Packing up our life

 We now have a storage unit and no house. It's an odd feeling. Craig worked a bit at a time for a month moving the garage and shop over to the unit. After our farewell, I began to help with the house.

The front room was without seating for two days. 

Still had things in the shelves. 

What was left in Josh’s room. 

I would get distracted by something in another room and had a hard time finishing a room off. 

The mess in Boaz’s room. Once we got it clear this room became a staging area  

We thought we were in good shape. We moved all the big items. Craig's golfing buddies helped move the couches and the piano. (We have a dear friend that will house our piano so it doesn't have to weather the storage unit.)

We didn't take into account all the small things. What was in the drawers and closets.

By small and simple things, great things are brought to pass. Also by small and simple things are great plans messed up.

Deb and Willa decided to save Avisha. They got Ivan to decide to take her. Craig's sister was going to take us down to Utah, but she is allergic to dogs. So Deb and Willa decided to drive up and meet us at LuRose's house. They wanted to meet us at noon and then get back before dark.

After working for two days -- all day long, there was no way that we were ready to go on time to meet them at noon. We tried for 3:00, which meant we had to leave by noon. That didn't work either.

There was just too much stuff. And all the cleaning.

We finally left at 3:00. We were hours late. We knew Deb and Willa would beat us to LuRose's house.

When we got in the car, I asked Craig if he still loved me. He grabbed my hand and said yes! Moving is stressful.

The dog wanted to be in my seat, and she pouted that she had to take the middle.

Craig and I looked at each other and smiled. We were off on our adventure. For thirty minutes.

And then the truck broke down. We were between Salmon and Leadore. The middle of nowhere really. As soon as we pulled over, a truck stopped, and a nice man looked under our hood. I stayed in the truck with Avisha. In the gap between the window and the raised hood, I saw him start to pull something out of the engine block. We had almost made it.

The bearing in the pulley that ran the fan belt froze up and ripped the belt to shreds. He told Craig what part to get and what we needed to do. Craig called a good friend, the owner of Les Schwab and a member of the Stake Presidency, and we sat in the cab to wait. It took a good hour for the technician to get to us. After a bit we were back on the road. Now really nervous about the state of the truck.

We stopped at Leadore to potty, and got back on the road. Only for the truck to overheat. 

We love anti-freeze. We filled the reservoir, and got back on the road. Now it was getting dark, we were worried about the animals in the road, the possibility of the truck overheating, and being so late to meet my sisters.

They had gotten to LuRose's before we even got back on the road.

After a few unanswered texts, I called Willa and interrupted a game of cards. Rude on my part for sure.

We drug in to Shelley at 8. Craig had started at 5 that morning.

We were exhausted.

Proof of life after the day (week) we had had.

We inhaled a delicious dinner and decided to spend the night and take off in the morning. Avisha was kenneled in the garage. I'm sure she thought she was being punished. But it was the best solution for where we were at. 

That night was the second or third night that I didn't sleep well. I don't sleep well at the beginning of adventures. Too excited I guess.

Saturday morning before the sun, we set off for Salt Lake City. Deb's little car was packed to the gills.

Avisha was a very good traveler. As long as she wasn't being left behind, she was happy. She was underfoot, making sure we didn't leave her though.

Ivan met us at Deb's and we took a good 30 minutes or so for the transfer. I showed him one of her tricks. We loaded all of her stuff into his truck and they were off. Deb, Willa, Pete, Craig, and I were all a bit teary saying good bye. But we all knew she was in the best place. Ivan will be so good for her. He sent me a picture of her napping later that day. She will be good for him too.

This picture made me feel so much better.

Pete and Willa took us to Ronda's in Erda. We will spend time with my family next weekend for mom's birthday.

The rest of Saturday and Sunday, we decompressed. I finally got a good night sleep Saturday night.

The end of a chapter.