Rain

It's raining here in the usually sunny city of Colorado Springs. I believe they estimate that we have about 300 days of sunshine each year. I wouldn't doubt it, either. It's truly beautiful here. So it's really okay when you have an afternoon sprinkle or the occasional downpour, like right now. Sure, it's been raining and hailing for the last hour and it's June, but today was a beautiful day in the 80s. Can I really complain? It's nowhere near as formidable as WI.

Ah, WI...again my home in just 3 1/2 weeks. I know there's some really nice things about the state, but they really do have some nasty rainstorms. I happened to encounter one of the worst I've seen last year when we were on vacation there. Unfortunately I was viewing it from the tiny enclosure of our van as I desperately tried to drive back to the farm from my sister's house. Note, I drove into the storm. I never would have left in it the way it was.

The TV stations were flashing weather alerts at the bottom of the screen, so I thought it would be smart to get going before the rain came. Alas, I did not make it back to Bob's parents' before it came rushing on. The wind was so strong I could barely stay on the road. The rain fell so thickly I couldn't see more than a few feet in front of me. Stoplights and city buildings might have made things a little better, but I was on a deserted county road, praying for dear life harder than I have ever prayed before, and that's saying something!

I finally made it to an intersection with a gas station and pulled over, literally shaking. I called Bob and let him know what was going on and that I would not be heading out again until things settled down a bit. While I did have to drive through rain to make it back, it lightened up enough to feel somewhat safe.

Honestly, this was one of the most terrifying experiences I can remember. (I've been hit head-on by a drunk driver, but I don't remember a thing!) Anytime it starts raining and I'm out now, I get nervous. Maybe I sound like a wimp, but I have never felt so small and helpless in my life. I don't want to experience that again, not here, not in WI. I will definitely be more careful about going out in rain in the future. Thank God I have a caring husband who was willing to go pick up my daughter from church tonight, or I'd be driving in this madness right now. I pray they make it home safely!

Sayin Goodbye

So I have reached the beginning of the end—I met with two friends today for the last time before I leave. It was good to visit with them but sad to think that this is it. I still vacillate between sadness and hope, grief and expectation. At least I am experiencing both and not just depressed all of the time.

I finally feel like I have some clear direction and planning as to our last weeks. I am making some clear cut decisions on packing, etc. That is freeing and empowering. I finish work on the 15th, which is a Friday. I am sure we'll do some projects that Saturday. Sunday is Father's Day, so I told Bob I would make him homemade eggrolls and teriyaki chicken kabobs. Maddie will have her birthday sleepover on Monday, and I will take the girls out to mini-golf and have frozen yogurt. Tuesday morning, I will make them a nice birthday breakfast. That night we'll celebrate her birthday as a family with dinner and cake. Then it's time to get to work.

Wednesday gives me one week until the truck arrives. I will pack—everything. There will be no more cooking. There is no more school or work, just packing. I will go from room to room and clear them out in their entirety. There will be no holds barred. We pack our daily stuff in suitcases, and the rest goes in boxes.

Another Week Down

I made it through another week of work—just 2 to go. Tomorrow's project is painting Garrett's room. I'd like to get an early start on it since I have a hair appointment at 2:15 pm, but I don't see that happening. Somehow getting Garrett to clean his room and get outlet covers, etc. off the wall tonight (after 8 pm) or early tomorrow morning just seems unreasonable! I suppose the later we get going, the more they will have to finish without me. That's a tradeoff. Of course, that's assuming they will finish it without me...

Crunch Time

We are officially one month away from our moving date. We have three large rooms to paint, along with many other small projects, and that all has to be done before we can have pictures taken of the house so we can have it listed. Pictures should be taken 2-3 weeks before we move, so our house can be listed as a rental. Plus, the house must be clean for the pictures.

Did I mention that I still only have 24 hours each day, and I do need to sleep close to a 1/3 of those? I also work until June 15 and am wishing I would have set my final date a bit earlier.
And I really haven't even put much thought towards packing. that will come after the repairs and the pictures. Plus, I will have 1 1/2 weeks with nothing to do but pack. I think I can handle that.

I don't want to stress about this, but I do feel the weight upon me. I am hoping my stomach stays calm and can handle this. This morning, I was freaking out about what to wear, and it really had very little to do with my choice of clothing. My diet is sporadic at best, and I am holding onto the loss I managed by a thread. It's really too bad I couldn't learn that whole not-eating coping mechanism for stress.

One month. In some ways, it's so little time—time to fix, to clean, to pack, to say goodbye—and in other ways, it's so much time—time to feel stressed until we leave. I feel like, once we get to WI, we can finally relax. Of course, we'll have to unpack, get settled in, figure out work and school and church and...yeah, I really shouldn't let my mind go there. One thing at a time.

More Dinnertime Laughs

We're eating dinner tonight, talking about Domo.  Obie was naming each of us. Bob was the Dragon Domo. I go tto be the Pretty Princess Domo. I think Garrett was a Ghost Domo. Maddie wanted to know what she was, so Obie said, "You're just a harmless beast."

The Man

So we're talking together about the boys and girls in our house. Obie stated that there's 3 boys. I responded by affirming that I have my man and my two boys, to which Obie asked, "Am I the man?"

Refreshed

We went on a wonderful mini vacation as a family this past weekend. We drove out to Black canyon, about 5 hours west of here, to view the most breathtaking cliffs I have ever seen. We did a little hiking around there and then drove to our hotel in Montrose for the night.

The next morning, we drove back to Cotopaxi for our rafting trip. It was a little breezy when we arrived, and it started to rain. However, it cleared up by the time we headed out. We had a blast on the river. As Obie says, our favorite part was "the waves" (the rapids). We even splurged and bought all of the pictures that they took of us on the river. We spent the night at another hotel and leisurely drove back home the next morning.

It wasn't long, and it wasn't perfect, but the change of pace and recreational activities were exactly what I needed. And I think our family needed the time together bonding as well. It's been a rough few months, and we've got some busy weeks ahead of us. I hope this will hold us and keep us strong as we move forward.