Really! It’s Already Over? (part 1)

Hadn’t realized it had been 6 months since the last time I posted. This will hopefully be another change in the NEW YEAR!

Where did the time go?

More like, where did we go? Or what did we do? 

Anywhere we possibly could, and anything we wanted, or didn’t, or needed to do or do!

I had wanted to write a post before we got too far into the fall and Christmas season, but that didn’t happen. We only went from busy to busier and didn’t slow down till the week of Christmas. (Yes, I typed that correctly, I had spare time the week of Christmas, and I’ll tell you all about it, later though!)

The last time I posted, it was of the wonderful trip our daughter gave us. I completely forgot to post the finished collage of pictures.

Remember I had this blank section…

I LOVE this updated version of a tradition that just kinda happened…

I’m sure you have seen these benches outside the parks. Love them! They are perfect for climbing on and photo ops. I hope they never take them away.

Little man got his picture taken as well, and a new tradition continues!

June

Our 6th Grader graduated and is onto Junior High!

Of course, we had to throw an End Of Elementary School Party to celebrate!

We combined it with a Birthday Party for his brother who turned 3!

Combining parties is a win-win!

What a wonderful day it was with everyone having a perfect time!

July

We got a new neighbor on The Funny Farm!

Her name is 4X, because she crawls over everything like a 4 wheel truck!

Grandpa loves giving forklift rides.

August

I decided to build a Gnome Garden at the entrance to the “Grand” Beach. Which included redoing the path around the tree, then moving the hopscotch and widening the beach, PHEW! Thank God I now have a young man who comes to help me with these type projects. Which is why hubby found him because I can’t keep up with it all anymore. Progression on the IBM Journey has forced us to regroup, adapt, and overcome another step of this journey. August showed us how quick one test can change everything. As if we didn’t already know it could or would! We were just content in the world we had created not worrying about the could’s or would’s, as if those are real words, but then we don’t think this world is real at times either! One appointment brought great new, while another, not so much. We’ll focus on the great part, give the not so much stuff to God, and continue working on that path God has planned for us…

By mid-month part of the path had been entirely transformed.

And the beach was widened…

And the hopscotch was raised and leveled.

Come spring it will be ready for another super sack of sand.

Then on our way home from an appointment, we found something we hadn’t really been looking for. I mean, we look at them all the time. My girl was 20 years old, in great shape with great memories, but was getting tired. So with the good news we received, we decided to check out Camping World in Avondale to see what they had. Just a lot of the same stuff we had seen, but there, off to the side was this sweet looking girl…

I loved her at first sight! Even without seeing the inside!

But she wasn’t listed for sale yet! Someone had just traded her in, and the keys weren’t available. The blinds didn’t allow us to see in the windows. The salesman would let us know what was going on with it by our return the following week.

With that in mind, we made an extra effort to be sure we had found a good deal. Searched online for information and we were liking what we saw. We also looked at a couple others, and by the time we returned the next week 2 other units were in the running. I couldn't decide on which one until I saw the inside of that one! I hadn’t heard from the salesman by the day we were back in town, but I still had one more unit I wanted to see, so before we headed out I shot him an email.

By the time we got out of our appointment, which had some PERFECT results, I had heard back from him. He had the KEY! Hmmm, God’s putting things in our path?
Have faith  Don’t question!

The minute he opened her door, the second I stepped into her, took another step and sat on the sofa, I just went, “This is it!” I didn’t need to see anymore. Oh, and he thought he was going to have an easy sale from there! Oh, no! Just because I LOVED her didn’t mean I didn’t want a GREAT deal also.

After a bit of figuring back and forth, I got her for what I wanted to spend and a SOLD sign was put in the window. One thing I learned when buying an RV, you don’t just drive off with them. In our case, there were a few things that needed attention, and we had to bring them our trailer as a trade in.

In the meantime, we had a birthday to celebrate and on the way we found an RV park just minutes from our son.

After cake and presents, nothing was more fun than a family game of croquette! Ok, maybe there are somethings that could be more fun, but for today, at that moment, it was the funniest thing to be doing and enjoyed each and every laugh and giggle!

And then the following week we got our move-in date….

I wish I could write it was a dream from that moment on, but that was not the case! Even being understanding of the heat and the two monsoons that blew through, I was disappointed in how it was handled from the first. After getting a bit pushy, the owner stepped up and made everything right, just as it should have been. However, that required us having to take her back over where it took almost 2 weeks to get her back!

September

Yep, another Birthday!

She’s HERE!

                It took ten days, a new AC unit installed, drawers fixed and some other electrical thingy replaced, but she’s back home!

They delivered her instead of us having to drive the 3 hours back. We also got so more new things to sweeten the deal along with cash for the gas we wasted. Though I will never take my unit to be serviced at this location, the salespeople and the store managers are fantastic. We saw them 2 months later at the NASCAR races and had some great laughs and vents. Now all I do is enjoy her. In fact, it took me a week to pack her up, and her maiden voyage was to Chula Vista, CA, with an ocean and sunset view!

And a NEW Journey Through LIFE has begun!

A lot of changes over the last 6 months and more to come.

Stay tuned for part two…

and WARM hugs!

Humming Along!

Prior to that glorious vacation, the little hummer’s were getting bigger.

By two weeks, they were completely covered in pin feathers and are starting to grow real feathers. Their beaks are looking much longer and are starting to look much darker too. They are beginning to look like real birds. I even got to watch her feed them.

 

As they approached the three week mark, it was getting really interesting. They’ll be getting ready to leave the nest as we get back from vacation. I got to see them testing out their wings in preparation for their first flight. Each day I would ask them to slow down, don’t grow up so fast or I won’t see you again! In the next few days, these little baby hummingbirds will fly away as real adult hummingbirds, never to return back to the nest.

Will they be there when we get home?

The first thing I did when we got home was to go out and see is they were still there…well after spending a good half hour with Bella!

Look how big they are!

As I was up capturing this great photo of them, I was startled by the momma coming back. As I jumped down (not an easy thing for me to do) I hit the branch which made one fly off and the other hanging from the nest by it’s feet. Didn’t take long for it to regain it’s bearings and climb back in, then the other returned for the night.

The next day, they were gone.

 

I felt so blessed that they hung out for me to get home.

Oh, but they didn’t go far…

Everyday they come and drink from the feeder. It’s getting harder to tell them apart from their mother. One, which was the littlest, must have fallen out or not made it back after a test a flight that first day. I kept hearing this odd chirp sound, so after bit I explored looking for it’s location. As I approached the old cast iron tub below their nest, all of a sudden it flew up toward me. Jumping back, it landed under the chair. It was obvious it was having a hard time. Each time it tried to fly up it would hit the bottom of the chair and land on the ground again. Finally by stepping behind, my movement made it take another shot at the flying and was out from under the chair. Only it didn’t get far.

Now what?

First thought was to help it back to the nest, but how?

As I stood there observing the situation, I took another step out from behind the chair and it flew up on top of the garden cabinet. There it was in a ray of sunshine and began to perk up. A few minutes later, after a song of chirping, it flew off.

Just a day later, as I sat outside watching for them, all three eventually came to the feeder. The funny thing is, the little one that had a tough go of flying, still makes that sounds when it comes to the feeder, as if it’s saying hi! They are not startled by our presence and will fly up, over and around us, as they buzz toward the feeder.

What an unbelievable experience for “Our Journey Through LIFE!” to get to capture. Enjoyed every moment of it!

The BEST Mother’s Day, EVER!

 

Though a month ago, it still seems like yesterday. Just like it seams like yesterday I first became a mother, and that was actually 35 years ago.

Time.

How fast it goes by!

In that time I have had some wonderful Mother’s Day’s, all special in their own way each year. But this year, with all the changes happening, with all the milestones we’ve reach, and with all the investments we made in our children, our oldest put together a trip of a lifetime!

No, it wasn’t to Paris or any other exotic destination that most might dream about.

Where else is there?

How about…

“The Happiest Place on Earth!”

4 Glorious, wonderful, fun filled days!

She did a great job of scheduling, keeping track of fast passes, capturing it with their photo-pass option, and ending it all with a character breakfast, I can’t think of one thing she forgot!

                    

I think this will be my favorite Mother’s Day Generation Photo for a long time. As “Our Journey Through LIFE!” continues on, one never know if something better down this road will top this, but I’m sure they will try!

All those years that I did the packing, the schedule plans, waking up before them each day, making sure our vacations are as awesome as they can be, has paid off. All 3 of my kids have developed a lot of my parenting talents, among other’s, and being the best parent they can be, well that is a blessing I will never dismiss. They all go over and beyond in their duties as parents to assure their children have the most wonderful and memorable childhood possible. They know these years are the most precious but also the most important. They are building on a strong foundation and have as they always will, rise above any of the challenges put in front of them. How they parent, will impact how their children will parent, resulting in some incredible adults!

Blessing, always blessing to be their mom, a part of their and their children’s life, touching their hearts in so many ways that the stories will be told for generations to come.

I hope each and everyone of you had a wonderful Mother’s Day as well.