Moving thoughts

It's been a crazy couple of weeks. Packing up four lives and moving them over a thousand miles away will do that. 2 weeks ago, we were gearing up for our last week before we left, and a week ago we had just said goodbye to all our friends, and were about to leave Iowa. A week ago it was Andrew's 2nd birthday. We celebrated with a cake. From a box. No presents, that came when we got here. Good thing 2 year-olds don't really understand the concept yet. He was just excited there was cake.

This past Monday, we loaded the car with 2 cats, 2 small boys, some toys and books, snacks and PBJ, sleeping bags, and hopefully enough clothes to get us the 5 days or so until the truck with all our stuff arrived at our new home. The trip went well. We took our time, and the boys traveled really well. The cats...eventually stopped howling. Of course, we stopped several times, so when we finally got here, it took them a while to settle down and realize we weren't going to put them back in their carriers. (The cats, not the boys...)

Then we arrived. And I almost cried. The inside of the house seemed clean enough when we got here, but the outside left much to be desired. Someone is supposed to come and powerwash the outside, but we didn't know that at the time. The plants outside were overgrown, the house was dingy, and one of the address numbers was missing from the front of the house. The backyard was full of soggy leaves, and I was afraid to let the boys outside until I knew what was under them. So much for my fenced-in backyard. Our landlady had told us she'd had trouble scheduling the painter with the back-to-school rush, so we had expected that, but we hadn't expected the pink peace sign on the dining room wall. Then, after I put the boys to bed, I discovered the carpet was turning my feet black. Professional cleaners had come through, but I don't think the previous tenants owned a vacuum, so there was only so much they could do.

I knew these things were all fixable, so I tried not to let it get me down, but the next day, when I found out our stuff had been delayed, and that we weren't going to get it until at least Monday (Not Thursday or Friday like we'd been expecting) I finally broke down and bawled like a baby. With the exception of a saucepan, a cookie sheet, and a strainer, I had nothing to cook with, we were sleeping on the floor (the crusty floor) and with this extreme heat, I was beginning to worry that our stuff would show up warped and/or melted.

But you know, I've discovered this is not the end of the world. After some rest, and a breather, I stepped back and looked at things as positively as I could. We still have each other, and we made it here safely. While the boys miss their toys, they're having a lot of fun riding their birthday bikes around the empty living room. Our landlady came yesterday and shampooed the carpets, and her husband got rid of the leaves and trimmed the bushes. And at least I have some cooking implements. We're not going to starve.

I'm still a little worried about the condition of our things, but I'm sure it will be fine. Maybe a few melted crayons, but it's doubtful that the truck could get hot enough to melt the TV or warp the circuits in the computer. Especially since that last one is packed in several layers to protect it.

The Lord is still taking care of us. There are a lot worse things than having to camp on the floor a few extra days. Those few days won't make that much of a difference in the grand scheme of things. =) I have what's most important with me now. The rest is just stuff. =)