Some Friendships Become "Framily"

Sorry for my absence these last couple Sundays. We were traveling seeing family and friends up north. Today's post just happens to be about a small portion of that:

The top picture was taken in 2010 in Bayfield, WI. We were the Bushareno clan which included Sam and Chris Bushman and their three kids Bryen, Jasper, and Vanessa, and our family, the Mareno's, Tony, Biz, Stefani, and Teo.  

L-R in back: Stefani, Bryen, Tony, Chris, Sam, Teo

L-R in front: Vanessa, Biz, Jasper

In 2011, the Marenos moved to Florida. *insert heart-wrenching sad music*

Many tears were cried, and we have desperately missed our good friends all six years we have been here, but...we just can't do WI weather anymore.

Over time my brother's kids, the Fishers (Emily, Sam, Liz, and Josey), have gotten to be good friends with the Bushman kids. So, the next picture was done just a week ago at a 90th birthday party for my grandmother, and they are now known as the 

Busharenofish clan. 

It was so wonderful to see them all together again. They are almost all adults now, and they enjoyed each other immensely. Chris wasn't able to make the trip, but Tony and I had a great time visiting with Sam. Just made us miss them all the more. We are making plans to take an anniversary trip together to the Smokey Mountains next year. NO KIDS.

Some friendships only get better with time. 

                    L-R: Sam, Bryen, Vanessa, Stefani, Emily, Liz, Teo, Jasper, and Josey

That picture makes me wax nostalgic, because it reminds me of the movie Sandlot and their group picture. The last summer before they all split up and went on to different lives. Yet, there was a story of enduring friendship woven in. *sigh* I like to think our little group has it's own "Yeah-Yeah", and "Squints", and "Ham."

 These guys are second generation framily. :)

Sam (17) and Vanessa (17) will be a Seniors this year. Bryen (19) works on a farm. Stefani (22) has moved 1200 miles away from home to work in a ministry. Emily (19) is getting ready to leave for 9 months on a missions trip to Taiwan. Lizzie (15) starts HS this year. Teo (20) is going back to school this Fall to get his Carpentry certificate. Jasper (18) just graduated HS this year and will be going to school for Cabinetry and Engineering. And Josey (12) is bringing up the rear starting 7th grade. 

What an adventure life is....

Sandlot picture credit screenrant.com

The Aftermath.....

All of a sudden, today I felt this overwhelming need to reconnect with people. I feel as though I not only fell off the wagon, but that the wagon picked up speed as I was running to catch up with it. Frankly people, I am not in good enough shape to work that hard!

My holidays were as good as they could be considering I was literally moving out of my house on Christmas Eve morning. In a foot of snow, no less.

My inlaws came to help out. That was a great blessing to us. We just seemed to get so much more accomplished when it wasn't just us, standing in the middle of the room, totally overwhelmed by the amount of "crap" we seem to have and saying "What next?" We will be going back this weekend to get the last of the mess done. Our upstairs is emptied and cleaned. Now all that is left is the few things that remain in the downstairs. As much as I would like to just throw a bomb on it and call it good...I can't.

I can't even begin to explain the amount of junk I purged out of that house. It was ridiculous and I experienced a sense of shame at the multiple garbage bags full of completely unnecessary items that were removed on a daily basis. I never had a house like you would see on "Hoarders", but there were times I looked at what I was keeping compared to what I was throwing away and wondered "What is WRONG with me?? How did I have all of that in this little house?" I endeavor that the next place will be totally organized and void of "junk". If I am not going to use it right away, it just needs to go, cuz I will never get back to it.

So, once we got ourselves moved into my parents' one bedroom apt in their basement, we were able to slow down for a few days and enjoy Christmas. We never did get a Christmas tree put up at the apt. I hung two stockings from two leftover nails on the wall and we called it good. I was just greatful we had someplace quiet, warm and homey to be. It wasn't about the decorations, it was totally about US being together. We had a lovely Christmas Eve with my parents. My dad made a beautiful Prime Rib Roast for supper and we exchanged gifts. My kids got items they loved and appreciated. One of the funnier gifts was this tshirt that my parents bought for my husband. I was gifted with a One Year Bible to help me read through it. Like the complete slacker that I have a tendency to be, here it is the 7th of January and I haven't even started it.

Christmas morning we had our family time together. Kids opened our gifts to them and my parents opened their gifts to each other. I got to listen to my dad say "Why would you get this?" to my mom while opening one of his gifts from her. They are special. I'll just leave it at that.

We went to my inlaws for the rest of Christmas Day. There we had lasagna and spaghetti and lots and lots and LOTS of junk food. I was so huge and bloated....oy ve! This side of the family kept saying "It's the last Mareno Christmas with us all together!"...like we were dying, not moving away. Like any good family Christmas, there were lots of offenses taken and tense moments, but all in all it was a good day. My kids were blessed hugely by the gparents. PS3 for my gamer and an iPod touch for trendy one. The PS3 was quite unexpected.

The princess knew what she was getting because it's the only thing she asked for from them.

It was a good day for hanging out with the cousins and BFF's (Stef's best friend is her cousins girlfriend) and making memories. Like this one.....here we have grandma rocking out to the new Band Hero game one of the kids got for Christmas....

I can't complain. It was a wonderful holiday time with the families. It will probably be a long time till we are able to all be together like that again. Especially now that a couple of the nephews are getting married and/or have serious relationships. (Omg..am I old enough to have nephews that old??)

Now that life has calmed down some, I pray that I feel the desire to pick up crafting again. Right now, I just don't.

In the apt I have about 3 feet of space that is just mine.....*sigh* I suppose that will increase some because Tony is leaving for Florida next week. I won't see him again till February, when he comes home for a weekend filled with powerlifting.......then I will move down a month later.

How am I going to do this? I feel like a chunk of me is dying and breaking off. How do these military wives handle this? I'm having a rough time right now. Just pray for me.