I'm at the point in my constant state of catch-up on this blog that I'm at the exact week of last year as at this time that I'm going to write about today and this week. Did that make sense? I didn't think so. Sorry, that was bad writing, and I don't feel like going back and editing for clarity. Translation = This is the first week of June 2019, and I'm going to be writing about the first week of June 2018, exactly one year later. I'm closing in--I'm exactly a year behind now! 🙌
The first full week of June was our last week in our house in Iowa before the movers came the following week and started packing up. Needless to say, I was very emotional that week. I was sad and anxious about moving. I didn't want to leave my beloved house and community behind. Any excitement I had about moving home to Massachusetts (and there definitely was some) was not being felt very much that week, that's for sure!
Most of these pictures were the last or among the last times doing many of these things.
I enjoyed eating lunch and other meals on our screened-in porch when the weather was nice. It was such a peaceful, pretty place to eat.
Our house in Massachusetts doesn't have a screened-in porch and I really miss having one. Our houses in Connecticut and Iowa (obviously) had one, so we went 12 years having a screened-in porch, and now, no more. It's one of the only things I don't like about our new house in MA.
This was one of my last nights watching TV in my usual spot in the family room. I watched a Hailey Dean movie on Hallmark Mysteries.
This was our last dinner together before John left for camp (when he got back, we were moved out and staying in a hotel).
John's last time in his room before I brought him to camp. This was his room from the age of 5 to 13, kindergarten to 7th grade!
Our pretty green yard 💚
My last evening using my reading nook 😢
I still haven't gotten the bookshelf's recessed lighting to work since our move. Time to call the handyman (again).
Last normal breakfast on the day before the movers came.
I'll always associate our last evening in the house before the movers came with President Trump and Kim Jong-un's "historic summit" that was taking place live across the world in Singapore as Sam and I watched. So thank you for that association, Trump and Kim.
I took pictures because I thought it might lead to something significant happening, but alas, it didn't really. It was a good step forward for diplomatic relations, though. (Have I mentioned before that one of my career interests coming out of Penn was moving to D.C. and going into international diplomacy? Maybe someday in another life. Have I also mentioned that a couple of years ago I bought a stash of potassium iodide in case Kim decides to send a nuke our way? (Yes, I have mentioned that before.) Hopefully no day in any other life, but it's personally reassuring to have at least some defense in place in case my family somehow survives. Take that, Rocket Man! -- That is not very diplomatic of me.)
I remembered to get some pictures of Sam in his room before they had packed too much up.
How cute is he!?
This was Sam's room from the time that he was 10 months old to 8 years old, from babyhood to 2nd grade!
I watched him and held him and snuggled him as he grew up in this room.
More final pictures tomorrow, of the boys in front of the house and out in the yard.
