2011- The Year of Changes

I'm actually posting twice in one year! 2011 has been a year of changes- mostly good ones!
    We got an offer on the house in KY in March while we were at Bryce and Heather's house for Bryce Eric's 2nd birthday. That began a whirlwind of activity!! We closed a few weeks later and moved on April 22nd, the day before Easter. Bryce, Heather and the boys came to help us pack the truck, drive down and unpack. I can't even begin to say what a blessing they were! My friend, Sandy, also came down the last week we were there to help me finish packing. I don't know how I would have done it without her, as my asthma went crazy with all the dust and I was a mess! It was so hard to leave all the people we grew to love in KY, but it is so good to be home!
     The last 7 months have been consumed with unpacking, organizing and getting the house back in order. We just finished remodeling the dining room, installing tile floors and cabinets to hold all my craft/sewing stuff and seasonal dishes and decorations. I can't wait to have people over for dinner, or any meal actually. I still have a lot of work to do, but it's all coming together.
     Which leads me to our next big change: In 23 days, on New Year's Eve, Ashlee will become Mrs. Matthew Berchen. He proposed to her on the beach Saturday morning, September 17th. We are thrilled! We are having the wedding at my brother-in-law and sister-in-law's beautiful home in Myakka Valley Ranches. It will be an outdoor wedding at 3:30, with a formal dinner following and then relaxing and partying until we ring in the New Year together. I am very excited and plans are coming together very nicely. They have had 3 wonderful showers and are about to decide on a place to live until they move to CA next summer/fall. Matthew was sworn into the US Navy on September 8th and reports to Boot Camp on April 3rd, 2012. He will be gone for a few months and then she will move out to San Diego to join him.
     Another big change has been our diet. Ashlee has been battling some health issues for the past 2 years and had changed her diet, but we all decided to join her on a program called GAPS. It has changed my life! I have lost 15 pounds, feel great, have more energy and don't feel at all deprived. My next post and hopefully many others to come are going to explain what GAPS is and how I've implemented it.