Can you say Whirlwind!! How about "homeless"? Maybe even "totally unsettled"?? After seeing over 75 friends and relatives, attending 24 get togethers, getting to 13 Dr/Dentist/personal service appointments, renting one of our investment houses right before we left town, making 2 trips to have the Volvo worked on, putting 1800+ miles on it, buying all the Christmas presents (and birthdays for the next 6 months!) and changing housing locations 7 times! -- we are ready to get back out on the road --it is way too confusing at home -- especially when you have no home! All in 28 days!
The grand kids had all grown a bunch -- Maggie is nearly walking and Jack is talking -- those were the biggest changes, but they had all matured. Acacia is rapidly approaching the teenage years, and Megan's art work continues to fascinate. Nick and Maddie continue to be curious and very active!!
It was, of course, fun to see many of our friends after having seen basically no one we knew for 6 months, but we feel badly that we couldn't fit everyone in our limited time. Many people have promised to meet us on the road this winter and spring, so we'll hopefully see more people as we travel the southern states. All in all, not much has changed while we were gone. A few new buildings in town, a few new happenings with people's lives, but mostly "the beat goes on".
We actually got to stay in our own house for a couple of nights, as our renters were home for the holidays. Very weird to be in your house, with your furniture -- and someone else's "stuff". "Why did she move that there?" "My that plant has sure grown!" and "What happened in the Courtyard?" were some of our reactions.
We apparently had a leak in our water line between the house and the street, which caused a plumber to have to tear up a portion of our patio to replace, and the landscaper to redo some plants -- still wasn't finished when we left!!
One of our rental houses in Tigard came vacant after 3 years when they bought a home of their own. Tough time of year to try to rent a house -- but at least we were there to take care of it! The hot water tank also gave out while we were showing it, depositing water all over the garage floor! Thanks TJ for getting that taken care of for us!!
And, of course, there was the dead battery the night we arrived in the ice storm. It's always something -- it matters not whether you are home or away -- you always have to have a little rain before the rainbow.
We're back in Raleigh now, awaiting the completion of work on the Van. Will know tomorrow what gives with that. Then we'll be on our way again.