Our family has gone through some pretty big changes in the form of significant beginnings and endings this last year and a half and there’s more on the horizon.
It began with my husband being rehired by Anheuser-Busch and him moving out west ahead of me in January of 2013. Jake and I moved back down to northern Indiana from Michigan so he could finish out his last year and a half of high school.
It’s been going fine and each of us has adjusted the best we could. Jake and I have flown together and separately to see Todd out on the road on a few occasions – me more than Jake of course, as he has had high school to work around.
As of right now I’m at the Denver Airport waiting for my fight back to Indiana. I flew out for a week while the hitch was at their home base in Fort Collins. It’d been since February 7th of this year since I saw him last and that was down in Texas for five very fun days.
Make no mistake, three months is our maximum. We knew this from Todd’s first “ten year tour” he did with the Clydesdales back in the 90’s. Suffice it to say, it was really good to see my husband again. And as I sit here I feel more calm. More in control. Like my batteries have been recharged and I can make through to what has begun to feel like “the finish line”.
This finish line being Jakes graduation from high school and me moving back out west, back home to Idaho in three short weeks. Now here’s where I’m going to sound like every mother who’s ever had their one and only finish up their high school senior year, but maybe worse: I feel like I’ve been mourning off and on for two whole years. Pathetic? Yes. Ashamed? No!
It’s all good. We will live through it, pretty sure everyone does. We’ve got plenty to occupy our minds like finals and Open House preparations. A few short days after the open house party I’ll be pointed west so there’s a bunch of travel prep. Thank goodness minimal packing, as just about everything is still in storage and already boxed/packed.
I will be back in the fall to move the boy into his college dorm/apartment. But first we enjoy the summer and for my kid that means doing his job at the crop dusting service he’s been at for the last three years. Summer for me means I continue to look for a place to settle (and unpack all our boxes in to!) and travel as much as possible with Todd on the road.
Beginnings and endings….my Quarter-horse Indy isn’t to be left out either. The bay horse is going to “Summer Camp”! But I’ll fill you in on that some other time.
Be well and enjoy your Spring!
The View Out Here 
So glad to hear from you, Dee! Lots of changes in your family’s life for sure. But it sounds as though everyone is handling it well and looking forward to a great summer!
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Good to hear from you too Dianna!
It’s been kinda crazy and amping up. Looking forward to a leveling off of the “drama” or whatever you want to call it, that’s for sure. But in the meantime I’ve been cramming in as much Jake time as humanly (and un- irritatingly) possible! ;)
~d.
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I think your Jake sprouted up again ~ great picture of him and he looks so happy. Love his smile :)
It tugs at Momma’s heart strings when they grow up to do all we’ve been training them to do <3. Just know that, no matter the time and distance, he will always be yours and you will always be his.
Now on to summer adventures & horse camp – fun!!
((hugs))
MJ
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Hi MJ :)
Yes, he did grow a bit more. He’s pushing 6’4″ now and he’d probably kill me for saying this but it makes such a cute story…..So, I did his senior pictures. I wanted a professional, he wanted me to do it and I repeated we should have a professional and then I caved. Intead of having him say: “cheese” or “ice cream” I began to ask him to say his girl friends name. That’s all it took to get a good, genuine smile. 💕👍🏻 wish I had thought of it two locations and weeks earlier!
Thank you for your words of wisdom – I just knew you’d have something lovely to add on the subject as you just went through this a few short years ago with your last boy. 😉
Here’s to the effort to raise up children the best we can and….Summer Time!
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Gosh Dee…….life is full of endings and beginnings and some are just a little tougher to get through than others! I’m sure you all will manage though – Jake will have some adjustments with college life and you’ll be settling into a new home…..it’s always something. You’ll do it with your usual grace though and that ending/beginning will be over with – just in time for the next one to come along probably!!
Hugs and Happy Summer!
Pam (and Sam)
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Hi Pam!
You’re so right. Life is one beginning and ending over and over. Be great to not have so many at once, but like lots of other things in life we aren’t allowed to pick – darn it. 😉
I hope I can pull off the “grace” part (you’re so sweet to say that) and not breakdown in a puddle of tears. I hope to save the sobbing for the drive across the Dakotas 😂😉 in private!! Ha. Wish me luck.
Happy Summer to you guys!
~d.
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~d I am so bad… ;) Ask how happy I am to kinda know where you are going to be. I have been following you everywhere via Instagram! I am NOT a stalker but I just love your pictures and you have a very full and interesting life. And I love your boots… Ha! I am so happy for you heading back to home after Jake’s graduation and you being able to be with Todd on the road… I see some cool clyde pictures in the future! Your bay boy is heading to summer camp… very interesting!
Hugs and have a great summer… I will watch for you on Instagram! I’ve been a little lax there.
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You are totally not a stalker!! And I wish I had more time for blogging like back a few years ago. Hopefully I will get back into it when my life evens out or stabilizes or whatever it needs to do in order to sit down and compose a post, complete with pictures! I have truly missed it.
My boots – haha. Got the winter ones and recently my orange rubber ones all packed up for points west! 🎉 👏
Going that direction will soften the blow of leaving my baby boy behind. Btw, I did everything but bribe him to go west with me, go to a college out there. No dice. I suppose it’s possible we may have raised him up a little too independent and self-sufficient! 😏👍🏻
Post more pics of your Tiny Ten…Been missing ya on Instagram!
~d.
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A great catch us up message!
Idaho is waiting for YOU………..remember June 18 is the Bonner County FARM TOUR
at the Parnell Ranch……..suprise me and be there.
Dot-Dot-Dot
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Thanks Dottie!
I’ve been waiting for Idaho!!! it’ll be so stinking AWESOME to be HOME! Only sad spot will be the Jake-less part. 😁😊
I heard about the big farm tour deal…Bummer tho, I will be somewhere in eastern Montana/North Dakota with the Bud hitch about then. Give Jack and Michelle a hug for me won’t you!?
I see coffee in our future…maybe at Connie’s before it sells?! 😉
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Thanks for the reply…….
We need to talk……………….
My old PC vintage Windows XP……is dyeing……oh well!……..I already have been given a
new-new laptop……..it’s in Oregon still. My wealthy brother keeps me in vehicles and
computers. Sooooooo, this has all just transpired so I don’t know how this will work
itself out. If you loose me for a while Bonnie knows all my stuff or Kayo. I have two
weeks left on my DIAL-UP account…….laugh-laugh. Will I up grade my life to wireless.
Probably………we seniors are always forced to make changes.
Have patience with me…….ya, coffee…….I want to hear of your IDAHO plans!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love ya lots………..Dot
Happy travels with the hitch!!!!!!
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Hi Dottie! Good luck with the computer and Internet. 😄 Be good to visit with you! Have a good rest of the Spring. 🌸
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Hey, just doing some reading back through my favorite blog authors…I missed this when you posted. I hope by now you’re through the craziness of cross country moves. I’ve done a few of those, and I’ve lived out of suitcases with my “stuff” in storage for periods of time…I understand all of that…how it can be exciting and exhausting at the same time! Hope you’ve landed on your feet!
Oh, and your comment about mourning your son’s finishing high school…I understand that too! I felt like I did that. Kids grow up way too fast! But as someone well into the empty nest years (our kids both left home in 2006, one finished college and got married, the other finished high school and joined the army) I can tell you it’s very sweet to be a couple again, once you adjust. It took about a year to feel “normal” to have two people at dinner and no kids in the house. But now it’s the sweet life, and when we have time with out kids, that’s good too. Worked out like it was meant to! Yours will too! ~ Sheila
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Oops! I meant time with “our” kids…I do like it when we get to visit! ~ Sheila
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Thanks for your comment Shelia!
We’ve got one load left to go from the storage unit and that will happen Labor Day Weekend when my husband has a week off from work – aka “vacation time” :) As of this past Monday I’m back in Indiana to put Jake in college and will hang out here and wait for my husband and then we’ll caravan (him in the moving truck and me in my pickup) back to Idaho with the last of the stuff to put into storage there.
This whole “life change” (family change, whatever) came when Todd went back out on the road with the horses and Jake and I chose to move back down to Indiana to finish up High School….so it’s just been a weird separation of our family from the get-go beginning January 2014.
I haven’t really spent much mental time trying to figure out how I really feel about it all, what with added fact that I’m moving back to Idaho and Jake is staying in Indiana. I’m not sure I can even call it an “empty nest” since we’ve not had a nest of our own in quite a while…I’m not sure what it is. I know I’ve spent time mourning our family change thing and I think I may still be to some extent. I think I’ve just been missing them both even when they are in my presence.
Hey! [epiphany] At least I don’t have to walk past his empty room (or mine and Todd’s room), or accidentally set his place at the table like I’ve heard others lament about doing. Ha, dodged that one!
And you’re so right, it *will* all work out the way it’s meant to…Always does. :)
~d.
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