40- and 50-Something Parents

Better late than never.. Mollie here in NW Florida(just moved from Texas... I will always consider myself a Texas girl). Im 48 married to DH for 7yrs.. we have 4 older boys.. 28, 27, 22 & 19) His, mine and ours together a precious little Amazing Gracie(5).

Im a SAHM and have been for 22yrs. I have a BFA in Design Communication and worked as an Advertising Director before I had kids(I cant even hardly remember that far back). I also was office manager for my ex-husbands business for all the years in-between.. I guess I never really considered that a job though. I love horses and everything to do with horses... shopping, decorating, ebay and I am thinking about selling Avon since my daughter is in Kindergarten this year. I really feel the empty nest even though she is only in Kindergarten! I need something to take my mind off of it!

Greetings one and all.

I am Ellen, 44 (almost 45), married for 17 years to my best friend. We have 3 children, daughter, Deb 24, married to Jase, Jim, 22, in the military and currently separating from his spouse, and Bryce, 16 a high school junior. The older kids are biologically mine from my first marriage, but 14 years ago Hubby got the privilege of adopting them. So they are ALL ours (meaning we do not have to share them). I teased Hubby for years that he married me for the kids since he fell in love with them first.

In our house we also have 2 of my grand-cats. No grandkids, just cats and one dog. My daughter and son-in-law have a dog, Havoc, and 2 cats, Nathaniel and Washburn. My son has 2 cats who live with me, Hoshi and Monkey. I get to care for them since he could not take them with him to his military base.

I live in central IL. Right in the middle of farm country and on the edge of Amish country. I love it here. I was born and raised in southern IL. Hubby in CT. Funny, but we met in England. We were both there with the military.

Currently he works in IN, about 160 miles from our home here in IL. My youngest son and I live in IL so he can finish high school in our great school system. Recently, my frail-healthed 80 year old dad joined our household. He has quite a few medical problems and I am not sure how much longer he will be on this earth with us. Let alone how much longer I can keep him at home instead of in a nursing home.

I am NEW to this online community thing. I have never done it before. But since I work from home, am a single mother to a teen during the week, have a weekend husband, and now my dad here at the house, I really need some one to chat with.

Cheers,
Ellen

Welcome - I also have a 16 year old jr in HS, and am from Chicago, but now in STL (since '84), so I likely pass by when we go to Chicago (both parents passed, in May, then June, so I know what you mean about your dad; and now we go up just to help clear out the house and eventually get it ready for sale).  Jump in about anything - great ladies here.

Sue 

Thanks for the welcome. It is nice to hear/read.

I am so sorry about the passing of your parents. It is tough.

My mother passed away almost 2 years ago (October, 2006). They lived 2.5 hours away from me. I spent 6 weeks driving down every weekend to sort through the house to prep it and move my dad in with one of my sisters. I know what you are going through with the house. I still have things in boxes from my folks home. My kids got stuff that they do not have room for and it is stored at Storage-By-Mom. Some of the other things were used by my daughter to set up her first home with her husband. She loves knowing that she has a piece of them in her furnishings.

My 16 year old does not have any desire to drive. The town we live in is so small (4400) and he can get to most anything he wants just by walking. I have to force him behind the wheel. How unusual. The older two were not like that. They would jump at the small chance to back the car out of the garage.

Ellen