Well, moving time is fast approaching. We have worked very hard to clear out much of our possessions in our effort to downsize and simplify our lives. Did you know it takes hard work to simply your life?? We may have a few more things for Goodwill. But all things to go to our family members in Kentucky and Michigan have been delivered.
Poor Michael. Thought we were going to give him heart failure. We have made several treks to LaGrange in the last month to deliver pieces of furniture. We had one last load to deliver. I sent Michael a text that we were leaving Georgetown on our way to LaGrange with one last load. He couldn't think of what that was and really didn't see any place in their home for anything else. Andie happened to be home and he went to her and asked what we could possible be bringing. Andie assured him she didn't have any idea. Then she called me to ask what we were bringing. I told her this time it was something Michael wanted, the power washer for the outside of their home. She got a chuckle out of that. We need to be very careful now not to take anything else to the Marx home. It is officially full!!
On the other hand, the Sadieville home is really getting thinned out.
As Claude and I were driving home from Michigan, he said, "I think you should make a grid." Those of you who know me know that every time we have family visit I make a grid for the days they will visit. Each meal is entered, possible things to do are entered, if there are kids then I include potential activities. This grid is carefully placed on the fridge for all to see. We can mix it up as needed. Meals can be changed as long as it fits the ingredients purchased for other meals. It is really a guide to take a lot of the questions out of a visit and allow us all to focus on having fun. My dear hubby, seeing the monumental amount of things we still need to get done before the packers come, was now suggesting I make a moving grid. Hallelujah!! The importance of the gird is verified! As we drove home, I mulled over this great idea. Then I suggested to Claude that we go through the house together, room-by-room, and make a punch list of what needs to be finished in each room. That could go with the grid and we could work more efficiently. Adding as we needed to add, and enjoying scratching out things that were accomplished. We did that on Monday and I created a grid with the the days between now and move day and the appointments and things on our calendar for those days on one half of the page. The other half of the page was divided between basement and upstairs with items from our punch list in the appropriate headers. I also included a list of things we needed set aside so they don't get packed. And another list of miscellaneous things that need to be done like call an electrician, set up DirecTV, etc. I printed out my grid and took it to Claude who pronounced it good. It is now sitting on the counter in the kitchen and we are both working off of it and accomplishing great things. We pause regularly and think and talk through what we want to accomplish next and things that might be added or help make the process better. That grid is full of good lists and is helping me generate daily to do lists of things I want to be sure I get done that day. Thank heaven for my love of list making!!
There are some fun moments in all this work. We have had something called a 'pod bed' in our home since Hayden was only a couple of years old. Hayden slept in it when the Marx's visited. Then Bailey used it. Raelyn has played in it. It has stayed up because it works on a systems of metal coils covered with cloth. To fold it up, you have to twist these and fit them into a bag that also holds an air mattress, an air pump, and a sleeping bag. It is no small feat of magic to get it all in that bag. Let's just say that had only happened once in the years we have had the pod bed and Hayden is now 16 years old. We want it at the new home but storage will be at a premium. So, it needed to be folded up and stored. It took two of us but we did it. I sent a picture to Andie and Michael with the word 'VICTORY'!! We did find one part in a pocket on the outside of the storage bag that we honestly have no idea what it is for.
Life goes on in other areas of our life. Katelyn has been very good to send pictures of Joel and his progress. This little guy (well, big guy as he was 9 pounds 9 ounces at birth) is filling out and giving much joy to his family. Here is a sequence of pictures from this past week to show his progress in life so far. Laughing on Katelyn's lap on the 14th, sleeping contentedly on the 17th, and, finally, a series of three shots of his facial expressions while he sleeps taken on the 19th. Wouldn't you love to know what he is thinking with that grin? I would! He is getting over the jaundice and perking along really well.
A little family history moment. In the process of cleaning out for our move, I found a treasure. It was an item written by Jacob, our son, while he was in college for a writing class. Nissa, our first born, just had her first baby. So, finding this at this point in our lives with all the change going on, was very touching. I scanned the file and then sent it to Jacob and Katelyn. Katelyn's mother, Nissa, divorced when Katelyn was about 1 1/2 years old. Nissa and Katelyn moved back to Maryland and lived with us. Jacob used to babysit Katelyn when he was not in school. I always marveled that, as a teenager, he would pile Katelyn in the Dodge Caravan and trek the two of them up to Gettysburg for the day. He loved this niece as a little one and he loves her today. Tender family feelings in the writing by Jacob.
Today, Sunday, June 20th, is Father's Day. Normally I would make Claude one of his favorite meals. Something like lasagna or chicken enchiladas. However, we are trying to empty out the fridge before the move. We really don't want to add leftovers to the fridge. So we opted for Plan B.
I posted these two posts on Facebook. The first one was about my father. "Many years ago, in a state far away, this man became a father for the very first time. Happy Father's Day, Papa!! (Vernon Nelson Lawrence). Love Ya Bunches!!"
We attended Church in-person for the first time since March 2020. I got my bag with music to play the organ. I opened my hymnbook and found postettes with the March 2020 hymns inside. It was nice to attend in-person again. I did play the organ. A little rusty. But it was fun to try my hand an it one more time. I will play again next Sunday and then we will be in a new ward which has many organists already.
After Church, we started Claude's Plan B for Father's Day. Off to Frankfort we sped to get burgers at Cook Out. Yummy. Then back to Georgetown to deliver a big bag of treats to Papa for Father's Day. We had eight paperback Book of Mormon's we wanted to place somewhere. We opted to place them in three of the little box libraries in Georgetown. Claude wanted to go back to Zaxby's and buy some wings for his dinner tonight. While in the drive-thru window at Zaxby's, Jacob called to wish his Dad a Happy Father's Day. We talked to him as we drove to Dairy Queen for ice cream for dessert. After purchasing gasoline, we headed back to Sadieville. Now Claude is resting a bit. He loves a Sunday afternoon nap.
We gave away the last large item in preparation for this move. This week we spend our days in preparation for the packers. This will be a busy week and a half. We are sure going to miss our home in Sadieville. But we are both very excited and anxious to get into the Georgetown home and make it our own.
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