It's After December 1st- Are They On the Road?

     Hey everybody! It's LeeAnn again. I've had a couple people ask me if my parents are on the road yet so I thought I should hop onto the blog and update you all! Where are they at? Drum roll....

...still in Iowa!

     I took these pictures of mom and dad on a super cold Sunday morning but they were great sports! There may have been some tears but these pictures are so incredibly sweet that I just had to share them with you all here.

    Getting ready for an adventure of a lifetime is proving to take a lot of time! We had a little party for them the middle of November to make sure they would still be here so they we are okay with whenever they decide to head out on the scenic route but there are still things that need done before they can go. There is a lot of paperwork and affairs that must be taken care of before you head out on a trip like this. The house is getting closer to being sorted out. The RV has had a few hiccups that are being worked out, having a working TV and especially a working refrigerator are quite important! Finally, sometimes its important to take a little extra time just to reduce your stress load.

    So in short, yes, my parents, Randy and Deb are still in Iowa. I think they are leaning more towards January 1st as the day to begin their new journey. Don't worry once they hit the road, you will all know and there will be frequent updates. I'm even hoping daily! Maybe you can convince them to update daily by telling them how much you are looking forward to the blog!

Mixed Feelings- The View of a Wife, Mother and Grandmother

I've been ask to write this for so long now but its all so hard to put all these feelings into words.

As I go through the boxes of keepsakes, photo albums and other things I have kept through the years, you do literally see your life pass before you. Somedays are so hard. When the tears start to fall sometimes you just have to walk away. Different things remind you of different times in your life. Where has the time gone? It puts things into perspective.

Overwhelmed is the first feeling that I had and continue to have as I see the clock tick closer to December 1st. There are so many things to do, but then I think of all we've done since March and see a lot of progress made and so many decisions made but there is still a long ways to go.

Scared of what does actually wait us. Sometimes new things are just plain scary. But it's an adventure. Dream big.

Sad- The tears flow freely as I write this part, as I knew they would. You cant help but feel sad.  We've farmed for 42 years. Maybe its just that the fun is gone or we are just plain tired, or both. We have both lived within 20 miles of where we grew up. We wouldnt be good parents and grandparents if this wasnt the hardest part. They're all within a 15 minute drive. I realize they are all grown up and have their own lives but they are such a big part of our lives. We are thankful they have been close to see our grandkids grow into fine young adults, except Hailee at age 3. I worry that she won't know us when we see them from time to time. Everyone assures me that Skype will help. I realize that a lot of parents and grandparents dont live close to all their kids and grandkids. We have been so lucky. I never thought we would be the ones to leave. We hope this presents opportunities for them to travel and see us also. Then how do say goodbye to friends? Jehovah has blessed us with so many friends. They've been there in good times and in the bad, always willing to help when they could even if just to sit and listen. We'll be back to visit and the invitation is always there to find us somewhere and come visit. We are so looking forward to the many new friendships that will be formed from one end of the country to the other.

Happy- what an opportunity we have to be able to do this. The adventures and exciting times that lie ahead for us and also our families. It means everything to us to have Nate, Lindsey and the girls come to farm.
 
Excited for the new adventure amd this new chapter in our lives. Let the adventure begin!!!

"I'm Done" Or Is It Just The Beginning?- The Daughters View

     Some of you have known them for years, some of you they have known them for a shorter time and some of you that will read this they have not even met yet. Randy and Deb Vogeler, my parents. They have decided to start their journey of a lifetime and we cannot let this experience go undocumented.

     To start their new journey, I need to tell their story so far. My parents were married December 21, 1974 and eventually parents to three children and grandparents to five grandchildren. They became farmers and farmed upwards of 1,000 acres of corn and soybeans in Iowa. They worked incredibly hard and did something that seemingly few farmers do today, built themselves a farm that was completely theirs and very successful. Even while they were farming, the running joke was that they would write a travel book called "Nothing to Do 'Til Spring". You see, they loved to travel, especially in the winter, although their later travels included the summer as well. They always wanted to take advantage of any time they had to go to new places and discover new things. They had seen others that wanted to travel in their retirement but did not make the decision soon enough to be able to thoroughly enjoy it. They knew they didn't want to be those people but speaking as their daughter, LeeAnn,  I didn't think they would ever commit to retirement, I thought they would farm forever.

     Then one day I get a call from my mom. We chatted for a little while and eventually she said, "I guess I do have something to tell you! Your dad said, "I'm done."" When she said that I honestly didn't know what she meant. She then said, "Your dad is done farming." I immediately started to cry. I had been begging them to stop or at least slow down. It was such a huge feeling of relief but at the same time it didn't seem real. But as time went on, I definitely found out it was real. I knew my mom would be very excited about it but to see my dad as truly happy and excited about it, as he was and still is, is amazing. Plans began to be set in place quickly with a retirement date set as November 1st. Anytime I talk to them, I get an update as to the days left until then from the app on their phones. They have decided to full-time RV, found a motor home that they love and purchased it. They have decided what to do with the house and farm and how to proceed from here.  So many things have changed and so many things continue to change as they get closer to beginning this new journey, both in their lives and in the lives of those around them. So keep checking back as we continue to update you on what is going on even now as they are getting things in line to start their journey.