Our Trip from MD to AR!

Ok...I know....I know.....it has been WAY too long since I blogged. So here goes the story.

Our plan was (plans don't always go as expected)....for the movers to come early Friday morning to load the truck (that went as planned), then we would clean (that went as planned)......then we would go to our church's VBS family festival to get last minute (or last hour) hugs before heading out early Saturday morning (that went as planned as well).

We were glad to spend the last few hours with our friends from church and enjoyed it even though we were already exhausted from getting everything ready to move ( I have never moved when I had to have EVERYTHING.....I do mean EVERYTHING in a box).

We planned to sleep on an air mattress that we have used many times before but at some point developed a slow leak. Brian and I were touching the floor through the mattress by midnight. We planned to get on the road by 4 am but didn't get going until about 5. You can tell by the picture below why it took so long to get on the road. Brian stuffed the trunk from one end to the other (we had to throw away some things because they wouldn't fit). We even had every place in the car stuffed as well.

You may be asking why so many things packed in the trunk. Well...traveling with two small children and because our plans were to live at Brian's parents house for 5 days (notice I said our plans were...).

After leaving our "home" for three years of our life and where ALL of Mili's 1's took place (first laugh, word, roll over, crawl, step, and so many more) we took a moment to reminisce in the car and we were a bit teary.

Soon our sites were on Arkansas. We had an incredible trip with a few patches of rain and GREAT children. Mili watched her DVD player for the whole trip (minus the two naps) and Sadie played with her toys (and me....I sat in the back seat next to her many legs of the trip). Mili would say, "Daddy, we are ALMOST there!" I love her positive attitude.

What more does a girl need (DVD player with plenty of movies, marshmallows, and sippy cup)

Satisfied Sadie






This is an "Are we there yet" kind of look!


Pooh Bear is good for keeping hands AND feet busy!

If we had forgotten these fancy shades then we would have had some complaining. My fair skinned child HATES the sun in her eyes.

DIVA!!!!

After 18 hours and 4 or 5 stops we made it to Arkansas safely (10:30 PM CST). We were VERY tired....especially our driver. Brian drove the whole way despite my many offers to take on a leg of the race.

We rested up on Sunday with many tears (and several looks at our beautiful scrapbooks from our GBC family). We missed our GBC family SO much it was incredibly painful (our life group, our friends, our services, our pastor, our children's teachers). We had NO idea we would grieve so deeply for our church family since we were coming home to family and friends we have grown up with most of our lives. Mili has had several transition issues including crying for her blue classroom at her church in Maryland. She often says she wants to go back there and misses Ms. Shelia and Ms. Lynn. She asks about James and Clayton on a regular basis (her best buds from church and play dates).

Our move-in date was suppose to be Friday, August 1st or Saturday at the latest. Thursday night, after calling the moving company many times with no response, we find out from the driver that his truck is broke down in Knoxville. You know the truck with EVERYTHING we own in it (except the 10,000 things stuffed in the car....which was now stuffed in a bedroom where all four of us slept). Later, after many more attempts to reach our moving coordinator, we find out that her son has chicken pox and so she was not available our entire move. Then we think that we can get moved in on Saturday evening or Sunday. Later we found out that the move-in had to take place during business hours at our apartment because it is a gated complex and so someone had to let the semi in through a different gate.

Anyway, we finally got moved in on Monday morning (that was delayed an hour due to the drivers fuel card not working properly). That meant that we lived out of bags for 8 days. Oh well, it all turned out ok and all of our stuff made it here safely (with the exception of a crushed filing cabinet...but Brian has since worked his magic on it). We are extremely grateful for Brian's parents hospitality while we took over their home for 8 days.

We are happy to be in an apartment that has working appliances. The dishwasher works on the first time around and I don't have to wash the dishes before I put them in the dishwasher. The dryer dries the clothes the first time not after the third and the kitchen faucet turns on and off with ease with no need to strain a muscle in the process. The AC actually works without calling maintenance three times a month. Having room for Mili and Sadie to run and play has been a huge plus too.

We are adjusting but it will take some time, especially for Mili since the only home she has ever known was Maryland. Thanks to ALL who have prayed for us during this time. Please continue to pray for Mili's transition. While you are praying, pray for Mommy because the girls start a Mother's Day Out two days a week at the first of September. I am trying to look on the positive side of this but I don't leave my children often so it is hard on me.