Monday, April 28, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Day Tripping with the Grandparents-in-law
Nathaniel's Grandparents came for a short 2-day visit yesterday. They got in late in the afternoon and treated Geof and me to dinner at the local Chinese restaurant...yum! Today we toured the Biltmore House during their festival of flowers. Grandpa is an avid gardener and toured the grounds while Grandma, Geof, and I toured the house. Afterwards we drove around to the barns, ate a picnic lunch, watched a chicken lay eggs, petted a few sheep, ate some ice cream and Geof got to churn butter! It was a great little day trip. I've been to the Estate maybe twice before when I was much younger and remembered being impressed with the size of the place then and still today. It's a bit on the pricey side to visit, but well worth it. It can be a bit overwhelming and you could easily spend a whole day or more there. I'm thinking about taking my Mom for Christmas. She's mentioned wanting to go for years now and Christmas is a great time...from what I've heard...because they go all out decorating it. If you ever find yourself in Asheville, NC you should seriously consider checking it out.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
The New Fort
This will be the first time I've lived somewhere...other than my room at my parents house...where I can paint the walls. I'm very excited about this and have been losing sleep thinking about all the possibilities. The next chance I get I'll take and post some pictures of the place. I'm going to need a lot of inexpensive and innovative solutions for the kitchen and bathroom. You'll understand what I mean once you see the photographic evidence. I've even considered writing Oprah to ask for Nate's help! It's a bit overwhelming, but I like a good challenge!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Playing catch up
I guess the one lesson that anyone reading this could take away from the story is to take care of your health. My Dad lost toes in the beginning. Then he lost one leg, a year later the other. He has glaucoma and cataracts. He's lost all of his teeth now. The feeling in his hands gets worse every year. His skin is always extremely dry and tears easily. My Dad is only 53 years old. I don't want the same kind of life for myself and I don't want to set the example for Geof that it's ok either. That plus a not-so-gentle kick in the ass from Nathaniel has prompted me to once again reevaluate my own life and the choices I make. I've begun to move more eat less and feel better. My other "other" blog has been revitalized and I've once again been documenting my journey through and challenges in Changing Shapes....nice plug, eh? Go check it out I could use the moral support.
Let's see what else has been going on...Nathaniel has been going out on month-long runs on the road for the past several months now. It's been especially rough and our relationship has suffered. Not to get into too much detail the last time he was home we discussed divorce but have decided to stay together and work things out slowly and one step at a time. Neither of us wants to do anything to jeopardize Geof's health or happiness and we're trying to do what is best all around. We each get caught up in our own daily routines that we forget to say to the other "hey, I love you." It's a whole different dynamic from folks who see their spouse or significant other every day and definitely a learning process. Nathaniel is currently out on the road right now but is due home some time tomorrow. We've made progress this past month and I feel that things will turn out for the better and I'm hopeful for our future.
Geof's doing great. He has an appointment to get his immunizations for school this Fall the week after next. I'm so not looking forward to that. I've been talking to him and trying to prepare him for it and he's handled it well. How he'll react once we get to the doctors office is a whole other thing! He starts school this Fall and we're planning on moving within the next few months. We'll be moving to the town I grew up in and where my family lives. It will be nice to be closer but a part of me will miss the distance too! Plus, the weather where we are now is so much milder than what is at home especially in the Summer. We've haven't been able to find a decent house to rent yet because there just isn't much to pick from, plus long-distance house hunting isn't too easy either. This Fall also marks the end of my being a stay-at-home mom and it's very bitter sweet. Geof's growing up and becoming more independent and it's time for me to pick up my life where I left off and go back to school. Actually, I'll probably work for a year to save up the necessary funds and then go back to school. I'm excited about it and nervous, but I'm really looking forward to the next phase of motherhood. I feel so damn old sometimes and I'm only
So that's what I've been up to these days, but I'm still here, still truckin' along.