horror stories

I'm starting to feel like I'm expecting...I keep hearing horror stories. We are excited to be entering a new chapter in our lives, while at the same time a little nervous. (Okay, maybe I should insert a disclaimer here and say that I'm nervous and excited while my husband is his normal calm self.) No matter where we go, someone who knows this date is approaching feels the incessant urge to tell us about some poor housewife who almost goes crazy with her husband at home all day long and either gets a job or makes him get one. We smile, laugh, make a joke, and I inwardly sigh. Do I expect there to be some adjustments down the road? Of course. Every stage of life brings some. But I also expect to enjoy this. I'm looking forward to having Bobby at home, to having someone to pester  give me feedback on ideas or tell me whether or not I have the right color of thread.

The reality is: my life probably won't change all that much. I'll still be a caregiver and housewife, still have chickens to feed and eggs to gather and a pen to clean occasionally; there'll still be a dog to handle (more on Buster tomorrow), the laundry isn't going to go away, nor will my list of projects. My level of  housework will increase some as there'll be more tiretracks to sweep up throughout the house, but I'll probably have a little more time as I imagine someone other than me will be using the computer. :)

It's hard to imagine that today is my last "normal" day. Tomorrow we join Bobby's immediate office for lunch, then I'll take down all his pictures and scrub all the ink stains his special pen has left on the desk. I don't think Amanda wants a messy desk on her first day in her new office. Then Thursday morning I'll head to his office to take pictures of his last commission meeting, and they'll be a reception for everyone he's ever worked with plus family. When we get home tomorrow night, he will be on his last week of "sick leave", and on March 1st his retirement will become official.

I was looking forward to his first week at home so we could get into some type of routine and rest a little, when I got a text from my Dad last night that Mom is having surgery again next Tuesday. I wasn't able to be there for them at all this last year during her surgery and aftermath, so we'll be heading to AL sometime in Feb or March to help out some. I'm thankful that the timing is working out after his retirement and not before (his work load has been a little crazy this month), and I'm trying to get stuff done here around the house in case we get a phone call telling us to come early. And so the ending to this chapter of our life is ending with quite a bit of activity!