Cleaning and Playing

We worked hard and long today. We cleared rooms, mopped, vacuumed, touched up paint, washed walls and baseboards, cleaned a zillion toilets and sinks - Michael is shampooing carpets while I blog.

Tomorrow we will finish the kitchen, freshen things ups, organize the trailer and make  a trip to the landfill.

Yuuki is totally "done" with all of us and our crazy ways.  Her chair goes tomorrow.

Maria picked me up at 5:00 p.m. and we headed for Roseville. We had a lot to celebrate - Cynthia's husband will soon be home, Maria was promoted and Holly has a birthday coming up. It was a fun evening with dinner, laughter, dessert and even a quick trip to replenish PWOC's coffee stores.  Each of these women is a jewel and dear to me. We missed those who couldn't make it.

Mindee, Stephanie, Me, Holly, Megan, Maria, Cynthia and Katie

 Dessert at Coldstone - Hunter needed ice cream

It was fun to get out and play. I'm going to miss having a community of friends to visit with face to face when we go on the road.

Note - O.K. I won't leave this post without an explanation of Cynthia's expression.  In order to get this shot, "someone" had to get in front of all the ladies in a packed line, and "someone" may have had to snuggle in and get a bit friendly with the gentlemen in front of the ladies in order to get the shot....you do what you have to do. I love these ladies.

We'll Make It

A few days ago my boyfriend encouraged us by reporting, "We're 80% done." I must say THIS is the longest 20%  I've experienced.

We continue to move things from the living room to the trailer. I suppose it WAS progress as the piles used to be in three places.  We needed to repack the back. They put a lovely pass through storage bin at the very end of the trailer. Trouble is you aren't supposed to pack heavy at the end of a trailer.....we're busy rearranging.

I love the way this storage area in the back is shaping up. Four of the big drawers are still empty and may provide a bit more personal storage space, if I can keep from filling them. The best thing is all of these bins were re-purposed from the home.

 

Gumby and Joy grace the other end of the storage space. Both essentials in this season.

Semper Gumby - Always Flexible

The small kitchen has two drawers. I'm going to have to make use of these containers...though I have no cupboard or shelf big enough to store them.  Again, as a person who dislikes visible clutter, I am taking deep breaths and choosing to laugh at the adventure. Small home, huge living space - all of nature.

Yuuki is determined to stay in the Caboose. 

About mid-day we took all the stuff that will ride in the van to Matt and Rachel's.  The van will be full going to Oregon when we check out of here.  This is why we're looking for a bike solution (and I have photos of the bumpers for a post on that some day).

We stopped by Staples (looking for  a 1 watt wifi antenna - no luck) and the post office. The mail box key was inadvertently packed. They told us we should have left it for the landlord to buy a new one. WHAT?????

We sorted through the pantry and loaded several big boxes to take to the girls - college kids (Arielle and Katie) always need food. Vegan kids (Krista and Arielle)  will be happy to score my pantry.  Sometime in the process Michael remarked, "If I knew retirement was going to be this much work, I wouldn't have retired."

Finally, this afternoon, we started cleaning this house. Walls are spot cleaned, nail holes being filled, window tracks in process.....and while this went on Stacia and I went in search of a Laundromat in Wheatland. I enjoyed a conversation  with a gal who spoke no English, yet was extremely helpful. Laundry knows no language barriers. It was HOT. Took 2.5 hours to do 10 loads of laundry. We were dehydrated when we left. Lesson learned - laundry early or late in the day.

The arrival of clean clothes was properly heralded and then came the realization  most of us have some more pruning to do in our wardrobes if we can go 2 weeks without laundry and still have all the clothes in the Caboose.

By this time I was getting out and out sick. I had to cancel dinner at Matt and Rachel's and I wasn't happy at all about it. This was my last good chance to get Gemma De'Etta snuggles from Elianna and fun with Joy and the boys. Michael and the kids headed over....and Rachel helpfully sent photo messages during the night. It really WAS fun - helped me feel I was part.  The night was perfect - everyone needed to have a bit of fun - but we didn't have a lot of time for social pleasantries...Matt and Rachel are close enough not to be offended when I had to cancel and they could leave when they needed to.

 

I thought this was plain mean - love the photo though!

He's still got the touch



Rachel sent this home! I love it. This year's PWOC theme is surely appropriate for us as we uproot from military life and "normal" living. If you look to the left under the roots you'll see "Beale AFB." This cup will also remind me of the fantastic ladies I've been able to fellowship with for two years. Rachel designed it - which makes it even more precious!

 

Two days and a wake up!

Moving Things to the Caboose

Our goal today was to sort through the piles of stuff left in the house. We had taken EVERYTHING out of the trailer, this allows us to see how much space we have, touch each piece and decide if it goes with us or is donated. We are working on our second donate box (after the 4 van loads we've already donated).....anyway....I didn't think it would EVER fit. Take a look at the "piles".....

 

In the living room

Guitar, Ukalele, Microscope, Telescope, Warm Fuzzy Blanket

 

In the laundry room

The rolling totes are to be our ottomans until we save up to buy ones we want

 In our bathroom

The stuff in the tub came from the trailer so we had something to sleep on

 

I was slightly panicky at the thought of all this stuff still HERE after the movers left.  Michael is the voice of reason...there were many empty totes and tubs to use for organizing so the piles weren't as big as they looked. We ARE taking stuff to the girls. We have things here for friends. We are also taking some things to my parents. This allows us to get to things we may need before we are ready to take delivery of ALL our household goods - things like school books, van seats and suitcases. It's been a god-send as we find things the movers missed to know we can stuff it in a suitcase and take it to Oregon. LOL

 

We also had eight years of camping gear in the trailer to sort through so some of it was sure to be "non-essential." I'm sort of surprised there is only one little box full for donation at this point.

 

I was SURE we didn't need these - a mosquito hat and a snowsuit. If we take a wrong turn and in up in either the Amazon or the Arctic; we're prepared. We don't plan to be anywhere near snow or ice in the winter - but you never know. Michael pointed out we HAVE gotten quite lost before - it's part of the adventure.  Nonetheless, I must tease.

The kids worked HARD today. Here, Stacia moves the microscope and telescope to the Caboose.  My favorite two "moves" of the day was 1. the Big Wave curtain from the Butler's Pantry to  the Caboose - the bunk room is behind it and, 2. The "Welcome" decal on the front door  - taken directly from the front door of our current home.

 

Even Michael was stumped by this. We THOUGHT it was a screened room for the awning - but it's not the right shape. We settled on a mosquito netting for a canoe....then I found the hammock. We decided we aren't going to be camping, rather living, in nature. IF we find a place to hang the hammock that is THAT infested with mosquitoes, we'll stay inside. 

Yes, I did bring the essentials for Holidays....the wooden "wreath" works for Christmas and Easter, the birthday hat is in, Amon's Adventure, flags for each season  and the Resurrection eggs. 

Things ARE fitting much better than I expected.  We'll have some stuff to take to Matt and Rachel's so we have room to fill the Caboose and van with things going to Oregon...but we think it will all fit when we get back and settle in.

I did learn today one should not remove labels from plastic totes with heat guns. ::grin::

Michael also fixed my closet. I'll see what fits in it tomorrow.

Our goal is to finish the trailer in the morning and begin cleaning our current house in the afternoon. We turn over the key on Monday.

OH - we can't find the mailbox key. That's going to hurt. We'll call them in the a.m.

Three days and a wake up until we become full-timers.

Down Day

Michael declared today would be a "down day."  We got a surprise call from Discount RV Repairs in North Highlands - the Caboose was ready! We drove up to pick er up. The AC looks great, all the work looks nice....done 2 days early (6 days before original date given)....and about 1/2 the price of the quote from the jokers in Yuba City.  I can't believe they had great Yelp reviews. Lesson learned?


Not an actual photo of the Caboose - we have significant delaminating in the front

 

As we drove home with the Caboose, Michael got a huge grin on his face. "We're going to do this! In four days."  It was worth the work to see the total joy on his face in that moment....and that expression will keep us moving through the next four days of hard work to actually pull away from our "home."

 

 

Other fun for a down day - we checked out a historical spot we'd drive by for two years.

We finally grabbed lunch at 3 p.m.  I checked out the mega blenders at the BX and then met the family at the bowling ally.  (Photos compliments of Stacia).



Our next stop was Lowes for a quart of eggshell white paint, Sam's for a trailer size grill and Walmart....Walmart was a bust. We're looking for a 1 watt wifi antenna....need to find time to look at other places. We did get the measurements for a folding table we plan to use in the van while traveling.  Oh and Michael picked up ICE CREAM.....somehow tonight feels like a Sunday?

Four days and a wake-up......so much to do...but Michael says 80% of the work is behind us.

Fun Memories

The sorting, cleaning and rearranging of the past week often brought a smile to my face. Why? I continued to find nerf bullets in the most unlikely (and likely) spots.  Such great memories of battles past and battles recent.  We've made some great family memories in this house.

 

Here are the ones we found before the movers came.  

 

This one I see - but can't figure out HOW to get it down! This window is VERY high up...see the bullet laying on the edge?????

 

The first day the movers unearthed only two bullets. I knew there were more to come. Sure enough - when they moved the china hutch, I heard a, "Come quick with your camera." I couldn't figure out WHAT could be going on. Ah.....they found the mother lode.

 



I commented that this should be the last ones. No, Kenny insisted there was on "in the blind." I'm not sure there was. I suspect he said that because he knew I'd spend hours looking for the bullet in the blinds. LOL 

 

Yes, they ARE going in to the Caboose. The kids saved their guns and a couple of extra for Michael and me. I predict rousing Nerf Wars to continue.

 



Houshold Goods Gone

It is over....or at least the moving out of the house part of it is over. 

 

Next is the cleaning and prepping this house to hand over the keys part.

 

The sorting through the piles of "trailer stuff" to see what will really fit part.

 

The painting trim inside the trailer part.

 

The finding a bike solution part.

 

But for now....

 

We're just happy the moving household goods part is done. 

 

Our movers  are usually very appreciative of us - Michael used to drive for a moving company. I heard a couple of discussions and was told face to face how nice it was that the house was "so organized" and "so clean." They appreciated our signs and got a kick out of how prepared we were for them. One told me how kind my signs were, "Most don't say 'please' when talking to us." It always makes the work worthwhile. There was only piece of furniture that I didn't know what they would find when they  moved it....more on that later.

 

The ice water is greatly appreciated in this heat - and lunch goes a long way to making friends. LOL  Fetching ice, water, snacks and lunch also keeps me busy so I don't freak out about odd noises. Today, I took another load to Airmen's Attic.

 

As they become comfortable with us we hear the most amazing stories...like the man that told them, "If you get thirsty there is a hose on the side of the house," or the ones who refused to let them use the bathroom. We also heard of four families that decided to sign up for ONE military move....thinking no one would know there were actually four families moving. The military family was allowed 15,000 lbs and the move came in at 42,000 lbs. They were furious when they realized they had to pay $100 per pound over 15K. I'd say someone missed a briefing or two.

 

We haven't experienced many of the horror stories we hear about. These guys were equal to the famed Japanese movers...

 

Five dish packs out of the China Hutch. They were doing well until they realized they had to LOAD the China Hutch on to the truck. There was no way it was going to fit. Our rescue truck arrived and saved the day.  I was a bit alarmed at the clanging going on as they packed the china. Michael told them it was "high value," and it got instantly better.  We found evidence of past family fun behind the hutch....

Joel - I never got a photo of Dre

 

While they packed, we filled nail holes and removed wall decals.

 

The kids were happy to occupy themselves upstairs in the AC cooled rooms. 

 

 

We booked our first week's worth of campgrounds. I am ready to PLAY come 31 Aug, but Michael wisely shares our priority is to get settled in the trailer. This means we need to take things to the girls and storage to my parents. We'll put off playing another bit of time.  He's right - it will be a colossal pain to haul around so much stuff we plan to deliver at some point to OR. LOL

 

 

It's always sort of sad when movers leave. 



Kenny was an interesting character to talk with and kept the team moving well

 

We are settling into the minimalist lifestyle - few things but lots of space. LOL This is how we began our time at Beale. We were in the house a good two weeks before household goods arrived.

 

Michael fashioned a pan from the box so we could reheat pizza.

Life is good if you have Monopoly...

 

Look what they forgot to pack! We'll be the life of the campground. I envision inviting many camp hosts over for hot chocolate. ::snort::

We're done with the pack out a full day earlier than predicted.

Gherkins on the Move

Note to my OCD friends - while this isn't written in order of age, it is written in order of their moves. ::snort::

This is the summer of Gherkins on the Move....I thought I'd update a bit on the Gherkin movers.....seems appropriate as our house is currently filled with boxes and movers.

 Jamin (Gherkin 4)  established himself at Texas A&M at the Bush School of Government and Public Service. He's the vice president of a graduate student organization. He secured a job at Outback and then secured a couple of jobs which are geared more to his interests. He's tutoring history and political science majors - seems to be mostly athletes. He's also been offered the chance to oversee the energy sustainability program at A&M. I don't have numbers, but he saved quite a bit of pocket change for ASU with the program he instituted there. The difference is A&M is willing to give him a living salary for his efforts.  He's also finished a complete rewrite of a novel.  AND yes, he began classes yesterday and loves the classes to this point. I believe he is pursuing his second Masters in "International Affairs." He is looking to work in Foreign diplomacy and/or National Security.


Josiah (Gherkin 3) moved to the Seattle area. He's loving the change of weather and scenery which the state of Washington affords.

He does miss friends and brothers in Texas.

He's busy building a team of LEADERS (vs fast food servers), fielding questions and making a difference in the operation of a store with last month's 3rd largest sales in Chick Fil A. He's already seeing some low scores turn around. He's also had other operators call to chat with him about his leadership development system. We're proud of the steps he's taking.  We hope Chick Fil A will soon give him his own store - but nonetheless - he's learning good things and able to stretch in areas of leadership which excite him.

Arielle (Gherkin 6) moved to Oregon next. She's landed a job and a work study. She found a Japanese church she loves and she's conquering mountains.  Today is her first day of college classes at New Hope Christian College. She plans to major in Cross Cultural Ministry. The obstacles finally cleared and in God's perfect timing she and Krista (Gherkin 2) were able to move into a HOUSE to make a home. They've been busy settling in since the retirement - while we've been busy pulling up roots. ::Snort::

Arielle and Krista

Krista (Gherkin 2) deserves a post of her own, which I will write shortly. However, she's been accepted into a masters program at George Fox and will begin working towards a Masters in Education in January. She continues to work as a one on one aide in the Springfield school district and as a Children's Pastor at Lively Stone Fellowship.

Lindsay, Krista and Arielle

Meanwhile, Jared (Gherkin 5) has landed in D.C.  He's conquering the phone lines in Congressman Conaway's office and learning the ropes of his new position. ASU has given him permission to finish his last classes online and independently with a professor. This means he will not have to move back to TX for a final semester of college. He hopes to be able to find a job in DC and stay. We plan to be back in San Angelo for his graduation in May.  He's making the most out of his college years.

Jared in D.C. - lucky dog

 He has already been able to meet up with Arielle's best friends. This photo makes me miss all the families involved.

Miss these gals moms dearly!

As this is a post on moving Gherkins, I'll add our "first day of school" photo again - Nolan (Gherkin 7), Alex (Gherkin 8) and Stacia (Gherkin 9) are gearing up for a season of full timing in the Caboose - lots of transition and moving in their future too.

Nolan, Alex, Stacia

And Gherkin #1 - BreAnne? She and Izaak are settled into their darling apartment and are busy conquering new ministry and jobs. They haven't physically moved this summer - they're our anchor "Gherkins." Izaak works at New Hope Christian College and Bre serves as the Children's Pastor at Calvary Open Bible Church. They are expecting their first baby in April 2016.

Izaak and Bre

Eight of the nine Gherkins are moving around this season. It's a great season full of fodder for prayers.