Moving, it's really happening

On July 10th, after church and lunch Don and I thought we'd go to a few open houses. No reason really, we've not talked much about moving, with the exception of not wanting to move into a condo because he thinks its to much like a apartment. He moved out of the house last January into an apartment and he didn't like it at all.

My house is a lot to keep up with, it was built in 68 and I've just about replaced everything. .hot water heater, roof, painted the outside, new air and heat, new duct work, having the house piered, landscaped and fixed many plumbing issues along the way.

Every time I thought ok, everything is fixed something else broke. I need low maintenance and less yard. I needed a new house.

I lived in my current house since Nov of 1998. I love the house the yard and all the memories of raising children, family celebrations and holidays. I live in old town, and remember driving the same streets when i was 16.
But even tho I love it, I felt in my heart it was time to move on.

So on the 10th we look at few open houses, nothing enticed me. Then on a fluke we drove to a new subdivision about 3 miles from my house (same town of course)and I fell in love with it. They had a speck house that was built,no one had ever lived in it - it was perfect for us. Small yard, brand new, walking trails, 3 ponds stocked, a neighborhood swimming pool. . I LOVED IT!

I told the guy that showed us the house that I was very interested and probably would just build a house with them, but first I had to sell my house.
I called my friend who is a realator she came over and on the July 12th I made a list of everyting that needed to be done to the house in order to sell it.

On Aug 10th my house went on the market, I received my first bid that day, on the 11th I received another bid from differnet buyer, and on the 12th received a 3rd bid from another buyer and sold my house. . . on Aug 12th I bought the speck home I looked at on July 10th!

I had decided that with 2 dogs apartment life for 4 months while the house was being built would be to much for me and along with horror stories I've heard of houses being built with major issues. The speck house seemed to be the right fit for me.

My old houses closes on September 7th and I buy my new house the same day. . So the 7th is moving day!! A part of me still is in shock, I think thats why I felt the need to post about it.

Peacock at the Kelsey's Winery

Saturday Matinee

Yesterday Don and I went to see Clint Eastwood’s new movie
Gran Torino.
The critics gave it a B and the yahoo users an A. I'd give it a B
The audience consisted of people over the age of 50. In fact Don kept saying he thought that a bus from a senior citizen group dropped off a bunch of members to watch the movie. (they had not but it did kind of look like it) I had to finally remind him that most were probably just a ‘few’ years older the he and I. :-)

Clint Eastwood is probably best known for his role in Dirty Harry (you feel lucky punk). But my favorite were the westerns. He made a really good cowboy, remember Rowdy Yates on Rawhide. Fistful of Dollars, The Good The Bad and The Ugly, and my favorite High Plains Drifter all excellent movies.

He always played a macho kind of tough guy and this movie was no different, with the exception he played his age, he played an old macho guy. I thought it was going to be a shoot-em up movie with him being the old macho hero, the movie didn’t play out quite that way, he was still the hero, just not like you’d expect.
Another thing I noticed is the men in the audience really seemed to enjoy it, most were laughing out loud at all the name calling that goes on in the movie . It was pretty funny listening to them all cracking up. Guess I shouldn't be surprised they found such humor so funny. . I am in Oklahoma after all.
Gotta love those Okie's

A Year in Review with Pictures

The Gazebo

This is my favorite place in town.

Every 4th of July, Labor day, Veterans day and Memorial Day the city decorates the gazebo with flags. In the summer they have free concerts here. It’s a great place to rest during a walk or bike ride, there always seems to be a little breeze flowing through. It reminds me of simpler times when life was less stressful. And it makes me glad I live in a small town.

Every so often you’ll see people there having a picnic, a birthday party or even a wedding. Actually Casey, Connor and I celebrated his 10th birthday there. I enjoy the Gazebo all year long, but my favorite is Christmas time. Every year they decorate it a little differently. We’ve had many pictures taken there through the years

Here are a few of them.
Connor, 2001

This was the first Christmas after 9-11. The tree was decorated with flags. It really lifted my spirit.

Derek, Delaney and Zoe, 2002

This was the first year Don and the boys moved in. It was a good year.

Tim, Casey and Connor, 2003

This was their first year as a family. They were married May of 2003

Connor, 2005

2006
The kids, 2007This is probably one of the last of all of them together for a long time.

Derek, 2008 His first Christmas home from the Navy

Connor's Christmas at Granny's

This year I won't be seeing Connor on Christmas day.

Casey and Tim want to start a new tradition of staying home for Christmas. He'll be going to Tim's family's Christmas Eve, spending the morning at his house with Tim and Casey and in the afternoon he goes to his Mimi and Papa's house to celebrate with that side of the family. He should be back home on friday. I hope to spend some time with him then. Connor and I decided that he would open his gifts at my house on the 23rd. So thats our new tradition

Look Whose Livin' on Tulsa Time

Derek went stand by on an earlier flight out of O'Hare which was a good thing because his original flight was cancelled due to weather. He got up at midnight got everything ready and took the first shuttle to the airport at 3am. O'Hare cancelled 300 flights. My heart goes out to the Sailors who's flights were cancelled and their families.

He's home.