Week ending 6-6-21 Driving across the country to our new house!

We drove from Wyoming to North Carolina this week, so lots of pictures! Can't believe we're actually here starting a new life.

Sunday: I had time to read all our good-bye cards and take pictures for the scrapbook. I'll always remember the good people of our Sandy ward and neighborhood.

I loved these little boys when I did singing time in primary and then did nature camps with them last summer. So sweet that they wrote me goodbye cards.

The Summers family, directly over the wall from our house.

The Hydes gave us these two tubs full of goodies for the road.

Notebooks, colored pencils, gel pens, coloring books, etc.

Snacks!

Spencer's girlfriend, Brooke, gave us this goody bag for the road.

Seeing Ben and Janet's rabbits in the new hutch Janet built this week.

Hanging out in their newly finished kitchen. Didn't have this last time we were here!

Riding the horses they were horse sitting.

Unfortunately I fell off trying to get on and twisted my ankle that put me on crutches the rest of the week.

Tad helped Andy finish a clay project Kristin had given him for the car ride and then helped him get to bed since my foot was hurt.

Monday: Back on the road again.

South Dakota on I-90 all green. I tried to take a picture of all 11 states we went through but missed a few.

Kaitlyn and Makenna playing NICU babies in the car.

Iowa all green too.

Made it at 9pm (after leaving Wyoming at 7:30am) to Brady and Tami's house in Iowa!

Tuesday: Living the good life of hanging out on a cool front porch watching kids play at the park across the street.

Tami and Madalyn took the kids to a man-made lake while I rested my foot at Tami's house.

That night we went to Shane and Paige's baseball games.

I took this for my two friends in Utah.

Wednesday: Saying good bye. I really want to live by family, just not sure if I could handle the brutal Iowa winters with negative temps and winds. But it sure was fun to stop and see them.

My sister asked for a picture of my swollen, bruised foot. I propped it up while Alexis drove and by that night it was feeling better.

Illinois windmills.

Staying with facebook friends in Indianapolis. They had 5 little kids and 1 on the way and were lots of fun and very hospitable.

Kaitlyn

Makenna found a cozy spot in a baby crib.

Sam was in the fire truck toddler bed, Andy on a bean bag, Thomas on the bottom, and 2 of their boys on the floor and top bunk.

Thursday: Up and on the road again by 7:30. It rained all day but we passed through several beautiful states. This is Indiana.

Indiana

Pretty Ohio farmhouses.

Crossing over the river into West Virginia. 

Driving through Charleston.

Beautiful West Virginia mountains! Everywhere we looked was gorgeous.

Going down hill we could see mountains in the distance.

It rained the whole time which made for scary driving since Spencer was driving the Uhaul and Alexis was driving the minivan.

Finally! After 9 states we hit Virginia, our new home!

Andy being cute on the Uhaul at a gas station.

The Blue Ridge Parkway!

Can't believe our road is right off of it.

On our road and looking for our driveway.

Sorry for all the pictures, we were just so excited to be seeing our new house for the first time!

Walking around our property for the first time!

Joe Sloop, the owner, showing us around where all the different fruit, nut, berry bushes, kiwi bushes, fig trees, etc are.

Getting to see inside the house for the first time.

Then we went to the Mizelle's house to live until we can close on our new house. They live in North Carolina, the 11th state we traveled through. They have puppies and kitties which was really fun.

Eating dinner at the Mizelle's. Everyone was so good to feed us this week.

Friday: Unloading the Uhaul at our new house. We haven't closed but we put our stuff in the sheds so that we could return the Uhauls. I would have loved to stay longer at my brother's houses but that would cost an extra $150 a day so we had to come here and wait till closing.

Fit it in the huge shed.

Only thing left is the piano. They all rode in the Uhaul with it to the front of the house to put it in the house.

The elders who came and helped. A few of them even knew Kylie and served with her in Charlotte! 

(We're in the Charlotte mission.)

They were so strong! One's name was even Elder Strong. Seriously.

Trying out the front porch swing. Madison belongs to the Mizelle's who we're staying with until we close.

Excited to try out the riding mower that comes with the farm.

I came upstairs at the Mizelles to find these kids happily drawing.

We went cherry picking to the Mizelle's friends and had a lot of fun.

Seed spitting contest.

Cool old barn at the cherry house.

Saturday: The 3 little kids jumping on the Mizelle's trampoline.

Playing froggies.

We went over to our house and explored the woods. This is heading down the ravine for the first time. I've always dreamed of having woods and a spring and creek and I can't believe it's coming true.

I loved watching 9 kids explore and be themselves, especially after a week of driving in the car, staying at people's houses and being on best behavior.

We found an old rusty car.

Nine kids in front of our new house! We don't have the keys yet but Spencer and Madalyn were flying back to Utah so I had to get a picture while they were here.

Lexi wanted this picture of the blueberries at the far left and some apple and cherry trees, a Japanese maple, and then a pecan tree.

Eating out as a family for the first time since having 10 kids 4 years ago. The older kids eat out with friends and I occasionally take a child or two to a cafe/restaurant/donut shop with a gift card but I'm pretty sure I've never taken all of them to a fast food restaurant. I don't think the 3 little kids have ever gone. Not drive through or anything. Oh! My mom did treat us to a Mexican restaurant on my 40th birthday in the Redwoods 2 years ago. So that counts as a restaurant even though 2 kids didn't come on that trip. 

Anyway, we had a great time. Kind of a celebratory event of surviving a week on the road, starting a new life in Southern Virginia, saying goodbye to Spencer and Madalyn, and starting our fast. It was a lot of fun.

Dropping them off at the Greensboro airport. It's my new favorite airport! It was clean, neat, empty, free 1 hour parking right in front. Can't be beat!

After saying goodbye at the curb the kids then followed Spencer and Madalyn into the airport and said more goodbyes.

It was hard to see them go. I'm so grateful they were willing to drive out with us. Spencer has a couple more weeks before he moves into BYU and starts summer term. Madalyn is living in Provo and doing BYU-I online this semester after already doing fall and winter in Rexburg. I love having my big kids around making my family feel more complete. I'll miss them. With a small house though, I have to admit I'll probably be a tinsey bit glad to have 2 less children.

Today: First Sunday in our new church! It's a cool historical Colonial house.

The foyer.

Waiting for Sacrament Meeting to start.

Our new chapel in our branch.

The primary president was thrilled to increase the size of the primary by 6 times.

Seriously. There was only 1 child before. Now there will be 6.

We loved our new branch. Such fun, sweet people.