WifeofGilligan: Flew the Coop

I'm a conflicted mama bird. I'm happy that my Matthew is starting his life and sad that the nest at home is shrinking.

As a parent we build special bonds with each child. Matthew keeps me laughing with his one liners. He seemed to have something funny to say in every situation. But mostly, he is the one who ropes me in and calms me down when my feathers are ruffled.

I've cried as each of my boys took that big step out of the nest to fly on their own, it just seems so much harder this time.

Filling up before starting on our 6.5 hour journey

View from the living room window "18th Fairway
and the clubhouse in the distance

View from the bedroom window looking SE

For a first apartment Matthew did good. You drive down a country road with both new and old farmhouses, most sit on 5+ acres or more. When you get to the end of the street you see this beautiful new development of apartments which wrap around a new 18 hole golf course. Most have been here for 3-4 years, but more than 25% have never been lived in, such is the case of Matthew's apartment.

Both my dad and hubby are a tad jealous that Matthew gets to golf for free anytime... he did pay $7 for the cart, but if he opted to walk it would have been totally free.

Prior to the trip as I mentioned in a previous post, we picked out and I bought all new tables and a couch from IKEA. Everything being in boxes made for packing the trailer easy! This of course meant building all the furniture - this did take time because since none of us thought of bringing extra tools. We somehow managed to get it all done with just one interchangeable screwdriver, a hammer and a pair of pliers.

Picture of Matt building the TV stand - this was the first piece of six that we built.

Building the dresser - this was the last piece Matt and I built together - it was the most complex, but somehow the easiest.

This is the TV stand with the TV we gave Matt when he left home for college...

This is the TV my hubby came back from the store with... just because.

Seems that when we picked up the couch they forgot to package the arms... no worries the arms are on their way - but honestly, even without them it was comfy.