Moving Back to Hometown: Mission Accomplished (or at least the first part is....)

Life has been a whirlwind for the past week and a half.  First, we are moved back to Hometown!  As if you couldn't tell that already by the title.   

My aim is to be helpful, people.  

Peanut's last play in the snow.....at least in Smalltown.

Let me give some background before I dive into the story.  Smalltown is in a portion of our state that gets a fair amount of snow each year.  MUCH more than we ever did back in Hometown--we even purchased studded tires within a month of moving here.  BUT, we hadn't had hardly any snow this winter season.  We had a small bit back in November and an even smaller amount on New Year's.....but neither lasted long.  So we were due for some snow.  Of course my hope was that it would occur at least two weeks prior to our move so we would have lots of time to look outside and enjoy it, Peanut could play in the snow, and all roads home (aka the mountain passes) would be nice and clear for our 6+ hour drive home with two vehicles and a 26 foot moving truck.
 
Well?  Not so much.  God had other plans.  And isn't that always the case?  

Her FINAL night in her toddler bed/crib.  Sigh. 

 
So last Tuesday (the 17th) it started snowing.....and it didn't stop.  Or at least it didn't seem to.  My Dad, as well as my mother-in-law and brother-in-law, were all to fly into Smalltown late in the afternoon on Thursday.  Well, the major city that they all had to fly in from practically shut down from this ginormous amount (at least by West Coast port city standards) of winter weather, thus making it very difficult for all our family to get to Smalltown.  My Dad's flight?  Canceled within two hours of his original departure time.  My mother-in-law and brother-in-law?  Their flight was delayed for over eight hours.....while they were stuck in got to hang out in the tiny airport restaurant.

With family having already purchased airfare to come help us move, having given notice to our landlords that we were going to be vacating, and with both Hub's current and future restaurants juggling their schedules around Hubs' and our transition, we weren't really in a position to say, "Hey let's put this off for a week while the weather improves." 

Despite the massive number of power lines, it IS pretty, isn't it?

 
 
So we pushed through.  Hubs' mom and brother got in LATE Thursday night and my Dad flew in late Friday morning.  (Where, by the way, in the car on the way home from the airport my Dad informed me he was so glad he was able to make it to help us make the big move home--but that he would have crawled there if that's what it had taken to get there to help us--he was that excited to get us home.  Isn't that just the sweetest thing?!?!?)  We had already got our moving truck early Thursday morning (due to the weather and the rental place closing early) and we promptly went and purchased chains for the moving truck.  At that moment in time chains were required on the mountain passes on all vehicles over 10,000 pounds--which of course would be the case with our moving truck--so $100 later, we were the proud owners of chains for our moving truck.

Hubs, his brother, and my Dad busted their you-know-whats from about 11 am on Friday until about 10 pm Friday night.  With a stop for lunch, a stop for dinner, and countless stops to put salt down and scrape the walk ways and drive way free of snow, they got the truck loaded with *most* of our stuff.   Hubs' mom helped me in keeping the Peanut occupied for most of the afternoon with a trip to the mall and a stop at Costco to pick up pizza for dinner. 

Several days before the move, I left the smallest suit case in Peanut's room to use on the big day--this is what I found when the big day came. 

 

We got up bright and early on Saturday.  Me?  I woke up at 3:30 am and COULD NOT get back to sleep. Ahhh, the joys of being pregnant.  I finally gave in and got up at 5 am and took my time showering and getting ready one last time in our sweet little place we called home for the last two and a half years.

The boys got the rest of the odds and ends loaded in the truck (which seriously take WAY more time than all the big stuff), while Hubs' mom and I busted our you-know-whats cleaning our little home to insure we got our deposit back.  Luckily, I had done the deeper cleaning (windows, light fixtures, etc.) about a week before we moved, so we really were just vacuuming and cleaning bathroooms and floors--but all that stuff takes time.  And my sweet mother-in-law?  She cleaned the fridge.  Inside and out.  Can you say nomination for sainthood?

 

Our landlords came around 1:30 on Saturday afternoon to do the final walk through and exchange a not-so-looking-forward-to, tearful goodbye.  I've said it before, but we are blessed.  I mean, who exchanges tears and hugs and parting gifts with their landlord (or tenants for that matter) when they move out?  People who are blessed to have had very special landlords that took them under their wing, that's who.  I can say with strong conviction that it was no coincidence that our paths crossed with them.  And I am ever so grateful.

 
By the time we got gas for all the vehicles and got potty breaks (mainly for the preggers and three year old), it was 3 pm on Saturday before we got on the road.  Much later than the noon hour we were shooting for, but we wanted to get on the road before another significant amount of snow hit.  (And hit, it did--Smalltown got another 6 inches Saturday night after we left--on top of the approximate 12 that were already on the ground.)  And quite honestly, the roads weren't too bad.  They were really clear until we hit the mountain passes and fairly clear after the mountain passes.  Driving conditions really could have been so much worse--but we took it slow for the safety of all of us.  Hubs and his mom drove in the moving truck, my Dad and I and Peanut were in our car, and Hubs' brother--bless his heart!--drove Hubs truck, all by himself.  And we were all wiped. out. by the time we got on the road.  I was exhausted and I had only cleaned house and packed some boxes--I hadn't been outside loading a 26 foot moving truck in 20 degree temps, like all the guys had.  So yes, Peanut's adored uncle definitely gets a nomination for sainthood as well.

 
We rolled into my parents driveway about 11:30 pm on Saturday night....were I promptly fell asleep in my clothes within a half an hour of stumbling walking in the door. I even abandoned ship and left my mom to get Peanut into bed.   (Thank you, Mom.)

We unloaded on Sunday with the help of Hubs' sister and her family--her husband helped unload while Hubs' sister and mom took all the kids out to lunch.  This was such a big help too, so my mom and I could unpack and get things around the house somewhat organized for our temporary but several month stay.

 
Peanut has already started preschool here and we have been able to share a night out for a birthday party with Hubs' family.  I had my first "doctors" (it was actually the initial visit with the OB nurse practitioner) appointment and Peanut had her first dental appointment here in Hometown.  We are settling in--thank you Mom and Dad!

And the verdict?

It's SO good to be home.