We made the move from Montana to Wyoming on August 20. Packing and loading was hard. Late nights and backs breaking, blah. Moving stinks...I am not going to lie. Making the kids pack up their things in their rooms when they didn't want to move in the first place. Late night cries together because they were sad about leaving our home, friends, neighbors, school, branch, the beautiful area. I kept it together pretty well most the time, but the pain of seeing them having to go through this again was hard. I told them more than once I didn't know how they felt, but Christ did. He had experienced that first hand, what it felt like to be moving and always seem to be the new kid. He could help them. And He has. I held and cried with all of them at different times. Coverton one night was particularly upset and didn't want to move. We decided to pray together and after a while, he came into my room and said He felt the Holy Ghost and the warmth in his body and knew that Christ was helping and comforting him and that it would all be okay. It hasn't been easy, but with His grace, we have been lifted and helped and blessed on our move on down to Kemmerer.
We had some fun times our last week. Visits from friends, neighbors, branch members coming to say goodbye. Hugs at the grocery store. Sweet gifts from ones who have become like family. Last play dates with friends. Dinner being brought over. Friends bringing over totes and boxes. We were able to go to Rose Park pool in Billings with the Haugs and the Martins. We will miss fun and great friends like these. The kids were blessed with some amazingly good friends! Got to take the kids to the temple one more time and Katelyn, who recently started coming, for the first time. We had friends come help move us, even though we didn't ask. We had gifts of goodies and food which were so appreciated. We had a final snow cone party where we invited some friends over to say goodbye. Some of our neighbors joked their kids were going to be packed in a box and sent with us or they were going to move their homes right next to ours. Or some said they were going to barricade one of our kids in their homes so we couldn't leave. The kindness in this community of Columbus is hard to beat! It is a special place and it was painful leaving. Little Callie Haug across the street woke up at 5:45 to give us final hugs and wave goodbye from the porch. She was bawling but smiling and waving with her dad Blake. We will miss them and Joni, Caden and Mason. It was the sweetest little sendoff ever and something I will always remember. We all had a hard time pulling out. But I have to keep telling myself that God's way are higher than my ways (Isaiah 55:8) and to "trust in the Lord with all [my] heart and lean not unto my own understanding, in all [my] ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct [me] for good" (Proverbs 3:5-6).
At first, it seemed like nothing was working out, but then so many blessings and everything started falling into place! We were blessed to find a 3 bedroom rental that came furnished, which was great as we wanted to leave our home staged and ready to show as we still hadn't sold it yet. My parents and Mark & Mayela met us and helped unload and play with the kids. We unloaded, which didn't take long. We put all of our garage and storage stuff in a trailer we are renting and then the rest in our rental. Good to be in, phew! Our sweet neighbors, Mike & Laura brought over a couple of plates of cookies and we got to know them, they work in health care here too waiting for their remodeling projects on their house to be finished. Then we turned the truck in, and went to get some food at Artic Circle. The principal at the elementary and one of the counselors from the highschool both volunteered to show us the schools, as the kids would be starting Monday. Dave was just going to do a video chat call with us in the schools, but they said this would be way better, so that was nice! So we went there in the early evening and got a tour of the schools, tried out the kid's lockers and found their classes. They have got some great schools and programs, it is going to be good! We all crashed that night and slept well. Exhausting, not just physically but also emotionally!
We went to the Kemmerer 3rd Ward, and the kids couldn't fathom how large it was after being in tiny branches the past 5 years. They were shocked that kids at school go to the church, too. There are actually 3 large wards here, so it's weird for them. Dave tells them it's normal. We relaxed a bit, went for a drive, and unpacked and tidied up a bit too as our landlords told us they'd be over to see us. They have been great to work with.
As we've gone to the grocery store, parks, other places in the community, we've received a warm welcome. Everyone has been super friendly and kind. We are also loving seeing all the wildlife right out our front door - elks, antelope, birds of all sorts, river critters, we are back on the range. We are excited to get assimilated in the community and make Kemmerer our new home!
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