April and May

Emory's bag and we got it there before her birthday!! 

Happy 8th birthday Em

Feeding the fish at the Bonneville fish hatchery.

More fish feeding and question answering from the Japanese tourists. Because somehow Tessa had all of the answers. 

Herman the sturgeon.

Cake by Kiah

The other cake by Kiah. She made them for mother's day.

Chicago style pizza in chicago.

YUM!!

School. 

Nauvoo Temple

The close up.

Dan and I were there. I wish we could have stayed longer but the job was calling so off we went after one very quick fast forward day. I hope we can go back and spend more time. 

Fort McHenry...

First view of the fort and the flag.

Some of the cannons on one of the points. 

The inside gates of the fort. 

A British cannon ball from the battle at Fort McHenry.

Officer quarters.

The barracks. Imagine sleeping 3 or 4 to one bunk.

Cannons at the front of the fort.

It was a wet and cold day at Fort McHenry but it was an amazing day. We learned a lot and had a great time. 

more of the middle...

We stopped in Baltimore for yet another job but Kiah didn't mind at all. 

Can you tell Kiah was excited. We didn't see Duff but we did see Ann Marie. Good morning for Kiah and we were all happy that she shared this moment with us. It is amazing how small the shop is. You always imagine a grand space from the TV show but its really just a small space. 

This one is for you Brother Davis.

Nobody had a problem with the very yummy cake in a jar. We split it between the six of us and it was good.  Off to Fort McHenry next. 

The Middle of the story...

Every story has a beginning, middle and an end. The beginning of this story was Dan taking a new job in Oregon and then moving out there last September. That came with all of its own challenges for sure. I became a full time single mom, Dan became a bachelor again and the girls learned how to Face Time and Skype like pros. It also meant that the girls and I were on full time house prepping for the beginning of the middle of the story, The Sell.

Dan came home for Christmas and we finalized our plans to get the house on the market in January. We had the realtor come back and take a look and asses what the next step was, he gave us is suggestions and we were off and running. We list the house in early January and and then we waited for something to happen. It didn't take long for us to get a bite. In the course of four days we had a showing, an offer, negotiations and an accepted offer. This of course started the waterfall of everything else that comes with selling a house in MA. The regulations of Massachusetts is something I won't miss, it is truly nuts. Then came the extensions and crazy packing and last minute fixes and trying to schedule Dan's arrival. We finally made it to the closing and it went off without a hitch and in the stroke of a signature we were homeless with everything we owned in a truck and the car and we were on our way. The goodbyes were the hardest. It's hard to leave friends who have become your family. The ones  you have spent time with, walk through fire with, laughed until milk shoots our your nose with, raised kids with, served with and lived life with. We will be back to visit, often.

Now we are traveling across the country. But instead of taking the direct route we have decided to take the zigzag, Dan is working (so why did he take paid time off?), let's stay in the eastern time zone forever, route. I can honestly say I am so tired of living in hotels and out of the car. We have been able to see a couple of cool things on the way and we are looking forward to seeing more.

Vermont rest stop. The only dog they will ever have. 

Vermont ski gondola

Best store ever!!

This only a very small part of the candy section.

The house

I feel like I have rebuilt this house in the last year or so. I have worked non-stop and I've had a TON of help. I can't possibly write out everything that we/I have done so here are the pictures. I am confident I don't have the before shots but you can look at the after shots.

living room carpet

family room carpet

living room looking toward hall after the new carpet went in

new work counter in basement and cupboard 

office/schoolroom

bathroom back splash

new roof

painting with the elders quorum 

And now that it is almost all done, we leave it behind and start over. Good thing I wrote down all of those color choices. Here's to new adventures.

My, a lot has happened since I lasted posted.

Way back in August Anique reported to the MTC in Provo UT and then was off to serve in the Colorado Fort Collins mission. She has now been in the mission for three months and is doing really well. She has even had her first baptism and working toward number two and three.

In September Dan took up residence in Oregon full time and the girls and I have been working to get the house on the market and join him very soon. Dan has continued to travel and work some long hours but he still misses us. Mostly.

October brought Halloween and all of the fun associated with it. Church trunk or treat, costumes, pumpkins, and of course trick or treating in the neighborhood. We also spent a lot of time raking leaves, cleaning the chicken coop and the shed, ripping apart the back deck, putting up trim, painting the school room, putting foam squares on the basement floor, filling a dumpster (my personal favorite), canning apple butter, applesauce, tomatoes, butter, peaches (although that happened in September).

 

November brought Kiah's 14th birthday which I missed because I flew out to Oregon to see Dan for ten days. It was a great trip. I went to California to help him with an install he was assigned to work on. It was fun to work with him again. Of course everything is now digital and I now nothing about it so I'm only good for putting the racks together and wire tying cords to the walls but it was good to spend time with him and just talk face to face. After we were done with the install we headed up to Goldendale WA to see family. We didn't get there until very late or perhaps I should say very early Sunday morning. We went tot church with mom and dad and then off to dinner with the fam in Hood River. It was good to see those who could come. Some of whom I haven't seen in years.  The return trip to Massachusetts was more difficult then the trip out. But I did manage to make it eventually.

 

That brings us to the end of November and Thanksgiving, we had a very quite celebration with the smallest turkey I could find and a lot of Christmas movies. We have begun the decorating and preparation of the Advent and Christmas season. We look forward to having Dan with us in a couple of weeks to celebrate the birth of our Savior and King. The girls are beside themselves with anticipation, they haven't seen their dad in several months. We have much to be grateful for and we are looking forward to the traditions we share as a family and with our closest friends. As we wind up our life in New England, we are in awe of the many friends we have made and the things we have learned. We will cherish every memory we have made.                                                                                  

Happy Chanukkah, Happy Advent,  Merry Christmas