Right Now...

I’m sitting at my grandparent’s kitchen table… listening/watching the Mariner's warm up at Safeco field on the telivision, watching the sailboats come in for the evening after a day of racing out the front window, trying to think of how to write a post that does the past month justice, hoping that my new house has internet service (other than dial-up), laughing at my sweet son as he attempts to find Waldo in the “Where’s WALDO?” book, and smiling about the changes that have blessed our lives in the past two months.
I use the word “blessed” because that is exactly what our life has been full of – blessing after blessing after blessing!!
Mason and I had the opportunity to meet Ian’s good friends – John and Kris – who came to visit all the way from Oklahoma – with beautiful roses and peanut M&M’s in hand. Thank you for your faithfulness in reading about our life and for taking interest in what matters most! I'm so happy we were able to meet you!
My mother-in-law has climbed in several “cardboard” recycle containers searching for boxes worth packing our belongings in, driven down our dusty dirt road with those boxes, brought us fabulous dinners... and more boxes several times, and has agreed with her husband that the best way to move us is to pay for a moving company, rather than attempt to fill every horse trailer in the county and have JP move our unbelievablely heavy bed once again. Praise God… moving day is August 1st.
My parents have officially moved here for the summer.
Mom has packed hundreds of boxes (no joke), made beds, loved on Mack, fixed her famous potato salad too many times to count, taught Mason several songs, made Ian chocolate chip cookies, and provided me with an unbelievable amount of love just by being her. She’s the best friend I could have ever asked for and I’m so very thankful to have her by my side during this transition time.
Dad has become Mason’s best friend. They spend the majority of each day fishing, riding the 4 wheeler, doing chores, watching the swathers, the combines, the rake, the balers, the trucks, and anything else that makes its way to our farm, reading books, and playing until sundown. It doesn’t get much better than that in the eyes of a sweet 2 year old. The day is coming – much too soon – when they head home. What are we going to do without them? I pray that they know how much we’ve appreciated their presence in our lives this summer.
Ian had his last day with GVF on Monday. He’s excited about the new adventure that has begun, but leaving hasn’t been as easy as he thought it would be… “addicted to working” pretty much sums the guy up! Thank you Darrin for making this transition positive and for supporting Ian as he ventures out on his own. It’s been 5 years of growth, of hard work, and of unbelievable memories. The Windy M has been our home as a part of his job, and as we sat in the yard last week one evening, we both stared out over the fields, thanking God for the time we’ve had here and the memories that have been made. Change is good – but leaving this beautiful place is not going to be easy.
We’re currently in Oak Harbor with my grandparents. Watching sail boats, playing on the beach, and enjoying life with 4 generations. I’m spending quality time just “being.” Enjoying a somewhat slower pace of life, getting used to driving a much more “driver friendly” vehicle, counting down the times I have left making the trip to down on the dusty gravel road, trying to decide what colors to paint my new home, and racking my brain for a new name for this blog.
The “Windy M” has defined our home in the “blowing dust” area along I-84. It has been all about the view, the growth, the fields, the wide open spaces – our life. Our view is going to be changing in just a few short days. There will still be fields and open spaces, but it won’t be the Windy M. The wind isn’t going to blow nearly as hard, the porch will be a bit different, there won’t be nearly as many mice or barn swallows, and the place where we’ve built our life and family is going to be a memory. Is the Windy M “us” – or is it the “place" we've called home for the past five years?
Maybe I don’t need to change the name, but there is something that keeps tugging away at me saying – embrace the change… and change the name. But for now... we're still at the Windy M.

Here is my little firecracker... enjoying life at the beach!