We're Here: The Wordy Version

I can't believe we made it to moving day and we're actually moved in. We're nearing the word "settled" in our vocabulary, thanks to my parents, sisters, and little brother. This weekend flew by and I find myself missing my house and our families so much.

My mom took Brycen Friday night so we could get finished with packing and not have any disruptions. We finished at about 1 am before getting to bed.

Saturday, September 24th: Saturday morning we woke up bright and early at 5 am to make a run to Walmart for more packing tape and some donuts for the guys who would come to help us move. At 7:00 on the dot the guys started showing up. We ended up with 12 men to help us out. It was so awesome and we got done really fast. We are so grateful to all of them for coming over so early to help us get everything out of the house. We felt the love for sure! I got hugs from them and gave them much thanks as they left. At 10:00 Tyson and I finished doing a little bit of cleaning and vacuuming. We will be back in a few weeks to mow the lawn one last time and do some deep cleaning before the new family moves in. Dad and Adam were the other two coming down with us so the four of us went into our empty living room and Dad said a prayer. I started to cry as soon as he started talking. The thought of leaving my dear home behind was devastating to me. After the prayer the three guys got into their assigned vehicles. Tyson was driving the U-Haul, Adam drove Tyson's truck, and Dad drove his truck with his trailer attached and full of our stuff. I drove my car. I told Tyson they could go ahead of me and I'd meet them at Maverick. I took a few minutes to walk through all of the rooms and say goodbye to our house. I walked into Brycen's room and cried as I looked at the walls painted by my mom, the bead board built and glazed by my dad and older brother, then put up by my grandpa Murri. So much love in such a small space. It was Brycen's first room, and so many loving hands worked to make it what it was. Tyson came back in the house soon after my little walk-through and he finished it with me. We walked out hand in hand as we locked the door and closed the door behind us.

At 10:30 we drove away. With tears streaming down my face I looked in the rear view mirror and waved goodbye. I'm going to miss that house and our ward. We absolutely loved it there, and the family who moves in the house in November is very lucky to be in such a great place. We have many great memories in that house and we've met many great friends in that ward and neighborhood. We feel very blessed to know each and every one of those people and to have had so many fond memories. It was Brycen's first home and mine and Tyson's first homes as a married couple. We are truly going to miss it.

The four of us stayed in our little caravan for the three hour drive to Ogden. We were that group that you come across on the interstate going at least 10 miles under the speed limit. Tyson led the way, then Dad, then Adam, then me. I was in the back with my hand on my head with every bump in the road, thinking about my beloved piano in the back of the U-Haul. I was emotional at the beginning of the trip so I decided to distract myself with music. A little concert with the BYU Singers did just the trick. It was a great distraction.

We made it to Ogden at about 1:30 and drove up to see a couple of men from our new ward ready to help us move in. After checking in at the office and getting our key we unlocked our third floor apartment that we would call our new home. My heart sank slightly as I walked in. I took in my surrounds as much as I could in the short time I had before going back downstairs. The smell, the look, the feel...it was all foreign to me. By the time I got back downstairs there were 7 or 8 guys total helping unload stuff out of the truck and trailer. I went down to my car to bring up my computer and a few other valuables I took down with me. My next job would be to direct traffic inside the apartment and tell everyone where to put stuff. Before we knew it the truck and trailer were unloaded and everyone headed home. Dad and Adam rested while we waited for Mom, Amber, Amy, and Brycen to show up. They got here around 3:00 or so and it was so great seeing them. Brycen was happy and he had a great drive down here. My mom had bought him a DVD of "Timmy Time" and he watched it almost the entire way down. Thanks for the DVD, Mom!

Adam and Dad stayed long enough to help us get the beds put together. Before they left they gave Tyson and I a blessing. It was much needed and very emotional for all of us. I struggled saying goodbye to my dad and brother. It was so nice of them to pack us up then come down and help us move. We couldn't have done it without them.

Mom, Amber, and Amy stayed with us till Monday afternoon. We had a great time all weekend, even though a lot of it was spent trying to get things set up here. Amber took charge of getting all the food put away and helped Mom with the kitchen. Amy helped in other areas of the house and also watched Brycen most of the time. I don't know what I would have done without their help. We wouldn't be this far along in our settling if they hadn't come down. We ordered Pizza Hut for dinner and ate it at the apartment, with the little space we had to eat. We also made a run to Walmart for some breakfast food and a few other needs. We were exhausted Saturday night and went to bed at about 10:30. It was a long day! Nobody slept that great. We were all overly exhausted and struggled sleeping.

Sunday, September 25th: The next morning we slept as long as we could before getting up and putting more stuff away. We spent a lot of the day getting the place put together, then Tyson and I took everybody to Texas Roadhouse for dinner. It was delicious and the leftovers have been fabulous. That evening Tyson went to bed early to prepare for work. He said goodbye to everybody beforehand, knowing he wouldn't see them before they left the next day. More tears, of course. After putting Brycen to bed, the rest of us got in our pj's and played a game of Loaded Questions. I love laughing with my mom and sisters. We have a blast when we're together.

Monday, September 26th: On Monday morning Tyson left bright and early to go to work at his new job. His day would be spent in orientation. Mom, Amber, Amy, Brycen, and I got ready for the day and went to lunch at Bajio in Layton. Yes, I said Bajio. Most of the Bajio's were bought by Costa Vida so there are very little Bajio's in the area. We love both Costa Vida and Bajio. The Bajio's in Idaho Falls and Rexburg were turned into Costa Vida's, so when Amber did research and found that there was a Bajio in Layton she insisted we go. No twisting our arms, we were sold! So we drove down to Layton to the Bajio there. When we walked in and started ordering our food I noticed one of the guys behind the counter. He looked really familiar to me, almost like a thinner version of Arthur from season 11 of "The Biggest Loser". It was driving me crazy the whole time we were eating so I begged Amy to go up and ask if his name was Arthur. (I know, I'm such a wuss.) Sure enough, it was him! Of course I didn't have the guts to get a picture with him. But wow, he looks good! It was fun seeing him there.

After lunch we drove back to Ogden and went to Newgate Mall. None of us had ever been so it was fun venturing around to see what stores were there. We were excited to see so many good ones. Amber was especially thrilled with The Quilted Bear. There were a TON of awesomely cute Halloween decorations inside. We made a few other purchases, including soaps from Bath & Body Works and a bag of cookies from Mrs. Field's (of course). I forgot a stroller for Brycen so Amber was gracious enough to pay for one of those cute car strollers they let you rent. Brycen LOVED it. He loves the car he has at home so this was right up his alley. He fell asleep on the way home and was totally exhausted from our big day.

We went back to my place after the mall and visited till everyone had to leave back to Idaho Falls. During that time we were talking I was dreading their departure. I didn't want them to leave but knew they had to. At about 4:00 they started taking stuff down to the car. It was time to say goodbye. Of course I had tears streaming down my face and just cried and cried. I wasn't the only one with tears as we all cried and said our goodbyes. It was really hard to see them go. As they closed the door to go I stood there with Brycen in silence. There I was, on my own. I went to my bedroom window so I could watch them drive away. With tears rolling down my face I said out loud, "Bye, family." and waved. I stood there in the silence as they drove out of sight and I realized this was the beginning of our adventure. I felt at peace with what was happening in my life and knew we were meant to be in Ogden.

I put Brycen down for a nap and sat down on the couch. My dad then called me and I broke down on the phone. He had heard from Mom that they had just left and he figured I could use a phone call. He was right! I was a mess as I struggled to keep it together on the phone. Thankfully Tyson came walking in the door soon after that. I got off the phone and sat on the couch with Tyson. He was sweet and said nice things as I was sad to see my family go. We spent the rest of the evening with Texas Roadhouse leftovers and more boxes to unload. I slept like a baby that night.

Today, September 27th: I woke up to a quiet and empty apartment today. I hated that. Brycen was asleep so his door was closed. I walked past the open door of the guest room to find a neatly made bed. The couch in the living room was also empty and two blankets were folded and sitting there alone. It was a sad and difficult moment for me, accepting that my family was back in Idaho and I am here without them. Thankfully I've had a lot to do today to keep my mind off of everything. I have a feeling that one of these days we're going to be settled and I'm going to find myself lonely. I'm afraid of that day. But that's just what happens when you move!

I know I sound a little pathetic right now. I'm only 2 1/2 hours away, right? I should feel lucky to be that close to our families, right? Yes, this is all true. And I do feel lucky. But the adjustment of going from seeing my mom and sisters almost every day and our families pretty much whenever we want to 2 1/2 hours away in a different state is going to be a tough one for us. We are both very close with our families, and I am especially close to my mom and sisters. It's tough for me knowing I may not ever live in dear Idaho again. This is my first time moving away from all of them, besides my 4-month internship in Salt Lake three years ago. But I am very happy to be here and to start this new adventure with my little family. We have felt the spirit very strongly in our lives as we've made the decision to move to Ogden and start this new job. Everything has fallen into place for us, including getting our house sold in less than two weeks and finding a place to live right away. We've been very blessed and we're grateful to a loving Heavenly Father who watches out for us and knows our needs. I am grateful to be here in Ogden and I'm excited for this time in our lives. As much as I'll miss our families, I know we're supposed to be here.