In transition but now semi-stationary

What a difference a week makes!

A week ago today the movers had just started and packing up our home was in full swing. Jon had over an hour commute (both ways) to work and my wonderful mother-in-law was doing all the hard work at our house. :) Today, we are a family of four adjusting to living in a one-bedroom hotel room on a beautiful army post with Daddy working only five minutes away. A couple interesting points to hit about the last week:

--It took the packers just two days to pack and load. We thought it would take three, so that's a praise!
--Thank you SO much to Dawn, Wendy and Rebecca for watching Kate while so much was underway at home.
--Praise the Lord our home closing yesterday went very smoothly. We are officially homeless. :)
--In order to keep from being too emotional at our last night in our house, the neighbor's car alarm started going off at ll:30 pm and kept at it intermittently until after we went to church the next morning. That was lovely. Amazingly enough, it didn't wake Kate up.
--Kate has gone from home to Chicago, to being in a wedding, back home, to friends' homes, back to an empty house, to strange places via long car rides, to sleeping in her pack and play in our hotel living room. We've discovered her way of dealing with stress is to not eat (literally at all) and then throw up. (Sorry again, Dad M!) She's back to eating again and we are never without rice cakes or peach stars. We found not having enough of those two items can send her off the edge. She also has a new mantra--"Mommy hold you"--meaning she wants mom to carry her/hold her. THis was rather disconcerting when we had to drive over an hour up to the house closing and she was told she couldn't get out of her car seat to be held. I could reach back and hold her ankle/leg, so we did that much of the drive. Now in the car she knows to ask for "mommy hold yegg (leg)." Today is the first day we haven't had to go anywhere, so we're just hanging out and letting Kate go at her own pace. She seems to be slowly getting back to her normal self and we are so proud of all she has endured since July started!
--Ellie has been wonderful and adjustable and so sweet through it all. Just one smile from her makes so much stress melt away. I'll try to post pictures soon.

So that's the update for now. We're really learning that home is where we are as a family and we're so thankful to be settled now, at least until the latter half of August, when the treck across the country begins. Thanks to all for your prayers for us during this time of transition!

P.S. Happy 7th anniversary to my WONDERFUL husband!! You make life a joy each day and I can't thank the Lord enough for blessing me with you. Each day is an adventure (particularly this month) and I am excited to move forward together and see what the Lord continues to bring our way. What a great team we make! I love you!

In Transition

THe beautiful bride and her groom.



Mr and MRs Nielsen awaiting their entrance into the reception. OH, by the way, did I mention Beth designed and made her own dress and veil? It was gorgeous.


Posing after the ceremony at Montrose Beach. What an awesome view!


We just arrived back from Beth (my sister) and Evan's wedding. It was fabulous! She was beautiful! Evan looked awesome. THe smallest flowergirl did her part beautifully, thanks to a never-tiring Gram who helped out a ton. (And Pops!) Unfortunately, all my wedding pictures are on the hard drive that is now on it's way to California. The few here are ones Jon took, so at least you can see how beautiful the bride was!

WE arrived back from Chicago and the wedding on MOnday, worked until midnight, then the packers arrived at 10 am on Tuesday. They packed and loaded Tues and Weds and are finished! All our stuff is gone. We are looking forward to seeing it again in California. So we are living in an almost-empty house until Sunday, when we'll move to Ft. Belvoir while JOn takes a class. We close on our house MOnday! PRaise the Lord things have gone smoothly and we are at this point in the transition period.

Until the next post....:)