the trip toto took to kansas... (part 1)

it's about time i start reminiscing about our move to kansas. probably time to put it on paper so that when i am tempted to guilt myself into thinking it was just a lot of drama on my end that caused the move to be so difficult, i will come here and clearly remember that was NOT the case.

pre-move arrangements were made.  my dad and my brother andrew would come to VA, help us load, and then help us move across the country. the idea of having four adults was super comforting to me. two adults in each vehicle, fresh drivers and LOTS of hands to distract the children. we were going to take it slow, three "short" days across america. it was going to be marvelous. arriving each evening at the hotel in time for the kids to swim to their hearts content. then we would lay the children down in one hotel one, and the adults would laugh, drink, and watch TV in the connecting hotel room. completely and utterly refreshed for the following days trip. we would take turns switching vehicles and get caught up in each others lives. 1100 miles of beautiful scenery, meaningful conversation, and a good ole' fashion road trip... it's laughable now that i had such unrealistic and totally absurd expectations. i should have just been preparing for the hottest, hardest, most disastrous 3 days of my life. that would have been FAR more realistic.

mark and i worked from the day he was hired until the day we loaded up our truck and left. everyday, we packed, organized, and well... we did throw in there some crazy partying hours too :) so before the big day even arrived i was totally emotionally, physically, and spiritually, exhausted! our plan was to make moving day as easy as possible. we had watched the gov't movers do it two years earlier. so we mimicked what we saw. mark had WISELY saved ALL of the boxes and butcher paper from the moving company. which really did make the packing and moving a TON easier. at this point i would like to insert my thoughts on having the gov't move you... i understand the moving companies can steal things, break things, and royally screw up a move... BUT, BUT, BUT it is FAR, FAR, FAR easier to have someone move you and your loads of material blessings (that one is for you uncle tom) than to move yourself. so i will NEVER again complain, or allow complaining in my presence, about moving companies. it's a TOTAL blessing. ok, all done with that soap box.

my husband had our garage amazingly packed and ready to load when moving day came. boxes were stacked in sections based on weight, boxes were labeled, we were armed and ready with tow dollies, straps, water, and 115 degree weather.  we had an INCREDIBLE group of men and women, who took time off work to come and help us... amazing, so AMAZING! my friend from SEATTLE, ordered lunch from 3,000 miles away so i didn't have to worry about. when i say we have the best friends in the world.... I. MEAN.IT.

so moving day arrived. it took 6 BLAZING HOT hours to load and clean. but really, over all, it was a smooth packing day. the only smooth day for quite sometime in our lives....
~s