The really empty nest

Now that I've had time to sit and think and process, this empty nest thing isn't really so bad. I miss my kids all the time and still have to catch myself looking for them, but I'm doing OK.

When Baby Bird took the furniture, we did some rearranging and redecorating. I now have a library! I've wanted one my whole life, I love books and I love to read. I love the feel of books, the look of books and even the smell of books LOL My family thinks I'm nuts but oh well. They are now all out on display and I'm adding to the collection all the time. I have had a book club for a few years and that helps get me reading things I might not normally pick up so my collection is varied. I also set a goal for myself of 75 books to read this year and I've just changed that to 100. I'm loving this space!

Manly and I have also decided that it's now a big priority to travel and see our kids. Instead of whining about them being gone, we just go to them. We are also developing our adult friendships. So much time was taken with the boys activities that we built our entire social life around them. While that worked well then, it left us lost now. So we have traveled and vacationed with friends and I have a great group of girls, our "Goddess Group". We do all kinds of fun things together.

I'm also trying to get motivated to get the upstairs re-done. Now that all the bedrooms are empty, they need cleaning, repainting and redecorating. All of those things I enjoy. One is finished, one is in process and one is just being started.

I also have lost 75 pounds and Manly has lost 65. We are trying new hobbies that keep us active. We run, ride bikes and are starting to hike. The weather is going to start getting bad soon so we are thinking of getting some exercise equipment. I also Health Coach with the program that we lost all our weight through. It's so rewarding to help others find good health.

So the blog is going to focus more on the development of hobbies, those things we never had time for when all the boys were home as well as the revisiting of old ones. Come along for the ride and keep me company :-) I promise not to go too fast.

Baby Bird leaves the nest!

So now we come to the reason for this blog. Baby Bird has officially left the nest, he moved to another town for a different school and got his own apartment last month. The little stinker has 2 jobs, a full college schedule and is doing well. He also has a cute girlfriend that we love.

The apartment is great and we helped by giving him our sofa sectional. We also spent the time leading up to the move going to garage sales and thrift stores and after we were done, the place looked great! Of course we couldn't leave with out a trip to the grocery store to stock the shelves. It's a Mom thing.

I am now really an Empty Nester :-(

Manly turns 50!

Can this be true? Is the man I'm married to really 50? WOW where did the time go?

We had an out of control party! It was at the farm and people could bring tents and trailers to just stay put. I even flew home middle child as Manly's birthday surprise. Of course that didn't go smooth :-( They had tons of flight cancellations and he kept getting bumped, so what was supposed to be a 2 1/2 hour flight that got him in at 11:00, ended up becoming an 8 hour ordeal that got him in at 5:00. And I guess the airline called and left a message about the problems and Manly heard the whole thing, but the dear didn't tell me so I thought he was stilled getting surprised LOL

It was so fun it took me 1 full day to recover and it took Manly 3 days LOL. There are pictures and video but I have yet to get any of them (well except for one that I would never post LOL) and I'm sure that Manly is glad of that. But take my word, it was epic!

4th of July

A quick note - the 4th of July is a big deal around here, both for our town and for our family. All the kids usually come home and we make it an all day event.

It starts with the Firefighter Pancake Breakfast which we all get up and go to. A side note-there is a mandatory song that must be sung the whole drive in and as loudly as possible, good job everyone for getting your voices heard :-) Then we stake our spot and watch the hometown parade. This year, Manly and I decided to run in the 5K fun run that starts the parade. I don't know how I let him talk me into this stuff LOL. But we made it and then walked back up to watch the parade with the kids. Middle son was unable to come this year for the first time but we had just flown he and his girlfriend up to Seattle for the wedding and couldn't do it again. I missed him and cried LOL. The grandpuppy tried to get excited about the parade but could really care less :-)

Then we head back out to the farm and have a BBQ. This year Manly put on a Hot Dog Buffet and it was AWESOME! We had different dogs and tons of toppings and then all the sides and drinks. After that we go back into town and have drinks at the various pubs and visit the craft and food booths. Then it's the fireworks!

After, we come back out to the farm with anyone that wants to join and have a bonfire and s'mores. It's the perfect hometown celebration!

25th Anniversary and Wedding Recovery

We arrived home from all the wedding festivities on the 16th and then it was our anniversary on the 22nd. We were tired and monetarily empty, so we didn't plan a big celebration. We were also babysitting the "Grandpuppy" while Eaglet and the wife were on their honeymoon, which was to Thailand by the way (lucky kids). But..........

Manly surprised me with a spa retreat! We went to a lodge/spa for 3 days and just relaxed. We had a wine/beer reception each night in the main lodge and then had our own adorable cabin!

We had a step down spa tub, large flat screen TV, fireplace, a shower the whole family could have fit in and a kitchenette for the wine :-) We were given a basket with champagne, glasses, chocolates and a fuzzy warm blanket. It opened up to the National Forest out back of the lodge and we loved it. Manly thought we could move in and just be hosts for the lodge. There was also a beautiful flower arrangement from my parents. The package came with movie tickets, free appetizers, and dessert at the restaurant.

We have been running to get in shape and decided to go for a run one morning. Well, we didn't take into account the heat and altitude change, we just couldn't do it. But we figured we would make it a hike since there were so many great trails. Bad idea! We go so lost. We were gone 3 1/2 hours and had to climb fences and gates and even ran into a horse graveyard :-(. We luckily found our way out and didn't even fight, but we were just in time for our couples massage. The hot tub felt wonderful on our sore muscles, but the massage........Poor Manly was having his first massage and it HURT!

We got a chance to relax and be together, that was worth the whole trip.

Happy Anniversary Manly and I love you as much now as I did then. It's still the butterflies in the tummy kind of thing :-)

And More.....

After I got back from California we had to leave for Seattle, and I mean right after. I got back on a Wednesday and we left the next day! We rented a condo in Seattle for Manly, Myself, the 3 boys, a girlfriend and my parents. Did I mention it was a 2 bedroom condo? It was "cozy" LOL We were all there for my Eaglets wedding; yep, my oldest boy tied the knot. It was a great time, with all the sides of the family in town and lots of fun.

We started with a big multi-family BBQ at the kids house, it was so fun with all the people and their dog Yuri was holding court on the deck. They have a great house where you see the sound out one window and the Space Needle out the other side. It's huge and very funky and very Them! Eaglet has and office and the new Eaglet's wife has a painting studio. They love it and it was fun for all the people to see it and love it too. We spent a week up there and had an absolute blast!

But the real reason we were all there.......the wedding. It was a beautiful event and went as we all hoped. A good time was had by all and had a lot of things that were tailored made to them. For one thing, all the guys wore Vans tennis shoes, and purple or green ones at that. Then they all wore aviator sun glasses. Middle son even performed the ceremony! Then besides the cake we had a candy buffet and the catered meal was breakfast for dinner. Besides the usual dances, we had a parent boogie and a father/son dance that made everyone laugh. The two of them were gorgeous but of course.......I Cried!

It was so wonderful and we are so lucky that we absolutely love her and are thrilled she's in our family. We also love her family and they have the greatest friends, we feel blessed by them all.

I also got to have all my kids around and that is a very special thing. With all the boys spread over 3 states, and getting older with careers and families, it's going to become all the more rare.

And, aren't they a handsome bunch?

I'm Alive!!!

Yes, I live! I knew you were all worried so I thought I better send out a message. And no, it's not an SOS, really I'm fine :-)

I have had the busiest last 5 months, truly truly busy, no joke. Around our family we had; one college graduation, one wedding, one 25th Anniversary, one 50th birthday, one youngster move out into his own apartment and one new beginning to the Oregon Duck Football season. Told you it was a lot :-) So, in chronological order..........

My middle son graduated from college! He went to Chapman University in Orange CA so that meant a trip for us down south. We stayed with my brother-in-law and his wife. We came a few days early and stayed for 2 weeks, bless their hearts for putting us up (or putting up with us LOL). My son's girlfriend's family offered to host his graduation party at their house, so bless their hearts too. And as a nice gift, the friend that he started kindergarten with came to be with him for the end of school. I cried, but then I cried the whole 2 weeks, I know, big shock huh? He really enjoyed his time there and made some great friends with both students and professors. I am forever grateful to them since he was so far from us. We then moved him and 2 friends into Hollywood! They were all film guys so we figured if they had come this far, they needed to give it all they had. They found a great place they could afford and after my Honey left for home to get back to work, I moved them all in and got it homey looking LOL I even drove a U-Haul through the freeways of LA, that was terrifying!!

He is now working in the "industry" and able to pay his bills so really how much more could we ask for right now. We are so proud of him but we miss him all the time, all of us do.

This is the first of many posts so hang on folks it's going to be a crazy ride :-)