Packing up and Moving out

Boy, am I thankful I don't have to pack myself.  There is just no way!!  We have way too much stuff.  The movers told us we have over double the amount of boxes than the average family!  A lot of that is due to all our food storage, but a lot is also due to our incredible amount of stuff!  I get stressed out about it every time we move.  But, we always seem to settle it into our new home in such a way that at least other people don't notice how much junk we have even if I do!  I would seriously get rid of half of everything we own if it were up to me, but Kenneth likes to keep most everything and I really want to keep him around, so I don't push it too much (even though he may beg to differ!)
Anyway, the packers and loaders were very efficient  (a few of them had 30+ years of experience!).  Things moved along quite nicely and Kenneth was around more this time, which was nice.  In the past, it has just been me at home with the packers and movers.
Let me tell you, it was quite a job getting stuff for 6 people for almost 2 months set aside before the packers came.  I also was possibly unwise to hold Emma's Birthday party on the Saturday before the Monday the packers came.  It was just too much!  In fact, I told Kenneth that Saturday night that I didn't think I could keep on moving all the time like we do.  It's just too much for me!!!!  That Sunday in church we sang the hymn, "I'll go where you want me to go, Dear Lord".  The line, "Over mountain, or plain or sea"  I realized we've just about done that- we've been all over the place.  And each time we've moved, we've felt guided by the Lord.  I know we were supposed to be in each place in which we've lived- to meet the people we've met and experienced what we've experienced.  I felt while singing that song that if I am supposed to keep doing this, I will keep doing this.  I've always gotten through it in the past and I will continue to get through it- as hard as it is!

Here are some pictures of the 3-day process:



The packers are here!  Loads of boxes ready to be filled line the front porch.

Little Grant is climbing into the packers' truck.  (Daddy took this picture- I wouldn't have let him!)

Boys will be boys!

I didn't take too much time to rest, but I did need to put my feet up for a few minutes during the packing day.

It took a day and a half to pack all the stuff and then, on the third day, a new crew came with the actual truck that would hold our stuff and they disassembled tables and beds, wrapped couches, and started loading. 

Here's the moving truck out in front of our house.  It's a big one!

 

The first thing on the truck was the chicken coop!

Things are clearing out!  Couches all wrapped up and ready for the truck.

We ended up filling the entire thing!  

We had the biggest pile of garbage and recycling.  It was almost embarrassing.

Here is what the truck looked like with everything packed in and around the chicken coop.  They were master packers!  The coop is on the bottom with that cloth draped over it.  They packed all kinds of garage and yard stuff in the run part of the coop.

Kate was so tired this day, she laid right down on the movers' pile of packing blankets to rest.

Marissa, the girls' piano teacher and our former neighbor, came to visit during the load.  We will miss her!

We finally got her down for her nap in the only quiet out of the way place with no more boxes: our master closet.  She slept great!

Our empty dining room.  This is where all our stuff that was going with us in our van lived- and where the kids played during the loading day.  

That Thursday we came back to the house after sleeping in the hotel Wednesday night and did the thorough cleaning.  It was a little frustrating trying to clean with all the kids around making more messes, but it all worked out. 
Goodbye home!  We'll miss you!