Or...what motivates me to work when I really don't want to! hahaha
The day started off with me being a slug-a-bed...AWESOME! Except I always think of that verse in Proverbs...a little slumber, a little folding of the hands in rest and poverty will come upon you like a thief. Not a direct quote...at least I don't think so...wouldn't that be cool if I did quote it word for word?!
Anyhow, I also like the saying "start slow and taper off". Which we didn't exactly do...we started slow and kinda kept going slow with a few episodes of work...but nothing too hard today = )
So...I made whole wheat pancakes for breakfast and we had those with blueberries, yogurt and I had a bit of agave with mine. I meant to work on organizing the bathroom cupboard so I could fit more stuff in but that didn't get done.
What we ended up organizing was the gym closet...Petey had a shelf unit from the shed he wasn't using so we put that in the closet when we discovered that it would fit nicely.
Here's my type of work day...work a little...then take a break to play a game or work a puzzle or do something fun. Then work some more, then eat something, then play a little, then work some more...repeat until it's time for bed!
If I tell myself "ok, you're going to work hard all day today and get alot done", then I piddle around and procrastinate and end up not getting hardly ANYTHING done.
But if I tell myself I can work a little and then take a "fun" break, then I end up getting alot more accomplished. And today was that kind of day!
We had leftover pasta primavera with cottage cheese for lunch. Our fun breaks today consisted of rounds of Rummikub...I'm winning as of right now = )
Petey hung all my Texas and bluebonnet-themed stained glass...HE worked hard, for sure! I have 13 stained glass "pictures" and I have window space for 12 of them here. The last one is the smallest one and I'll probably just hang that on the wall somewhere.
This brings me so much happiness in my new home!! And it really makes this place feel more like HOME. I told The World's Greatest Neighbor and my tea-time buddy, Shari, that as soon as we got here I was going to hang my small white board up on the fridge and start listing the blessings of being here.
Well, I haven't found the white board yet but I've been listing the blessings in my head so far. Counting your blessings goes a long way in developing a God-honoring and God-pleasing attitude...and helps you to be more happy and content in whatever situation He places you in. I'm speaking from experience here!
Ok, back to the day...let's see...I did unpack a few more boxes. At this point the most challenging thing is finding places for the stuff I'm trying to unpack.
When I first started unpacking, I was just sorta shoving stuff here and there without organizing it as I went along. Now I really need to organize the areas where I did that because there's lots of wasted space that I need to use for the last little bit of stuff to be unpacked.
The easiest way is going to be to take it all out of the cupboard or off the shelf and start from the beginning. That just sounded like too big of a job for today so I'll plan on doing that on Monday = )
I also have alot more motivation now to purge some more. I know that sounds pathetic...I just moved all this junk over here and NOW I'm going to donate it?! Yeah, I know, it is pathetic but maybe it was what was needed at the time.
I was packing up and leaving my beloved home...where I thought I would be able to stay for the rest of my life...where I WANTED to stay for the rest of my life. The thought of getting rid of or leaving behind something that felt like a treasure at the time was too much for me to handle so I brought it with me.
But now, this place doesn't seem so horrible (yeah, that's about how I was thinking about this place while I was packing up)...in fact, like I said before, I have a pretty good list started of the neat things about this house...the blessings from God that come with living HERE.
So my "treasures" don't feel necessary for my happiness or to make me feel at home here...at least some of those "treasures". Well, as I sit here and look around me, I don't see a whole lot that I want to get rid of right now except maybe some books...but hopefully I'll find some in the coming weeks and months! hahaahahaa
I read several blogs from people living minimalist lifestyles. I'm certainly not anywhere close to doing THAT but it does make me think and there's an aspect that really appeals to me. So I'm not giving up yet!
Now...where was I? Ok, for supper we had fresh corn on the cob...YUMMMMMY!
Then we took the dogs for a walk. Oh yeah, I missed the part after lunch where we went to Target and the thrift store.
I did donate a bag of clothes today but it was a bag that got brought here by accident. It was supposed to be donated there in Houston. We were also looking for a baby gate at the thrift store. We didn't find one but we've decided to take apart one of the dogs' 8 foot fence/gate thingys and use that instead.
So on the way home from the thrift store, I discovered a MUCH better, nicer, beautifuller walking-running-biking trail going the opposite direction than we went the other night. Add that to the blessing list!!
We took the dogs for a walk after supper. The start of the trail is 4/10ths of a mile from our house. It's very similar to the trail that led over to Bear Creek Park! Walking on that trail with the space and the green trees and the absence of people...oh my...it was just what I needed!
Yeah, I told ya'll that I was going to run this morning but I forgot and got dressed instead! I thought about changing into running clothes and I probably should've but that was before I discovered this other, wonderful trail so now I'm kinda glad I didn't = )
But that makes me sad to realize that I'm already out of my daily running habit = ( Wow, it doesn't take long...but I can always get back IN to it!
Oh yeah...we had a pretty good rainstorm today too. I'd been hoping for one so we could see if anything leaks here. Just one window that needed some caulking, which Petey did right away, so now we're good.
And now that's the end of the day. I'm gonna let the boys out to potty, put them to bed and then put myself to bed too! I've been looking forward to church all week!
And I know you all want to see pics and I've been taking them but I need to figure out the best, simplest way to post them here. I may end up just posting them from my phone with no descriptions and then writing about them when I come here to the big computer...
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Friday, May 2, 2014
I have no idea what to title each post now...
Might as well do my normal weigh-in day data...first, some catch-up
Week #95 - 113.0
Week #96 - 112.4
Week #97 - 112.2
Week #98 - had to miss the meeting
Week #99 - 112.2
I was really surprised to discover that I weighed exactly the same as I did at my last WW meeting in Texas. This was after eating a fairly large and heavy breakfast too!
So...today...slept much better last night because we used the dog gate/fence thingys to have the dogs in the kitchen overnight instead of them having the run of the house.
They must've REALLY felt much more comfortable with the re-established boundaries because they slept the whole night through without crying at our bedroom door or asking to go out or any other thing that woke me up the 4-6 times a night like the previous week's nights! AWESOME!!
I ate fresh blueberries, 1/2 cup of uncooked oatmeal and about 1/4 cup of heavy cream for breakfast. I like uncooked oatmeal WAAAAAAY better than cooked...it seems like granola without the nuts to me = )
Then I did some normal house-keeping things like empty the dishwasher and straighten the kitchen table and such. Petey hung my new Elfa pantry door organizer and I filled some of the trays with spices and other stuff I normally kept in the one I had in the Houston house.
I worked on emptying a couple boxes and then it was time to leave for the Weight Watchers meeting. I was dreading it and looking forward to it all at the same time. I wanted to go to get weighed in but I knew it would be a totally new environment with new people and everything.
The meeting was at an actual Weight Watchers store compared to meeting at a church like I did in Texas. I'm glad that I had been to a couple of meetings at a WW store in Houston so I knew what to do.
Everyone was from New York!! They all had that well-recognized NY accent. Our leader reminded me so much of Barbra Streisand! Except for the accents, it's funny how similar the meeting was to Houston's...1200 miles from the gang in Houston and we all share the same eating/weight issues and challenges.
The neat thing is that this meeting is 1.75 miles from my new house with a sidewalk running the whole way there and I can ride my bike or run or walk to the meeting if I want...way cool beans!!
Speaking of running...wow...I REALLLLLLY miss it! I should try to run a little in the morning... it's been so long since I went for a run. We took the dogs for a walk last night...ended up going farther than planned. Poor Buddy...it was too much for him and I ended up carrying him part of the way home = (
Anyhow, I was HUN-GREEEE when I got home so I made pasta primavera...sauteed yellow squash, zucchini, shallots, and red peppers with chicken sausage in olive oil...added Costco's marinara sauce to the mix. Sauteed some mushrooms in butter separately since Petey doesn't care for mushrooms.
Served all that on top of whole wheat angel hair pasta and had cottage cheese on the side and I couldn't finish my plate! I finished it for supper = )) Petey had a big bowl of corn...a typical supper for him.
Petey did another project after lunch...putting a dividing board in the cupboard under the kitchen sink. It's a triple cupboard but I don't need that much space for under-the-kitchen-sink stuff so with the dividing board, I can have another cupboard for "clean kitchen" items rather than cleaners and sponges and such.
Know what I mean? Under the kitchen sink never seems as clean an area as other cupboards! He caulked all around it and sealed it off from the under-the-sink area = )
I was out of motivation to hit the unpacking hard again so we played a game of Rummikub and then I worked on unpacking again. I got all my Texas stained glass out and we'll hang those in the windows once we buy more hooks at the store. I can't wait to see them in the windows again!!
We played another round of Rummikub and then worked outside in the pleasant evening. I did pooper duty, frisbee with Dingo, then helped Petey put up some fence to make the backyard more secure for the dogs. Then a lady was walking by with her two grandkids so we ended up visiting a bit and letting the kids throw the ball for Dingo.
It's really nice to see lots of family activity in this neighborhood. There are just enough run-down places to cause concern but there are plenty of really nice places where you can tell people care and want to take care of their property. Lots of people walk in the neighborhood and they've almost all been very friendly. That makes me feel better.
And that's it for today! I did have time to do my normal Quiet Time. Well, almost normal... I didn't do any crochet after reading my Bible! Maybe soon...hahahahaha
Week #95 - 113.0
Week #96 - 112.4
Week #97 - 112.2
Week #98 - had to miss the meeting
Week #99 - 112.2
I was really surprised to discover that I weighed exactly the same as I did at my last WW meeting in Texas. This was after eating a fairly large and heavy breakfast too!
So...today...slept much better last night because we used the dog gate/fence thingys to have the dogs in the kitchen overnight instead of them having the run of the house.
They must've REALLY felt much more comfortable with the re-established boundaries because they slept the whole night through without crying at our bedroom door or asking to go out or any other thing that woke me up the 4-6 times a night like the previous week's nights! AWESOME!!
I ate fresh blueberries, 1/2 cup of uncooked oatmeal and about 1/4 cup of heavy cream for breakfast. I like uncooked oatmeal WAAAAAAY better than cooked...it seems like granola without the nuts to me = )
Then I did some normal house-keeping things like empty the dishwasher and straighten the kitchen table and such. Petey hung my new Elfa pantry door organizer and I filled some of the trays with spices and other stuff I normally kept in the one I had in the Houston house.
I worked on emptying a couple boxes and then it was time to leave for the Weight Watchers meeting. I was dreading it and looking forward to it all at the same time. I wanted to go to get weighed in but I knew it would be a totally new environment with new people and everything.
The meeting was at an actual Weight Watchers store compared to meeting at a church like I did in Texas. I'm glad that I had been to a couple of meetings at a WW store in Houston so I knew what to do.
Everyone was from New York!! They all had that well-recognized NY accent. Our leader reminded me so much of Barbra Streisand! Except for the accents, it's funny how similar the meeting was to Houston's...1200 miles from the gang in Houston and we all share the same eating/weight issues and challenges.
The neat thing is that this meeting is 1.75 miles from my new house with a sidewalk running the whole way there and I can ride my bike or run or walk to the meeting if I want...way cool beans!!
Speaking of running...wow...I REALLLLLLY miss it! I should try to run a little in the morning... it's been so long since I went for a run. We took the dogs for a walk last night...ended up going farther than planned. Poor Buddy...it was too much for him and I ended up carrying him part of the way home = (
Anyhow, I was HUN-GREEEE when I got home so I made pasta primavera...sauteed yellow squash, zucchini, shallots, and red peppers with chicken sausage in olive oil...added Costco's marinara sauce to the mix. Sauteed some mushrooms in butter separately since Petey doesn't care for mushrooms.
Served all that on top of whole wheat angel hair pasta and had cottage cheese on the side and I couldn't finish my plate! I finished it for supper = )) Petey had a big bowl of corn...a typical supper for him.
Petey did another project after lunch...putting a dividing board in the cupboard under the kitchen sink. It's a triple cupboard but I don't need that much space for under-the-kitchen-sink stuff so with the dividing board, I can have another cupboard for "clean kitchen" items rather than cleaners and sponges and such.
Know what I mean? Under the kitchen sink never seems as clean an area as other cupboards! He caulked all around it and sealed it off from the under-the-sink area = )
I was out of motivation to hit the unpacking hard again so we played a game of Rummikub and then I worked on unpacking again. I got all my Texas stained glass out and we'll hang those in the windows once we buy more hooks at the store. I can't wait to see them in the windows again!!
We played another round of Rummikub and then worked outside in the pleasant evening. I did pooper duty, frisbee with Dingo, then helped Petey put up some fence to make the backyard more secure for the dogs. Then a lady was walking by with her two grandkids so we ended up visiting a bit and letting the kids throw the ball for Dingo.
It's really nice to see lots of family activity in this neighborhood. There are just enough run-down places to cause concern but there are plenty of really nice places where you can tell people care and want to take care of their property. Lots of people walk in the neighborhood and they've almost all been very friendly. That makes me feel better.
And that's it for today! I did have time to do my normal Quiet Time. Well, almost normal... I didn't do any crochet after reading my Bible! Maybe soon...hahahahaha
Thursday, May 1, 2014
A Homemaker's job is to....
....make the house the HOME. Whatever house God provides me with through Petey, that is the space that I am to work my best to make it our home...for Petey, for myself, for our furry children.
So that was foremost on my mind as I walked through the door of our new house...what needed to be done to make this HOME.
The first thing that hit me was the smell of cigarette smoke...it was expected but not at that intensity! Open the windows...yay! the windows aren't as bad as I anticipated and they have screens!
The second thing that hit me was how dirty the place was = ( I had expected MUCH cleaner because the seller's wife said that they'd spent the last 2 days cleaning...uh... WHAT???!!!
Dust and crumbs and hair and grease and grime...everywhere. Thankfully, I'd given Petey a bunch of cleaning supplies as the last thing to be packed on the truck so I was able to start cleaning right away.
My Sweety Petey...how blessed I am to have him! He knew how sick I was...how weak I was... and he said to not worry about anything, just do whatever I needed to do to be ok. What a wonderful gift he gave me = )
So first off, we got the cats inside, out of their traveling cages, with fresh food and fresh litter and I sat with them awhile to help them get over their shock. Lilli, Boo and Chip did very well and were already eager to explore. George, Trudy and Leah scared me in their behavior... so scared...soooo not themselves = (
I worked for maybe an hour on wiping down the kitchen and unpacking a few dishes and then I started feeling like I was going to pass out. I sat down on the floor and tried to force myself to eat a protein bar. I ate about 1/3 of it and then just couldn't eat anymore. I told Petey I thought I'd feel much better if I could just sleep some so he blew up an air mattress and I slept for the next 3-4 hours!
I did feel MUCH better when I woke up, was able to eat a full piece of pizza we'd brought from home and then I was able to do some good work! Petey had been unloading the truck the whole time I slept and had gotten so much done. I didn't help him unload this day...I stayed inside cleaning and unpacking.
The new backyard is REALLY nice for the dogs!! Dingo had his first frisbee session and we all enjoyed ourselves for the first time in many days. It was a beautiful evening...cool, breezy, birds singing, sky blue pink sunset...some mosquitoes...
We went to bed fairly early and slept deeply...just what our poor tired bodies needed. I almost didn't weigh myself before bed because I didn't want to be upset by how much weight I'd lost but I was too curious not to. I figured that would be the lowest night weight I'd have...maybe for the rest of my life! hahahaha
108.6...WOW!!!! That's my goal morning weight = ) But I knew it wasn't real weight-loss so it didn't upset me...I just enjoyed writing it down in my notebook.
Thursday was one long day of unloading, cleaning, unpacking, rearranging, making decisions, making discoveries and taking breaks to play with the kitties and puppies. By 4pm we had most of the truck unloaded. Inside the house was total chaos but the almost-empty truck was a happy sight!
I had to drive to the water company...30 minutes away...to get the water switched over into our name in person. I actually enjoyed the drive...more country...lots of nurseries and growing fields...beautiful flowers and palm trees....and a break from cleaning, unloading and unpacking! hahaha
When I got home, Petey had the whole truck done except for the last BIG pieces. We tackled those one by one...the only major nerve-wracking item for me was my beloved piano but she's safely in her new home now. We cleaned out the truck and got it ready to return and then had another early night.
We woke up early on Friday and worked on getting everything ready for the U-verse guys to come hook stuff up. Petey has a to-do list a mile long! He's knocking the items off rapidly = )
After the U-verse guys left, we returned the truck and then went to Lowe's...got supplies for more projects for Petey to work on!
Saturday was spent mostly unpacking with a break in the middle to drive down to the airport and get the Durango...AND the Keurig that had been left in it...nice to have that back!
We'd planned on going back to the church we'd visited when we were here in March looking for a house but we ran late and remembered we would need gas on the way so we just went to a Baptist church that is 1.2 miles away from here. It was enjoyable but I missed the kind of teaching we get at a Bible church.
We went to Costco afterwards, ate lunch there, then home to work some more. I wasn't able to have my "Sabbath rest" this day but I sure did think about it a lot....
Petey got called to do a flight leaving at 2am Monday morning and coming back 2pm Monday afternoon. THIS is why we moved here...he was able to do the flight and get 10 hours of overtime! While he was gone I really concentrated on the kitchen. Even made bread for the first time = )
So...Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, today...the theme of these days is Slowly But Surely. Every evening I have a stack of boxes to break down...I love the feel of each box leaving the house! More and more things are being moved into their permanent home.
I know we're making progress because I know how many empty boxes I've flattened but it still looks and feels like chaos inside here. Certainly not as much as before but still not anywhere close to being done!
I suppose I should cut myself some slack and give myself a month to unpack and settle in rather than just a week, but I'm really anxious to have "a place for everything and everything in its place".
Petey has not only been helping to unpack but he's mostly been working on home improvement projects already! So far, he's...
- installed a new wax seal and caulk on the hall toilet and caulk on the master toilet
- installed green indoor/outdoor turf carpet on the back porch and steps so Buddy has an easier
time going up and down the stairs
- installed new shelves in the pantry
- installed a shelf running around half the room in the office
- hung 4 window blinds
- installed my new DREAM SINK, faucet and garbage disposer
- replaced the wood floor of the cabinet under the kitchen sink
- is right now installing glass shower doors in the master bath = )
Today is Buddy's 13th birthday. I'm so thankful that God blessed us with our precious Buddy-boy all those years ago! I'm thankful for his long life and the love and joy he's brought to my life.
And now I think you're all caught up! Hopefully, tomorrow begins the daily blogging of all that's happening in the life of Pony and Petey.
Feel free to ask questions, if you'd like...if I've left out anything you're curious about!
So that was foremost on my mind as I walked through the door of our new house...what needed to be done to make this HOME.
The first thing that hit me was the smell of cigarette smoke...it was expected but not at that intensity! Open the windows...yay! the windows aren't as bad as I anticipated and they have screens!
The second thing that hit me was how dirty the place was = ( I had expected MUCH cleaner because the seller's wife said that they'd spent the last 2 days cleaning...uh... WHAT???!!!
Dust and crumbs and hair and grease and grime...everywhere. Thankfully, I'd given Petey a bunch of cleaning supplies as the last thing to be packed on the truck so I was able to start cleaning right away.
My Sweety Petey...how blessed I am to have him! He knew how sick I was...how weak I was... and he said to not worry about anything, just do whatever I needed to do to be ok. What a wonderful gift he gave me = )
So first off, we got the cats inside, out of their traveling cages, with fresh food and fresh litter and I sat with them awhile to help them get over their shock. Lilli, Boo and Chip did very well and were already eager to explore. George, Trudy and Leah scared me in their behavior... so scared...soooo not themselves = (
I worked for maybe an hour on wiping down the kitchen and unpacking a few dishes and then I started feeling like I was going to pass out. I sat down on the floor and tried to force myself to eat a protein bar. I ate about 1/3 of it and then just couldn't eat anymore. I told Petey I thought I'd feel much better if I could just sleep some so he blew up an air mattress and I slept for the next 3-4 hours!
I did feel MUCH better when I woke up, was able to eat a full piece of pizza we'd brought from home and then I was able to do some good work! Petey had been unloading the truck the whole time I slept and had gotten so much done. I didn't help him unload this day...I stayed inside cleaning and unpacking.
The new backyard is REALLY nice for the dogs!! Dingo had his first frisbee session and we all enjoyed ourselves for the first time in many days. It was a beautiful evening...cool, breezy, birds singing, sky blue pink sunset...some mosquitoes...
We went to bed fairly early and slept deeply...just what our poor tired bodies needed. I almost didn't weigh myself before bed because I didn't want to be upset by how much weight I'd lost but I was too curious not to. I figured that would be the lowest night weight I'd have...maybe for the rest of my life! hahahaha
108.6...WOW!!!! That's my goal morning weight = ) But I knew it wasn't real weight-loss so it didn't upset me...I just enjoyed writing it down in my notebook.
Thursday was one long day of unloading, cleaning, unpacking, rearranging, making decisions, making discoveries and taking breaks to play with the kitties and puppies. By 4pm we had most of the truck unloaded. Inside the house was total chaos but the almost-empty truck was a happy sight!
I had to drive to the water company...30 minutes away...to get the water switched over into our name in person. I actually enjoyed the drive...more country...lots of nurseries and growing fields...beautiful flowers and palm trees....and a break from cleaning, unloading and unpacking! hahaha
When I got home, Petey had the whole truck done except for the last BIG pieces. We tackled those one by one...the only major nerve-wracking item for me was my beloved piano but she's safely in her new home now. We cleaned out the truck and got it ready to return and then had another early night.
We woke up early on Friday and worked on getting everything ready for the U-verse guys to come hook stuff up. Petey has a to-do list a mile long! He's knocking the items off rapidly = )
After the U-verse guys left, we returned the truck and then went to Lowe's...got supplies for more projects for Petey to work on!
Saturday was spent mostly unpacking with a break in the middle to drive down to the airport and get the Durango...AND the Keurig that had been left in it...nice to have that back!
We'd planned on going back to the church we'd visited when we were here in March looking for a house but we ran late and remembered we would need gas on the way so we just went to a Baptist church that is 1.2 miles away from here. It was enjoyable but I missed the kind of teaching we get at a Bible church.
We went to Costco afterwards, ate lunch there, then home to work some more. I wasn't able to have my "Sabbath rest" this day but I sure did think about it a lot....
Petey got called to do a flight leaving at 2am Monday morning and coming back 2pm Monday afternoon. THIS is why we moved here...he was able to do the flight and get 10 hours of overtime! While he was gone I really concentrated on the kitchen. Even made bread for the first time = )
So...Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, today...the theme of these days is Slowly But Surely. Every evening I have a stack of boxes to break down...I love the feel of each box leaving the house! More and more things are being moved into their permanent home.
I know we're making progress because I know how many empty boxes I've flattened but it still looks and feels like chaos inside here. Certainly not as much as before but still not anywhere close to being done!
I suppose I should cut myself some slack and give myself a month to unpack and settle in rather than just a week, but I'm really anxious to have "a place for everything and everything in its place".
Petey has not only been helping to unpack but he's mostly been working on home improvement projects already! So far, he's...
- installed a new wax seal and caulk on the hall toilet and caulk on the master toilet
- installed green indoor/outdoor turf carpet on the back porch and steps so Buddy has an easier
time going up and down the stairs
- installed new shelves in the pantry
- installed a shelf running around half the room in the office
- hung 4 window blinds
- installed my new DREAM SINK, faucet and garbage disposer
- replaced the wood floor of the cabinet under the kitchen sink
- is right now installing glass shower doors in the master bath = )
Today is Buddy's 13th birthday. I'm so thankful that God blessed us with our precious Buddy-boy all those years ago! I'm thankful for his long life and the love and joy he's brought to my life.
And now I think you're all caught up! Hopefully, tomorrow begins the daily blogging of all that's happening in the life of Pony and Petey.
Feel free to ask questions, if you'd like...if I've left out anything you're curious about!
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Let's move 2 adults and 11 animals 1200 miles to Florida...Part 2
So...back on the road around 4am. We stopped at another rest area about 7:30am, potty-break, fed the dogs breakfast, then switched vehicles to sleep some more. This time Petey took the bench seat in the truck with the dogs and I got the memory foam "bed" in the Explorer with the cats.
It was comforting being with the cats...I dozed with my fingers between the bars of the cage and they would rub their heads on my fingers. I couldn't really get into a deeper sleep because lots of cars and trucks were coming and going and people were talking = (
I started thinking about how much of the trip was still ahead and all the work to do unloading the truck and all the changes that were still to come...all that I'd left behind and all the strange that was in my future. Ugh...I wish my brain had a flip on - flip off switch!
Petey was able to sleep a couple of hours. I didn't feel well for the rest of the day...over-tired, over-worked, over-wrought, not enough food. I ate what I could...what I thought I could keep down.
We got moving again about 11am and stopped at 2pm at another rest area. Petey slept in the Explorer and I spread a quilt under a nice shade tree and rested with the dogs after taking them for a walk. I didn't sleep any but stretching out and resting felt good.
Petey slept well...the cats were quiet, along with the whole rest area, so that was really nice. We'd planned on staying overnight at a hotel for the night but as we were only averaging about 40 mph, we realized we wouldn't have enough time to spend the night and make it to the closingo on time...we would have to drive through at least part of the night = (
We got on the road again about 4pm...stopped for gas at 7 and also potty break and the dogs' supper. Then we had a long stretch of driving til about 11pm when we stopped to sleep again. This time with me in the cab and Petey in the Explorer since that's where we each slept the best.
I did manage to sleep for a couple of hours this time. I think the dogs knew what to expect and they settled down very quickly into their chosen spots. We were feeling the time crunch a little bit so we started driving again around 2am.
At this point I felt like I had no strength to go on. I was tired sick, hungry sick, anxious sick...completely empty.
The morning that we left Houston I'd read an email devotional that talked about a person walking along a road. They were feeling great and walking strong. If someone had come up to them and offered help...offered a shoulder to lean on or some kind of support, the person would have turned them down immediately. It wasn't needed!
But let that person be foot-sore and road-weary, barely able to stay upright, and let someone come alongside and offer help and support and it would be accepted immediately and completely.
This is what God does for us! When we're going through life in our own strength, we feel like we don't need Him or at least need His help. But when He places us in a position to where our strength is drained away by circumstances or illness, how quickly we turn to Him for strength to continue on.
And how graciously and generously He gives that strength...HIS strength.
About 4:30am, I knew that I needed to at least TRY to sleep or rest or something and I wanted to be able to stretch out...my legs and back...well, all over, really...was SO achy and sore...so we stopped at one of the nice service plazas that are on the Florida Turnpike and Petey got some Dunkin Donuts coffee and I went back to the Explorer.
It was so quiet compared to the cab of the truck...so weird to be moving down the road but with no engine running. We didn't know if me being in the car on the tow dolly was against the law so it might've been a sin of omission but not comission...
I ended up not being able to sleep anyhow...I just dry-heaved my way across South Florida = ((( At least I was alone and not disturbing Petey and I felt better knowing that there was more room in the cab for the dogs and I was also giving the kitties some company.
We made it to the place where the closing was going to be about 7:30 and THEN I was able to sleep for some reason! I slept solidly for about 2 hours and woke up feeling quite good, in spite of being very weak.
I felt ok in the closing office but started going downhill towards the end. I was just praising God the whole time that HE was providing the strength I needed to take each next step because I certainly had NONE of my own.
I was able to eat some pretzels on the way to our new home...and then we were here!
To be continued... = )
But let me say this...a HUGE MEGA THANKS to each and every prayer that was said on our behalf for safety and for my babies' safety. So many prayed for us... I kept thinking about all the people who had promised to pray and it brought me a measure of peace and comfort.
What a privilege it is to pray for each other! What an amazing God we have, who hears and cares and has the power to help us through life!
It was comforting being with the cats...I dozed with my fingers between the bars of the cage and they would rub their heads on my fingers. I couldn't really get into a deeper sleep because lots of cars and trucks were coming and going and people were talking = (
I started thinking about how much of the trip was still ahead and all the work to do unloading the truck and all the changes that were still to come...all that I'd left behind and all the strange that was in my future. Ugh...I wish my brain had a flip on - flip off switch!
Petey was able to sleep a couple of hours. I didn't feel well for the rest of the day...over-tired, over-worked, over-wrought, not enough food. I ate what I could...what I thought I could keep down.
We got moving again about 11am and stopped at 2pm at another rest area. Petey slept in the Explorer and I spread a quilt under a nice shade tree and rested with the dogs after taking them for a walk. I didn't sleep any but stretching out and resting felt good.
Petey slept well...the cats were quiet, along with the whole rest area, so that was really nice. We'd planned on staying overnight at a hotel for the night but as we were only averaging about 40 mph, we realized we wouldn't have enough time to spend the night and make it to the closingo on time...we would have to drive through at least part of the night = (
We got on the road again about 4pm...stopped for gas at 7 and also potty break and the dogs' supper. Then we had a long stretch of driving til about 11pm when we stopped to sleep again. This time with me in the cab and Petey in the Explorer since that's where we each slept the best.
I did manage to sleep for a couple of hours this time. I think the dogs knew what to expect and they settled down very quickly into their chosen spots. We were feeling the time crunch a little bit so we started driving again around 2am.
At this point I felt like I had no strength to go on. I was tired sick, hungry sick, anxious sick...completely empty.
The morning that we left Houston I'd read an email devotional that talked about a person walking along a road. They were feeling great and walking strong. If someone had come up to them and offered help...offered a shoulder to lean on or some kind of support, the person would have turned them down immediately. It wasn't needed!
But let that person be foot-sore and road-weary, barely able to stay upright, and let someone come alongside and offer help and support and it would be accepted immediately and completely.
This is what God does for us! When we're going through life in our own strength, we feel like we don't need Him or at least need His help. But when He places us in a position to where our strength is drained away by circumstances or illness, how quickly we turn to Him for strength to continue on.
And how graciously and generously He gives that strength...HIS strength.
About 4:30am, I knew that I needed to at least TRY to sleep or rest or something and I wanted to be able to stretch out...my legs and back...well, all over, really...was SO achy and sore...so we stopped at one of the nice service plazas that are on the Florida Turnpike and Petey got some Dunkin Donuts coffee and I went back to the Explorer.
It was so quiet compared to the cab of the truck...so weird to be moving down the road but with no engine running. We didn't know if me being in the car on the tow dolly was against the law so it might've been a sin of omission but not comission...
I ended up not being able to sleep anyhow...I just dry-heaved my way across South Florida = ((( At least I was alone and not disturbing Petey and I felt better knowing that there was more room in the cab for the dogs and I was also giving the kitties some company.
We made it to the place where the closing was going to be about 7:30 and THEN I was able to sleep for some reason! I slept solidly for about 2 hours and woke up feeling quite good, in spite of being very weak.
I felt ok in the closing office but started going downhill towards the end. I was just praising God the whole time that HE was providing the strength I needed to take each next step because I certainly had NONE of my own.
I was able to eat some pretzels on the way to our new home...and then we were here!
To be continued... = )
But let me say this...a HUGE MEGA THANKS to each and every prayer that was said on our behalf for safety and for my babies' safety. So many prayed for us... I kept thinking about all the people who had promised to pray and it brought me a measure of peace and comfort.
What a privilege it is to pray for each other! What an amazing God we have, who hears and cares and has the power to help us through life!
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