Similarities between my 4 year old daughter and my 88 year old Grandma

     As we have moved into my grandma's home with all my children, I am noticing how much my grandma 88 years old and my 4 year old daughter are alike. 

     I will begin to list these things as I can below. I know there are lessons to learn from these. Maybe they have the key to joyful living. 

1) Ice Cream is the best food group. 

2) anytime is a good time to swing. 

3) Shirley Temple movies are funny. 

4) Everyone should have a lay down in the afternoon. 

5) Sometimes you should skip dinner to eat ice cream. 

6) Dirt is just dirt. It doesn't hurt. 

7) Lightening bugs are awesome. 

8) Being barefoot feels good. 

9) Horses are beautiful. 

10) Dolls are fun. 

11) Birds, rabbits, squirrels and any other creature that run around the lawn are amazing and fun to chase (my daughter chases while Grandma cheers her on). 

12) They both need help out of the car. 

13) They both love sparkly things. 

14) Both Love flowers. 

15) Both get excited about baby birds and nests. 

16) Both like to count how many birds are on the lawn. 

17) Both laugh at my husbands silly jokes with the same enthusiasm. 

18) Both like baths. 

19) Both love hugs. 

20) Did I mention the commonality of their love for ice cream?

21) don't get in a hurry to go places. Take your time. Others will wait for you. 

This isn't an exhaustive list but, a good thing to pay attention to. I'm saying I think the oldest and the youngest generation are smarter then those that make up the rest of the countries age groups. We think we are so smart, working and being efficient. Look at Grandma and my girlie. Stop, look at the flowers and how the caterpillar is crawling on the leaf. Stop and watch the robin build its nest. There is no hurry. 

Life I too short not to enjoy each minute and eat as much ice cream as you can. 

     So there it is. Life's short. wake up and and have dessert. 

Don't make a wrong turn in Albuquerque!

     So, we are on the road. The trailer with all of our wordly possessions left a few days ago. The day that we got packed up was a big one. We knew some things wouldn't fit but we didn't know that much wouldn't go in. Whatever we couldn't pack in the trailer or car was given to one of Greg's employees that could use it. That made me feel better about leaving it behind. But, I was a little sad about some of it. My bookcases were left. That is big since I have many books. The big boys beds were left. I guess that's O.K. Since they probably need bigger beds anyway.  Various other items were left. But the one that choked me up a bit was the glider chair and foot stool that I had nursed all 4 of my children in. That was hard. Silly I know. It's just a chair. And a faded, showing its age one at that. I knew it had to he left but I did tear up a bit.
I remember sitting in that chair at 2:00 am nursing my oldest that is now almost 16, looking out the window. It was so calm and peaceful at that time of the morning. No one was out on the street. It felt like only I and my little guy were awake. I remember thinking that I would never forget that moment. And I haven't. My husband felt badly later when he realized how sad it made me. But, it was my contribution to the move. We all gave up things to do this.
     We shipped my husbands car. Then we have hooked the old 1972 electric blue, Jeep Commando behind my forest green Excursion. We are a sight to see going down the road. So far we have stayed in a hotel in town there where we grew up, for a few nights just to get the house cleaned up an do a couple of appointments before we left. Then we headed out. It was a Thursday morning. There were so many people to say good bye to that it just wasn't possible to see everyone. There were several that weren't happy with us for leaving without a personal good bye. But I hope they know we love them no less. We were really going through so much. Not only an upheaval of our families live but, a complete change of our lives. Where we live, what we do, how we do everything will be different.
Have you ever imagined what your life would look like, and feel like, if you picked up and moved to a totally different area of the country? Or world?? My cousin said something the other day that struck me hard. I had posted on FaceBook that I was bummed that it was the last night in my own bed for a long time and I couldn't sleep. She said it was perfectly understandable since it was the last night before we were about to completely change our lives. I hadn't thought about it that way. She was right. And I'm grateful she said it. It gave such a better perspective as to why I was feeling the way I was.
So here we are; on the I-40 going east. East towards our new lives. We've stopped in Kingman, AZ. It was nice. The first day wasn't so bad. I was worried a little. 2 adults and 4 kids crammed in the car with mounds of other various things for hours- for days on end, sounded awfully scary. But my kids are doing great. Here we are the end of day 3 and everyone is being wonderful. Minus the fragrance that is lingering every now and then from the backseat that has us all gagging today. Of course everyone blamed everyone else. That went on for hours. Windows up, windows down.
So a couple more days and we should be at Grandma's. This trip is one I don't think my family will forget soon.

I will write more later. But for tonight, I want a shower.