Wide Open Spaces

I'm sitting in my new kitchen, perched atop a stool with a rug-rat at my feet who's not quite convinced this time change ever happened. We hit some snags along the journey, but the bottom line is that we're in our new home, and it's everything I hoped it would be. Save for one little detail; we have no furniture, or any of our things.

Wait, you say. Didn't she just say she was perched atop a bar stool? Okay, yes, I have a card table with four folding chairs and two bar stools. But our actual possessions were last seen in Syracuse, NY and are slated to be delivered next week. In the meantime, I rounded out my trifecta of dream appliances with the Electrolux 'red hot red' front-loader washer and dryer and a monster of a french door stainless Samsung refrigerator.

J and I spent the last four days building the fence that will allow me to sit on the back patio and lazily sip my coffee while the kids have the run of the yard. J's parents came from Montana to help with the fence-building process, and when Granny and Papa came to deliver the bedding I had shipped to their house, they also donated a day of labor and child-watch. I can't even begin to describe how nice it is to be close to family.

Prior to Day 1 of Operation Build a Fence, I ran my second half-marathon; Fueled by Fine Wine in Dundee, Oregon. It was the most beautiful, but also the hardest course I've ever run. I was so dreading the race because I'd run exactly once since June 27th, but I'm so glad I just got over myself and did it. The course itself was a 'slow' course, which made my slow time just fine.

I ran the race with my best friend and my sister-in-law. It was my friend's first half-marathon and she rocked it, I'm so proud of her! My sister-in-law ran it even though she was sick, and still had an awesome time. After two 900 gains and decreases in elevation, I was deliriously happy to see that finish line. At the end, I actually did want to sample some of the offerings and a crisp, chilled brut followed by a cold pinot noir rose never tasted so good! Lunch and a shower with my brother and sister-in-law on the East side of Portland before making the drive home were just what the doctor ordered.

When we arrived back in Walla Walla, we stopped by Safeway where I picked up an assortment of cheeses, some crackers a salad...the perfect light dinner fare. We were home for about 10 minutes when the doorbell chimed and I thought 'Seriously...I'm too tired to be neighborly' but I opened the door anyway. On the stoop stood our old friends, who we hadn't seen in person since I was pregnant with Charlie. We put the kids to bed, opened a bottle of wine and sat in our back yard visiting until almost midnight. It was the perfect end to the day.

On the flip-side of all of that; I miss my friends. We had a good thing going in Massachusetts, and it's just hard to start all over again. Last night was the first time H has watched TV of any kind in over four days, and it was as if the Backyardigans were the best thing since sliced bread. Today we're going to our first playdate where H will get to play with kids his own age since we left Massachusetts. He's starving for some same-age stimulation!

And that's all for now because I have a toddler struggling with the sliding glass door, and the coffee has brewed. Off to enjoy the early morning sun and the beautiful fenced yard that is all my own.