Good-bye, Yakima!

Well, there were times we thought it would never come, but here we are. The typical NW rain is coming down outside, and we're on the farm in Salem. We drove out of Yakima on Sunday, only an hour later than we planned. The crates are packed and in the care of dear friends who will take responsibility for loading them on a truck down to Texas where they'll wait until we have Malawian work permits. We managed to fit almost everything in, though we later discovered a couple things we forgot about (the kids' time-out bench...maybe baby Isaac will be angelic and not need one!? the air mattress for camping trips...I guess we'll just have to really rough it!). And the vacuum cleaner had to stay, but all in all it was a success. There are a couple lessons we learned that we thought we'd pass on, just in case you ever find yourself packing crates!

• Diapers make GREAT padding and stuffing items. Buy at least one bag of the more expensive Huggies or Pampers...everything smells baby-powder fresh! 
• Pack crates near a grocery store. It's amazing how many boxes of jello, brownie mixes, and rolls of toilet paper can fit in around boxes and inside the recliners!
• Do all you can to avoid packing crates 8-months pregnant...the squatting, bending and lifting were quite challenging, and though I half-hoped for early labor, I only ended up with swollen ankles.
• Accept help! Chad's dad Larry blessed us beyond what we can express by coming out from Virginia to help pack. Mike Gill graciously let us use his pick-up truck for as long as we needed. Sam Myers provided a fork-lift, a banding gun, and the space to let the crates sit until the truck comes for them. Thanks, guys!
• Don't be too attached to anything packed inside the crate or piled up waiting to be fit in. As Chad and Larry used a tire jack up against the wall of the storage unit to force the crate closed, we realized that getting everything packed still makes no guarantee that anything will arrive in the same condition it once was in. And some things had to be left behind. Oh well. They say if you don't use something in a year you should get rid of it anyway, and we won't see these crates again for 9-12 months. Hmmmmm.

Well, for what it's worth, that's what we learned. And now we're sitting back, relaxing a little more than we could before (though it's amazing how many boxes and tubs and suitcases followed us down here. It's like they're chasing us!!!!) We just have to enjoy family, enjoy the holidays, and birth this baby. No biggie! We'll keep you posted on how it all goes.