January 11, 2005 was a momentous day for our family. That was the day that we got in the already-loaded van and truck in Lincoln, Nebraska, and said good-bye to the 13 inches of snow on the ground and the sub-zero temperatures, and headed towards a new life in Arizona!
This was not a decision that was made lightly. We were all so tired of the bitter cold, and my migraines, because of weather systems, were debilitating. We had made several trips to Arizona in 2004 and loved the dry air and warm temps. It was an exciting adventure!
But several things had to happen before we could move.........
We celebrated Christmas!
Courtney got her braces off!
What a beautiful smile!
Rachel had her violin recital.......
The homeschool choir had their Christmas concert.......
We had spent the month of December packing and organizing.
We had only moved locally before, but this time every little thing had to go!
We had a good number of friends that helped us load the ABF truck several days before we left.
Joe, the master engineer, had everything measured, labeled, and mapped out so that there
was not an inch to spare in the truck!
Good friends we still stay in touch with!
Little David - five years old!
So after the truck took off, we said good-bye to frozen Nebraska, and with great excitement headed straight south. The weather was horrible all the way through Kansas, and I remember Joe talking to my dad in Florida who was watching the radar and giving us updates on the snow and ice storm.
Ha Ha - that was before smart phones for sure!
Ha Ha - that was before smart phones for sure!
(the ABF truck is still here in this picture obviously!)
Jonathan, and Buffy the dog, rode with Joe in the truck, and I had both girls and
David with me in the van. David threw up before we had even left......
how do you find clean clothes when everything is packed and who knows where?
So David traveled to Arizona in Rachel's pink sweat pants that were much too big!
Here we are in New Mexico buying a bag of dried chilies that I think
lasted us for about six years!!!
I guess Courtney had the bag of chilies over her head for the rest of the trip!
We arrived in sunny - and oh, so warm - Arizona without mishap, just in time
to celebrate Courtney's 14th birthday. Presents and ingredients for a special birthday
meal were packed in the van so we were prepared for her big day.
The ABF truck had arrived a day after we did, and we had some new friends that so
graciously helped us unload.
Even Buffy, the dog, loved soaking up the warm Arizona sun!
So that's a quick recap of our big move to Arizona!
It's been a good ten years with lots of ups and downs along the way.
We miss some of our really great friends from Nebraska, but what a blessing to
meet so many wonderful new people here! We love the beautiful weather and yes,
my headaches are much improved!
We moved to the farm (which was a whole new adventure in itself!) and added
Isaac and Joshua to the family!
Wow! It's been quite a ride for sure!
Wow! It's been quite a ride for sure!
Happy Ten Year Anniversary, My Dear Family!
