Yesterday was crazy and chaotic and hurried..... amidst all this, God's timing is amazing! His grace is sufficient. His wisdom is timeless and never changing. Moving is just temporary and thank the Lord it does not last forever! We lived in a one bedroom house since September and are looking forward to living in more space....
#1 Tip: Keep your little ones busy moving cans, putting toys in boxes, anything! Even if they half fill 3 boxes it's better than letting them run wild and get into trouble pulling electrical cords, grabbing phones, putting a sock in the toilet, and the older children pulling it out with your best salad tongs, writing with your permanent marker on the wall, etc. Yes, all those things happened.
#2 Tip: Pray a lot all day and don't forget to drink water and put your feet up occasionally. Really, the house won't fall down, and boxes won't be packed or hauled any less quicker. Is that proper English?
#3 Tip: Splurge on paper plates and bowls. We don't have a dishwasher and this is a must during times of moving.
#4 Tip: Don't forget God is in control and will bring His helping hands along in the form of people: His hands and feet here on earth!
A friend arrived at just the moment we were trying to figure out how to get the frozen hydraulics on the trailer working so that we could "unstick" our trailer from months of sitting in snow and ice. My son, who recently got his driver's permit, (which will be a completely different blog post for another day) was going to attempt to back up the pickup truck to the trailer and get it attached. You might wonder why I didn't volunteer myself..... having never learned proper backing up skills and having proved it by backing into a birch planter yesterday at the new house, decided I'd pass. So anyhow, our friend helped "unstick" the trailer and got it hooked up and pulled out. Then the older kids began filling it up with boxes and small furniture.
#5 Tip: Little ones make great Door Men and Women! They find this job important. Rotate them around so they can have turns and don't get to cold.
#6 Tip: Ignore all the carpet fuzz, dirt and weird things you find in the recesses of your cupboards. Now isn't the time to clean, just stay focused on filling and moving boxes. Cleaning comes later. Don't ask why there is ice and dirt inside of the boxes you unpack at the other end... it just is and it will dry. Your fingers will also thaw after unpacking all the frozen dishes and pots and pans.
#7 Tip: When you're not sure what to feed your family of 8 or so for dinner and you already did a crockpot the day before and packed it into the new house, think sandwiches as back up, or a cooked chicken from the deli.
A wonderful friend from church showed up with an oven casserole, salad, and fresh fruit! What a surprise and delight. She'd offered earlier in the week and then we didn't have phone numbers so wasn't sure what was going to happen. Well, it happened and in God's perfect timing again, as we were getting ready to head to the grocery store for dinner things and up to the new house. I didn't have to take the trip to the store, and instead was able to measure and cut carpet to fit one of the rooms. Yes, one of the few things I can still do while pregnant, praise God, I have some usefulness, ha ha!
And.... for those of you that like to spot God's love in detail....I had wanted to make this taco casserole recipe that I had got off my new favorite blog, Pilgrims and Strangers On Earth
(you must visit this site, it is so inspiring, practical, and beautiful). I hadn't carved away time yet and guess what the dinner was that this lady and her children brought? Yes, taco casserole! God cares.
#8 Tip: Resist the urge to stay up to late and get up to early. Everyone needs a good nights sleep and will function better and be happier.
#9 Tip: When your dog runs down the driveway and up the road, chasing down a schoolboy, take a deep breath, stay calm and keep calling the dog back. Pray that your neighbors will be understanding... hope for the best and lock your dog in the house until you secure the perimeter with wire.
#10 Tip: When the phone man comes and the dog tries to attack his vehicle, stay calm and repeat the above procedure... if you begin to have flashbacks of the time you tried to shoot your neighbors Rottweiler when it threatened you, push them out of your memory and blog about that another day!
And to sum everything up, your house doesn't have to look like a model for any magazine or blog for that matter, it just needs to function and be a positive experience for everyone, even the littlest.... let them help and try to smile when you can't find anything at the other end expect for a jar of store bought applesauce and grapefruit juice and just be thankful.
Oh! One more thing, you'll have to seek forgiveness from your wonderful family from turning army sergeant (nothing against that particular job, it's just the home isn't the right place) and barking orders instead of being the gentle yet firm Mother you ought to be. They'll forgive you, they understand, and tomorrow is a new day!
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