Adjusting

What an amazing experience we have had over this past week. We are extremely grateful right now for all of the help and love that have been given to us. We had amazing friends help us pack and clean. We had over 15 people come and help pack up the truck. We had a crazy few days getting everything packed up and cleaned, but through the help of our amazing friends, we did it and got out on time. Thank you Bozeman!

We made it through the thick and thin of the cold and the storms to our new house. We left Friday morning and drove most of the day through fog, snow, ice, and white-out conditions. It wasn't icy, but it was really hard to see. I drove with the kids in the van with my non-stop talker while Brent drove the 26-foot U-Haul with a trailer and car on the back. It was a long, slow day and we only made it to Casper, Wyoming. We were hoping to make it all of the way, but the kids were very tired. So, we stayed in a motel and got up early to finish our drive. We made it to Greeley at 12:30 and we had the elder's quorum arrive to help us move in at 1:00. We had over 15 people come to help and we had the entire truck unpacked in an hour. It was truly amazing to watch and we had a great welcome into our new ward. The amazing thing about it is that one of the men in the presidency said that they normally just have the three men in the presidency show up, so they were amazed that so many had come.

Grandpa and Grandma Powell were here for a day to help entertain the kids and get things set up for us. The kids and grandparents were both thrilled to play with each other while Mom and Dad worked like mad to get beds set up and things put together. We celebrated Jacob's birthday on Saturday evening with Grandpa and Grandma Powell and we even got our Christmas tree set up. We had a really fun first evening in our new home.

Our first week in Greeley, Colorado has been very productive and... interesting. First of all, we didn't receive mail keys from the landlords and they had no idea what to do about it. I called the post office and they said that if we didn't receive the keys from the previous tenant than we would have to pay $30 for a lock change on our mail box. Unfortunately they only do the changes on Tuesdays and Thursdays and they're not doing it again until NEXT Tuesday. At least I can go to the post office to pick up our mail that way.

We got the washer and dryer all set up on Sunday evening so that I could start laundry on Monday morning. So, Monday morning comes and I go downstairs and start the first load. The water is running and I'm putting in the clothes. Next thing I know, my feet are getting wet and water is POURING out from underneath the washer. Hannah and I grabbed lots of towels and got everything soaked up. When Brent got home from work on Monday evening, we tipped up the washer and he looked underneath and found a huge crack in the outside container of the washer that holds the drum. The only thing that we can figure is that there was water left in it when the washer was put on the truck and then it froze in the two nights of being on the truck and cracked the tub. Well, I called a couple of repair places Tuesday morning and discovered that a repair like this would cost upwards of $350! Ya... seriously! The washer is only 3 1/2 years old and hasn't given us any troubles. This was my very first washing machine, so it was a little hard for me to admit that we needed to get a new one. I had a good cry, said my goodbyes, and we went to Sears last night and bought a new washer for the same price it would cost to fix our old one. We got the washer home last night and set it up and started up a load right then and there. Mostly because Hannah had been crying all day about having to wear Sunday socks and it wasn't Sunday.

It's all new and it's very hard, but we're excited to be here. Brent has had three days at his new job and he's thrilled with how they are treating him and with his co-workers, with the benefits, and with the job in general. It's going to be a fun and challenging position with lots of growth and potential. We are very sad to leave our friends in Bozeman. Hannah keeps asking if we can go back to our "white house" and if she can go to preschool and if she can to see her friends. It's heart-breaking for a mother to try to explain to her three-year-old that we have to make new friends and that we won't see our old friends for a long time. It's also an adjustment for me to go from three part-time jobs to just being at home. I absolutely love being home, but I have to start all over again finding things to do and places to go. We just need to give it some time and get into the groove of things, and hopefully we'll love it here as much as we did in Bozeman.

I'm using Brent's laptop to do this post and give you all an update. My computer is not set up yet, but as soon as it is we'll get pictures up of Jacob's birthday, our new house, and of Christmas. We love and miss you all. We sincerely wish you a Merry Christmas! May Santa Claus visit you and yours tonight!