How do I spell relief??? T-E-X-A-S!!!

WE ARE HERE!!!

The real fun started on Oct 7th.

We began loading the truck...

Husband, father-in-law & me

(with 4 kids underfoot!)

Worked HARD all day

then went to my parents to celebrate my 34th (shhh...don't tell)

birthday with family and a few close friends.

Got up the next morning and did it all over again,

but this time with the help of my mom.

Things were looking good until about lunchtime...

then we slowly started to realize...

its not all gonna fit!!!
(In the 26' Penske truck we rented!)

At 8pm, my husband and father-in-law, freshly showered...

piled into the moving truck and set out for Texas!

I was hoping and praying and imagining that 

when they drove out of the driveway 

I would feel this immense 

RELIEF

come over me...

OH NO - QUITE THE OPPOSITE!

All I saw was a filthy house FULL of stuff

that somehow had to make it down to Texas!!!

So my stress level actually went through the ROOF!

The hubby and father-in-law

drove straight through...

I checked in with them about every 3 to 4 hours.

They finally made it on Sunday evening about 10pm EST.

I finished packing the rest of our "stuff"

(half of which will be sold or donated when it gets here - 

so why did we ship it?  cause I didn't have time to go through

it prior to all this!)

Called a moving company and the movers thankfully came in 

with a price that was very reasonable.

(We still saved about 50% or more had we just had them move it all)

So I am satisfied.

I spent the next couple of days packing and cleaning and doing what I could

with 2 little ones under foot.

My mom volunteered to make the 1400 mile drive with me and the kids.

I had a plan in my head to leave Wednesday morning, Oct 12th.

Bright and early!

Due to all the "stuff" left in our house...

Wednesday morning, 

my bestie and I headed back over to the house

and packed and moved and put all of our "stuff" 

in two rooms in the house so the movers would have an easier job.

SHE WAS AMAZING!

We got back to my parents' house around noon.

I jumped in the shower and then literally 

 BURST INTO TEARS!!!

Why?  Because I had this immense feeling of 

RELIEF!  

This was ALL finally coming to an

END!

I cried and cried.

I really couldn't explain why...

they weren't sad tears

they weren't happy tears

they were tears of RELIEF!

We were FINALLY loading the car and starting on

our trip

our journey

our adventure

our new life!

My family was going to be complete again...

my kids would get to hug and kiss their dad goodnight

(not say goodnight via Skype)

I got to sleep next to my husband every night

(not just look at him via Skype)

we get to see him EVERY DAY

(not put him back on an airplane after a weekend visit)

the kids get to play with him on the floor

(not just sit and "talk" to him via Skype)

The list goes on and I could be here for days...

but I won't...

Needless to say...

We are in TEXAS!


(It only took us 4 days!  HA!)


We arrived Saturday, October 16th around noon
to a very happy daddy/husband
and father-in-law.


Then Monday,
The kids and I put a very sad momma/nana
on an airplane back to Raleigh...

Now we begin our new life in Texas...


(When are y'all coming to visit???)