Good-bye Shelton!

This is it! This is my last blog from Shelton. In fact, tomorrow the computer will be turned off and packed and I probably won't get back on until we arrive in Phoenix (Sunday or Monday). I think I'm ready. In order to keep myself from just totally becoming an emotional wreck I've been making lists of pros and cons. It keeps me grounded and looking at the positive things!
Things I will miss:
My family (obviously): Mom, Dad, Rachel, Royal, Willie, Joanna, Jon, Jordan, both of my Grandmas, some cousins and some aunts and uncles, and my cat!!!
My dearest friends (I wish I could list you all, but I'm afraid I would forget to mention someone): Church Friends, MOPS Friends, HighSchool Friends, Neighbors, Dance Friends, Knit Wits, Arbonne Friends, etc....
My house (our garden and our great back yard of grass!)
The frogs that are our neighbors on one side
The scenary
The lake
Summer (the Northwest kind)
And much more....
Things I will NOT miss:
Wal-Mart (I'm sorry, but I'm not going to miss that. I know there are Wal-Marts in Phoenix, but they are not the only place to shop in town!)
Family tension
Mold
Moss
90 days of straight rain
Limited good shopping
Huge blackberry vines invading our little space to play (although I will miss picking and eating the blackberries behind our fence)
Being cooped up in the house with the kids all winter!
That might be it. There isn't a whole lot I'm going to miss. And to be honest, I would be happy dealing with all those things. I guess I'm glad that there's not as much of those things in the place I have to go!
Pros:
Rand is going to love his job!
We have friends waiting for us there!
We are going have great weather most of the year!
It is going to so fun when our friends and family come to visit!
We're going to have a pool in our back yard for sure!
Grandpa Mike and Grandma Maureen!
I think I might take up golf!

Well, I guess I'm saying goodbye Shelton! I hope many of you really do come and visit! And of course I will be back to visit, too, probably for extended periods of time...especially in the summer! Please email me, call me, leave me comments because you will all be sorely missed!
With much sadness and joyful anticipation,
Kaylee

Rachel, Will, Joanna, Jordan

Having brothers and sisters is maybe one of the best things ever! I am lucky to have 4 of the best brothers and sisters around. Because we are all fairly close in age we have A LOT of memories that we love to re-hash at all of our family gatherings. (Oh the things we used to do when our parents weren't looking!!!) I don't know how it happened, but we all really like each other and we spend as much time together as we possibly can. Sometimes when we are all together we practically turn into children again (especially in restaurants or in church) giggling, being silly and even throwing punches at the dinner table.

I always find it sad to think that not all siblings get along as well as we do. Some siblings don't like each other at all. Maybe even worse is those who don't even have a brother or a sister. It's really too bad, because there is nothing like a sibling. Good friends come close but they will never be a sister or a brother in the same way. We lived together our whole lives, we share all the same memories (with variations), we were raised by the same two people. Nothing can break a bond like that....not even moving to Arizona! I have been so lucky for the past 4 years to live so close with all 4 of my brothers and sisters. It's hard to leave because of them. What would I do without all 4 of them? Or, if you want to get deep, who would I be? They make GREAT aunts and uncles and are loved sooo much by my boys. Although we will see each other often still, and we will "chat" online every day :), I will miss the casual, accidental, family gatherings that we have ALL the time! I just love my brothers and sisters!

Wyatt

There's nothing like a little music and some dancing toddlers to cheer you up!! :)

Could he possibly get any happier???

Wyatt--18months