Last Weekend

I know this is probably against some blogger etiquette rule, but I'm playing catch up. Since this is suppose to be about our move and subsequent adventures, I thought I would say that we had a very successful weekend. Taking a load to the dump is always so satisfying. Also Courtney totally defrosted and cleaned out the deep freeze! Whooohooo! I totally decluttered my sewing/craft area. And no, there are no before and after pictures on that one. If you only knew, you would be trying to sign me up for therapy, and those of you that do know, don't tell.

So at the end of a long and satisfying day I was standing at the living room window. The full moon was flooding the pasture and you could make out the details of the trees on the edge of the woods. It was going on midnight as I relaxed and lingered there a moment. Then suddenly I was gripped with anxiety. A car had pulled into the driveway and turned off its headlights. I jumped back from the window and tried to take a breath. The car crept up the driveway. No we don't have any guns, no I don't even typically lock our doors, I had obviously failed to lock the gate at the road. Where was my cell phone? a baseball bat? I was poised to call 911. Trying to think of reasonable possibilities it occurred to me that it could be our college freshman son who thinks nothing of being out and about at midnight. As the front door opened I yelled from my hiding place, "Is that you, Evan?" Kevin looked around with a confused look. What? What in deed. Do you realize you could have been meet with a baseball bat?

Two Weeks Ago

Yes, it has already been two weeks since we made our brave trek to Arkansas with the 25' RV in tow. Thankfully there were no adventures on the way up. Though I have to admit getting out of the Burger King parking lot proved more challenging then I had calculated, but once the lady realized that I was not in fact trying to cut in line, but only trying to get out of there and if she cared one little bit for the integrity of her shiny car she would be better served to back up rather than trying to nose forward to keep HER place in line. What was she thinking? What if I had wanted to cut in line? She sure wasn't going to stop me. Really I was being nice.

So we arrive and I hop out of the van to find out just where I am suppose to park this thing. Uuuuhhhh, ok guys, it looks like we have a tire that is losing air fast. and Murphy's Law begins to play a significant roll in our lives. I knew there would not be electricity when we arrived, but I was suppose to meet the water people, who I had just gotten off the phone with. So during the time that it takes me to limp around the block with a 25' RV they come and take the lock off the meter and leave. Thirty minutes later I call to find out where they are, its 5 minutes till their closing time and none of the spikets in the area are working. As I am hearing the news that they were just there and didn't see anyone and I would just have to turn the water on myself it all becomes clear, one of my dear children trips over a piece of PVC sending one end of it flying. The end that I had previously thought was somehow attached to the main water supply. That's why those guys left so quick. So, yeah, I called Kevin, told him we had all made it safely and that we were going to be staying with him at the hotel and eating Pizza one more time.

So the next morning, first stop - hardware store. Now you ladies I know will appreciate my situation. The truth is true hardware stores, where all the contractors shop, it really forbidden territory to women. But I am trying my best to be discrete, but who am I kidding? I just pulled into the parking lot in a huge, 12 passenger van (sans the RV), covered with red mud and sporting not only a TEXAS license plate but 4, count them, 4 school aged kids on a Thursday morning. I did resist the temptation to tell them to hide under the seats. While I was wandering around trying to find all the necessary items to operate on our water situation, the kids were making friends with all the local contractors coming in and out of the store.

Anyway this has gone on way too long. To wrap it up quickly, by Friday night we had fixed the water situation, locked ourselves out of the RV, pulled down the neighbor's satellite cable, changed the tire, re parked the RV, spent another night in the hotel, and found a delightful electrician (at the hardware store, of course). When Kevin came "home" that evening, we were getting ready to grill chicken and all was right in the world. Aaaahhhh.

camping in Jan

Really in this part of the country camping in January is great. And we're not even doing true camping, we are taking a borrowed travel trailer to AR to be Kevin's temporary home. If you think of us please be praying tomorrow as I haul this 25', 8000 lb. travel trailer. I have hauled various loads over the years but this is probably the biggest (and also the safest). Yes, we have many exciting family stories involving losing loads on the hiway or having loads come through the back window, all just part and parcel for the adventurous and self-employeed.

But back to our trip. After we arrive safely and set-up, we plan on driving around and scoping the place out. This will be the first time for the kids to see Fordyce. We plan on getting in touch with some of the locals to find out if there is an active homeschool group and what sort of horse related activities might be available.

Since our realtor hasn't found much in the "rural" department, I plan on driving around on the back roads to see what we can find. Not that there aren't a couple of really nice places on the market, reeeally nice, too nice$$$.

I will try and post some pictures when we return.

the land of spare oome

Well I decided not to wait on the forces of nature, so yesterday I took courage and journeyed to the land of spare oome. There I found piles of smelly clothes sprinkled with mouse poop, imagine my relief when I realized that it was only pipe tobacco. After stuffing all the clothes in an air tight rubbermaid tub, I attempted to begin vacuuming. Talk about the forces of nature, this room was like a scene from Where The Wild Things Live, well not quite. But there were numerous wasp carcasses and ladybug shells, can anyone explain that? Years from now we will be standing around saying, "Remember the ladybug invasion of 2007?" While moving one box a lizard leaped out and no I don't know where he is now. And then there were the dehydrated remains of what I can only guess was a frog. Honestly I cleaned this room a month ago. The lizard got away from me that time too.

Today we had a great time with the four youngest Rasmussen kids. Lots of fighting cowboys, Lego creations, horse rides, and playground fun. The only thing better than having 4 kids around the house is having 8!

the holidays are over

It is official, the holidays are over. Our living room already looks like a who house down in whoville after the grinch has been there. Well, maybe not that bad, but it always looks so bare after all the decorations are put away.

Now that the holidays are officially over, the focus is totally on selling the MH! Yes, I left Lowes today with my For Sale By Owner sign. That's right we are getting into aggressive marketing. I spent a couple hours on the internet filling out forms to get FREE national advertising. I know it sounds crazy, but we have a friend who swears by it. Our neighbor mowed our 7 acres, so it doesn't look quite so wild. Now if I can just get Evan to tame his room a little....

I'm not going to tell you my New Year's Resolutions because they are the same as last year's and the year before that as a matter of fact. Maybe this year I can make some progress and have new ones in 09. Like Abigail, I do love to make lists, so maybe in the near future I'll write out some of my specific short-term and long-term goals. You know, beyond the, MUST GET TO ARKANSAS GOAL.

Here I raise my Ebenezer

Today I have been doing what many of you have done over the past few days. Thinking about the joys and trials of the last year. Blessing God for His continued faithfulness. A job change, a graduation, a Wedding, a horse show, another job change, a move. That sounds so neat and tidy, what about the sweat and tears, the joy and laughter, the flat tires and dirty laundry? Its all there between the breaths and commas. But lucky for you I don't have time to enumerate all the adventures of 2007, but they were many and some unexpected.
That is what makes this New Year a little unusual, we know that we are entering into the unknown and that is the point of this blog. It is my hope that this blog will provide an excellent media where I can keep you up to speed on the goings on of our family as we embark on a new adventure.
And just as God has kept us this far, He will be faithful to continue on with us.
Ready or Not, Arkansas, here we come!