So Many Changes

So many many changes over the past year but now life is just now slowing down to an even pace once again for me. 

I am looking forward to the upcoming holidays and all of the excitement of the fall and winter holidays.

Maybe I should start at the beginning. The first big change came about over a year ago as our oldest Granddaughter Ashley walked down the aisle to marry . Ashley had lived with us for 10 years and this was a big change to see her marry and move to Georgia where her husband was stationed at Ft. Benning and later to Fort Drum in upper New York. 

One of my favorite pictures of that day. It was the night of the Super Moon.

                                                     And this is what I did a lot that day.

I seemed to have shed a lot of tears.

From this day through the rest of the summer I was working three days at the Senior Center and three days at the campground. Sure made for a busy summer. 

Fall and the fall holidays really kept me busy. First of November started my decorating for Christmas. I taught a couple of craft classes and also our Senior Center Director and I did a Holiday Baking class with our seniors. What fum making pilgrim hat cookies, chocolate covered smors, turkey cookies, along with a couple different dip ideas for snacking . 

Shortly before Thanksgiving we received news from our Granddaughter  then just a couple days later from a Grandson. Both were going to be making us Great Grandparents  and both babies due within the same week. 

Thanksgiving came and went fast. Several of the girls and grandchildren arrived for our dinner and we had a lot of laughter and fun. Day after Thanksgiving and George and I braved the Black Friday Crowds and when we came home all my Christmas Shopping was done other than for him. 

The Christmas Season just flew by. My dad and Jan came home for the holidays and am so glad that they did. Little did I know that this would be my last Christmas with dad. 

March arrived and I got a call at work that they were admitting dad to the hospital. He thought he had caught a cold. Been sick for just 3 days with it. Jan and my sister convinced him to go to Dr. and he sent him right over to Er. This was on a Wednesday morning. Wednesday night they transferred him from Zephyer Hills  to Tampa and admitted him to ICU where they diagnosed a lukemic blast. Sunday morning just after midnight he was again reunited with my mother.

We did not even have time to get to Florida for any of us to say goodbye. The next several days were a blur to me. Just could not believe this was true. Jan stayed here to be close to us girls until Mothers Day when she went to her daughters home and then back to Florida later in the summer.

Dads' final ride Memorial Tribute from the Blackman/ Leoni fire department.  Dad had been Fire Chief of the Columbia Township Fire Department for over 20 years. We had no idea that this was going to happen. Columbia Fire Department had arranged it. They along with Columbia Township Police lead us to the cemetery. As we rounded the corner and saw this display we were filled with so much emotion.

May arrived and the first two of the new babies to come along this spring arrived.
Then June and the birth of both of our Great Grandbabies just 5 days apart. Then early July  Great nephew arrived. That mad a total of 5 new borns in 6 weeks in our family. Talk about a growing family.

Then started the process of cleaning out dads' condo, getting what my sisters and I wanted and getting ready to sell it. We have had a sale and donated all the rest. What a long several weeks that was. 

 In the meantime George and I had decided at first to remodel our home and add on.That is until George started looking at a Access book with homes for sale. He suggested renting our home to our daughter and buying a new home. So the hunt was on for a house with just what we wanted. Not much at all. Just a lake home, low taxes, needing no repair, more space, 3-4 bedroom , large kitchen, dining area, walk out basement, preferably finished, at least 2 bathrooms, deck and a nice yard large enough we could have a small garden and lots of flowers.  

Nights I was on my computer and he was on his checking homes in the area. We were running from his to mine to check out what we found. Finely called a Realtor and set up a time to check out a few we really liked the looks of.

Checked out several and one in particular  we really liked the looks of from the outside. When we arrived to go through it we walked in through the garage. Not totally a finished basement but had plumbing in, large windows, slider door to a patio and some outside walls finished. It is on  almost an acre and just two doors away is the lake access we so wanted. Upon climbing the steps to the kitchen I took one step into the kitchen, stopped and looked around and said to George and our Realtor " I  do not think I want to look at any more. This is the one" It just felt like home to me.

We were scheduled to look at a couple more. George felt we should go ahead and look just to know for sure if this was the home. Neither tugged at my heart like this one did. We put in an offer and the next day had a counter offer. It was actually lower than what we figured they would counter offer us so we signed on the dotted line . Two weeks later we closed and the following day started moving in.

The new house.

The reason I fell in love with the house. 

This is the first inside view when we stepped into the home. This is taken after we moved into it . Upon entering we had a blank state to start with  I have decorated with my fall decorations  at the time I took this. Starting in the next few weeks I can start decorating for Christmas. So excited.

In the meantime we had also traded our camper for a new 5th wheel with three slides to it.

Here are a couple of the inside of the camper. So much room and I never did fill all the cabinets and storage ares.
 
 It seemed like from May till September I was packing boxes, hauling boxes and unpacking boxes. We still have a lot in the old house to pack and move and more to just get rid of.
 We spent or weeks at home and week end at camp where I am still their Activities Director.

September and fall arrived and we had to have a place for George to move all his wood working equipment too so we ordered an Amish built shed. Wow talk about impressive. Three young Amish men came in with all framing, walls built and painted. All loaded on a truck in the order needed. They pulled into our yard at 2:30 in the afternoon and by 7:30  they were loading up to leave. This was standing in our yard totally done.

I have always wanted to see an Amish barn raising and after watching them do this I even more than ever would like to see one. I was very impressed with these young men. Two were married ( with beards) and one was still single (without the beard) . They were so polite and just wonderful to chat with as they worked. They sure are hard workers.

Early October and while camping our oldest daughter and her boyfriend called us and were planning on coming over . With their work schedules and mine we do not get to see them often so were were glad to have a day to spend time together. While chatting the real reason for the visit was revealed. Doug asked our blessing for them to marry. I have to say before he even got all the words out I was shedding a few tears. We had just 3 weeks before the day they hoped to marry. What a busy time. It was an outdoor wedding and late in October ( the 24th) so with Michigan weather you never know what to expect. They were married in a beautiful park in front of the covered bridge.

The weather was beautiful and we so enjoyed such a wonderful day. We are all so happy for them.

November has been a beautiful month thus far.  For being in Michigan the weather has been beautiful. 60s -70s and so sunny. Today is the coolest but still 50s'

To keep busy during the time since we have moved into the house George has been busily working at finishing off the basement. There will be a large bedroom/office , large family room, 1/2 bath with a doggie wash area, large storage room and a bar room/ kitchen area there. We hope to have it done other than ceiling by Christmas. Pictures of that will follow later. 

I am getting our Christmas things around. Just brought lots over from the old house yesterday and hope that next week end I can start decorating. I am adding a lot of mom and dads things this year. So anxious to see just what I am going to uncover in a couple of the boxes marked village. I do not remember mom having a village. So this may prove interesting as we did not open the boxes before bring them home.

All  this time I am still working 3 days a week for the county in the Senior Center plus a day at the campground . This is the first week end home since campground closed and I know I am certainly going to enjoy it.

I am wanting to get more into Blogging again and plan on getting my Christmas Blog going again also.  I have Christmas shopping started and plan a relaxing time this year for the Christmas Season.

We are looking forward to our first family Thanksgiving here in our new home and I am so excited for Christmas this year and not having us packed to the gill in our old home. They were the good old days to me and I am anxious to make memories in the new home now.

Enjoy your week end.