to be ready for the 20 foot Uhaul truck.

Dismantling Arielle's bed desk.

 This piano was my Uncle Bill's. Mom guesses it is 79 years old. It is going to BreAnne - but she doesn't have room in her house so it will go to Krista's to store. Our electric piano will go to BreZaak until they have a bigger place.....in other words they are storing it for us - and it will be much better stored at their house than in a storage facility.

 

Washing BBQ guts

 

Michael stopped to play it one last time...

 

Alex isn't supposed to be doing anything strenuous - so he took 204 photos of the day for us.

 

All felt the worse was over when the piano was loaded.

 

Because a sprained/jammed finger isn't enough....what could go wrong with THIS plan?

Jared and Larissa

 Enjoying a final rest in my recliner....I'll miss it.

 

We gave Mom and Dad the elliptical

 

We've loved the mega grill and are glad Izaak is going to get it

 

This is a well-packed truck.

 

We broke the "Sunday ice cream" rule and everyone enjoyed a cool treat after the hot day.

 

and games.... We wanted time to stop so we could enjoy more time together.

 

The house is clearing out. This is a good thing.