So...here's the deal...

My stove/oven burned out, my pocket door is broken in the downstairs bathroom, our septic tank wiring needs to be replaced, my hot water tap smells bad and is loose..need to be replaced with a sprayer nozzle that I already bought, my hot water handle on my kitchen sink is wacko and won't shut off in the right place so it looks funny, my carpet is trashed, still haven't had time to finish my window trim in the living room, our lawn mower is funky and only Robert can start it but he rarely mows the weeds down for me, my weed trimmer dies after 20 minutes and isn't good until the next day( no idea why?) ...and the list goes on and on...homeownership is not all it is cracked up to be but... in the end I am very grateful we have a home at all, might not be brand new and custom built and perfect like the homes of some of my dear friends around here but it is a home and it works for us...right? In light of my in -laws moving to Utah next week I have been feeling like I wish we lived closer to the rest of the siblings that still live here in the Northwest. I long to have Quincy live closer and Andrea and Jon and Tim...wouldn't it be fun if we lived in the same area so we could help each other out more often, what with the cost of fuel we may only get to see one another at Christmas??? I am great pipe-dreamer and I dream about being surrounded by family, not over an hour's drive, ....SOMEDAY???

I am grateful for this country and for this city to live in, for this house and for the health of my children and husband. Looking at the big picture sometimes is helpful and being happy with what you have and living in the here and now. I have a list in my mind at all time of things I would change about my life...moving on... I want to keep a list of the things in my life I wouldn't change for the world...my kids and my strange and hard to live with 15 year old crazy husband:)my membership in the church, my friends...my loved family..my dog...my chickens...my cats...I do love my life.