Goodbye House.....

The weather around here has been crazy!  One day its 70 and the next day its 20.  Last week, we had a day with some snow flurries.  It didn't stick and stay for very long.

Teenage boys are crazy.  Hudson refuses to wear pants.  At dismissal the other day (when it was "snowing") I watched and saw almost every other middle school boy walk out in his uniform shorts.  This is an area that I've learned to let go.

This popped up on my FB feed the other day.  How cute is this?? I'm temped to buy one of those vinyl machines so that I can make it.  You create this large US map and then any time you visit a state, you put a photo from your trip in that space. My goal is to visit all 50 states one day so this would be so fun to fill up!

Last week was full on packing mode.  Hudson assembled these banker boxes for us and stacked them really tall.

Boxes and boxes and more boxes.  Oh my! I spent forever going through things. I gave so much away, sold a ton and tossed a lot too.  And it still seemed that we had so much left.  I'm sure I will get rid of more at the new house but I kept some things since I wasn't sure what I would be using there.  The movers came on Thursday and spent 10.5 hours moving us.  Everything was boxed and ready but they had to take our beds apart and wrap all our furniture.  We are having them store it for the next month or so until our house is ready.

Last Tuesday, Cooper started Upward basketball.  He's never played before but they have been learning some in PE at school.  I've heard such great things about Upward....how its somewhat competitive but its really just a way for these kids to have fun.  No crazy parents in the stands cussing and screaming when kids miss a basket.  He enjoyed his first practice.

The last 10 minutes is a little devotional with the coach.  I love and appreciate that they are focusing on God while learning to play.

The boys standing next to our "Jason" tree. One of my friends, that owns a landscaping company, planted this tree for us the week after Jason died.  Its grown so much and its so pretty in the spring and summer!  The boys kept asking if we could bring it with us but I'm worried it would die from disrupting the roots.  We will have to plant our own at our next house.

Friday, our cleaning lady met us at the house and cleaned while we made a few more trips to our apartment.  After school, we brought the boys back to see it one last time.  Hudson kept pointing to spots in the house and saying "remember when......" and it just about killed me.  His chin was shaking and he was trying not to cry.  Shawn took the boys and gave me a couple hours in the house alone.  I needed to walk each room and soak up those memories.  16 years in a house is a long time.  Its the longest I've ever lived anywhere.  And its the last big thing and last big chapter with Jason that I'm closing.  I will say that leaving that house without him was one of the hardest things I've ever done.

We are exhausted....physically and emotionally but we are finished.  We are now in a furnished apartment for the next month.  We are praying that our time here is short.  Now to unpack all of this and get settled as best as we can.

One benefit is this view.  We are on the 4th floor (thank you Lord for elevators!) and the view is great.  Its been pretty foggy here but I know this view will not disappoint.