A Sad Goodbye to Snohomish

We sold our house in Snohomish. We've been trying to sell it for more than 3 years.  Funny thing ... when you give it away, everyone wants it.

It cost us alot of money, and it comes bittersweet. Selling this house will get my husband home from Iraq...

This house is where we became a family, and where we brought baby Ripley home.

It's where my son grew and became a man.  Here are his height marks on the wall.

Selling this house is a huge weight removed from us.  I feel like "we held on till the bottom".  We kept saving to pay the difference, but it was sinking faster than we could save. 

It finally took a good turn of Biotech to help us.

I'm saddened to lose my connection to Snohomish.  To lose the house that is 2 miles from my sister, and 10 miles from my brother.  Hopefully as I no longer make these payments I will come to appreciate it more.

Or

Maybe I'll just go buy an MDX to make myself feel better.  :-)

Jamestown Settlement, 1607

"In the Beginning, All America Was Virginia."
- William Byrd, 1732

"In 1607, 13 years before the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts, a group of 104 English men and boys began a settlement on the banks of Virginia's James River. They were sponsored by the Virginia Company of London, whose stockholders hoped to make a profit from the resources of the New World. The community suffered terrible hardships in its early years, but managed to endure, earning the distinction of being America's first permanent English colony."

They came in on 3 very small boats (it took 4 months)

I hope she is a better navigator than her father and I.

The making of a fishing net.

Erika at the Battlefields

Roger and Erika went to Gettysburg Battlefield.

and I took her to Manassas Battlefield.

It's a RedNeck party.

The neighbor threw a "Redneck Birthday Party"

The hostess

The dinner

The band (and livestock)

The appetizer

The drinks

The Birthday boy in stripes (it was a suprise)

Spenser and Erika visit Washington's Home

Spenser and Erika went to Mt Vernon for Easter.

http://www.mountvernon.org/

Washington's Distillery

A Sunny Sunday Ride

I put in 30 miles today (in 2 trips).

We also got Erika on the back with Roger.

Angie's first ride.

So I've been out on my motocycle 3 times now.

The 1st time I did about a mile on gravel, and I was scared to death.

The second time I did 3 miles on gravel and pavement.

Last week I did 16 miles on the real road.  Only had two close calls, and one that really freaked me out a bit.  I did get up to about 45 mph and in 3rd gear.

I'm way freaked out.  I have a hard enough time keeping 4 wheels out of the ditch!