Little Blurb

This last week has been one of the craziest in a long time. So far this week has been a bit of a haze as we are recovering from last week. Andrew's mom and mir mir came into town just briefly for our service Sunday night. It was really great to see them and spend some time with them.

In the aftermath of last week, we have been attempting to get organized. We have now moved into my parent's house, where we will live for the reminder of our time here. In all the rush to get our stuff out of our old house before the estate sale, our things were a wreck here. For the past two days we have been running around with errands and in our brief moments here have attempted to organize our things. As a result, the past few days I have been a bit dressier than usual because the only clothes I could find were my hang-up clothes. Hopefully now we have gotten things figured out.

Well, we have two speaking engagements tomorrow. The first at 6:50 in the morning! We are speaking to a group of high school students in town. Tomorrow night we are representing N. Africa at our Wednesday night "Midway."

We have accomplished a lot lately, but we still have a lot to do. I am so thankful for the moments that I get to go to Starbucks with my Mom and sneak out to the Cherry Blossom festival with Megan and Melissa. Not to mention that Carrie and Zeke are always a spirit lifter! Love you guys! I'm sure I would go crazy without you.

Just a few Big Events

The past several days have been extremely busy!  Thursday morning the crating people came and loaded up and took off with our crate:

Friday morning there was a line outside our front door waiting to get in for our "estate sale."  Saturday, there was no line, but yet we were up ready for day two.

I guess I should just start from the beginning...This past week Andrew and I have been frantically trying to get all of our things together and ready for the crating people to come Thursday and for the estate sale Friday and Saturday.  I of course being completely overwhelmed with everything, have now finished book two of Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers.  So, Thursday morning we woke up bright and early ready for the crating company to arrive between 8 and 10.  Naturally, they did not show up till 10:30.....that's alright, Whispers in the Wind kept me occupied.  In anticipation of their coming, Andrew and I had written up a complete detailed list of everything we were packing.  As the men packed up the boxes, we kept up with which items went into each box numbering the boxes as we went along.  We had papers everywhere, numbers written all over the papers and the boxes.  It was craziness, but it all made sense to us.  We got the crate loaded and heading off successfully.  Now the enormous task of preparing the rest of the house for the estate sale.  Andrew began throwing all of our stuff we are keeping into the cars and making runs to my parents' house while Mom and I began working on the rest of the house.  After several trips and a few hours later, Andrew asks me if I have seen all the papers with the numbers and items we packed. Nope.  Couldn't find it anywhere in the house.  We ran back over to my parents' house to see if it's there.  Nope.  Couldn't find it there either.  We think over worst case scenarios, and then decide not to worry about it, hopefully it will show up.  

Back at our house, a little later, I get a phone call.  It's "the big guy," head boss from our crating company wondering if the guys are still at our house, he can't seem to find them.  Um...they left several hours ago.  He says it's no big deal, they had another stop to make after they left our house. (Sure).  This was just the comic relief Andrew and I were looking for.  I mean clearly the obvious answer is that the crating guys have ganked our packing list and made off with our crate.  We laugh about this for the rest of the night, secretly hoping it's not true. Friday morning, line down our front porch waiting to get into the estate sale, our crate is the furthest thing from our mind.  Later that morning when things slow down a little bit  we're all standing around talking and the crate comes up.  We figure it has been long enough, so Andrew gives "the big guy" a call.  Putting us all at ease, he confirms that the guys did return with our crate and they have it, although still no sign of our packing list.  Hopefully once we get all of our "we're keeping it" things sorted out we will find it.

As far as our estate sale goes, it was a huge success!  We sold just about everything.  We still have an oversized chair, end table and coffee table left that didn't sale.  If you're interested let us know ;)  Along with some other "stuff."  All in all though, we really sold a lot.  We were really blessed to be able to sell as much as we did, and we definitely could not have done any of it without my Grandparents, sister Angela, sister Carrie and my Mom and Dad.  Thanks!!  You guys mean so much to us and all the time and effort you put in to help us out really does mean more than you know or that we could fully express to you. Thank you so much!  We love you!

Andrew's Mom and MirMir came into town this afternoon as well.  We are excited about getting to spend the next couple of days with them and appreciate them coming all the way out here to see us.  I know this was an extremely long blog today.  A lot as been going on, and hopefully you enjoyed reading about it!

Crazy weekend

This past week as you know, we have been busy packing, sorting and throwing out.  I haven't quite figured out what my life in a suitcase looks like yet, but I have had a chance to see what my life in a yard sale looks like.  Thanks to my sister Angela, Grandpa and Danease and my Mom and Dad, we have gotten most of our belongings that we plan to sale in yard sale order.  We have spent a crazy day sorting, arranging and pricing all the possessions that Andrew and I consider part of our lives.  Here is what we have to show for ourselves:

The top two are before photos, and the bottom two are after photos.  This is our lives on about seven tables...We still have a bit more stuff in our office, bedroom and the kitchen that we still have to sort through and label, but the most of it is done.  The crating company comes by on Thursday morning to pack up our things that we will be taking with us in boxes and load it into our crate.  That will be the moment of truth.

It was hard today looking and pricing all of our things.  It was hard not to grab everything and say I'd take it with me.  Don't tell Andrew, but there were a few things I had to take out of the sell pile and put in the we're taking it with us stash. :)  As tough as it is getting rid of just about everything, it is also kind of refreshing and invigorating at the same time.  It feels very cleansing.  We will definitely get a fresh start when we move...but did we really need one?  I guess He thinks so :)

Well, if you're in Macon this Friday or Saturday from 8 am to 4 pm, come on by.  "We give you good deal."  Thanks everyone for all of your support!  We couldn't do it without you!

More Packing

As of late, our days have mostly been filled with packing.  It's been crazy trying to get everything in order. We have a little over a month before we are actually leaving, but we have put a two week time limit on ourselves.  This time next week we should have everything thing packed up in boxes ready for the crating company to pick up bright and early Thursday morning and load in our crate.  Some may think giving ourselves this two week time limit is crazy, and a lot of the time I think it is too.  But, we do have a reason behind our madness.  1) We need to get all of our stuff out of the way so we can sell everything that is left, and we need time to sell it.  2) We need to get this all done so we can have time to head out to NM and spend some quality, stress-free time with Andrew's family. 3)  Finally, which builds off of point 2, we want to have time just to relax and spend time with family and friends without all the stress of having to worry about packing.

Earlier today we received a potential itinerary for flying overseas.  It's finally happening!  Exciting and weaving at the same time.  But I am trying to think logically, so I first look at what airline we will be flying on, then check baggage allowances on that airline.  Clearly the most important thing is how many suitcases we will be able to take with us.  We haven't quite figured that out yet since they keep throwing weird symbols next to numbers.  Regardless, how do you minimize your life down to just a few suitcases?  My life in a suitcase...what does that look like?  When I figure it out, I'll let you know.  Until then...more packing

Photos

Here are just a few photos of Andrew and me.  A big thanks to Mom for taking them for us!

First Packings

Today's Goal:

 

  

Before

 

  

Durring

 

  

After

It's Official!

Andrew and I literally just arrived back from Tennessee within the hour.  It was a busy, fast-paced half week that felt like three weeks.  Everyday felt like at least three days all smooched into one.  We have complete information overload, and my brain feels like mush now, but hopefully we will remember at least a little bit of the information we were given.  All of that to say, it was an incredible half-week.  In the midst of all the hustle and bustle, craze of information and thoughts of all that we have left to do before we move, He graciously granted a peace beyond logic or understanding.  Have you ever been somewhere and you felt complete contentment and peace?  If you could be anywhere else in the whole world, you wouldn't go because you felt just fine right where you were?  Well, that's the feeling He would occasionally grant me throughout this crazy week.

We have so much still to come in this next month, but it is such a comfort to know that we are exactly where He wants us to be.  The service on Wednesday night appointing us as official "employees" was an incredible time as well.  Just another confirmation among many, that we are right were we need to be.  Although He grants us peace and is sufficient beyond all of our wants or needs, there is another who would try to use this time of chaos to rob us of our peace.  Please lift up with us that would not happen.  The next month will no doubt be very busy and stressful.  Amazing as it may seem, when I'm stressed, I am not always pleasant to be around  :)  Hopefully Andrew will have enough patience to put up with me over the next month.  I truly have married an amazing man who never seems to run out of patience with me.

Thank you for continually supporting us and showing interest in our lives.  You all mean so much to us!