Busy as Bees

Ryley is still living it up with my parents in Oklahoma, and she doesn’t return until Thursday. We are really starting to miss our sweet girl, and she misses us too, but we know it’s good for all of us to have a bit of a break!

So again, I sit in a quiet, clean house with storm clouds brewing, feeling like I should be doing something Joy-like…yet just not able to put my finger on what that is! Light some candles? Make some coffee? Watch Anne of Green Gables? Give myself a pedicure? The possibilities are endless, and overwhelmed, I choose to sit blankly and stare into space. Oh, and blog.

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The week before the 4th of July was a busy one. Like, the kind of busy that you can hardly believe is happening all at once, and you can see it coming, but there is absolutely nothing you can do to change any of it.

Wednesday, June 28, was Ryan’s first day as acting general manager of his restaurant -- “acting,” meaning he has all the responsibility but doesn’t officially get the title until he has his big panel review this week. He has worked so stinking hard for this, and I am so proud of him! I’ll never forget when he texted me on the evening of the 27th:

Pray for me. Troy’s gone. It’s all me now!

So naturally, that Wednesday was a big day for him as he stepped into his new role, answered for some things he wasn’t prepared for, etc., etc., etc.

Wednesday, June 28, was also my company’s moving day. Yippeeee! And until Tuesday night, my co-workers and I were all still in denial that we were actually moving. Because though we had a U-Haul booked, we didn’t actually have a lease signed until Wednesday morning. So I didn’t actually  start packing my office until the truck arrived…. Yeah…. Smart move.

This picture was taken on Tuesday sometime, because of course, Vacation Bible School happened that week, and it made more sense for Ryley to come to my office each afternoon than for me to pick up Ryley from VBS, drive her across town to daycare, and then pay for it. I put her to work. She was fine.

Here are my co-workers feeling the strain of our move….

And arguing over strategy….

And relaxing.

 

I look back at it, and it’s amazing we stayed sane in the mess of figuring out our new facility. For instance, the only option for Internet is a T1 line, and they are 3-4 weeks out on T-1 installation. We have a digital phone system that is dependent on a stable Internet connection, so phones cannot be installed until we get our Internet up. So right now? We use wifi cards for Internet on a need-to basis, and we have our company calls forwarded to a random cell phone, for which we can’t agree on a ringtone.

But look how pretty….

I really, really love our new office so much better than our old one. And I am very happy about my new desk and space!!! :-)

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The very next day, my mom arrived for a visit! And the day after that, we headed to Nebraska for a mini-reunion with my extended family at my grandma’s house.

Ryley and my cousin Cora are buddies. :-)

Ryley and my mom swam at the hotel…

Then we sat on my grandma’s patio and waited for a storm to roll in. There was a tornado warning to the west, and they were expecting large hail. None of it ever came. Just high winds and rain.

It was fun all being together. :-)

Ryley swam some more….

 

And we did fireworks on Sunday night.

Before we left, we had to get a four-generation shot! My grandma, my mom, me, and Ryley.

And as we drove away, my family waved their hankies…So silly!!!

That evening we watched a fantastic fireworks show here in our suburb, and it was very good!

Ryley and my mom flew to Tulsa on Wednesday night, and they have been having lots of fun.

My brother and sister-in-law drove up there this weekend, so Ryley got to see her adorable twin cousins too!

How I wish we could have been there for the fun!!!

Thank you, Mom and Dad, for giving Ryley such a wonderful time this week! We love you!!!!!