What a difference a day makes!

Fair warning...this could get very long and could ramble a bit also! If your willing to stick with me, you should grab a Coke before we go any further.


One day, about 2 years ago, John and I were living in Stillman Valley, Illinois. A tiny town in the middle of the corn. It had been snowing for days on end. Yes it's beautiful, but I was really over it! We had just gotten up and I had what I lovingly call a "girl moment". I cried and cried. I finally told him that I want to go HOME and never see snow out our window again. I left home at 17, married a soldier and traveled the country. Sounds glamourous, I know, but trust me it was anything but. After 12 years of marriage, we divorced, and he died from brain cancer a few years later.

I met my sweet John on a blind date, after transfering to Alabama with Chrysler. It was love at first site and we were married a year later on the same date in Gaitlinburg, Tennessee!!! When the job in Alabama ended we were sent to the Belvidere Illinois Assembly Plant (Rockford, IL). As you all know when the economy slowed down so did the auto industry. Chrysler started offering buyouts. We had to turn down the first one in January 2008 because our house in Stillman Valley hadn't sold. We both cried then. We changed real estate agents and kept up with the showings and open houses, and prayed that another buyout would be offered. As the weather warmed up, we worked in our yard, planted flower beds and filled pots with colorful blooms. Finally a nice couple was transfering to our town from Minnesota and they loved our house! They made an offer the third week of October 2008, we countered and they accepted. We got the call while eating at Subway!!!! They only gave us 2 weeks to get out so at this point the rush was on! We found an apartment right away and started hearing rumors that another buyout would be offered soon. We were offered a package on the day we moved into the apartment and were thrilled beyond words!!! Now another rush was on to find a house in Tennessee and get all of our "ducks in a row".

When we saw this house we both knew it was the one! It's new construction, only hardwood and tile (John's asthma/allergies), has awesome paint, stainless steel appliances and it just feels like us! Needs more garage space but I'll save that for another post.

So, after 21 years 7 months and 7 days away from my family...PRAISE GOD for moving mountains to get us back to Tennessee. I am so thankful to John for being the supportive husband that he is and for not totally freaking out that day when I told him I wanted to go HOME!

We still have some stuff to unpack and lots of general organizing to do BUT we are both happy and that is more important than anything!

I'll post pictures of the house as soon as some of the packing stuff is gone!!! More to come ~ I promise!