A farewell worth remembering....

Something big happened. Real big. Yes, Janitors is OUT on the shelves.  I'll get to that later.

But this news is big, too. My one and only twin has moved away. Candace, Grant, and little Josie packed their cars and trailer and headed off to greener pastures in Kentucky. (Really they have lots of green pastures. Think Kentucky Derby people, they've gotta raise those horses somewhere.) 

Before they left we had a grand farewell. It was kind of a surprise, except they new all about it. Hard to pull that off.

 Heather was crucial to the cuteness of the party. Thanks for all of your great inspiration.

 We had lots of great family and friends there to party. Thanks for showing up for the "surprise."

This was a great way for me to feel like I had sent them away with a "bang" since their absence is such a big thing for me. 

But I just couldn't let it stop there. When I found out that Candace and Grant would be driving both their cars to Kentucky my brain started putting the pieces together. Sometimes it takes a little while to do that. I realized Candace would need a buddy to help her make the journey with Josie. 

I really have become quite the road-tripper in the past few years, so I put together some reasons why I would be the best candidate for co-pilot, and begged for them to let me join. I packed my small carry-on bag, said goodbye to Ty, and embarked on a trip that would change things for my world. 

The trip was hilarious. Sleeping in WalMart Parking lots. You think that's a bad idea. Well your exactly right. It made our $59 hotel stay the next night seem like heaven. 

Here's part of the crew. Minus ol' green subaruby.

We sang lots of songs, enjoyed many laughs, and even did some reminiscing. It was a great way to recap the past 24 years (almost) we've had together. 

We quickly learned that we were meant to be road trip buddies. Candace falls asleep at the wheel and I fall asleep in the passenger seat. Once we found our roles we cruised on through Wyoming, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and into Kentucky. 

 Josie seriously was the best 15 month old passenger. She spent many hours in her seat and just got funnier each day. She mastered the skill of eating edamame, taking pictures of herself, and pooping just when we thought the we needed a break. A baby is a great excuse for a pit stop.

Being able to see Kentucky was a great way to feel a connected. It has such beautiful things to offer, and will make for a great home for my Heward friends. 

I can't let this travel log continue without a mention of humidity. It is my worst nightmare. I've heard people say you get used to it, but I'm sure glad I don't have to. I will take dry heat any day.

 

 Even Josie is sticky. (and my camera would fog up every time I turned it on. That can't be good for the electronics.)

We unloaded a trailer full of treasures into their apartment.  I think it will mostly all fit. Except for maybe the kitchen. Candace sure knows how to stock one full of gadgets and gismos a plenty.

Josie seemed to approve of the new place.

Once in Lexington we had to do some "touristy" things. Like visiting the local Good Will. That is where you'll see the real side of a city. 

We ate good food.  Josie loved this pig.

Took a walk through University of Kentucky's Campus.

 Splashed in every puddle we came to. Who cares if there were bugs and cigarette butts in it. We loved the refreshment.

On my last day, we headed into Louisville to see what it had to offer. The Kentucky Derby Museum was great. Well the gift shop was, the actual museum wanted to charge us money. 

We tried a quirky local restaurant and found out that Kentucky's original Hot Brown sandwiches and derby pie are something worth coming back for.  How does an October visit sound?

The Louisville Slugger Museum was great. Mostly the AC in the building was great, but we did have some fun looking at their bats.

The trip ended. And I've decided that Kentucky will be good to my sister, so I will be good to it. I will only say good things when I hear its name, even when I want to yell at the humidity. 

Grant will become a master dentist soon and he'll be out there tattooing the world's teeth. Really. He does that. This is such a great opportunity for them. And I was just glad I could join for part of their exciting ride.

JANITORS... the story behind the story

So, where do I begin? 

At the very beginning of Ty's janitorial career. When we were dating, Ty took a job at the local middle school as a janitor. He continued that job the first year of our marriage. I would occasionally help with sweeping and other less laborious jobs. Little did I know that while he was buffing and scrubbing floors, he would be dreaming about a secret life of janitors that would soon be on bookshelves. It is amazing where life leads. 

Since then, Ty has been working hard to make writing his full time career.  Upon graduating, he has been attending writers' conferences, networking like a pro, and even signed up for facebook so he could communicate with authors like himself.  Treating it like a job has definitely payed off. 

This fall, things started to get exciting. He found an agent to represent him, and just a few days later had a contract offer from Shadow Mountain. This was definitely a million dreams combined come true.  We have learned lots about the mysterious world of publishing (having an agent really helps) and now are excited to get the book out into readers' hands. 

While the process has felt long at times, we have been sure to celebrate along the way. We have eaten many dinners in honor of each step. Complete with a Janitors birthday party...  we had children and adults embracing their Janitor selves.

The official cover was just released (above) and the publication date is scheduled for August. This wildly thrilling tale, about what janitors really do, is coming to life. We are elated that this will finally be shared with the world (or at least the people in our world!) Ty is such a talented writer, with a God-given gift and it is such a fun thing to think that other people will soon get appreciate this talent. 

I never expected my life to take such a Janitorial twist, but that is what makes it so great.

No, it's not 2011 already? Here's looking back.

The year of 2010 has come and gone. Here are the best things of the year... or at least some of them.

The year began with some heavy snowfall. As most Logan winters do. We enjoyed it with some winter hikes and picnics. Anything to get outdoors.

The snow really is beautiful. When you are indoors. 

We ate good food. And lots of it. 

 

 Our first sushi making experience. And definitely not our last of the year. 

Smoking. Tons of smoking. 

Thanks Whitesides siblings for Ty's graduation gift. 

 

 We've had as many parties as possible.

  I love a reason to celebrate.

 Shower for baby Josie. Beautiful people and great times. 

 Surprise party for Ralph in Park City. Complete with a game of giant checkers. 

We spent a lot of vacation time in the sand. I really feel like a got around this summer. 

 The beach on the Outer Banks.

 

 

 Sand dunes at White Sands Natl. Monument.

We had some great vacations. It is wonderful to visit family far away.

 The summer treated us real good. 

The warmth of the weather makes for such a great times.

 Enjoying treats at Summerfest. One of Logan's greatest attractions.

The Greenehouse. Oh, this place is too good for words. We spend a few days there every other summer. Basking in the sun. Talking with family. Playing games into the night. Every time we leave I can't wait to go back. 

Finished and started another year of teaching. It feels good to have one year under my belt. Things truly get easier the second time around. 

 This was waiting for me after the first day of school. All my school supplies converted into candy. Ty knows me all to well. 

Fall never disappoints. 

We spent much time at the cabin, wishing the season wouldn't end. 

 

4-wheeling. A new hobby of my fathers. I can't complain. 

Fall in the mountains is truly a magnificent thing. I think I could frame this and look at it forever. 

Halloween was a great success.

 The gnome family. I can't wait to put them in my front yard when the weather warms up.

My dream of being a jelly fish came true. It was all I had hoped it would be. 

 Jack made an appearance. I love this alter ego. I hope he comes to say hi every year.

Being with family. 

This is what tops the year off every time. I hope it stays that way. 

Here are few highlights of some time spent with some people I happen to really like:

 

Feeding ravenous ducks with the Lund girls. I seriously have never seen creatures so hungry. They swarmed us as soon as they saw bread. I wasn't sure if I should be taking pictures, or shouting for help. I had really wished we were being filmed after it was all over.

It seems that most creatures struggle in the winter. Especially when your home freezes over. 

My mom's 1st birthday.

 

These guys. I think these 3 were meant to be like this. Together. Being crazy. All the time.

 McDonald Family Photos

 Christmas cookies with the Johnson's.

 I'd say they turned out pretty tasty. This was a great way to welcome Jolly Ol' St. Nick.

 

This year has been great. 

Just as we thought it couldn't get any better, this fall things got crazy. 

This guy (the one below) had some great things happen.

He's getting published! 

You say, "What does that mean?"

I asked myself the same thing. 

Ty signed a publishing contract with Shadow Mountain (think Fablehaven, Leven Thumps) for a multi-book deal. Scheduled to come out August 3rd. 

Great things are happening for this guy. I always knew they would, I just didn't expect them so soon. 

The whole publishing world is secretive and ambiguous. Quite intriguing, really. I have hesitated sharing too much out of fear of breaking some contract rule. When I know it is safe, I will tell all I can.

Thanks 2010 for being so nice to us. 

In return, we promise to do even more in 2011. 

More baking. More exercising. More talking to family. More reading. More traveling.

More picture taking (or at least stealing them from my sisters.) More learning.

More enjoying our lives.