Moving Day

About a month ago we moved. With our little family set to expand in the fall, we decided we needed a slightly larger place to live. We were fortunate to find a two-bedroom apartment only a short distance away from our former one-bedroom dwellings. Even better, it is on the ground floor.

It has been quite a few years since I have moved anywhere. Although I thought I had the perfect moving plan worked out in my mind and although we hired professional movers, I was not prepared for how fatiguing the whole process turned out to be. But I have learned a few things which I plan to incorporate into our next moving plan—whenever that will be—preferably a few years off.

1) Tell everyone you know beforehand that you are moving and when. Also tell them that during the two weeks surrounding the move it will be difficult to answer emails or return phone calls. I only told those closest to me that I was moving and I never bothered to tell them when. The weeks surrounding our move happened to be very busy ones for me at church. But I knew I had to focus on the move and continually felt guilty that I was not answering questions posed in emails or left in voice messages. If I had told everyone in advance that I would be essentially unreachable for two weeks and advised them to contact someone else in my virtual absence I could have saved myself some stress. Those waiting for my answers probably would have felt less stressed also.

2) Pack a suitcase as though you are going on a weekend trip. This is something I learned from Colter. He packed one small suitcase of clothes and toiletries that he knew he would need the weekend of our move. He moved that suitcase himself in his car; so he knew exactly where it was when we got to the new residence. As a result, he had a supply of clean clothes ready to go for several days as well as all of his shaving and shower necessities. I, on the other hand, assumed we would be able to unpack everything much faster than what was truly possible. When Sunday morning came, I spent a frantic time tearing open boxes in vain to find a pair of shoes to wear to church. I finally settled for a pair of shoes with 3 inch heels that had been unpacked already. At six months pregnant, wearing 3 inch heels for three hours, two of them on my feet most of the time, was uncomfortable. (The next day we unpacked the pair of 1 ½ inch heels I had been searching for the day previous.)


3) Know that you will lose things during the move. Even though the two apartments were around the corner from each other; even though we went back and forth between the two apartments several times after the initial move to do a final sweep of the old apartment, we still managed to lose one fluted glass, our lemonade stirring stick, and a bottle of Resolve carpet cleaner. How they managed to disappear is a mystery; but they are definitely gone. I can only imagine that in a bigger move, more items will mysteriously disappear en route to their new destination.

Our new apartment is still slowly taking shape. We are having to be creative with how we store items. We still have to buy and assemble baby furniture. But in all we are grateful that we were able to find this place and look forward to welcoming our little baby home here come autumn.

Recessional

Written by Rudyard Kipling for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897. Quoted by Ezra Taft Benson in “Beware of Pride”.

God of our fathers, known of old—
Lord of our far-flung battle line—
Beneath whose awful hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine—
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!

The tumult and the shouting dies—
The Captains and the Kings depart—
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!

Far-called our navies melt away—
On dune and headland sinks the fire—
Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!
Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!

If, drunk with sight of power, we loose
Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe—
Such boastings as the Gentiles use,
Or lesser breeds without the Law—
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!

For heathen heart that puts her trust
In reeking tube and iron shard—
All valiant dust that builds on dust,
And guarding calls not Thee to guard.
For frantic boast and foolish word,
Thy Mercy on Thy People, Lord!
Amen.

Welcome to 2011

We hope everyone has had a safe and enjoyable holiday season. Christmas came and went too soon, but chaperoning the multi-stake youth dance let New Year’s Eve linger on and on. It was fun, and we were thankful we weren’t on the cleanup crew.

If you haven’t already, be sure to take some time soon to think about the person you want to be this time next year. It’s wonderful the way self-development comes to the front of our minds this time each year, though it’s worthy of more of our attention than we usually give it.

Don’t worry about the holiday cookies, candies, chocolates, baking, meals, and snacking. They’ll be gone before you know it, as will the pounds they probably brought.