Burden #1: Moving

We just moved. And I listed it as a burden. For those of you who have moved...need I say more?

Too bad...I will say more...

Blah.

I really despise moving. Especially when you have to do it in a few days. And when you suspect you might be pregnant, but swear on your last dollar in your pocket you will not buy another pregnancy test just to find it stick its little tongue back out at you with a nothing but...negative!

Packing. It can go from a happliy putting items into a box and taping it up....to a totally annoyed where does all of this stuff come from anyway!!!!!!!! kind of thing. I think that the early pregnancy hormones that are being very much ignored at that point don't help very much.

Almost 5 1/2 years of marriage...having moved four times already...and in the process gained two children...a girl...a boy...birthdays, holidays, celebrate the-first-pee-in-the-potty day, crib to toddler bed to twin bed to bunk bed, baby toys to toddler toys to big kid toys, baby booties, first pair of church shoes, first hat, first swimming suit, 0-3 month clothing, 3-6 months, 6-9 months, 9-12 months, 24 months, 2T, 3T, 4T, first painting, first drawing, first craft, first finished coloring book...anniversaries...

Yeah...you gain A LOT of STUFF!!! Where does it all go? Well, during moving time...it all comes out of hiding!

Conversations go like this:

the mommy with dark circles under her eyes: "Why do we still have this? We haven't used it in a year...I am giving it to the D.I.!"

the daddy with...uh...red hair: "NO! We are NOT giving that away!"

the mom...sighs...using that tone: "We don't need it...for crying out loud...where the heck are we going to put it??? Your parents already have one anyway!"

the red-head: "Their's is old...ours works much better..."

interrupting...roll of the eyes...: "We'll never use it..."

daddy says: "Fine, if you want to give it to the D.I. then I am giving your stuff to the D.I. that you haven't used in a year!"

mommy, using a very different tone, says nonchalantly: "Fine. Go ahead!"

dad: "Fine!"

Haha. None of those items ever made it to the D.I.! That's just how things roll with us during moving time! Though....we DID take two ginormous loads there before we moved....it was very satisfying! Anna keeps wondering who will get her doll, and if we could maybe call the store and get their number so we can go to their house and play???

Cleaning.

Double BLAH!!!

Fumes...bleach, oven cleaner, lysol, windex, swiffer wet jet floor cleaner, soft scrub....

yeah...remember those non-existent thoughts about the possible...ok...at this point....VERY possible pregnancy....and fumes?

Great!

Pizza Hut pizza....delivered....hmmmm. Sitting on the floor, on partially filled boxes....cleaning agents all over the floor with dirty rags, wads of paper towels....kids using the cooler as a table....eating and whining...very tired, no naps, no toys...

We are to the point where we could just get in the car and drive away...and not care about finishing up....it's late....our backs are hurting, eyes are burning, wrists hurt from scrubbing, skin dry and cracking, hair a mess, clothes a mess....needing a new application of deoderant a long time ago....fuzzy sweater teeth...

And we never could have done any of it if it wasn't for sheer determination....and the help from family. They saved us! And I think Heavenly Father blessed us with an exorbitant amount of patience....

I should have kept a little, put it in my pocket, and saved it for unpacking...when the little thing that was being ignored could no longer be ignored...a week late....yeah, never in a million years happens....and that little dollar gets put to use on something that FINALLY smiles back! Yay!

My point to all of this?

Well...I did lose my wedding ring. I put it safely in my purse, zipped it up, and moved to Pocatello. When we got there, the ring was gone. A dozen scenarios played through my mind like:

-Carter opened my purse, looking for gum like usual, finds the sparkly toy, and like once before, throws it in the toilet!

-Ok...gotta talk it down a bit...he decides to just try it on his finger, but it falls off, and as short as his attention span is....sees a spray bottle....leaves the ring on the floor, all but forgotten, and tries to spray bleach spray at mommy!

-Mommy then vacuums the ring up....thinking it was just a nail...

-Or maybe it fell out cuz my purse tipped over in the car as I was reaching back to give Anna and Carter their drinks...

I search the car....search, search, search....desparately serach.......search.....SEARCH!

Nothing.

Russ doesn't have it, didn't find it on the floor of the almost empty apartment and put it in his pocket wondering why his dear wife lost track of the gem...and keeps is quietly, not saying a word, trying to teach her a lesson....

It's gone....


and then...

a thought....
small, quiet, little wispy thought comes to mind....

doubting....yes...couldn't be....no...

I re-check my purse, that has been white-gloved checked three times....and find a hole in the zippered pocket...a hole big enough for my finger to squeeze through....

and there it is!



BEST.FEELING.IN.THE.WORLD.



Moral of the story: We all hate moving. We all like getting rid of stuff. We all like Pizza Hut. We all hate losing something of worth.

and through it all....the small, quiet, wispy voice let's us know what is most important...

He created my spirit, gave it life, nurtured me, taught me...through His Son...He created my body, gave it life, and continues to nurture and teach me through the still small voice.

I would be....we would be....NOTHING.....without such a quiet and constant companion....



Burden: Moving.

Blessing: Going through it all....because of the spirit....and his gentle nudging....and then knowing that mine and other prayers were and will be answered because we listened......and of course....knowing that in less than nine months I get to have another baby! Cherry on top, please!


Ah!