Bathroom Almost Done!

Here the oft awaited pictures of our bathroom remodel. It's been a long haul for us. We've been living in hotels for almost and entire month. We've been houseless for over a month, so it will be really nice to finally be able to move into our new home.

For those of you who have forgottne, here is a picture of the original bathroom. It was actually worse when we got here, the bath tub was actually falling out of the house. I know it's hard to imagine, but that's what it was doing!

Then of couse things got worse:

Then they got just a little bit better:

A little bit more:

And finally:

We managed to fit the refrigerator into the kitchen, but in the process, we tore the vinyl flooring. Sigh. We forgot that the wheels on this particular fridge tend to do that. We put a second 10 foot shelf, and double stacked it with books. Unfortunately, I still have at least 4 more boxes, so we're trying to figure out what to do about them. Um, Mom, I'm really sorry...I thought that I managed to give you back all of your books, but, hehehe...The Nonesuch managed to move to Texas with us. I will totally TRY to remember to bring it with us when we fly to back for Mercy's wedding. Oh, and, is Thrones and Dominations yours, or did I buy a copy as well?

Any way, we're really working at getting everything put together. Hopefully, we'll get the ac/heaters installed this weekend.

Still haven't found any dressers or bunkbeds for the kids.

Almost There!

This is the hardest part about remodeling: the last few days. The electrician says that he should be finishing up tomorrow, and the contractor says he should be done this weekend, too. Just in time, cuz I'm suppose to start teaching lessons on Tuesday. The house is an absolute wreck. There is sawdust everywhere, all of our boxes stacked up in the 3 back rooms, and Tanner's tools strewn about the girls' bedroom.

Hopefully, once the remodel is done, we'll be able to concentrate on unpacking and setting up house.

Georgianna is being a little troublesome. She doesn't like all of the noises and smells of construction, so every time we enter the house, she starts to cry. Luckily, today it was about 68, so I set up her pack-n-play outside while I primed and painted boards for our bookshelf. She was very happy and cooed herself to sleep.

Reagan ended up with some sort of stomach bug this morning. She threw up a few times, and then asked for some oatmeal...

We managed to linoleum the kitchen yesterday, and Tanner has started to build his tool shed. Last night, he ended up reframing the ceiling in the bathroom because it was just too crooked and the tiles refused to stick to the mortar. So, Tanner stayed out until almost 1:30am, but he got it done, and that made today go so much more smoothly for the contractors. We're hoping that tomorrow we can move all of the kitchen stuff into the kitchen, all of the laundry stuff into the laundry room, all of the office stuff into the office and all of the book stuff onto our bookshelves. It's a tall order, and I don't really think we'll get it all done, but it sure would be nice.

We sure would like this phase of our life to come to a neat little close sometime this weekend so that we can start concentrating on the other aspects of our lives, like jobs. We're not worried about that part because God seems to be doing such a fine job taking care of us, so we think we'll just leave it in His hands. When the time is right, we know that we'll find jobs.

Princess Georgie

Kate was so thrilled to open up all of the toy boxes and unpack her toys. She found her crowns, her jewels, her belts. She somehow managed to cart them all back to the hotel, and then proceeded to dress Georgianna. Though, to me, she looks like Queen of the Budallydallies, Kate proclaimed her as Princess Georgianna.

On another note, we picked up our $60 dishwasher/stove today. I am so happy that the Lord provided them. They aren't new. They aren't pretty. They are just what we need. Also, we found a little luxury item: 2 new armchairs. Just a little retro, and to me very cool looking. I figured that God gave me a little house, so I needed to find little furniture.

Today is Kate's birthday, but we are going to celebrate it tomorrow by going to a bounce gym. We thought she would enjoy that the best since she doesn't have any friends that she can invite for a party. Also, on another high note, we've been looking for a doll house for her, and found one at Target that was 50% off. It's a 2 story house, done in a villa style. We thought it was fitting that she would have something like that in Texas. So, once again, the Lord proves that He even cares about our little desires.

So far, all of you who have told us that you sent packages for her birthday, only one has come and that was from her godmother. We think it is due to the fact that Texas is seeing some pretty cold weather. Today there was an ice storm in Dallas, and we've had a winter weather warning for the rest of this week. People here are barely able to drive in the rain much less a snow flurry, so don't worry, we're sure the packages will arrive.

Kate has really enjoyed your phone calls today. If she seems a little put-offish, we think it is because she goes through a lot of emotions when she hears your voices. She really misses all of you, and sometimes she just doesn't seem to be able to handle her sadness, so she stops talking or asks someone else to talk for her. Every time we have video conference, she seems to want to just walk straight through the screen into your arms.

Those of you interested in doing a video conference can sign up with AIM (aol instant messenger). You need a webcam (logitech makes a really good one) or if you have a Mac a lot of them come with a webcam. Then email me your user name, and I'll add you to our list. When we're online, I run instant messenger, so that if someone else is online or wanting to talk to us, they can just give us a buzz. I know that gmail and msn also run video calls, but I only have enough RAM to run one messenger program, and aim seems to be the easiest. Once I get our other computer up and running this might change, but for now, I'm using AIM.

Terminex stopped by today to give the rat a one way ticket to heaven though we had to be a little mean in order to get them out to our house today. We discovered the rat on Sunday, and immediately called their office which was closed, so we left a message. We called on Monday just to verify things and to see when a tech would come out. They said that we could expect a call from him today. Well, by 4:00 no one had called, so Tanner called the office and they said, "Oh, so sorry, you'll have to wait another day. For some reason you didn't make it onto the schedule." Hehehe...after a bit of distraught acting on my part (pretending to freak out) and two phone calls, the district manager finally called us and arranged to have someone come out after hours to erradicate the rat.

Still at staying at the hotel

Well, we were suppose to be able to move into the house today, but, of course, it wasn't ready yet. The contractor is doing a great job and they are almost done. We'll probably be ready to move in a couple of days. They've been great to work with, helping us find used appliances and cutting the costs whenever possible. They seem to really understand that we're not interested in putting a lot of money into the house. It's been a great experience. The guy fixing the bathroom knows how to add and subtract and knows how to make something level. YAY!

This morning, I felt a little nudge in my heart to check craigslist before we left for the day. I've been agonizing over how to buy a stove. I mean, the cheapest, electric stove we've found has been $250. And, I really haven't wanted to spend that. Even when we've checked craigslist the price has been 150 or more. Well, this morning, I stopped my usual headlong rush, and loaded the computer. There on craigslist was a stove for $30. Yup. I was so excited. Tanner called, and we were able to take a look at it. We decided to buy it, and the guy asked us if we could use a dishwasher. Um...how much? $20. Wow! I was so happy. We had decided that we would forgo a dishwash because of the expense. Isn't it wonderful how the Lord considers our low estate?

Our time so far in Texas has been really wonderful. Our family is under extraordinary stress. The girls don't have any real boundaries or a permanent home. They are missing their grandmas and grandpas and cousins terribly. Their parents are very busy trying to get a house ready. And yet, for some mystical reason, our family has been experiencing an amazing sense of peace and well being. I believe that God must truly have His hand upon us.

Someone asked me the other day why we liked Texas so much, and the only answer I have is: freedom. Something that a slave can't understand until it is tasted, and something we can so easily forget once we possess it.

God knows what He is doing.

We were suppose to move into our house yesterday, but anyone who has ever done construction knows about construction delays. So, we've been trying to possess our souls in patience, and this morning at church, God sent a timely message. He showed us the story of the loaves and fishes, how He fed five thousand people, how he sent the disciples to the other side, how they strained against the wind, how He started walking across the water, how they thought He was a ghost...why? because their hearts were hardened, and they hadn't learned the lesson of the loaves and fishes. So, we realized that we trusted God all the way to Texas, and that we had to be careful to learn the lessons of faith that He had for us.

And then...

We found the RAT!

Excuse me: the RAT'S NEST!

Yes, in the corner of our attic. No one had gone up there until today. Our electrician needed to do some wiring and notified us of the presence of our resident rat. We called Terminex. We're glad that we're not living there right now.

Like I said in the title: God knows what He is doing. Thank you for the delay.

2 more cockaroaches and nicely painted walls

Well, we found two more cockaroaches, one in the bathroom, one in the master bedroom. I'm just glad we're not sleeping there right now.

I spent the morning unloading one of the PODS while Tanner returned a saw and then started work on the front door. He tore it out, and discovered the floor and joists were rotted, so he had to finagle a fix which took most of the day. But manage it he did. So, we hauled the refrigerator in through the newly widened doorway, and then discovered that it wouldn't fit through the doorway into the kitchen. We measured. The fridge is 32 inches wide. The doorway to the kitchen is 29 inches wide. The fridge is now sitting in the dining room waiting for its doors to be removed. I think when we leave C.S., we will also leave the refrigerator.

I hung pictures, screwed in hooks, unpacked the toy boxes and vacuumed cat hair off of the orange couch. Imagine leveling a picture in an unlevel house. Complex. I've come to a halt on unloading the PODS because someone packed all the heavy stuff at the top of one of the PODS. And I'm short. And I'm a girl. There is no way I'm going to climb down a ladder while carrying the printer or a computer or anything larger than a book box. Unfortunately all of the small book boxes are underneath the large, heavy wardrobe boxes which are at the very top of the POD. Hehehe...But, Kate and I did get one of the PODS almost entirely unloaded, so I understand why the second one is packed the way it is. I mean we did have a lot of weird stuff to try to fit into a pod. None of the normal stuff. I mean, who packs dent tools and not a couch?

Here's a before picutre of the living room:

Here's an after picture. Once the front door is in, I'll try to duplicate the pic. What do you think about my couch?

Take a look at the thickness of our walls:

And the floor that was holding up our front door:

We're still enjoying our little adventure. Love ya all!

I forgot to write about the Stickerbugs!

We discovered that there is this strange bug in Texas called a Stickerbug. It looks like the little burs that stick to our clothes in the Northwest, but it's a bug. Yup. Totally gross in my opinion. Tanner said that one attached itself to Kate's clothing and she was crying. He only discovered that there was an actual bug on her when one of the kids told him that he wasn't looking "careful enough" and that she probably had a "stickerbug". So, he searched her clothes more carefully and lo, and behold, there was this little tiny round ball. When he tried to take it off of her pants, he said that it stung him like a stinging nettle. Shudder. I'm just glad that I wasn't the parent dealing with that. Everyone who knows me, knows my fear of bugs.

3 cockaroaches and a sticker bug!

Terminix came today. They didn't warn me that cockaroachs might fall out of the sky. Yuck. They are the vilest looking bugs I have ever seen. They fell and crawled and then flipped over onto their backs and wiggled their legs as they went through their death throws. Shudder.

Tanner replaced the back door today. It acutally went better than we expected. We were afraid that we might have to replace an ENTIRE wall while replacing the door, but it turned out that we only had replace a quarter section. Tomorrow is the front door. We also learned that it will only cost about $100 per window if we're willing to reframe, and since we were planning to do that anyway, I think we'll do that.

We picked up my orange, retro couch. Pics coming soon. AND, I finished painting the front 3 rooms.

The PODS arrived today, too. We're planning to stay in the hotel for the rest of the week.

Kate had her first swimming lesson today.

Our day of rest.

We decided to try out a Methodist church this Sunday. It was a little shocking to have a worship service and a sermon finish up in less than an hour, but it did leave the entire morning free. So after church we took the girls to a park, did a little food shopping, had lunch, and then spent the rest of the afternoon painting the house.

We found out that it would cost about 6500 to have someone come in and replace all of the windows in the house that includes labor. So, it looks like we'll have to do it ourselves. Oh, by the way, the house has 17 windows. Hopefully we'll be able to get everything plumbed and ready to go by the end of next week.

A toothbrush and a bucket

Well, I started cleaning the house with a vengance last night. Armed with a broom, a bucket, rags and some Mr. Clean with the power of Febreeze AND rubber gloves, I began the daunting task of cleaning. There was a fine coating of red dust over every surface, there were cobwebs, cockroach feces, dead flies and other unmentionables. By the time I finished sweeping one room I was hacking and coughing because of the stuff that was floating in the air.

Meanwhile, Tanner was working on repairing some of the major cracks in the walls and assessing the materials we would need to purchase.

Then Kate and I started to scrub the floors. Kate did a marvellous job scrubbing the floors and walls. It took 3 buckets of cleaning solution, but we did indeed get it cleaned. At least now I'm not afraid to lean on the walls.

And then, we got a little scare. We had planned to just lay carpet down, but when Tanner pulled up some of the peeling laminate the only thing underneath it was slatted wood. No subflooring at all. I groaned. It meant at least another 2 days work, and of course more money. Luckily, Tanner had found a general contractor who had agreed to come at take a look at the house in just a few minutes.

Luckily, because the contractor explained that no one puts subflooring down in Texas. Apparently it's a northwest thing. It just doesn't get wet enough here to demand subflooring. So, if we felt apprehensive, he suggested a vapor barrier.

And now for the toothbrush story.
We went to the house today to begin painting and finish mudding. I decided to start on the trim since that would keep us out of Tanner's way as he finished mudding the 3 front rooms. I gave Reagan a paint brush and Kate a paint brush. They each got a small bucket of white paint (VERY small) and I showed them where to paint and what not to paint (i.e. the windows). We proceeded in this fashion for a couple of hours, and then, Reagan started to cry. She said, "Icky, Mommy, icky, Daddy!" We both looked to discover that she was spitting out white paint. To the bathroom, a good rinse, and everything was okay. I was perplexed. Why had she done that? I mean, paint smells icky. Tanner put her down on the floor, and as she spied her paint brush she cried, "My toothbrush!"

Supplies, supplies, supplies.

Today we spent the entire morning shopping for tools and supplies. We bought a post hole digger, a second drill, broom, bucket, mop, and disinfectant. We also decided to rent a Uhaul rather than buy a truck right now. We're so close to A&M that a second car doesn't really seem necessary.

Tanner called a couple of plumbers and electricians and a window guy, so hopefully they all show up at their schedule times tomorrow so that we can get the show on the road. Isn't that funny? We actually have appointments within 24hrs of our phone calls.

We also were invited to church by a Starbucks barista. I guess Tanner was in Starbucks yesterday and talked with the barista who told him that she had just graduated and would start her first "real" job on Monday. Then we came in today with all of our kids, and she started talking with us. We told her about Hinson Baptist, and she invited us to check out her church (Central Baptist) on Suday. She said they have a huge orchestra, so...I'm hoping we like it. I'd love to get into a church orchestra.

College Station, Texas!!

Yeehaw! We made it. Thank you for all of your prayers. We pulled into College Station at about 1:30 this afternoon. Last night, we decided to leave El Paso at 2:00am, so that the majority of the drive would occur while the girls slept. It worked. They didn't stir until we reached Fredericksburg (the peach capital of Texas, even though I didn't see a single peach tree!) at about 10:30. We stopped at a little coffee shop that served breakfast, and switched so that I could drive and Tanner could relax. We finished the rest of the trip in less than 3 1/2 hours. Hehehe...

Perhaps you're wondering how Tanner managed to drive for so long without falling asleep? We discovered the beauty of RockStar energy drink. :-)

So, we decided to go straight to our house. We wanted to know exactly what we were dealing with. The maps all say that the house is located on the corner of Texas Ave, and as we pulled onto the street our hearts skipped a few beats. There was this dilapidated, white house on the corner. We could see it leaning. We could see THROUGH it. Wait, I thought, the house is blue. It's blue. Whew! Aaahh...there it is. We pulled into the little drive and peered through the windows as we waited for the realtor. Kate started to cry, "Mommy, I DON'T like this house. It's icky." But then, once we were inside the house, she was immediately reconciled to it because the front door has a chain lock on it.

What she didn't know was that we met two neighbors inside our house. A dead one and a live one: cockaroaches. Uugghh. We have to go buy toothbrush covers. We are happy to think of Terminix coming tomorrow.

We measured the windows and doors, the outside of the house and the opening in the fence. We figured out where to put the refrigerator, and discovered that there are no washer/dryer hookups. We think we have to replace the water heater, the roof and all of the siding on the house. We're not sure about the heater yet. Then we checked into our hotel and took a little break so that we could come up with a game plan. Then we went to Home Depot and bought paint, a plaster repair kit, a tub repair kit, caulking, and ordered the carpet, the new windows and figured out what exterior doors to buy.

According to the guy at Home Depot, it's not a smart thing to buy solid core, wood doors in Texas. He said that the wood would expand and contract because of all of the humidity, plus it would tend to rot out at the bottom during the wet season. He suggested either a steel or fiberglass door. Interesting, huh?

It looks like we'll need to stay in this hotel for at least a week, and we need to buy a truck. We also need to sleep. G'night.

Our little adventure 45 miles from El Paso

Well, the drive from Tucson, Az to El Paso, Tx was very exhausting. Mainly because this drive came hard on the heels of late nights and early mornings in Disneyland and then a VERY early morning drive to Tucson followed by ANOTHER early morning drive to El Paso. I usually try to stay awake until the sun comes up, so that Tanner has someone to talk to, and then I take a short nap and then I drive for a couple of hours so that Tanner can rest.

Hehehe...that didn't happen on this leg of the trip. I did stay awake by listening to The Horse and His Boy, but somewhere between Shasta meeting Aravis and the long journey to Mt. Pire, I fell asleep. I'm pretty sure a slept through at least 1 1/2 disks before I suddenly jerked awake because Tanner said, "Um...Noelle, I, um...forgot to get gas..." Yup, you've all felt that heart thudding, sticking moment, but when I felt it, and looked around us, there was absolutely nothing. We were in the middle of nowhere. It was just ranch land, and it was empty ranch land at that. It was more empty than the Warm Springs Indian reservation on the way to Bend. Let's just put it this way, the next McDonalds was in El Paso! Tanner had planned to stop for gas as we passed through Las Cruces, New Mexico, but since he was tired, and I was sleeping, he forgot. We checked Garmin. Next gas 20 miles ahead. Las Cruces...20 miles behind. Our gas tank?? Maybe, it had 10 miles left in it. Yeah, it was more than empty.

And, of course that's the time when a person should start to pray, so I did. I kept asking God for some crazy miracle, like a brand new gas station that Garmin didn't have on its system. I knew we'd be okay if we ran out of gas. The morning was cool, and we had water in the car, but I REALLY didn't want to be stranded on the side of the road either waiting or walking with the kids. And then, our little miracle happened. A huge billboard loomed up in front of us proclaiming gas at the next exit just a mile ahead. We were so happy, we pulled off the freeway, and came to the end of the ramp. No gas station. So, we headed over the freeway and came to an intersection, guessed to take a right and ran into a very gaudily painted gas station. Yes, it was open at 5:30am, so we got gas, and decided that I'd better drive the rest of the way, so that Tanner could rest. We headed back for the freeway. Now, this is where the story gets interesting. There was no on ramp for the freeway, instead the signs told us to go AWAY from the freeway in order to get to the freeway. Talk about spooky. We're in the middle of nowhere, traveling along the U.S/Mexican border, imagining banditos hijacking our car as we're moving toward the Mexican border with a promise of running into an AMERICAN freeway, with 3 kids in the back of the car.

Sorry, Mom. I know you've got to be just a little freaked out about this, but the road did indeed lead us back to the freeway, albeit a little circuitously, and we did make it to El Paso, a Burger King and a Starbucks. Whew!

This drive is beautiful. I've been trying to thing of how to describe it, and figured the landscape best resembled a serving platter with jagged edges. It's weird how the mountains seem to surround us on all sides, but we never seem to cross any of them. But, as Tanner says, enough beauty, we want the drive to be done, so I'm staying up late tonight, letting the kids play while Tanner tries to sleep. We'll head out of here at around 2:00am, and we're hoping to go straight through to our final destination instead of stopping again. We'll see how far we get by sunrise and then make the decision from there.

And after that, we have to figure out how to buy a truck, dressers, beds and at least a tiny couch of some sort, since we had to leave all of that stuff behind in good ol' PDX.

As a last little note, today, the History Channel did a documentary on underground dens and speakeasys in the U.S. And guess what city they featured? Portland, OR. It kind of made me homesick to see the downtown streets and Waterfront Park, but then I remembered that today, when Reagan was throwing a tinsy, tiny temper tantrum, I was able to nip it in the bud because it's completely legal to give your kid a swat in Texas, so the tantrum didn't turn into a full blown, kicking and screaming, two year old, I want my own way scene. She started to pucker up and got the shock of her life. Mommy gave her a swat in a public place. Sigh. I miss Portland, but I love being free in Texas. Like I heard in a comedy routine, "America. Texas. Home."

El Paso, Texas

Well, we made it to Texas. The trip so far has been a lot of fun, but very exhausting. We've been up by 4:30 every morning just so that we can get as much distance behind us before the kids wake up. Unfortunately, the kids aren't use to the bright sun, so it doesn't matter how late we keep them up, they wake up at about 8:00. And, once they are up, everyone knows that it's bathroom breaks every few hours.

I'm so glad that Joanelle told me to separate their toys. They have a bag for the car and a bag for the hotel room, and that has made a really big difference. They aren't bored with their toys by the time we get to our destination, so Tanner and I are able to rest instead of entertain them. Yesterday, our hotel had a pool, so the girls spent a couple of hours playing in the water. I also got a chance to do our laundry.

Sorry that there aren't any pics to post. My memory card broke, so I don't even have photos of Disneyland. :-( We had a lot of fun with Caleb and Gen and their kids. Thanks for the spending money for the girls. Kate waited until the last day and then decided that she wanted a Cinderella doll that came with a blue pony, and Reagan decided on a squishy princess doll and her very own copy of Meet the Robinsons (her favorite movie).

I had fun going on all of the rides that are Kate's favorites. She laughs her way through all of the roller coasters. She says that her favorite is Splash Mountain, Grizzly River Rapids and Rocky Mountain Railroad. Reagan begged for Dumbo, Dumbo, Dumbo.

Today is a sleep day. It's 1:00 and Tanner is already asleep. We're letting the girls watch cartoons for a while, and then I plan to take them to a play place a little bit later. Kate is being reconciled to the idea of living in Texas. She was so happy to see a Target as we drove to the hotel, and she got to play in a huge playstructure at Burger King this morning. She still wishes that Emma would move here, too, and she's concerned about having to make new friends. I pray for her at night and it has been good to see her adjusting.

Taking it easy tonight

Even though Disneyland is open until 11:00 tonight, we've decided to take it easy. It's been so windy in Anaheim that it's been difficult to keep Georgie comfortable, and tonight as we were looking at her face we realized that she had wind burn. Luckily, Caleb and Gen had run into a pediatrician at the hotel and had asked about wind burn (Luke had it, too). Eucerin was the answer. Off we went to Le Target and we found a small bottle of Eucerin. The wind burn explains Georgianna's fussiness and her sudden dislike of sleeping on her tummy. The Eucerin seems to have soothed her and she is now sleeping peacefully.

Reagan got to pick out a toy to take home today. It was funny watching her wander through the Disney store. Lo, and behold, she let out a little squeak of delight when she saw an entire wall filled with Minnie Mouse. All sorts of Minnies: pink, red, fuzzy, silky, ballerina, pajama'd, huge, large, medium and small. She chose a small Minnie Mouse dressed in a pink princess dress with a pink princess cone hat. I showed her the big version, but she wanted the small one. I showed her the medium ballerina Minnie, the huge polka dot Minnie and the soft, fuzzy Minnie, but Reggie wanted the small Minnie.

Yesterday, Katie got to pick out the toy. She chose a pocket sized Tinker Bell with interchangeable outfits. I think I'm going to have to find a doll house for her.

Our trip so far...

So far, so good. Emotions have been running high, so the trip can't help but be a little stressful. The first leg of the trip was the hardest: Portland to Sacramento. We made it to Medford without much ado, but reality set in just as we were entering the city limits. We've decided that the Lord is using this trip to teach us to pray for His joy, His love, and His peace.

The passes were completely clear, so we pulled into Redding just a little after 12:30 -- just in time for lunch. We decided that fast food and a park would be the best thing for the kids, so we headed for Wendy's and the Sundial Bridge. We let the kids play until 3:30, and then we piled back into the car and started the last leg of the trip. They all fell asleep, and everything was peaceful until 6:53, and then Georgie woke up. She was definitely done with the car, the car seat and the dark, but there was no place to stop. We managed to make it to a restaurant about 25 minutes shy of our final destination. We layed her on the floor (I know, I know THE FLOOR), so that she could stretch out and exercise her back muscles. It proved to be the very thing for her, and when we finished dinner she settled into her car seat without too much resistance and we made it to Caleb and Gen's by 7:45.

We let the kids out of the car and Reagan ran up to the front of the house and peered into the window. Without a single moments hesitation she cried, "ZEKE!" Wow, can you believe that? I didn't expect Reggie to remember him. The kids stayed up REALLY late, and we all tumbled into bed, completely exhausted at 2:00. The next day we spent just lazing around the place, letting the kids play and forget about the last bit of the trip.

This morning we loaded up again, and took a quick visit to Livermore, and had a very excellent lunch with Aunt Caroline, Uncle Norm and Debbie. The kids had so much fun in the tree house, and cried when we had to go. Then, on to Disneyland. That part of the trip convinced us that 5:00am is the ideal time to travel with children. So, we've arrived, safe and sound, and very content with the Lord's provision.

I won't be blogging every day, and I'm not posting our future plans, but I do appreciate all of the prayers and the support from everyone in good ol' PDX. Tanner and I have been splitting the driving, but Tanner is getting the brunt of it because I don't drive well in the dark, so he gets the beginning and the tale parts of the journey. We thank God that Starbucks is now scattered across the USA and hope that there are more along the rest of the route.

Four, Three!

We finished packing up the house last night, and celebrated by going to a Japanese restaurant per Katie's request. Kate loves Sumo wrestling, and the only place to watch it is at this restaurant we found on 82nd. So, we treated ourselves and my parents to a yummy dinner complete with miso soup and tempura ice cream.

Today, we're packing the pods. They arrived yesterday, so today is the day we load everything. Josh and my dad came to help.

It's amazing. We just moved about 6 months ago, and we already have enough stuff that we can gift to the Salvation Army...people say the economy is slowing down. Maybe we need to learn to not accumulate so many useless things. It's funny because, Tanner and I consider ourselves to be pretty streamlined. We don't even possess couches, and we still managed to fill two 6x6x8 pods. Wow...kind of makes you think. Of course, we realize we're moving 5 people, but it really, do we need all of this stuff? Guess so. We packed it in boxes instead of throwing it away.


Kate is getting to play with her cousins this morning, and then she spends the night with her auntie and cousins tonight. We're glad she's getting to spend so much time with them. We're constantly amazed at God's attention to all the little things in our life. The last few days have been very hectic, and I've been concerned that Georgie might have to be left in her crib to amuse herself. Instead, she's been sleeping for long stretches during the day and during the night, and she wakes up during the periods of time when we're not doing anything. The girls, also, have been playing well together.

Six, Five!

We're almost all packed. Tanner is sorting out the garage while I finish up all the laundry. Then we have to go to the store I buy a few more vacuum sealing bags and that's it until tomorrow morning. Hopefully the moving units will arrive tonight and then we'll be able to pack everything up on Saturday. Our goal is to be done with everything on Saturday, so that we can spend Sunday and Monday with family and friends.

Kate is excited because we signed her up for swimming lessons in C.S., and in the summer time, Reagan and George will start lessons as well. My violin student count is up to 6, so I hope we can get the office in decent shape so that I can start teaching lessons as soon as possible. I think it is so neat how God is providing students for me. I didn't think that I would get any response to my ad, and look at what He has done. I'm so thankful that He is going before us and providing for us. I couldn't help calculate that if I had 20 students, we would have all of our monthly expenses covered. That means only 10 hours of work a week. My last hurdle is to find an accompaniest and a recital hall, but I'm not worried at all. I've seen God's hand at work during this time and have no hesitation in trusting Him for everything that I need.