There has been much happen in the last three years. We've moved again, gotten another grandbaby and gained two new kids-in-law. My sweetheart is also celebrating being 5 years cancer-free. What a blessing! There's been a change of employment twice and a whole slew of new experiences. Overall, the last three years have been good. I feel like we are in a good place.
We left North Dakota about 16 months ago, after the oil industry fell through the floor. When Tad couldn't find a job anywhere up there, we decided to try something completely different. After spending two winters in the great, white frozen North, we opted to move south--about as far south as we had been north. I have 2 siblings and we have our youngest daughter in Arizona, so it was the impetus we needed to come on down--that and the promise of job opportunities. We have landed in the Valley of the Sun and have quickly grown to love it. I tell people that after surviving winter in North Dakota, we thought we'd try summer in Arizona. Whew! Thank goodness for AC! But I do LOVE winter down here.
We gave up our lovely 4 bedroom home in exchange for a tiny, 2-bedroom apartment, but we knew what we were coming to, so we were able to donate the majority of our stuff and bring the necessities with us. Honestly, it has been quite liberating to not have much "stuff". We have just enough clothes to share a small reach-in closet, 2 sets of sheets for the bed and towels for the bath, our computers, our TV, a handful of books (that was probably the biggest sacrifice--to pare down our books) and a small percentage of my craft supplies. I kept enough to still be the "Crafty Genius".
We have made new friends and gotten reacquainted with family members we hadn't had to opportunity to interact with in several years. It has been a delight to see my youngest sister and her family on a weekly (if not more) basis, and spend time with my brother and his family. Our youngest daughter (the one who was just graduating High School when I posted last) has graduated from Beauty School and is working in a salon down here while her husband has his own pursuits. It has been a joy to be with her again. Our son was married two months ago and they are working and attending school in Nevada and northern Idaho. Our oldest daughter and her husband are living and raising their three daughters in Colorado. We are scattered to the winds, but keep close with phone calls and texts.
Left to Right--Front Row: Todd (Jessica's husband--holding Estella), Jessica, Evangeline (black t shirt), Elizabeth (green t-shirt) and Brianna (Scott's fiancee-now-wife). Back Row: John (Hailey's husband), Hailey, Me, Tad and Scott. Thanksgiving 2016
I'm looking forward to continuing to build our life here and the new experiences we are having. Life hasn't been perfect, but it is good and we are together.
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