Up North – 9 Jun 11

I just wanted to say I had an awesome weekend! Three of our four grandkids came to visit Grandma and Grandpa at the cabin. From the moment that Jacki pulled up and the car doors flew open our cabin was filled with the patter of little feet and the voices of the boys. I had so much I wanted to do with the boys but like always there wasn’t enough time to get everything done. I should have put the shovel and the hammer down when they arrived instead of trying to get one more item off my "yo do" list. I wanted to take them on a turkey hunt, have s ‘mores around the camp fire and make them all my famous breakfast in the morning. In hindsight it didn’t matter what we didn’t do, as much as what we did and the precious time that was spent with our grand kids, Jacki, Josh and Great Grandma Harriet!

Being in the Army all those years there were many times that I missed out on a family event. Now more than ever I so value time spent with my family. Watching the boys interact with Uncle Josh was priceless. Seeing Uncle Josh sitting on the ground at the kids table was rather funny as well. They were here, there and everywhere and it was great! Jacki’s childhood dream of being a grandma is in the early stages but could easily be accomplished within the next 15-20 years. Our kids are awesome and it goes without saying that Jacki and Zach have done an amazing job raising the boys.

The other thing I came to realize is our cabin is everything we wanted it to be and more. We wanted a place where cousins can go to be friends. We wanted our cabin to be a place where memories are made and that our family and friends want to keep coming back too in the years ahead! We wanted our cabin to be a place where your problems are left at the doorway and the silence of the cabin could be filled with love and laughter.

After much debate we agreed to sell the house instead of waiting for the market to bounce back. Unfortunately now it’s listed for a lot less than it was valued a few years ago. Life as we know it now will be changed forever once our house sells. The marks on the wall, our kitchen table marked from past school projects, and the now vacant bedrooms hold many memories. But I believe that the memories will last forever regardless of where we live. I also know in my heart that the house does not make the home; it’s the people that live there that make it a home. Together we wait eagerly hoping for a sudden sale. I still live at the cabin with my roommate Irving Mon – Fri with Susan living in the cities. We alternate weekends between the cabin and the cities. Not the best plan, but it’s a plan that will work for right now. The next chapter in our life together is waiting to be written.

That is all,

Dave