Major Catch Up Post!!

I have been absent from the blog for a very long time.  I have done the one thing I didn't want to do...I've been so busy living life that I haven't taken the time to get it on here.  There is a huge danger to this, and I'm aware of that.  We have been so busy living life these past months, that there is no way I will remember the little nuggets of happy, sad, scared and all the other emotions that we have felt in that time.

So, I am determined to get caught up and then post at least every couple of weeks from now on.

So...where are we currently in our lives??

Rai is living in Lawton during the week, and comes home on the weekends.  Not ideal, but much better than seeing him every 3-4 months like when he was in Germany.  And its temporary...the countdown has begun to retirement from the Army!  He will retire in June of next year, and will start terminal leave in April.  We are so excited to be a family under one roof again, but there are also a lot of unknowns about where he will work, what he will do, etc.

I am still staying at home, although I may need to start working part time in the future to help pay for Tori's college, depending on what job Rai gets after retirement.  We bought what is hopefully our forever home in May, so I stay busy with projects here in the house.  I have painted almost every single room (with plans to paint more) and I've done several furniture projects (with plans for more).  I never have time to get bored, that's for sure!

Tori started college in August.  She is going to Oklahoma Christian University, which is only about 15 minutes from us.  But she is living in the dorms, and her absence is obvious in our home.  She's doing well, and actually seems to be enjoying the college lifestyle.  She still meets us at church on Saturday evenings, and we spend a nice family evening together afterwards.

Abbi is in 8th grade...her last year of middle school.  This is her 3rd year at the same school, which is a brand new experience for our family!!  She is involved in competitive cheer still, and loves every minute of it.

Ryan is in 2nd grade, and because we bought a house across town from where we were renting, he had to switch schools.  But it's a great school, and hopefully he will finish out his elementary years there.  He is still quite the comedian and always has a quick answer to any question.  You never know what he is going to say...or who he's going to say it to!!  Definitely makes for some interesting conversations!! : )  He is playing soccer and continues to improve, but he is still the smallest kid on the team!  Doesn't bother him one bit!!

And that's where we are at this very moment!!  I'm going to try and work backwards from here to catch up on the last few months of life....