Lesson

My sister recently gave my parents a laptop computer, a MacBook. My mom is tickled pink. My dad already refers to it as her computer.

Tonight is lesson one for my mother. She wants to be able to check email and access Facebook. Those are her goals for tonight.

She has her handy notebook to jot down things to remember, which is everything and anything.

She absolutely loves this photo of her, poor photography notwithstanding.

We got the internet thing working, Facebook and her favorite blogs, but we were not successful with email. Mainly because I know practically nothing about Macs.

First Days

Both Ellie's and Gary's first days went well.

Ellie
We toured the elementary school before she started. It looks a whole lot different from when I went there. Though she just may well sit in the same seats I did at lunch. Those chairs and tables are indestructible.

Her teacher is the same teacher my brother had. She went willingly to class after we got the principal to take her, since she didn't remember where to go.

It takes about 5 minutes to walk her to school. I remember it taking a lot longer. When we picked her up the first day, she hugged her teacher before she left. I have enjoyed walking to take and get her from school. She enjoys walking with the girls across the street more than with me.

Gary
Gary's first week has gone well. He has his own office, complete with an actual desk, a drafting table, bookshelves, a closet, and a bathroom. He has to dress nicer, which means more ironing for me. He likes it so far. This new place is much more organized and has a better atmosphere.
He has a longer commute, even though it's about the same distance away, since there are about a million more cars on the road.

Hunter

Last November Hunter was diagnosed with lung cancer. It was very far along and had probably spread there from somewhere else.

Pain medication has tremendously helped him live as long as he has. Without it, he could hardly move around. With it, he was almost like his old self.

But within the last two weeks or so, his coughing and breathing and walking around have declined steadily, even with the meds. And he has been eating less and less.

Yesterday we decided it was time.

We will miss you, Hunter dog.

12 years

It's been twelve years since I last lived at my parents' house. Then I was one. Now I am four. Adding four people to a household at one time is a lot. The kids have their own room. It is good for the kids to have their own space, even though they still like to hang out together.

Moving us in is a work in progress. Mom and Dad still have to make room for some of our stuff and go through some of their stuff. And we are putting some of it in storage, but we are waiting to rent the space until we move things from the storage space at the cabin. So there is stuff everywhere and at times, it's overwhelming. But I think that in two weeks, most things will be in their place and the house will feel better.

We truly appreciate my parents letting us stay here. Thank you Mom and Dad!

Lasts

Yesterday was my last day of work.

Today was our last day at church here.

This is the last week of school for the kids at EverGreen Elementary. And Josh's last week of pre-K, since North Penn school district does not have pre-K, so he's almost done for the year.

Gary's last week of staying home.

Our last week of doing endless dishes and living in cramped quarters.

Our last week of cozy fires and peaceful woods.

Much provisions

We were at Gary's dad's house this weekend. Here are Ellie and Josh enjoying the pool last summer. I can't find a winter photo.

The men went to the car show on Saturday, while the children and women stayed home. The kids were in their PJs from Friday night to Sunday morning. Ellie set up an office in our bedroom. She played the doctor (psychologist) and Gary and I were her patients. She kept detailed notes on our answers to her questions. Josh played with trains and watched Rocky and Bullwinkle.

Judy and I went shopping Sunday afternoon. Then before we left, she went through her cupboards and found us five bags of groceries. Very generous.

We forgot to bring home two very important things: a Christmas present that we missed, a pretzel maker, and my birthday present, a device to stream Netflix on the TV. I sure do like my Netflix.