We made it...

Wow! What an adventure we are having. Some good days and some bad. Half of us are doing okay with the move and the other half are still struggling (me included). Well, we would first like to thank, with a big THANK YOU, to all of our friends in St. George who helped us get to where we are. I keep reflecting on the past six years that we lived there and I am so grateful that we lived there and were able to rub shoulders with so many wonderful people. You are truly missed, but we know that it isn't the last time we will see or talk to you...you're our friends for goodness sake! Where to begin?!?...

We, over the month of May, slowly packed up our house, room by room. It was nice because EVERYTHING that we touched had a place to go...either the trash, to Deseret Industries, or with us. So, we are officially de-junked. Although, there are a couple things, since we have moved in, that we found we didn't need and so they will soon be finding another home, too :). Last we did our last Family Home Evening together, well, sort of...Alec and Derrek had a yearbook signing party that they wanted to go to and so they met up with us a little bit later. We went to a trampoline place called Antigravity, in St. George. It was really fun. Here is a picture that we took to document that...
School got out for the boys and so we were finishing up all that. It was just a crazy week. Then, we were down to less than a week until we were leaving and Alec still hadn't finished Drivers ED! I was kind of freaking out and I am sure I drove the teachers nuts. So, I called the teacher, emailed him and finally, Thursday he got back with me and Alec drove on Friday and got the paper...whew (so I thought!). Well, the DMV is closed on Friday and Monday was Memorial Day and so we literally would have to take Alec out to the DMV to get his license the morning we were heading to Mesa so that he could drive one of our cars down so we wouldn't have to tow it. It was crazy. Not to mention, that somehow on Saturday, I accidentally packed the paper we needed for him to take to the DMV and I had to contact the teacher again and beg him to get us another one. So, on Memorial Day at 8 pm, I was up at the high school getting the paper Alec needed so that he could get his license and drive down to Phoenix. Anyway, that was on top of all the packing and finalizing things with moving!
Finally, last week (last Saturday), we finished packing everything in the house, except the things we needed. Sunday came and we had our last supper together (Lasagna always brings them home :). I had to take a picture to document the occasion. It's not a very good picture, but it will do. Jenette, and her husband, Craig were down visiting/helping us with our packing up (mostly they entertained the kids while Scott and I worked, which was a HUGE help). Then Monday, we loaded up the truck, but before we did, the boys put out flags for Memorial Day (their last time doing it) and then a kind family (Cory and Scoop) fed us breakfast...my kids were so happy and said it was better than Ihop! It was so good...we had pancakes, fresh fruit, juice, milk, bacon, whip cream...the works! My mouth is watering just thinking about it! Then, Cory was so nice and gave Dallen a haircut (much needed!). So, we were a little late to our own loading the truck party. By the time we got there (Scott was already there because he had to go get the truck), most of the stuff was already out of the house and in the truck or on the front lawn. It did not look like everything was going to fit. Then we started throwing things in the van...thank goodness we had a 12 passenger van/bus. It was literally pack and the only things we had to leave behind was our fridge and our lawn mower...both we really didn't need here because there was already a fridge and we don't have to do yard work (part of our rental agreement!). Then we had a fun pool party at my parents house and they made us dinner.
This is Dallen with cousins, Cade and Riley.

This is a picture of some of the cousins playing "Colored Shark" in the pool.
Calvin with his two best friends, Steven and Alex who came to swim, too.
We ended up spending the night at my parents because we had decided to pack our beds too. Then, we all drove over to the house on Tuesday morning (this last Tuesday) and Scott dropped us off and took Alec to get his license. I was again freaking out because someone had taken the folder I had left out that had his birth certificate and all that and packed it. It was buried in the truck and it would have been horrible trying to get it out, but luckily, they had it all on file from when he got his permit and all they needed was his SS#, which I had in my wallet...whew! So, they came back and Derrek came over to say good-bye. Seriously, I think it was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do was to leave my child behind, especially when he is struggling with us being gone. It was his decision, though, and deep down I know it was the right one for him...it will just be hard and in a way, that is good too...we learn the most about ourselves in trials (I'm finding out a lot about myself right now :). So, we are finally on our way to Mesa. Scott was in the truck with Dallen and Ashton. Alec and Calvin drove in the small car with the two dogs. I was behind in the van with all the stuff that couldn't fit in the truck. It took us about 8 hours. We stopped twice. Once for gas and the other for gas and food (even though we only had an hour left...I was cranky and needed food! and it wasn't even good food...it was Jack in the Box!). The only mishap we had was in our stop in Vegas, Scott was pulling in to the gas station and had to pull around. Well, as he was pulling around, the tail end of the Uhaul clipped the front end of a car that was parked. It was a Mitsubishi Eclipse! He said he didn't even know he hit anything until he looked in his mirror and saw plastic flying in the air! Anyway, the Lady at the gas station said that the car had been parked there for over a week, so we had to leave our information and hopefully the person's car will get fixed...that's what insurance is for, right?!? So, we get to Mesa. Alec did really well driving. There were a couple scares where I had to call him and tell him to check his mirrors because he didn't look before he would move into the lane! Poor Calvin was about to have a heart attack a couple of times. Then we get here and it then occurs to me that I had totally forgotten to put Alec on our car insurance before I left! Whoops! All I have to say is that we had angels watching over us! Scott's sister, brother, and dad were here to help us unload and it didn't take too long. Scott's sister, Heidi, is superwoman...she practically had my whole kitchen put together the first night! She then came down the next day and helped put the rest together. By Thursday, the house was pretty much done and I collapsed. We didn't do much on Thursday. Friday we have pictures hung and it is a livable house. We just need to work on the garage and then we are set. We have a lot of boxes to get rid of :).

We have been adjusting slowly. Alec and Dallen are in heaven, though. We are just a mile or two from the Salt River and so Dallen and Alec have already gone fishing two or three times. Here is a picture of them in their fishing tubes floating down the river (for 4 hours! and they are the two dots in the middle of the water!) and a picture of Alec carrying his up. They have been having fun. Calvin is doing pretty good. I think it is hardest for him. He misses his friends. Ashton has always just gone with the flow and so for the most part he is doing good. We enjoyed church today. That is one of the best things about our Church...no matter where you go in the world, you are in a ward boundary and the same lessons are taught, same songs are sung, the only difference is the people that surround you, but I have come to believe that even they are the same...just look different! The ward was VERY friendly and there are lots of youth for the boys to get to know. It will be good for them. Alec and Calvin are jumping in (more like being pushed into) going on the Stake Trek here. It is this Thursday. They aren't too happy about it, but they realized that there is really nothing else for them to do, so why not? They keep trying to tell me that they are going to the Scout camps and stuff in St. George, but to be honest, I don't know how I would get them there. So, this will have to do until then. I will let you know how it goes for them next week...The dogs and kids like the pool. I think Angel like it especially. She is funny because when she paddles, she splashes, and then she tries to bite her splash. I need to record it because it's funny. Shep isn't as fond of the water, but once the kids pull him in, he likes to be there for a little while. We are just grateful we got here and are ready to start this new adventure (on most days ;). Scott started school already and starts work tomorrow. Hopefully that will all go well.

Thanks for all your prayers and well wishes. We miss St. George more than ever, but we know that this is where we are supposed to be right now in this time in our lives...(darn-it!).