On the road

Oh dear, my pictures are posting oddly again. Well, here we are on the road. We visited Mike's brother Jeff and his wife Pam first. They are expecting their first baby soon. I think this is only the 3rd time we have all been together since we got married. We all look a little rough because we had been swimming. Well, I'll admit it - I've been looking rough for about 2 weeks. But things are improving, you'll see.

Hello from the Tebbano's in New Mexico. We pretty much invited ourselves to their home and they were more than gracious. We even got to attend worship with them on Sunday morning. I was really encouraged by the gospel message in Hosea from Patrick's Sunday school class.

Karen these are those mountains I was telling you about. This is what they look like up close.

But this is how huge they are. I don't see how this happened. Enormous mountains of boulders. I don't see how they just don't all tumble off. There aren't even an "watch for falling rock" signs."

We also stayed with John and Allyn Tock and didn't get a single picture. John took the day off and we, almost literally, sat on the couch all day and visited. We got up for meals and to swim in the evening. It was so relaxing. It was also 100+ degrees - so doing too much more than that you would break a sweat anyway.

Thank you all for all your hospitality along the way. You made a very long trip enjoyable.

Tidy bowl tears

I never imagined that I would purge the majority of my tears over this move while hanging over this tub and toilet with a sponge in my hand. I had had my moments over the past few months, but by and large I had not been too weepy. I have moved about every 2-3 years since I graduated from high school. Even before that we moved about as much while I was growing up. I didn’t anticipate this being any different. But seeing the house empty was hard. All of a sudden I could hear all the sounds – from the beating and banging of the early construction that I always prayed wouldn’t wake Olivia up to O. and J.’s screams as they ran naked down the hallway to the bathtub that I was cleaning the last night we were there. There were so many things I would never hear and see again – the creaks that certain boards in the floor made, Olivia sitting in her big girl bed for the first time in the corner of her little room, both kids sleeping at one time or another in every single room in that house. I knew we had experienced a lot in this house, but I still couldn’t figure out why my emotions were suddenly so strong. My friend, Amy described it well I think. She said that once you have children the memories are unrepeatable. Up until this time in my life I had done lots of things I could do again (for the most part). But my children would never take their first steps again or potty train again (hopefully) or stay up until 10:30 laughing and throwing things at each other from their beds in that room again. As I walked through those empty rooms I cried my eyes out. I was so proud of Mike and everything the Lord strengthened him to accomplish there. I was so thankful for my children who endured so much. I was so thankful that the Lord preserved us through all of this. There were many points where we could have been derailed – our marriage could have tanked, Mike’s studies could have failed, we could have continued the way we started – in our own prideful strength. The Lord is so gentle. He was so kind to us. For a long time I thought I would be relieved to leave this house and its trials behind. Now I am so thankful that we are taking it with us – in our memories, in the changes God has wrought in our hearts and character, in who we are as a family – always desperately in need of more grace. “Unless the Lords builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.”

On the way out

In case you haven't figured it out, we have left St. Louis. I just want to get all these posts in order and only have limited time on the road. We had intended to load the truck Monday and Tuesday and leave early Wednesday morning - we didn't get out of town until 5 p.m. There is always still so much to do even after you have moved all your stuff out. Unfortunately, I had expended every bit of energy I had and Mike had to do it all. I pretty much layed on the Tucker's couch. Our last stop on the way out of town was the Pollack's. These babies are going to look a lot different next time we are all together.Six plus one on the way. There were just two in the beginning - granted the Pollack's have them two at a time...

R.U.F.F. I finally did get a shower...and little bit of sleep.

Book ends

When we moved to St. Louis three and a half years ago we were pretty much homeless. We had hired a contractor to gut the back three rooms of the house so we would have a place to live only he was not finished. Actually, he never did finish...or get the rest of his money. It was...the beginning of a long sanctifying experience for the McBrides. So we moved in to the bottom floor of the Tuckers house for a couple of weeks. Alice and I were college roommates. Then we were post college roommates. Now we have been neighbors and had babies together...Joseph and Abel were supposed to be only 2 days apart, but Joseph came three weeks early. It seemed appropriate to find ourselves living at the Tuckers again our last couple of days in St. Louis.

Take a good look at this kid - his name will be on some invention one day. Levi Tucker.

He still doesn't quite get the binoculars.

Well, it is now pictorally documented - I did look as rough as I felt. I think I had some kind of supernatural energy for the two days we loaded that truck. I didn't feel pregnant or sick to my stomach or hardly tired. I mean I wasn't superwoman, but it was definitely interesting. Day three I could hardly put one foot in front of the other. This was day three.

Moving Day(s)

There was some serious conversation going on between these two -that's O and Grandpa Pollack. Olivia "helped" for two days - in and out of that truck the whole time. She did great. I think she really needed to be a part of things - that seems to be how she has been processing all the change. About 8:45 she said she was ready to go down to the Tuckers. Alice called me about 10 minutes later and said Olivia knocked on her door and said she was ready for bed.

Jonathan worked double duty - maybe since Sage couldn't be there - he showed up two days in a row!

The master packer.

We made it in 18 feet - he was shooting for 16. Oh well, we had already sold and given away as much as we could. Honk if you see an ABF truck.

Truckin'

It's here. Come on over if you want to help load it. Karen and Olivia supervised the parking from the window.

Lining our walls

I would say we are about 75% packed. This is the most ahead of the game on a move I have ever felt. We'll see if we actually are ahead come Monday when they drop the truck off. Sometimes I find myself standing in the middle of the kitchen with something in my hand - paralyzed - just wishing someone would tell me what to do with it. Brain cells seem to be dying early in this pregnancy. By the way, it is amazing what c.r.a.p. people will buy off of Craig's list. We have listed some decent stuff, however; we have gotten the most response on this tooky little, particle board skinny dresser that I (mistakenly) painted deep pink about 6 years ago. We should have asked more for it. Didn't realize it was such a gem.