Wednesday, Feb. 13

In the photo below, you see three tape guns. Never before have all three been in the same place at the same time the past five days! Each of us have gone hunting for a tape gun probably at least 50 times each. Today the U-Pack was *almost* completely loaded. Tomorrow will be about another hour, then it can be picked up!!!!! Yippeeeeeee!!! Yee haw!! I'm getting geared up for being a Texan. Did you know I even have my own firearm? See, I'm already a Texan.

Our plans change day-to-day, and it frustrates us as much as it probably does everyone else. We need to be out of this house by Saturday, so we will probably have to stay w/ my mom or some friends until Thursday morning when we will have to hit the road in order to meet the U-Pack. Expect that plan to change, though.

We are all relieved tonight to be as far along as we are. Currently, we are living w/ bare minimum essentials. It's actually quite nice.

Everyone has been working so hard. My mom has been here for three days packing up the kitchen and a whole bunch of other things while I ran around like a chicken w/ my head cut off. Michael was so tired I thought he would fall over. We thought Luke had broken his toe but it is only bruised. Paul hurt his foot/ankle, and Mark has overused the ankle that he sprained last summer. Matthias did something to his ankle and it has some cuts, but not bad. I just hear all day long how someone is hurt. Brandon (family friend) was so exhausted that he almost got sick and had to go home early (he had overdone it yesterday at ball practice, then at some other event in the evening).

When we disconnected the water line from the fridge, whoever originally connected it did it weird and we had water water everywhere and I had to dash to the hardware store for a cap fitting. I am not the best person to send there. It took three employees to find what we needed, then I had to leave the store and return with some actual money so I could pay for the item.

I won't even go into my behavior at Costco last night. Let's just say it's a good thing I was only buying four items. We are really doing well, considering.

In the past three days I have said a few times that I used to think I was the Queen of Decluttering. I have repented of that thought and plan to assume that title asap.

Thank you all for your prayers. Michael has some jobs to do and I am not going ahead of him after all. I will wait for him to finish before we get going next week. It really has to happen then, because our stuff will arrive and we have to meet it.

Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008

Today the trailer got more packed. It is a real hard job to pack it all tight, like a puzzle. It is amazing how difficult this move is. We have had a few helpers each day but the one who seems to make the most progress is Michael. But, we are supplying all the stuff to pack so I guess the exhaustion that the rest of us feel is because we are also working hard.

The latest "plan" is that the trailer will be picked up Thursday and we will leave Saturday. I hope hope hope that Michael will come along, but he has jobs that must be done and I really want to live somewhere, like in a house. Staying w/ people on this end until he is finished is not attractive at all. No offense to anyone offering to put us up, but this whole chaotic living thing is old old old. Not complaining ~ just want to be home home home.

We are praying for all the details to continue to work out, even if they seem to "work out" differently than we think they should. God is faithful and always good and we see His grace in our lives every day. We have had neighbors drop by with gifts and well wishes for our future. Friends have brought food and convenience items. Even though we look forward to our new life in Texas, it is nice to know we will be missed. We will definitely miss so many people here. But, we will keep in touch!! Technology was invented for such things!

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Here are some photos from the packing. We haven't been able to take many (too busy) or make videos but we hope to do some of that more when we are on the road seeing the pretty sights between here and The Republic of Texas.

Loading Day #1, Febuary 9th, 2008

Here are some pictures from a few nights ago. It was getting dark as I started to take pictures. The top one is from left to right: Mark, Matthias, Uncle Ty and Paul. Matthias got in front of EVERY picture. Bottom is Dad packing boxes and furniture into every little space in the trailer.

: Rachael :

Monday, Feb. 11, 2008

Saturday and Sunday "we" loaded the trailer ("we," meaning Michael did it). We had a few helpers, who were worth their weight in gold. Hard work is good for a body, though at the end of the day that can be debatable!

Today we hope to have a more firm date on which we will be actually driving down the highway. I have come to avoid answering questions that begin with "When?" or "What time?" or "How long?"

Friday, Feb. 8, 2008

What a difference a day makes. Or two days. Paul is getting a bit better, but his muscle is pretty pulled. He has to reeeeally take it easy. He tripped over some stuff in the garage and fell down, twisting himself as he fell. I have him on ice, but really he has to just wait it out. God knew this would happen so He isn't surprised and it doesn't impede *His* plans.

As is the natural course of events for us, our schedule again changed but we are dealing with it. As my practical daughter put it, "Why get upset about things that are out of your control?" Indeed. Such wisdom from a 15 year-old.

We will have a street sweeper ticket after today, but that's life and a small price to pay to get this done on God's timetable instead of our own.

We will completely finish packing today and tomorrow load the U-Pack. I will depart on Monday with seven of the children and head to Texas. Michael has a job that will take over a week so he will stay behind with Mark and finish it and do some other things that need to be taken care of before he leaves.

Please pray for us today that we will be able to be smart about what we pack and what we leave out for daily use. We have already unpacked a few boxes to retrieve needed items.

Thank you!!!!

...Setbacks, problems...

Some bad news...
Paul hurt his back today. Pulled a muscle really bad and can't really do much work as far as loading and moving preparation goes. Every step forward toward actually moving takes us 3 steps back. Thankfully we have friends with strong sons who are willing to come help us load up our trailer, but Pauly is unable to help Dad with work or anything else for that matter. Please pray that he heals quickly and nothing more happens to impede our progress. We have been tuning up the trucks for their 1500 mile drive and the problems that the cars have are costing more to fix than planned. Everyone is under a lot of stress, and it seems anything we attempt to do is blocked. Little things...like going to Costco to buy dinner for THAT NIGHT and the membership being expired. There is entirely too much for all of us to do... I'm afraid this is complaining, but Mom wanted me to post and this is pretty much what she'd say.

Let's wait and see what obstacles tomorrow brings.

Sunday, Feb. 3, 2008

Remember what I said about plans and the Putmans not being compatible? Well, that's OK because God said that men plan with their minds but God directs their steps. We planned to load the U-Pack today (ox in the well) but it is raining. A really wonderful wet rain! We love rain, but it does interfere with loading a trailer. So, we will call our helpers and tell them we are not able to load today. And, thank God, Michael has a job tomorrow, but that means no loading then, either. The trailer will have to stay an extra day or two.

That's life, at least around here! Today I am thankful for time to pack more, rest, take a nice hot bath, and a nap. Oh, and more packing (the little stuff).