What's been up with us?

This has been a fantastic Week. Last Friday was the Gilmores last day which was 3 boys, one baby, a 3 year old and a 5 year old. I cried when they left. I had them all since they were babies and it was very hard to see them leave. However, even though I miss them I am already starting to feel my new found freedom of not being tied down to the house with a bunch of kids. Up until last week, I juggled two full time jobs. I was a daycare provider to 5 and sometimes 7 or 8 kids and worked my photography full time as well. I found myself constantly working and everything else seem to fall to pieces around me. My house was a disaster, and I was far from being organized. Well this week, even though I still have a few in my house till school starts, they are all older and it is only 1 or 2, so if we wanna take out of the house it is really no big deal. I have started a schedule for myself which I never had before. I am also cleaning each room at a time trying to get organized and get the house back in order. I have done daycare as long as I have owned my home so I have never had the opportunity to enjoy having the house with out a bunch of toys and kids bombarding it. So I am very excited!

We are moving the studio and store again. Hopefully this will be the last time. I went from renting out the Old Train Depot temporarily, just on the days I needed it, to moving to a store front on the main road in Tongie. It was very charming, but too small for both the studio and the store and not on the busiest side of town. As of Sept. 1st we will have so much more room, storage space, and be right where all the traffic is in town so we are excited. However, the building that we are renting is filthy. FILTHY!!!! We made a deal with the owners that we would clean up the inside and only pay half of our downpayment. So last night I was up till midnight painting trim and cleaning a nasty bathroom. It will be cool when we are done, we just keep reminding ourselves.

School starts after next week for Jackson, which I am excited about. He will be in 6th grade. WOW, growing up way too fast. I debated whether I was gonna put Jo in preschool, but I decided I am going to school her myself like I did Jackson. We are fortunate to have fantastic neighbors that have kids around Jo's age that she plays with constantly so I am not at all concerned with the social aspect of it. I'll probably be putting her in some kind of gymnastics or dance class soon. She is already in Piano and Jackson is taking Guitar lessons which he loves!

Brian is still plugging away at work doing sales and doing pretty good. He loves his job and the people he works with. However, we are still wishful for those major hurricanes or natural disasters.. I know sick. Another jaunt in insurance would be fantastic right now that I am fully dependent on the store and photography for income.
This will be my studio.
This is heading out of the store.
This is the store part as you walk in.
As you can tell Cynthia and I have our work cut out for us.