A Lot Has Changed in Almost Seven Years

It's been almost seven years since I started this blog, and so many things have changed since that day so long ago!

In those few years, we've lost so many loved ones, both friends and family, that it makes my heart sigh to think about how much I miss them all. But, we also gained some new friends, and have gotten closer to other family members in that same time. We helped my inlaws pack up and move to Florida, maybe not the best decision, but what can you do when they are adults still capable of making their own decisions?!? We're praying they are safe as Matthew rolls in, they were sort of evacuating, not getting out of Florida, but getting more inland to a solid cement house instead of their manufactured house.

Seven years ago, our kids were either just graduated from high school or just starting. Now our oldest has moved out on his own, graduated college (with honors), gotten his first grown-up job, met his love and new fiance and now has moved almost 2 hours away. Our youngest still lives at home, but is busy with his college education and two jobs, so we hardly see him anymore. I miss those crazy days, of running here and there and everywhere, and having our tiny house bursting at the seams with our boys and their friends!

During that time, we lost our Maddie girl (our black lab rescue dog), who was the best dog in the universe, but we also found our little Lucy (shih poo) the joy of our hearts,  and most recently our tiny Bailey and Ben (brother and sister shorkie poos). We are all realizing that we acted impulsively when we got the two newest fur babies, and had we realized how much work two fuzzy, puppies would be, we probably wouldn't have even looked twice at the ad on facebook for them! But, I think now that we've had them a month, they are forever embedded in our hearts, and things are looking up with the potty training and the chaos that comes with having 3 little dogs. Lucy is finally having a blast with them instead of hating us and them like she was the first few weeks.

We've done a ton of updating and remodeling in and on our home in those years, working hard to make it a sanctuary where we can rest, relax and unwind from the crazy, busy-ness of the world around us. We even went through a period about 3 1/2 years ago when we thought we were going to lose our home to eminent domain to expand the park next door. Those were some seriously sad and stressful times, and they didn't work out at that time, so we got to stay where we love to live. Unfortunately, that desire to spread out and keep growing hasn't slowed down for our community, and we just found out a couple of days ago that the park IS expanding, behind our house and on the opposite side of our property. So we'll have a portion of the park on all three sides of us, as well as a new subdivision going into the cornfields across the street, with 17 new houses on 2 acre lots.

We had a good run, we've lived here almost 23 years without neighbors, and many years without a park with soccer fields along our fenceline (with stadium lights for night games). We knew eventually we'd get neighbors, and from the last go around, we knew the township would revisit expanding the park, we just had hoped for more years. We were told this time around that they were for sure going ahead with their plans, and basically, if we didn't like it, we could move. The didn't indicate that they were going to try to take it or make an offer.

Being the alarmist that he is, Mr got pretty anxious about the whole deal, and right away went to a realtor to start the process of looking for a new home or property to build on. I looked at the 14 listings the realtor came up with, but not one of them was even worth a drive-by in my eyes. When we were faced with losing our house a few years ago, I realized how much I love where I live!

If I was to get a new house, I'd build the same one...just maybe add in another 8 feet across the whole front to make the rooms, closets and bathrooms a little bigger. Other than that, I love our location, I love the layout of our house, I love our big yard, with our barn, pool, sunroom and volleyball court.The yard that is full of too many pine trees and towering Maple trees that we dug up from my parents property when they were no bigger around than my finger, and now they are 50 tall! I love all of the hostas, roses, peonies, rose of sharon, magnolia trees, ferns, ornamental grasses, and phlox that were all given to us by friends and loved ones-I don't want to move! But, at the same time, I've done some serious praying since Monday, and I am at peace with where ever God directs us to go, whether it is to stay, or whether it is to move, we will follow.

On the good side, the hospital that Mr works for , is building a surgery center within 3 miles of our house, so his commute time would be cut to 1/5 of what it is now. One more reason to think about staying.  Some people are worried that if we don't go now, we'll be stuck with a place that no one would want to buy. Mr and I talked it over, and we both decided that if we were in our twenties again, and this property were for sale, with the park all around and the sub across the street, we would still buy it. That was HUGE! I think that took away the whole helpless and trapped feeling that we had been feeling. So, for now, we are staying...who knows what the future will hold, but we're ready to follow wherever God leads.

We've had lots of great memories and great adventures over the years since I started my blog. I've tried to take you all along as I went. I always love to read blogs about people's adventures that I might never get to experience for myself, it kind of , in a way, makes this big old world seem smaller. I've also gotten to meet several of my blog friends in person, and I smile every time I think about how crazy it is to meet someone who likes the same things I do, and someone who "gets" me and my crazy collecting and collections. Most people in my immediate life just think I am nuts when they see my Pyrex or Fiesta, and only very few people have seen my linens collection. I'm ok with that, my treasure hunting buddy Auntie and my blog friends are always there to cheer for me when I get a great find and they are what keeps me from thinking I really am as crazy as my friends and family say I am!

Over the past seven years, Auntie and I have had some fun and crazy adventures! We opened our booth(s) at the antique mall, held a few garage sales and put more miles on our cars treasure hunting that we can even fathom-it has been a BLAST!!

I can't wait to see what the next 7 years (and beyond) holds for all of us! Nothing is going to stay the same, it is always changing, and the only thing I can control is how I react. I want my reactions to always be pleasing and glorifying to God. I want to always be encouraging, loving and kind to everyone around me, and I want the rest of my years to be filled with LOTS of laughter, love and great memories!

My blog posts over the next 7 years will probably be a lot less than the first 7 because I'm not hunting for treasures as much since I don't have the booth and I have most of the things I need want for my collections. I still get out once in a while, but no where near as much as I used to, and most of the places I go are the same one's I've been going to for years. I'll only be posting the highlights, and not the same old same old. Plus with my workload increasing at work, by the time I get home, being on the computer is the farthest thing from my mind lately.

I'll still be following all of my blog friend's adventures-I'm looking forward to seeing how your lives change in the next 7 years, and beyond as well! Take care friends! Happy Hunting!! You'll see more from me soon! :)