Did I say 'Wednesday'? Please excuse me while I crawl into the corner and cry... OK, that's over I feel much better... OK a little better... OK, when I finish this - it's back to the corner.
So seriously, a couple of updates...
1) We are not selling our house. We just moved into our new home, in the neighborhood we coveted, about a year ago (a year and 1 week to be exact). Steph convinced me we should not sell - and I eventually agreed with her... a pattern that has developed over the last 10 years, much like crying in the corner has developed over the last week. We hired a property management company here in the Metro area that will find a renter and manage the property for us while we are gone. They take 8% of the rent, but in the long run it will be worth it!
2) We are not selling my truck. It was harder than I thought to sell a big (relatively big, but not 'Brian Wing big') truck in the age of $3/gallon fuel. I talked to one F-150 owner that has been trying to sell his rig for over a year. Steph will tell you I was never really intending to sell my truck... While I never WANTED to sell it, I was serious about doing so. That being said, I am not sad to be storing it, and having it to come home to in 2 years - not to mention being able to use it when we come home - mostly for Steph when she spends the summers at Lake of the Woods while I stay back in China with the 100 degree heat and 90% humidity!
3) Our friends Brian and Lisa and Shelly and Ray hosted a going away party for us this weekend. The amount of effort they went to was amazing... from a spread for 50 people to back-up plans for rain.. it was quite the event. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the other folks that put their heart and soul (and backs) into the effort.
Shelly's folks, Bill and Nancy Dodge helped out immensely, from Nancy getting down on her hands and knees to draw the 'Party This Way' and smiley faces in sidewalk chalk and Bill accepting everyone's direction on where to haul stuff around, in and out, and then his expert oversight of the young bucks running the BBQ.
Lastly, special thanks to Clay Askew, Ray's younger brother - who recently relocated from Alabama to Wilsonville. Clay gets special thanks for significant contributions as well as being the only person we have met who's OCD complex rivals that of our good friend Lisa. Seriously, who organizes a beer cooler, to insure no one has to hunt around for their choice in beer? I swear, he was 1 step short of installing waterproof dividers in all the coolers!
We really felt loved and blessed as this afternoon went on. We had so many of our closest friends and their kids in attendance. Also, some folks we had not seen in years, or at best intermittently. If you were there, and are reading this - thank you so much for joining us and saying 'goodbye'.
I have posted some pictures of the days events at the end of this post, check them out - some of the pictures of the kids are great.
The adventure begins in 9 short days... please excuse me while I head to my corner!
Duck Duck Goose in the Park
Kurt and 'One of the Twins'
Boys and Ice Cream
Ray and Shelly
Gary Keyes and Rob Murdock
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