I've had it as a goal for the last several years to go through my photos and put them in a blog format to tell the story of our lives. One of the main themes I've seen run through our time in Washington has been the lake. We've really enjoyed our time in Liberty Lake and one of the main reasons is the actual lake.
I've been working through some internal issues lately having to do with wanting change and a new environment. My history has revealed some clear patterns in my life, one being I like to move about every 7-8 years. We've been in Liberty Lake 7 years and the itch to go has been strong.
As I've reflected on why I want to move, what that looks like practically and where would I move, I've come to some sobering realities.
1) I live in an incredible place.
I've traveled all over the world and have seen some incredible places, but when I
come back to Liberty Lake and the surrounding area, I'm struck how incredibly
beautiful this area is. A friend came over the other day and made a passing
comment that really opened my eyes to this truth. "Judy, it's incredible where you
live. In a 5 minute ride you're on the trail going to some of the best riding in the
area. Take a 5 minute walk and you're on the lake getting into the boat and going
surfing." I've told myself this many a time, but sometimes you can only hear it
from others. Here are some pictures that I took walking from my house.
2) I have an almost perfect place to garden.
Coming from Arizona, one of the best parts of moving back to the PNW is the
ability to garden with plenty of water. First thing I did when creating the garden
was to put up a fence, which gave me the ability to create something beautiful
without being eaten by the abundant deer. As I think about moving I honestly think
about having a smaller garden, but then, I think I would miss the flowers.
3) Then there's the obvious of having lake access. We've hosted a ton of people over the years which was one of the reasons we bought a house with lake access. It's been great. Even better, the teenagers - specifically Sam - has been having his friends over to surf. It's been super nice to send everyone out for a couple of hours, but even better, Sam can drive and get fuel for the boat too now that he has his driver's license.
4) My house is pretty much finished.
Though I do like a good project, I am starting to REALLY appreciate that our house is
beautiful and pretty much done. Of course it continues to have maintenance and
replacement of items, but it feels like we've done most of the major ones.
My favorite view to appreciate our house is early in the morning and seeing the sun
rise through the windows. Truly spectacular.
The other day Perrin had a couple of girl friends spend the night and they holed up below the stairs in a little cubby. As I walked by them huddled in there watching a movie, I thought, "That would be a great spot for grandchildren to play in". Whoa - random - but nice - thought. Who knows, I might settle in after all.