THE move part one- leaving Yakima

I can hardly believe how much has happened and changed in the last month. 2500 miles of driving (both of us- Jon in the moving truck, and me with our mini-van) through 11 states over the course of a week and about 44 hours of total driving time - phew- no wonder I am exhausted. A move like this is always a crazy thing- this is the biggest one we have done to date! I asked Jon a couple of weeks ago right after we arrived here in Michigan, why does this one seem so much harder- I mean, we have moved long distances before. Then I realized- the last long distance one we did was from Iowa to Washington in 2006- which isn't as far as this one, we did a "you pack, they drive" kind of thing, so our drive was much nicer, AND most of all, we had two less children. Granted I was pregnant so that was difficult . . . I think it also because it was not a move we had planned on this year. Finding Jon a new position, packing up our stuff and getting here literally took the entire summer- I am not ready for the weather to get cold and for fall to be here! Usually I am so ready for the crisp fall air, fall colors, the holidays on the horizon- - this is truly my favorite time of year. But this year- I want my summer back! The last three weeks I have been working hard on getting us settled in here and the kids starting school . . . and hoping and praying that Jon has a much better experience with residency here.

Well, I do want to say I am so grateful that we made it here without any major problems and things are slowly falling into place. Definitely renting a Penske was the way to go- it was a nice truck at a good cost and we were able to tow our old Toyota Previa van . . . can you believe all our stuff fit in there and it traveled that far across the country? At the same time- what a huge truck! We got the BIGGEST one possible, and even then things just barely fit- - and we got rid of a lot at a huge yard sale before we left, and even left all our appliances behind with the house. I can hardly believe all that stuff fit in our house. Anyway . . .

MOST OF ALL THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS HELPED US WITH THIS MOVE, WITH PACKING AND UNPACKING OUR TRUCK, PLACES TO CRASH ON THE WAY, AND LOTS OF PRAYERS!

Thanks so much to my Mom and Dad, especially, who came down the weekend we moved to help. I already miss you both sooooo much and am sad to not live close anymore.

Our last day of church in Yakima, with my parents, and the kids on the moving truck ramp:




Bye-Bye to our wonderful little home- I hope our renters enjoy you as much as we did!