2014 is Almost over…..So many milestones have been reached this year.  I have been thinking back at the first of the year.  January 2014.  Where were we.  I was working everyday at Advantage Log.  Rich was hauling mail for URSA.  It was a horrible winter.  I decided after the first of the year, if the weather was bad, I wasn’t going in.  I used my sick days up really fast.  If I didn’t value my life, would they?  We were still expected to go to work if we could make it.  If we didn’t show up we received points.  Oh Well, so that’s the way it was…..I call it the Corporation Thinking…Can’t change it…..

Rich was hauling mail over the road.  Sometimes going from Dixon to Des Moines.  Sometimes LaSalle to St. Louis, sometimes to Wisc.  He ran many miles of snow and ice.  He was shut down by state police for blizzards and accidents.  He was lucky enough to remain still a driver with a perfect driving record.  So at that point, we said……….NO MORE WINTER……WE HAD ENOUGH…..Plans were made for this winter to be in sunshine.   The call and Emails went out down her to East Gate and the process began….

Also much happened with the rest of the family.  Little Carly was the first birthday of the year.   She was 2.  She is growing so fast and is so cute.  I must say, she is so smart.  These kids just get smarter every year……lol…..This year we will miss her 3rd birthday.  Cassidy was 10 in March.  She is a preteen by every sense of the word.  lol  She is growing prettier every year…

Tammy had been attending Nursing School, and She graduated in May with her Bachelors of Nursing from St. Francis School of Nursing in Peoria.  Now this was a very proud moment for the whole family.  She was the first to graduate with a degree.  A moment, a Milestone in her Life……She was on Cloud Nine.  and she so deserved it.   For 5 years she has worked toward this degree, for many different reasons.  It was a good job that she could support her family in the way she wanted to.  It was also her DREAM.  The dream kept her going through all those years of stress.  I still don’t know how she accomplished such a Feat.  Raising a family and studying at the same time.   She has so many friends and family, that have been their and supported her the last 5 years.  I would stop after work and check in with her….lol…thank goodness for texting……She would get home anywhere from 5pm to sometimes much later.  Brandy, Scotts girlfriend, would pick up Carly from Bettys Daycare, on her day, and take her home.  Tammy would pick Carly up on her way home.  Cassidy would go to her dads couple of times a week.  Tina was always their for her.  Tammy could call her at a moments notice and Tina would take the kids.  She also did her share of running to pick up the kids.  She was just a phone call away.  Always supportive of Tammy’s Dream. She also had a babysitter come once or more a week….Cameron would also help out when needed.   He also needed a ride home form school, so that would be my first stop after work…lol….Taxi service….Every semester the plans changed……….Today she has a job as a Nurse at the Mendota Lutheran Home.  She is enjoying her new life as a nurse and is an awesome nurse.  She has all the attributes to make a wonderful and caring nurse.  We are all so Proud of her.

Along come June, not only did we have Tammy’s Graduation party but, it was also Cameron’s 16th Birthday……Oh is he excited…..He did his class room Drivers Training and is now doing his driving to complete his first step towards his license.  Grandpa is giving him his truck….It is in his driveway and he sits in it a lot dreaming…..hahaha….The life of a Sixteen year old….He has now started his first job at Steak and Shake..

Tina and Ed has also had there share of accomplishments this year.  Ed is doing Awesome, at his job at Marquis.   Tina has been also been attending College.  She has completed another semester at Illinois State in Bloomington and now is taking some courses at IVC.  She is now employed as an Assistant Probation Officer at the Putnam Co Court house…..She is also on the Village Board in Granville…..She has made HUGE Accomplishments and has some wonderful goals in mind….What a Beautiful Family she has.

Scott is also doing wonderful.  Him and Brandy have their Beautiful country home, he is doing good with his Trucking business and hosting several parties at their home this year….Yes they love a good party…..haha….He also has recently bought some Karaoke equipment …..Going to have a Great New Years Party at his house….lol….From Party bus’s to Karaoke….Never a dull moment in his life….Brandy’s daughter Staci is also attending Nursing School….Staci is in her 3rd year, heading for her Bachelors also….So another Nurse in the family soon…..Look out for that party….hahah…With Scott and Brandy planning it,…..It will be a Blast…

In June, I walked out of work one day and I received the Wonderful Call…..YAHOO….Debbie from here at Eastgate Rv Park, called and accepted us a Workampers…..Ohhhh Myyy….how excited I was…I called her and talked to her and then immediately called Rich…So onward with our plans…All this time I have been trying to clean out the house.  Over 30 years of Stuff….Wow….Selling items on Garage Sale facebook sites.  I would get out of work and meet these people with the item they bought and then go and do Taxi service or babysitting….haha….Sometimes they even met me at work at lunch hour….So little by little, I got rid of some of the more valuable things in the house.   They don’t mean so much later in life now do they.  Just an accumulation of STUFF…..

On Sept 1, I went part time.  I probably would have been fired for rate if I hadn’t.  Now when you work for a corporation,  it seems like it doesn’t matter that you have been their almost 17 years….My seniority was under 10…..doesn’t matter…….If you can’t make rate …….out the door you will go…..So after some decision making, part time it was.   Thanks to Obama Care, I could still keep health ins. on Rich and me.   The whole object of still working.  So I filed for SSI…..YEAAAAA…..Then along came the New Teeth….Now that is a Blog in September you must read if you haven’t.   So hilarious.   New dentures….lol….Oct. 1…RETIREMENT…..Enough working….Teeth were done….lol…Nov 1. Rich…..RETIREMENT…..Filled for SSI also…..Now OFFICIALLY RETIRED…...And Let the Fun Begin…..lol….

Our Miley also had her Birthday Party.  She is 6 now and growing up so fast.  So so smart. The things she says just baffles her mom and dad.  She is in gymnastics.  We went to her meet in Rock Island just before we left.  She is so tiny and pretty and so so good.   Amazing.

 

The one Birthday we missed this year is Austin.  He was 4 …..This past year, he has grown from a toddler to al little boy.  He is now in his first year of school.  He is doing so good.  Learning so much already.   He just smiles all the time and you can just see the oneryness in his eyes….Such a Cuttie…

Also have to mention Connie and Brian…Rich’s younger sister….She has been family since we were married.   She has always been here for us and with us at all family gatherings….They were their the day we left helping us pack and get away….She has always been the PET babysitter when on vacations, and  ” Connie….ya know what I noticed? lol….I was looking for pics of Austin and Christmas….Guess who has taking over the picture taking on special occasions…..lol…YOU….I went to your Facebook page to find them and steal…”  Thank goodness for the new phone and joining facebook….Actually Thank You Mindy…..

We had Thanksgiving Dinner with all the family a week before the Holiday on a Saturday and then Sunday we left for Texas.  Just before the first snowstorm on Monday, I might add….hahaha

….What a whirl wind day it was.  Tina, Ed, Connie and Brian, came to help us….We so need help.  All the last minute stuff we still needed to pack.  And all the last minutes things we never got done.  They all said…..”Just go we will take care of it”….AND WE DID….We left on schedule on Sunday afternoon…Took our time getting down her…..Arrived on Friday after Thanksgiving….

So now….We have been here 1 month…..It is everything we had dreamed of and more…..Were still waiting for the feeling of….”Vacation is over, go back home and go to work”…..to be over.  It seems like vacation.  We have done so many fun things already.  I love the office work.  Its not work ya know.   I also get to talk all I want….hahaha….I don’t get in trouble anymore for talking….haha…Rich is doing maintenance and loving it.   Done by noon or 1 and were free.  So many activities to do.  I am playing pool and also doing the Wood carving class.  We hosted the Christmas Dinner.  I was even the MC….with the microphone in hand….What a Day…We have the best neighbors one can have….We are the Hood on Albatross Lane….haha….We all represent 25 states and 4 provinces of Canada.  Amazing isn’t it….

So now all I have to say is ……..WOW….WHAT AN AMAZING YEAR…..2014…THE YEAR OF CHANGE….There is life after Retirement….We want to THANK all of the family…..I have been reading so many fb sites and blogs these last 2 years….So many people write that this is their dream, but their kids won’t let them do it.  The kids insist they stay home …..They are so sad and torn between fighting with the kids and wanting to travel…That is so sad isn’t it…..Never never did we ever hear that form our kids….They have been so supportive of us during this whole process.  They have wanted us to go have our fun….They have be so Wonderful…Of course their is also much saddeness at times…..We all miss each other, but now we have downloaded Skype, that has helped. but still not the same.  Neverless they are wanting us to enjoy and have fun….AND WE ARE…..So heres to a Wonderful 2014……………….and Wonder what 2015 will Bring……

Thank You to all our Family and Friends…..HAPPY NEW YEAR……....

THANK YOU ALL, FOR READING OUR BLOG…