Where has all the family time gone?

I am not good at goodbye. On Saturday we spent a lovely afternoon in the best of company. Included in the company was my brother and his family, sister Valerie, Grandma, Todd and Melea and their kids and my cousin Jim and his family. Oh it was a delight to finally get together for a few hours. We had yummy food, good conversation and lot of laughs. It was like a reminder of my past.

As Jamie and I were driving away he commented how good that was and I couldn't agree more. It seems that in these busy times of raising a family and getting on with life, it seems so hard to find the time for extended family and relaxing together. To me this is so wrong on so many levels. Jim and Jennifer are moving back to Ohio this week and that is why we got together. Why did we put it off so long? We enjoyed each other, yet we never made the time and now it is too late. They will be gone and we will probably not get the chance to get together like that again for several years. Will we get together with the ones that still live here in town again soon? OR will we have to make another excuse to get together? Why does there have to be an excuse like someone is moving away to find the time?

As a child those family barbeque's were a staple of life for my memories of family time. I remember my mom would be making salads and gathering all the plates and things for an evening gathering of family. Sometimes it would be with her side, sometimes we would go to the mountains for a picnic... just the 4 of us. Dad, Mom, Ben and I. Sometimes we would meet at Grandma Taylor's house with my dads side of the family. There was conversation, music, food and to me a sense of general well being. Even in troubled times.. times when money was tight or there was tension among family members, these gatherings seemed to be a place where those things were set aside for the sake of gathering together to share a meal. These were happy times for me. Times that I felt that I had a support network of family to listen to me, to comfort me and to just be. It seems since the passing of my mom, those times are few and far between. Was she the one that coordinated it every time? I don't think so.

What has happened to us? Where has our family gone, and how can we get it back? Is our family at a goodbye point? I don't want it to be.

Grampa Jamie

We opened our bakery 4 months ago. It has been quite a ride. Owning our own business has been a lot of work, less than glamorous, sleepless nights a few new grey hairs and quite a bit of stress. But... it is more family time, more together time, doing something we love and that aint bad. I have loved watching our kids work together, our family connect with a bond for the common good. To me.. That is what makes this adventure worth all the stress.

Weddings, Smore's and Watermelon... Oh my.

It has been a while since I posted, I usually write a line or two on facebook these days. I just wanted to say how much I am enjoying summer this year. It has been lovely to work in the yard, eat watermelon, cook smores in the yard, go fishing, and plant a garden. Even though I am now working full time, I try to find time to just enjoy. I am also really enjoying baby Jacie and all the wonderful experience of being a grandmother. I did a wedding cake last weekend, that was fun, the first one in a while, I have missed that.

Today is my Friday. I am looking forward to a few days off and hope to be getting my new grand kid here.

39+ Weeks

Here she is, my pretty baby... having her own little one in just a few days. She is 39+ weeks. I simply can't wait to hold baby Jacie and be there when she comes into the world

Blah Blah Blah

Progress on getting moved seems to be going so slow! Right now I feel like there is a mess everywhere. I hope that this weekend will be productive and we can get the rest of our things out of the house in Evanston and move it. Problem is figuring out where to put it once we get there. It is a process that I really don't enjoy.

Today I will go on a road trip to Rock Springs to help Kelli. I am excited to see her, but it is bittersweet for me since she is having me help her turn herself in to the correctional facility. Kelli has had a long and rough road with addiction and it has caught up to her. She will serve some time now and hopefully get the help she needs to get a handle on her addiction. Best of luck to my daughter in law Kelli.

I think Valerie will be coming home for the weekend! I am so excited to see her, but I hope that I have some more of the house put together before she comes. Right now it is such a mess. I don't want her to feel uncomfortable there. It is already so hard.

Holiday plans? Ya I don't know. Everything is so wierd with the family right now, but I am cooking Thanksgiving and hope that everyone pulls together for the holidays. Mom Lynda will be making her annual week stay with us over Thanksgiving. That's all I have to say about that.

We plan on going to Idaho for Christmas, but I need to call GMa Moon to find out the details on that.

Oh... Kat is about 13 weeks along. Yep I'm gonna be a Gramma. I love all my grand-girls.. Tess (Jake's) Lilly & Destiny (Steven's) and Morgan (Robert's) and even little Aimee (Kayla's) who hasn't arrived yet, but there is something a little different about when your own baby.... Kat is going to have one of her own. It seems like yesterday that she was born and just a little girl running down the sidewalk in that pink snowsuit. (tear).... I am happy for her and Bryan and I hope the best for them as always.

Sheesh.. What else. I guess that's about it. All the kids are doing good, Jamie is working hard and I am doing the mom thing, moving, and getting ready for the holidays.... at least mentally. Ha Ha.

Finally some pics

This was the dining room BEFORE

Now it is a Beautiful New Music Room!!

some finish work, some paint, some new flooring and lighting....