Teriffic Tuesday!

Our house guests went home today! So we have one less English Lab and one less Weimaraner. Seems weird to be down to three dogs now! LOL So a few people wondered on how I got around so much! LOL I was born in New York. My mother was from Virginia. So every year we drove to see her family. During school trips we went to see the Liberty Bell and such. Then, when I was 12 we moved to Arizona. My parents wanted to return to Arizona where they had been stationed in 1950 after my dad retired. So, we went there. They kept their summer home on Shelter Island New York for a few years after that. So we drove back and forth each summer. I even spent 3 weeks at Georgetown University when I was 15 at debate camp. Actually, now I can't believe they let me do that!

I went to high school in Arizona. Then I went to California to college, University of Redlands. During my sophomore year my father got pretty sick. I moved home for my 3rd year, and he died that year. During that time I was able to visit lots of interesting places in states in the southwest. A couple of years later mom died. I remember spending a week with my girlfriend Libby outside of Yellowstone in Montana. I think I was just fortunate to be able to see the states.

In 1988, after mom had died, Mike and I drove back east to see all of her sisters. I have a dear friend outside of Atlanta, and I have been there a couple of times to see her. Then we came around north so that I could meet his mom in Boise.... yes a month on the road! Let's see, when Alec was just 11 months I drove with him from Arizona to Virginia to see my aunts. I thought it might be the last time I would see my Aunt Hannah, and sadly it was. But I also some some friends/relatives in other states along the way.....

After Mike and I married, in 1989, we constantly talked about living near a coast, or near water. We drove the west coast, with the boys 1 & 3 in 1997. In fact, Casey broke his arm jumping out of the van (Mike was right next to him) in Yakima, WA. Oh, and I forgot that Mike grew up in Boise so we went to Idaho several times. In 1998 we drove to the east coast and up that. Again, wanted to check in and see if we might be interested in relocating there. We actually decided that as much as we loved the east, we are western! We love the laid back feel of the west. It just fits us! During that trip we also decided to see Mike's only living great gramma in Omaha, Nebraska. SO, we spent a few days there.

In early 1999 we both quit our jobs and started looking in Oregon. In education it is pretty NOT OK to have a contract and break it. So we figured at the worst I could get a job teaching math, and even though Mike had been administrating he could get a job teaching 6th grade. Well, turned out he got an offer from Seaside. When he came to Oregon to interview that was the 3rd of 3 on his list. But, by the end of the interview he wanted to work there. And, he hadn't been home 10 minutes when they called and offered him the job. We talked briefly and said what the hell! LOL So, we moved to Oregon.

Anyway I suppose the bottom line is that I have had the great pleasure of taking many many road trips across the country several times in my life. I have been to Alaska (dh's dad and step mom live there) and Hawaii (mom took me in 1986). I love this country, and I can't wait until someday when I have seen it all. Some of you have heard me say that my perfect retirement is when I get in an RV with all my scrapbooking/stamping supplies and travel to see friends and family EVERYWHERE. I would just love that.

I have a few good stories of trips, like when Trina and I went east when we were 19. We met some cute college boys on the road and ended up at the University of Oklahoma at a frat party. I still think the best one was when Alec was 11 months and Aunt Hannah and I spent 4 days almost never leaving her apartment. I learned so much about my family and myself, it was amazing!