Homecoming

I am debating on sharing pictures of the house on which we have just signed a contract.  I don't want to jinx it!  I am really excited about this place.

This house totally fits our "Need Less Project" that we self imposed years ago.  Actually, I think it has even more than we technically need.  I have a sneaking suspicion that many will wonder why we aren't choosing to live in a "nicer" neighborhood.  I wonder if some will think we didn't qualify for a loan.  In case you are wondering, we did.  We qualified for a loan way bigger than I ever want to be strapped to. Basically, we don't want to be stuck.  This will be a way for us to remain mobile if God takes us somewhere else again, be able to do what we enjoy, be able to share our blessings, and hopefully, maintain a home base!  No more pawning our belongings to others for unknown periods of time, though I'm not sure that was a bad thing for some of them!

O.K., then, I'll show you a little, but I want to make it ours before I post everything.  I hope I can do as good a job of decorating as the current owners.  They have done a beautiful job!

 A quick peek of the inside; I totally love the orange cabinets and creative tile work!!

Hopefully our closing date will be the 18th of this month!  I can't wait for this homecoming!

House Hunting

We have begun hunting for a house.

Oh yes.  Be afraid.  Be very afraid.

And yet, I feel that we may be up for a fight.

We have some pretty strict limits on what we want.  Mostly, we don't want to take out a loan, but it looks like it may be unavoidable for some of our wants.  In the long run (there may be a long run this time), we want to make a good choice.

We think this would do.  Unfortunately, this is only in our price range in photo form.

This is what we want to avoid.  Fortunately, my husband is pretty awesome and I know he could take this guy.

Since we can't live here,

I suppose we can make it here!

But who am I kidding?  These are the reasons I will love being here:
Cousins Supporting Cousins

 KU Games!

 Other games with family!

 Passing on skills,

 Watching lots of games in person!

 Eating together!

And really just living near family.
The last couple of weeks have confirmed this blessing, but that's for another day.

Crossing Bridges

I took this picture on a long hike to Crescent Lake in Alaska.  It was a pretty hike, relatively easy with minimal elevation changes.  We took our dogs.  It was gorgeous.  

It was funny to watch our dog Rowdy try to cross this bridge.  He hated it.  It didn't make it better when Pat would shake the bridge!  Poor dog.  It was a little funny to see him squat down and slither across the bridge.  Bella was just fine.  She trotted across as if nothing were different.

We are crossing our bridge.  Pat has totally run across without any fear, but I feel the shaking and am the one squatting down and carefully placing each step.  

Pat has returned to work with gusto!  He is the Q.C. for his company and will be doing a lot of overseeing and integration of new procedures.  I'm very proud of him!  He will be a great mentor to the younger employees.  He is also hoping to be more involved with the Youth Horizons Boys Ranch.  I am excited to see Pat grow in this environment!

I too am busy.  I have been spending time with family as I can, discovering the joys of a local Asian Market (fabulous mangoes and coffee candy!), and I am currently trying to get back into exercising.  I have completed day 2 and can barely walk.  It seems my hamstrings have atrophied a bit.  A lot.  I am also doing a daily check on properties for sale outside of Wichita.  While I am a bit nervous about the prospect of "settling down," I realize the logic of having at the least a home base.  It might also be nice to watch some of the things that I plant develop into maturity.  

Maybe that's what this bridge is leading us into: a time of maturity.

Yeah, probably not!!

Sad and Sappy Goodbye (and tons of pictures)

Here is the scene of the last load to be taken out.

 Wait, I'm getting ahead of myself.  (That is a funny word-picture, but again, I digress.)  The last week we have been sitting in our lawn chairs as we slowly and methodically pack our belongings into the trailers.

 We have thankfully sold our bed, so we splurged and bought some firm foam to add to our soft foam pads to form our bed for here and for the road.  No, Mom, I still don't make my bed.  Never will.  Time to give up.

 Our closets have long been empty with only the worst hangers left to the new occupants.  Nice, I know, but isn't a bad hanger better than none at all?

 Pat has been so awesome getting Dad's bunk ready in the trailer.  He's a little desirous of trying it out himself.  I told him that would likely be possible.  In anticipation of the much warmer weather, we have installed more vents and a battery-powered fan.  Hopefully the nights won't be too hot!

Pat, like most of the male gender, has the desire to express himself in visual ways.  Note the skull and cross-torches that now stand guard over our spare tire.  Beware, indeed.

The garage looks so barren without all it's intended tools.  This was a shop built just for Pat, and it will cease to fully fulfill its purpose from this day forward.  A sad day, truly.  It was an invaluable blessing for us as we (as in Pat) secured our belongings, not only in the large trailer, but securely in the small trailer as well.

As we played with various configurations of totes in the back of the truck, I took some time to walk around and say goodbye to all my babies.  Yes, I'm attached.  I've spent so much time nurturing them and watching them grow to their full potential.  These were investments that I never regret or outgrow.

Oh how I will miss the fragrant walk beside the petunias and the views across our expanse of green to the lake.

My greenhouse brought me so much joy and warmth!  I hope the new owners appreciate Pat's work half as much as I did.

Rowdy discovered the healthy deliciousness of squash leaves and blossoms.  The cherry tomatoes were just beginning to ripen, so I know we will both miss those!

Truly the most beautiful place I have ever, and likely will ever have, lived.  It was so much more than we needed, gave us a place to grow and mature (OK, not really), and we will miss it.

I never thought living on water would be so beautiful.  Even this lily-pad infested bog of a pond was incredible.  The life it contained was both visually and audibly mesmerizing.

I feel like I understand why God placed Adam and Eve in a Garden.  There is so much richness and diversity, seasonal growth and decay, constant care and attention given to one.

So now I move on to say goodbye to the home we possessed for a time.  What a gift it was.

It seemed even Rowdy knew the changes were indicative of goodbye.  We will miss this view from our picture window, but instead of dwelling on the sadness of leaving we reflect on the amazing opportunity that we were able to enjoy it at all.