OH!!! my aching back...THE BOXES!!!

One jammed box.

I am a maximizer.  I know that.  I have been a maximizer all my life and will die a maximizer.  What is a maximizer you say????

My friend [and also my Mission President's wife] Brenda worked for Gallup when she lived in Omaha and needed to learn how to administer the 'Strength's-finder' test for her position.  That test is very interesting.  About 100 random questions pop on the screen and the one taking the test answers with his/her first response.  The answers are analyzed and the results will tell a prospective employer the areas of strength and weakness of a job candidate.  Wweeeelllllll...she needed to learn how to administer this test and all of her friends became guinea pigs.  It was really very fascinating to me how our random answers gave a really accurate and true picture of our strengths [talents] and weaknesses [the junk we can't do well.]  Hence...I AM A MAXIMIZER!!   I always do three times more than needed when asked to do something...I buy eight times more than any one human needs, I use 18 visual aides when teaching a Sunday School Class and overwhelm the poor little kids, cook 7 times more food than we will ever consume, etc.  You get the picture.  When contemplating our upcoming move to the Philippines, I tried to think of everything I might need.  Most of this stuff I had in my home and why should I throw it away, right?  So, the month of May was spent with me shipping paper boxes, Zija boxes, book cartons, etc. to Kathie in California.  The FedEx man is coming for Thanksgiving next year and bringing the pecan pie!!!

There is a company called LBC who will ship boxes to the Philippines for a very reasonable cost so I spent yesterday and today shopping, unpacking the little boxes and repacking into LBC boxes in preparation for shipment.  They travel by boat and will take between 30-40 days to arrive but the timing will be fine for me.  So far I have packed 5 and will take two to the office tomorrow and exchange for two more empty ones.  When I emailed Brenda [who knows me WAY too well] and told her I would be shipping probably 6 boxes, I could almost hear her hooting from here!!!  Each of these boxes probably weigh 50-75 pounds and will need either a hand truck or two strong AP's to unload when they arrive.  My theory---why throw away perfectly good Raspberry Chipolte Sauce when there is a possibility I might use it in the next two years...

Who is having more fun???

Tonight I soaked in the hot tub and will go to bed with a muscle relaxant and sleep like a baby...my man is here and the stuff is almost packed!  What a day!!!

WE ARE THE KNIGHTS AND WE COULDN'T BE PROUDER.....

Linda, me, Marge, Pat and Becky

High school is such a confusing time.  My experience was fine but my memories are not as positive as some you see in the movies.  I was in all the musical activities, the plays, I sang with the school dance band, but never went to a dance, a prom, didn't date and felt, as I am sure many of my friends did [but heaven forbid we voice our feelings], isolated.  This summer my alma mater is having it's 45th class reunion in July.  One of my good friends from high school has 'found' me and we reconnected this past spring.  She is still in Lincoln and has her pulse on the wherabouts of the members of our class.  For some unknown reason, she has been in charge of the reunions and when she found out we were leaving before July and I wouldn't be attending this year's festivities, she arranged a little mini get-together for a few of my girl friends.   Last Tuesday we met at Grisanti's in Lincoln and had such a fun evening.  Thanks, Pat!  I will be there for the 50th!!!

As the end draws near...

Leaving a home has always been a traumatic thing for me. I love my homes. They become a reflection of me and my personality. This home in Omaha has been one of the favorite homes we have ever had-I remember my first morning in this home in 2003, waking up in my then new bedroom, stretching and saying aloud, 'good morning house! we are going to have a great friendship' and that we did. All of my children, in-law children and grandchildren except 7 were in that house. Babies visited, rambunctious boys ran up and down the stairs and laughter was heard echoing through the halls. I love to entertain and many showers, farewells, dinner parties, open houses, and such were enjoyed within these walls. The memories are many but it all needs to come to an end for us to accomplish our new goals.

The 'Davids'

What a fine looking crew!

Randy and I have moved twelve times in our marriage but only once before have we had to do it ourselves. Lucky people have movers to accomplish this task but luckier ones have friends and support systems...we are the luckier ones! Moving day was physically hard for this old couple but more emotionally hard for this old lady. I knew it would be tough but never expected the emotions that surfaced for me. I am just glad it is over....well almost.

Elder and Sister Mangum

After the packing was done, the cleaning began and only with the help of some dear and loyal friends-Elder and Sister Mangum came, Karen Bourne came, Cathy Wilkinson came, Cherlyn Call came, Ashley Sansom came, and THEY worked and worked. How grateful I am for those angels!

The final task was one of the hardest for me-a few years ago when Seth was almost 3, his family came to visit and he left me a 'present'...a WikkiStick picture of himself on the back of my front door. I couldn't bring myself to take it off and after the packing was done, the loading accomplished, the cleaning finished I knew it had to be done...




Today will be the official end-a U-Haul currently sits outside of our youngest son's home and this afternoon, will be unloaded with the things he is keeping, then driven 20 miles south to finish the unloading of the things our oldest daughter will be keeping THEN returned to the rental place. For the first time in our 43 years of marriage we are homeless!

Two of my three exhausted boys!!!

Aren't families great??? I know now why we have kids-when we need them, they are the ones who rally to the cause. Our three sons [cue the song] with the support of their great families gave up a week of their lives to assist us in this job. Chip and Rob flew in from Utah and Todd drove up from Kansas (twice! but that is another story) and we all crashed at 'The Resort' aka the home of wonderful friends, Warren and Claudia. These three boys [I guess they are really men now but they will always be MY boys] have not been together as adults without their wives or children since they were all kids and they really had fun. AND DID THEY WORK!!!

Bottom line...we are now in Utah, staying with our dear friend Kayleen, trying to regroup. Monday will be another adventure...stay tuned.

The Waiting Game is Over!!!

March 31st was my granddaughter's birthday and when I called her that morning to sing her our traditional birthday greeting, I told her our mission call would arrive that day and what a red letter day it would be-her 17th and our destiny for the next two years. Everyone in Omaha assured me that 'the calls ALWAYS arrive in Omaha on Thursdays' so I rescheduled my entire day to wait...I even had Vicky and her kids across the street hawking for me. Imagine my disappointment when he came, delivered and our box did not contain the traditional large white envelope.

Friday arrived and it was April Fool's Day...what a cruel joke if he came empty-handed again so I was determined to not miss the moment the white truck pulled around the corner. I took my journal, sat up the camping chair on the driveway and enjoyed the first warm day after a horrendous winter...I watched and I watched, I wrote my feelings about this important day in my journal and FINALLY.................

I heard the truck...tentatively [trying to act calm] I got out of my chair and walked across the street to the mailbox cluster located closest to us-we actually walk to the other end of the block for OUR mail but if I talk nice, he might give me my mail early...

Impatient future missionary: Hi~how are you???
Mailman: [looking a little puzzled] Fine...
Me: Could I pick up 5808's mail please?
Mailman: Sure..hang on a minute..[finishes placing mail SLOWLY in pigeon holes]
Me: A beautiful day, isn't it? We sure deserve this after our record-setting winter..

Now he is probably wondering what contest he won to have me in his armpit!!

Mailman: [handing me my bundle of mail, all normal sized envelopes and plunder (my grandfather's name for trash mail)] Here you go..
Me: Is that all? [crushed face most likely]
Mailman: Oh wait...I think I have a pkg for you.

Now, I thought my 'call' would arrive in an envelope, not a package but who was I to question?

THEN I SPOTTED IT!!!!!!!!!!! [cue the music] THE AWAITED ENVELOPE!!!

I lovingly cradled it in my arms like a newborn baby and walked quite briskly across the street, all the time thinking, 'this is it!' 'it is finally here!' 'I can't wait' 'I must call Randy'..

and to my dismay..........HE DIDN'T ANSWER THE PHONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What to do? Should I just open it and pretend when I finally contacted him that I was finding out along with him? He wouldn't mind...he would never know...GET THEE BEHIND ME SATAN!!!!!

I will try again and he answered!

Now a small bit of background-we had wanted to go serve in the Cauayan City Mission but had received information in the two weeks previous that we probably would be going elsewhere-Russia, South Africa, Finland, Taiwan...

Imagine my surprise when I opened it and found out we WERE going to Cauayan!! I think I screamed, I know I cried and afterwards, I prayed my eternal thanks to a Father in Heaven who heard my plea's and once again, answered my prayers...

This begins our adventure and I hope you will enjoy following our comings and goings as we serve our loving Heavenly Father until July of 2013 in the greatest mission in the world!!!


P.S...my replacement passport also arrived that same day but really took a backseat...so much so that I forgot to sign it before mailing it to the Mission Training Center. They had to return it for a signature for it to be legal..haha!