Moving Day

Wow, the last eleven days went fast. Ricky was originally going to leave this morning for Fort Drum, but he and Brent talked about it and decided if he leaves Wednesday, he'll have plenty of time to get there and report by Thursday. I think it's a nine hour or so drive.

This is really it. He's moving. Fort Drum will be his permanent duty station for the next three years. Oh, he'll be back to visit, probably even this month at Thanksgiving. But, he's MOVING. I went up to his room tonight and he's got his stuff all in piles....he'll load his car in the morning. Wow, the memories in there....all over his walls.

I made this poster for him when I first started working at FedEx Kinko's. I thought it was pretty cool and so did he.

Brent MADE this skim board for him for his 10th birthday. It hangs on the wall now, but while we lived in Corpus Christi, it was used weekly. He's even taken it back there when we went to visit.

I made this poster for his 18th birthday. The picture is actually him just before his first birthday. Even back then, he loved the guitar!

Vincennes is where he took classes while he was an electrical apprentice.

This is a panoramic picture of the entire St. Vincent eighth grade class during their trip to Washington D.C.

This is a picture of his entire class at Bishop Dwenger on Junior Day.

Wow, oldie, but goodie. Here's one of his acoustic guitars. The stand holds two more (I haven't seen his other ones....maybe they're packed), but it was also good for holding ties, belts, etc....

I made this poster too from a picture that he or Brent took when they went to the concert together.

Awwwwwwwwwwww......I couldn't resist. This bag was sitting on the floor, looked like he had it almost all packed, but I put in his super loud, vibrating alarm clock and the Sock Monkey I made for him years and years ago. Think he'll notice?

Pictures from over the years..... I see him holding Maddison when she was a tiny baby, one of him and Ashley years ago at Johnny Appleseed....some of Panama City.....

Aw....and this frame collage....all with him and Ashley.


Wow, Brent and I have talked about making this room a sort of office. How do people do it? He's not actually taking everything with him right now becuase he won't have room. He's starting out in barracks. He won't be in married housing until after they actually get married early next year, THEN they'll have to be put on a waiting list for housing.

So.....I'm not sure if I can actually take everything off these walls and box it up. Then paint over the dark red and dark blue (was not something I would have chosen at all), and just put away all these memories. Then disassemble the bed (which he outgrew several years ago!!) and get rid of it. And store everything else up in our attic (along with his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle wooden toy box that was made for him when he was FOUR!)

I'm excited for him....really I am. He's all grown up now and movin' on. Everyone does, it's a fact of life. But, MAN, it went way faster than I'd have ever imagined.

....just hangin' out with us on his last night home.

Cheesin' for the camera.

Ringo givin' some love!!