Empty nesters

We are officially empty nesters.  We just moved Laila and her dog to Oceanside, California.  We packed all week. Got a u-haul on Thursday, loaded it up with furniture from Landon and Alex’s, Add and Bre’s and Truman’s homes plus her two rooms full of stuff here and loaded up my car and Laila’s car and all 3 of us ( Wayne in Uhaul) caravanned down to California  all day on Friday. 

As we were getting in our cars ready to leave, Laila took one last look at her childhood home and started crying, I started crying, Wayne started crying and we stood in the driveway at 7 am in a giant group hug.  Laila has been so appreciative of everything. We have received more than thank you's and hugs in the past three days than we did in the past 3 months.

How did she grow up so fast? I will always love hugging her and kissing the top of her head. 

Jet traveled in style.

Markus got a great apartment for them in a big apartment complex- Sunterra.   Their apartment is on the edge so the balcony looks out to sunsets , trees, a park and a dog walk.  Perfect for their new little family.  We had help from 4 Marines  in the unloading process, which was great since the apartment is up 30 steps. I didn’t have to lift a finger.   We took them all out to dinner at Denny’s for “thanks”, then slept in Laila’s second bedroom with a mattress on the floor. 

We went shopping on Saturday for food to fill the kitchen, then Sushi lunch and we were off. 

More tears and hugs to say goodbye, then I told Markus and Laila to go out on the balcony to give us a Scottish sendoff and  as I was crossing the street with all of my stuff, I  tripped and did a spread eagle right in the road.  Yikes.  Wayne came running, Markus came running and Laila just tried to hide from embarrassment.  It felt like a fitting goodbye.  (Then I had to pretend like I was okay and just get in the car and drive away before more tears.)   

They will have to figure out cooking, and what goes where in the apartment, and the dog schedule and finding a job and all the things…and that’s how it should be.  We are still all planning and looking forward to the big wedding in September.  

We walked into our now empty home with no dog to greet us and no Laila and more tears.  IT just really hit me that Wayne and I are the new normal.  After almost 36 years we are back to just the two of us.  Good thing we like each other.

We celebrated our 39th anniversary.