Saturday, November 16, 2013

Retirement!

After working for 45 years in carpentry -- long days that usually had him leave the house before sun-up and return after sun-set -- and work weeks that were often six days long -- JB's dad is retiring. Ray Kitsteiner is finally hanging up his tools.

Okay, so not really. Anyone who knows Ray knows that he won't sit still for more than about six minutes. But, as we have been planning for many years, he is going to at least step out of the daily grind and join us in the Azores. When we relocate to the States in the Summer of 2014, he and Mary will be coming with us and he will hopefully help manage the land we plan to purchase. He'll still be busy. But hopefully he'll be not quite as busy. And hopefully he'll be getting to do more of the stuff he wants to do -- not the stuff he needs to do.

Our house is filled with incredible excitement right now as we are all getting dressed to head to the airport and pick up Grampa K.! He and Grama have been apart for two months. I can't think Grama enough for agreeing to come here in September even though Grampa wasn't ready yet to come. They knew I needed them tremendously.

But now, they will be back together, and we get to have them with us in the Azores! My kids have never had a grandparent living near them so this is a very special treat.

Off to the airport we go!

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