Last Days in Rock Springs

It is hard going through all the pictures of our summer. We managed to have some fun, too, but oh, what a challenging year we've had. I'm so relieved to never have to go through moving again... at least for a very long time. 

 We were told by our moving company that since it would have to go to Alaska by barge, our stuff would take four weeks to get there. So we set up a moving date and promptly booked tickets for the kids and I to fly up one month later, on July 21. Garreth started his job in Anchorage in June, separating our family again for nearly six weeks. Being without our things and living out of suitcases is hard enough without being cooped up in a hotel room, plus we wanted to save money, so we decided that the kids and I would split up our time between the empty house in Rock Springs and staying with family. I signed the kids up for plenty of camps and fun summer activities to keep us busy.

We had a fun summer, so I'm not going to mention that our stuff ended up being driven all the way to Anchorage and was there in a mere ten days. Plus, Garreth got the joy and privilege of closing on the house and helping the movers unload and opening dozens of boxes and actually having my kitchen completely unpacked for me. Love that guy.

 Lucky for me, I have kids that love adventure.

 Sam, after The Amazing Race camp.

It was hard, but I somewhat enjoyed living in an empty house, too. With everything gone and the house cleaned, there was nothing for me to do but enjoy the summer with my kids. We had the bare minimums as far as clothes and entertainment went, and I learned that we really don't need all the things we have. It was a fabulous lesson in simple living, which has followed me to Alaska and helped me purge as we moved into a smaller home. 

 Enjoying our last days in the desert.

 Seeing all the pictures of my kids with their old friends brings tears to my eyes. How I hate tearing them away from people they love. This is Declan and his little neighbor buddy, Weston.

 Enjoying the ice cream they were bribed with to behave at the doctors office for new student checkups.

 Liam and our good friend, Cammie. She was Liam's primary teacher when we moved to Rock Springs and they quickly discovered that they share both a birthday and a passion/talent for dancing. She also taught the kids and I in Zumba classes at the rec center and was a terrific friend and neighbor. One of the people we miss the most.

 Enjoying a lunch on the fireplace mantel. The kids loved the empty house and played better in it than they did when it was full of toys. They made spook alleys and obstacle courses, played hide-and-seek, and actually got along pretty good.

 We saw every kid friendly movie that came out that month because going to the theater killed a few hours and we LOVE movies. Lest you think I believe that "Rock of Ages" was a kid friendly movie, I assure you that this was just a fun display in the lobby that my little rocker simply had to pose with, not a movie we saw.

 These two photos sum up our life this summer best... and make me laugh. The kids, gathered around a tiny DVD player that the neighbor loaned us, in a completely empty room, eating cheesy toast (one of the few things we could easily make in an empty kitchen), with Nacho lurking behind, just hoping somebody drops a piece of crust. And the boys playing DS, which they did more of than I really care to admit, while Nacho strikes his "bored" pose.

 Grace and her good friend Liz. Sniff.

 A night at the National Finals High School Rodeo, where I discovered that there's really only one rodeo I truly enjoy. Nothing else compares to That Famous Preston Night Rodeo.

 Our last picture before driving away from our house. Please don't zoom up on Liam's face, unless you are already having a most tragic kind of day. Utterly heartbreaking.