10 Days and Counting

God worked it out on Monday!  Well, part of it came in...John is authorized to go, and take all of our belongings.  The kids and I are still waiting for the OK for us to go along, though we should hear in a day or so.  Now that the movers are coming, I'm completely fine with having to wait for the final step to come through.  It was the stress of knowing the end of the lease date was drawing closer and still not knowing if we'd have the movers to pack up and take away our stuff that was the hardest part.  I knew that if we needed to, we could totally do it ourselves, but the waiting to find out was killing me!

The movers are coming on the 20th-21st, which is perfect!  That's really what I was hoping for, without even realizing that's what I wanted, and God knew what was best.  This way the house might be fully cleaned before we go to the Oath Ceremony in Pensacola on the 23rd!  If that is the case, we might just leave for AK straight from there.

I truly wanted to have the citizenship issue out of the way before we headed north, and wow, if this isn't an answer to prayer, I don't know what is!  I really wonder when I look at my life, why I doubt that God has it under control.  I do know He does, but I always seem to take back control, instead of leaving it all in His hands.  He's always worked the timing out perfectly and my worrying and stressing has never changed the speed in which His plan is carried out.  With all the moving we've done over the years, you'd think I'd have learned the trust lesson several relocations ago, and yet here I was again questioning, "Why?  What is Your plan?  Why does it feel like you're letting us sit here for no apparent reason???".

I'm getting excited to move.  We've been looking at houses up there and with winter coming the prices on some of our favorites are dropping (thank you God for Your timing...lol), and its exciting to think of moving into a new place and learning about the area.  I don't relish the 9-10 day drive, but just think of all the quality family time we'll have, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. 

Our new 2012 Ford Escape 4x4...LOVE IT!

Monday night it hit me that in less than 2 weeks we would be leaving here and heading into the Great COLD North (Monday's high was 65, and by next week the highs are in the mid-40's).  I was about to brush my teeth and had to put the toothbrush down and take a seat on the bed.  It felt so overwhelming how quickly it all came up....less than 12 hours earlier we didn't have an inkling of the timeline and then all of a sudden it was 12 days away! John looked at me like I was growing 2 heads or something and mentioned that he thought I perhaps needed some mental evaluation.  He's so even-keeled and uber-optomistic about everything that he doesn't worry about the small stuff.  He knows it will all work out  and he forgets that I'm the worrier.  Oh, to be more like my mellow hubby!

Anyway, now starts the final move prep.  Figuring out what we'll be able to fit into the luggage and trunk, what kinds of things to take in the car so the kids will be entertained, (thankfully they both have iPods).  We are already planning on purchasing a roof top carrier, with having to pack both warm weather clothes and winter type clothing, we just wouldn't have room in our vehicle.  

Eliminating JUNK!  We've already donated a trike, bicycle and electric ride on bike that the kids have outgrown, plus a garbage bag of clothes that no longer fit and a very old computer.  There is so much stuff that accumulates, I wonder how it sneaks into the house!  I've already filled the garbage can and recycling bin with junk.  Its really refreshing to see how organized a room can look when stuff that should have been in the garbage finally ends up there (and I'm talking shredded old bills and old Sunday School coloring sheets, that kind of thing, not smelly garbage)!  I think God has us move every couple of years just so I don't end up being one of those clutter bugs.  I know I'd never get so bad as to be on the show, Hoarders, but if we lived in one place for more than 3 years I think that I'd have to hold the Grand Daddy of all Yard Sales every 5 years!