Last Vestiges of 2017

Late December…

(DISCLAIMER: I’m actually writing this on May 11, 2018. Needless to say, I’ve forgotten a lot since December. But I’ve decided the blog should continue – we’re making some big life changes that are worth documenting. So I’ll be playing catch-up for the last few months, then settling in with more detailed accounts (probably monthly). I also neglected to transfer phone photos to my computer and then lost everything (mid-Dec to Feb 22) in a toilet dump. STUPID on both counts. 😞

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Donor

Not the usual pre-Christmas chaos. Chris & Shanice are in the house ‘til the end of the month, so Greg & I are staying in the MH until it's really ours again. Greg & Chris are spending every spare minute working on Chris's Jeep - HUGE job! Eventually the donor parts were transferred, the donor vehicle towed to metal salvage (where it actually garnered Chris some cash), and our garage emptied so the M3 has a home again.

Squishmallow Kitty

My gift-giving is mostly experiential: escape rooms, restaurant gift cards, etc. Very little shopping involved. Chris strung lights on the fake  tree from my office, and we did manage to get our Leavenworth wreath on the front door. Decor weak, spirit strong. Tradition did prevail on Christmas Day--hot cider & coffee cake ready when family arrived. Chris and Warren surprised me w/ tickets to the 5th Avenue Sound Of Music Singalong, which turned out to be even more fun than I expected. Chris was quite happy to receive an "official" Seahawks CrockPot. We also delivered gifts to Lisha's family (all the kids loved their Squishmallows!) and made a quick stop at Michael & Linda's to drop off gifts for Max & Oliver. 

The rest of the month was devoted to helping Chris sort, discard, pack & move. And somewhere in that week Greg & I celebrated our 27th anniversary (though neither of us can now remember what we actually did). 

BlogThoughts... WE DID IT! Fifty weeks on the road. Yes, the first week was a bit unnerving engine-wise, the temporary loss of AC in July frustrating, and there's one or two campgrounds we never want to see again. Overall, though, our trek was pretty darn successful. We're still happily married, we learned a great deal about the US (even after forgetting most of what we heard or read ),we experienced Cuba, and we met great folks wherever we went. 

Now we move on. The MH will be spiffed up, sold, and replaced w/ a smaller version for short jaunts. Our home will be spiffed up, sold, and replaced w/ one more suited to a slower pace of life. It's a bit daunting, but also exciting. We are both grateful for good health that allows us these opportunities.