Random Thoughts

I will really miss this porch.

Today is our last Saturday here. It still feels surreal. My brain knows that I only have a few more days here, but my heart is still numb.

The little kids are pretty clueless, so they are currently fine. They did well at the cabin last week, so I think they will probably transition pretty well. The older kids are a bit sad, and trying to say good-bye to their friends. Ryan has been gone a lot--much to Chloe's dismay. He ended up taking her with him yesterday. She had an offer to swim with us at a friend's house and she turned it down to hang out with Ryan. I was a bit shocked by that because she LOVES to swim.

The movers come in two days to start packing us up. I am thankful that I don't have to pack everything. We have some doctor and dentist visits to finish up and then we will be heading east as the truck pulls out. (sob)

The truck pulls out on Wed., and is not guaranteed an arrival until Sunday, so we need to pack enough clothes for that long. Great! It's like another vacation.

5 days of clothes + 12 people = 60 clean outfits. And let's not forget pajamas. And swimsuits. Shoes. Hairbows. Underwear. Jackets.

Our washer and dryer are staying here because the dryer outlet at the new house is electric and we have a gas dryer. We will need to buy a set in Boston and hopefully get it delivered immediately. Either that, or all the kids will get a lesson on how to pound out laundry on a rock.

I had visions of visiting friends along the way, stopping at Niagra Falls, etc. But Jeff, aka Lets-get-there-by-driving-12-straight-hours thinks not. Drat! I see his point, though. Dragging all of our stuff into a hotel is a huge undertaking and not much fun. And there IS the slim possibility of the truck getting there on Friday instead of Sunday.

A kind co-worker delivered some blow up mattresses to the house so that the ancient youthful parents' lower backs don't go out. So we will be hanging out there until the truck arrives. I have only seen a few pictures of the house online, so I want to get there before the truck to figure out furniture placement.

Some random pictures from our last week here...

The purple coneflowers are blooming in our yard

This probably sounds silly, but we see deer a lot around here and I LOVE them! Each time I see them, my camera is at home. urgh. I really wanted to be able to take some photos of them before we moved so I began to pray that God would put some in my path when I had a camera handy. Last Sunday, on the way home from church, we spotted two fawns and their Mama as we pulled into our subdivision. We watched them for a few minutes and then I decided to go get my camera and hope to find them still there. Not likely...but worth a try. To my delight, they were still there when I returned and I was able to take some photos. They are a bit blurry because the deer were farther away than my lens could handle, but they are better than nothing. God DOES care about every detail of our lives and I think He was delighted to answer my prayer. :)

Two sets of dirty feet-sies

Chloe, in Ryan's *rmy shirt that she wears to bed

The remainder of the pictures are of a sweet little boy we know. He is the child of a young, newly married couple who needed some photos taken. I needed the practice, so wah-la... We did each other a favor. :) This little guy has some of the most gorgeous blue eyes I have ever seen. AMAZING!