It Is Upon Us

It's 5:09 am where I am.  In two days it will be 4:09 am where I will be.  Where we will live.  We are excited about being in Saint Louis and being closer to our nieces and Anny's brother and his wife.  Between now and then, though, there is some logistical chaos of finishing packing the POD with odds and ends like "our beds" and such silly stuff.  They will go in after we have breakfast. 

Anny and I were noticing last night that we have culled and culled, and yet there are things we wanted to take that we can not.  Since our plan is to find a place that actually fits our family, rather than whatever is biggest, we don't need a lot of things.  Somehow we still have just a little too much, and some things are going to be left to my brother and neighbors.  (Congrats Erin on the new Ikea chairs that you don't know about yet...!)

We were once again overwhelmed with love this weekend - Saturday our neighbors had a picnic that was really relaxing and just nice and fun.  Sunday morning we went to church and went through the emotions that go along with leaving folks that have been such a big part of our spiritual health and life for the last five years.  There were tears shed, but many more prayers for our pastor as she is dealing with some health issues that prevented her from being with us on our last Sunday.  We missed seeing her greatly.

Last night we had dinner with the two boys that might as well be our nephews, and their parents, who I have been best friends with since freshman year of high school.  We will miss our family, and our church, but it was really hard to give out those hugs last night to the boys and Bryan and Charlene.  They are amazing parents and even better friends to us. 

I would be a terrible son-in-law, and a worse human being if I didn't express my appreciation for both their emotional support, and (maybe moreso right now) the copious amount of packing, cleaning and help they have done around the house for the last week.  I can never repay them, and know that I would be a fool to even try to.  I figure that such a public "THANK YOU!!" to Jim and Carol will be more than they ask.  (And since I know Carol is reading this, even better!)

This morning I am taking odds and ends to different places and picking up Starbucks for the coffee drinkers in the house, then we'll move some furniture next door, finish packing the POD and clean house.  After that we will load up two cars and start driving west.  Above all we are excited, but this morning - these two days - will be a long haul.

Even if you don't want us to be heading West, please wish us God Speed.  We will be back in the area later this fall.  I grew up here.  Even when we say goodbye, it's not for good.  This is the right time for the right move, and it's something we feel we need to do for us.  I know that some folks do not understand that, and I respect it. 

(Thanks will flow to Paul and Sarahlynn in the coming days, weeks and probably months! Promise!!)