Today is our last day here in the West.  I really do love it our here.  You would never think that a midwestern girl would fall in love with the West, but I did a long time ago.  I miss living out here.  I have said often that I wish I could have all the perks of the midwest (green, family, and work) in the setting of the west.  I miss the pace of the West.  I miss the scenery.  I miss the life.

I know that our kids are sad. They'll miss their grandparents.  I know that #2 in particular will be a total wreck tomorrow.  She has always had a special bond with her grandma, and she always goes into decline when they have to part company. Tomorrow will be a sullen day. I am so thankful that we have two sets of grandparents that our kids are close to and love dearly.  We are truly blessed.

I find my emotions in a mixed bag as we get ready to leave.  Two weeks is a long time to be gone from home, and this mama is ready to be home.  The last year has been a complete whirlwind for us.  It started last spring with JP falling through the floor.  That began the construction which led into the suprise school year.  We left for Wyoming the morning after Kindergarten graduation.  It has been just insane. 

I can't keep the To Do list from running through my head at a frenzied pace. I have SO much to do, and I plan on having the time to do it.  I have been prioritizing constantly in my head.   I want to make lists. I want to make plans, and yet I know I know what happens to those best laid plans.   Look what has happened to us in the last year!  We have had a crazy year!

Now, I know that is my sister in law Lyssa reads this, she will make a mental comment that this is the way our entire married life has been.  She has often commented on how hectic our life continues to be, and she doesn't understand why.  In our eleven years of marriage we have been through four babies, eight moves, two start up businessess, one law suit, and countless other major life changes.  We have been busy. To me it just seems normal, and I know I don't do well with boring, so I think God allows us to have the excitement. It is only by his grace that we have survived it all.

Yet, I find myself ready to embark on the summer with a to do list as long as JP is tall.  I am excited.  I love lists!  I love knowing what I need to accomplish, and being able to check things off the list as I go.  I have hestitated to put it all on paper, only because it would seem a little daunting to see it on paper.  I have started several small lists, and I think I will have to combine then when  I get home.  I have a giant bulletin board in the old homeschool room, and I have been making plans for repurposing.  I can picture it now! 

 I can also see my husband standing in the doorway rolling his eyes. We are cut from a different cloth.  I just move at a different pace than he does, and after eleven years of marriage I have come to accept that. However, acceptance doesn't mean that I don't still get frustrated.  I know that he just can't keep up.  I say that with a small smirk on my face knowing that my readers may think that I am cruel. It is not cruel, it is just the way it is.  We are just  different, and that is just fine.

This post has gone completely differently than I intially planned.  Writing is funny that way.  I started of writing about the west and ended up taking about our differences in marriage.  I guess that is why I like writing.  Stuff comes flying out that you don't even realize you are thinking about.  The bottom line is that vacation is over, and we head home tomorrow.  It will be a long drive home, but the start of an exciting summer, I am sure!