At least the kitchen is usable now - more to come!Needless to say I was a bit nervous about the truck being on time due to a freak snow storm, the clouds erupting with 17" of rain or even a king-size pot hole on the interstate that blows out the trailer axle. Many prayers later and a few powdered doughnuts surrendered to my belly, the truck showed up - 10 minutes early. Man I just gotta trust God and relax some. This driver was friendly, courteous and most importantly on time. The day was going to be perfect and I thought I had plenty of space for everything. In short, for once I was right on both accounts - again this trusting God thing is really something I can really get used to.
We had a great crew for the day, to list them would be long, but I'm going to anyway - they earned their stripes! My sister Mary, Bro Sean, His fiance Sarah, Uncle Tim, Caryn, Russ, Grandpa Case, Grandma Helen, Shana D., Lola K., Kirby V., Ron V., Mark S., Sam and Jake D. (Shana's boys), Sal V., Ellie, and last but definitely not least Dan J. That my friends is a good crew - and they got a ton done, not just moving stuff either.
WHOOHOO The Truck's here!/Everyone anxiously awaits...
Yeah it was full/Tim & Kirby use great care
I carry a huge headboard/Ron directs traffic on the ground
Lola thinks this is play time/The men discuss strategies of unloading
Kirby works to fill the garage/Sarah gets the heavy stuff
Mark carries a chair/So does Ron
Mary walks the cardboard runway/Sarah watches her step
Mary works while Tim..?/Oh how the garage fills quickly
Dan J is a one mane moving machine/An takes great care too
Tim & Sean unload the last few/Dan verifies the emptiness
Grandpa was so keen on lifting heavy breakables, so he starting painting the basement bar/extra living areas, now that the trim has been painted. While Gpa was sucking fumes, Grandma, Shana and Caryn were all cleaning windows, cleaning floors, and getting the house interior ready for actual living. Although nothing new came into the house during this move except a bed (I FINALLY get to sleep above the floor!) it was cleaned top to bottom by days end by these ladies and a few others as the moving ended later on.
Grandpa works his magic in the basement/Around the bar...
Up the stairs.../Grandma does her work in the kitchen
MANY Hands made the kitchen ready
We had a group of guys also retrieve the counter tops and TV and other furniture from the storage facility in DSM. All tolled, I will now be 'saving' about $250/mo. just on not having to pay storage fees! That is a good feeling. Don't worry though in later entries I'll tell you what has been taking that void. Back to the move in though...
Lunch was fantastic array of chicken salad sandwiches, mixed fruit, chips, pop and a great cake my mom brought with a VERY appropriate message. amazingly we had completed the removal of all of the items from the semi before lunch and the guys showed up soon after lunch with the first load from the storage units. I guess there was more in there than I had remembered putting in there. I suppose you can't relate to that in your own house. ;-) With the extras coming in from the storage unit, we had time to do smaller misc jobs like start to set up my bed, move the tub into the bathroom and set up the washer and dryer. Oh wait on that washer/dryer thing... we forgot to install a dryer vent before the drywall went up. Shit.
Full tummies were had by all
The girls put together the bed/Ellie inspects the work
Three ladies that have done SO much to help/Mom shows off the cake
The tub is moved into the master bathroom
You have no idea how badly I have wanted to do my own laundry. That is saying more than you realize. You know how everyone has their ONE thing that they absolutely hate to do around the house? For some doing the dishes is the worst chore, others it's cleaning the bathroom, for my it's doing laundry - BY FAR. To say that I look forward to doing my own is nuts and that's because I hate that others are being burdened with my stinky, filthy work clothes. That's nothing to say that 'the exchange' of the baskets is ever comfortable. I feel like I'm smuggling socks and slacks in the resturaunt at times. I look forward to having my life contained in one place, and for right now it's still not. We're getting closer no doubt, but there are things that just seem to continue to hang out there.
All in all it was a great day and I got one step closer to having my life back together in one place. I still don't have things IN the house, but at least they're all at the same address now and I can at least LOOK at my couches and kitchen utensils (oh which by the way were also brought into the house by Caryn, Shana and crew. They COMPLETELY set up the kitchen with my stuff so I can honestly use the kitchen like it's supposed to be used!! I almost forgot one of the biggest things - man am I glad that I can ramble on forever then I can remember more good stuff! Too bad for you though I've probably already said too much and I'm losing you. So I'll shut up for this installment and let you look at the rest of the day and enjoy.
Sal cleans with Ellie's help/LOTS of help
Ellie loves to help 'pray, pray'/Ron uses a straight blade
Russ gets a hand from Sam/The beautiful entrance into the living room
Russ readies the 3 season porch for the move/
Again, thank you all for making this happen. The first move to Pella, the destruction of every wall in my house, the slow rebuilding of the guts within the walls, the rebirth of my yard, the rebuilding of the walls and ceilings, the painting, the staining and varnishing, and now moving back to Des Moines. It's been amazing and hopefully nearing an end. You all have been with me the whole way and I can't even imagine what it'd be like without you. Lonely I guess, praise the Lord though, you never left. Thank you.
