Longest post ever

Overwhelmed.  That would be the word of the summer.  It has been 3 months of absolute crazy around here, but since school started again this last week we can put all that behind us and get back to "normal" - right?  I have way too much catching up to do, and the only way I can think to go about it is a day-by-day synopsis.  That will be boring.  I don't expect anyone to read it.  Sorry people, I'm doing this for me.  As overwhelming as this summer was, I still want to be able to look back and remember everything we went through. 

I already wrote about most of June.  The girls' last day of school was June 4th.  From the 4th through the 19th we had eye exams, dental exams, and physicals for all the girls (for their new school in Illinois), doctor's appointments for me, orthodontics appointments, a baby shower, goodbye parties, outprocessing for Ed, and lots and lots of moving prep.

June 20th Ed drove the girls to Branson to meet up for the weekend with Grandma and Bonka.  They spent a couple days at Silver Dollar City (while I scrubbed the kitchen and rented movies no one else wanted to see and ate Chinese food all by myself - it was heavenly and so lonely at the same time).

June 23rd - Ed left the older girls with Grandma and Bonka and brought Kassie back to me.  We got spicy Indian food - not the best choice the night before you have a baby.  I spent the evening completely terrified for my induction the next morning.

June 24th -

This miracle happened.  Grateful every day for this little Blessing.

 

June 25th - home from the hospital.

 

June 27th - Grandma and Bonka bring the older girls back from Branson.  Everyone meets Karoline.

June 29th - Pack our suitcases and put girls in the TLF (hotel) with Grandma and Bonka.  We spend our last night in our house.

June 30th - Packers

Karoline took it all in stride.

 

July 1st - More packing.  Grandma and I had the girls at the TLF while Ed and Bonka were at the house.  The power went out at the TLF at 10:30 and didn't come back on until 7:30...it was a long day.  So glad Grandma was there to entertain bored little ones.  They did awesome.

 

July 2nd - Movers.  It was excessively hot, and then right at the end a major storm rolled through.

You can't tell, but it was pouring buckets and the lightening was fierce.  Our movers were pretty good and got everything into the truck before it got wet.  And just like that the storm was done.

 

July 3rd - Ed and some ladies from the ward finished up the cleaning in the house, then he turned the keys over to the renters.  Goodbye to our lovely home.

 July 4th -

 

July 5th - we took a little drive to Petit Jean.  I kind of forgot that I had just had a baby.  No hiking, and that baby HATED her carseat.  Add in a gigantic tantrum from my favorite 7-year-old, and the outing turned out pretty miserable.  But I was determined to get to Petit Jean before we left Arkansas, and get there we did!

 

July 6th - Karoline's first time to church.

July 8th - Pool party with the Brown's

July 12th - Going on week 2 of living in a hotel, we needed to get out again.  We headed to Little Rock to see The Old Mill.  You may recognize it from a scene in Gone With the Wind.  Beautiful place.

Afterwards we got on the freeway going the wrong way, so we found another interesting sight.

If you don't know why Central High is significant, google the Little Rock Nine.  We went through the museum and had a good chat with our girls about being brave and standing up for what's right even when others don't.

 

We ended our fabulous outing with lunch at a really yummy burger place that I am currently craving.

 

July 16th - The time finally came to leave Arkansas.  We drove to O'Fallon, Illinois and picked up the keys to our new house.  Took a little tour of the house, then found a hotel since we had no beds.  Ate at Steak-n-Shake.  Grandma and Grandpa Law met us at the hotel after driving up from Houston where they were visiting my brother.

 

July 17th - the movers were scheduled to bring us our stuff.  After several hours and a couple phone calls it is evident we are not getting our things that day.  We played in the hotel pool, then headed to Walmart to pick up a couple cots and sleeping bags.  The girls discover a creek in our backyard with my mom.  Kassie is stung by a bee.  We slept on the floor in our empty house.

 

July 18th - still no movers.

 We eat BBQ for lunch.  Kassie can't leave Grandpa alone.

We say goodbye to my parents, then sleep on the floor again.

 

July 19th - Movers come, then immediately leave again.  There was another shipment blocking ours.  Hours later they come back and unload our stuff.  The A/C in our house breaks.  We learn we have an attic fan and quickly try to figure out how to use it.  Lots and lots of unpacking.

 

July 20th - Sacrament meeting in our new ward.  People are extremely welcoming and friendly.  We change clothes, then drive back to Little Rock because...

 

July 21st - Ed has his final outprocess.

This is the face of a man who has just officially separated from active duty Air Force.

 

I also had a doctor's appointment, picked up a prescription, and took care of an outstanding bill.  Then we ate at Cotham's.

photo courtesy of Arthur May

It's a little terrifying to eat in a place that looks and feels like it's about to sink into the bayou, but the food is incredible.

 

Then we picked up the boat and drove back to Illinois.

 

July 22nd - Ed's first day as a civilian.  Paperwork is slow moving and he isn't "gained" by his new reserve unit.  He's frustrated and doesn't like the feeling of being unemployed and underinsured.  The internet is installed in our house.  We unpack.  A lot.  One girl patiently waits for the evening where we finally get to celebrate something special...

Keira is 10!  She requested breakfast for dinner, then made her own cake and decorated it.

Kassie helped place the candles...no rhyme or reason.

Duct tape and new scissors makes for a happy Keira.

 

July 23rd - Ed is still not gained by his unit.  We unpack some more.

 

July 24th - Ed is still not gained.  The A/C is finally fixed.  We get fed up with unpacking and paperwork and (not) settling in and decide to leave it all behind.  We pack suitcases again.

 

July 25th - We register Keira and Krista for their new elementary school, then begin to drive.  Many potty stops, food stops, gas stops, and rearranging of seats later we end up in Laramie, Wyoming.  We tried to stop in Cheyenne, but we happened to get there on the first day of a huge 10-day rodeo.  Every hotel was full.  Every hotel in Laramie was full as well, but we lucked out (????) on the last room at the Motel 6.  Only cost $100 for 5 hours of sleep.  Ridiculous.

 

July 26th - Driving, driving, driving again.  I'm wedged in between 2 carseats to keep Karoline happy.  Significant fighting over the 1 DVD player we have that was on it's last legs.  We finally arrive at our destination - my parents' house in Idaho.

 

July 27th - Since we left our Arkansas ward, and didn't really know our new Illinois ward yet, we decided to bless Karoline in my parents' ward.

My sister Amy came to town to see us, so Kassie got lots of playtime with Annie (and tortured poor Carson).

 Great-Grandma Law - I love everything about this picture.

It was so nice to share this with family.  Thanks everyone who came!

 

July 29th - 31st - Playing at the Laws.  Swimming, meeting Cynthia at the park, lunch with Grandpa, riding Lisa's horse, Lucky Peak.  General family fun.

August 1st - Head to Boise, have a waterfight with Bonka.

Then the girls and Jaron made cookies (just kidding, Grandma made them, they just assembled them) for the Belnap reunion.

August 2nd - 3rd - Back in the car for another drive, this time to Pocatello for the 2014 Belnap Reunion!  Saturday was spent at Steadman's - complete with homemade waterslides, zip line, and candy cannon.

Sunday was testimony meeting.  Blue shirts 6 and 6A and green shirts 14, 23, 31, 46, 58, and the current youngest green shirt #66 (it won't last long, #67 is due in a couple weeks).

We were so grateful to be able to attend this for the 2nd year in a row!  After a yummy lunch we drove back to Boise.

 

August 4th and 5th - more time with the Andersons.  Grandma took the girls to the mall, we swam at Aunt Mary's, stopped at the cemetery (and got chased away by the sprinklers and the geese), went to the zoo for Keira's birthday, had a little date for our anniversary, and finished up with dinner at Barbacoa.

Barbacoa was weird, expensive, and very, very, yummy.

August 6th - Back in the car again.  Boise to Salt Lake.  The girls couldn't remember Temple Square, so we had to remedy the situation.  We parked in front of Grandma Jo's old condo and started walking.  First up, the top of the Church Office Building, then over to the Conference Center for an organ recital.

That night we stayed at Amy's home.  They fed us dinner, gave us their comfortable guest room, tried to entice us to visit Ikea, then sent us off the next morning with yummy muffins.

August 7th - A million more hours in the car.  Riverton, UT to Junction City, KS.  At Rock Springs, about 3 hours into our drive, we stop for gas and Ed can't find his wallet.  We tear apart the car while trying to get ahold of Amy.  When she calls back she hasn't seen it either.  We tear apart the car some more, swear a little, then remember Ed had taken a little nap in Amy's big chair...it ate his wallet.  Sweet Amy overnights the wallet and we continue on, grateful that I have a credit card too.  That night we crash at Nancy's.  Violet visits in the middle of the night. :)  Karoline sleeps through the night.

August 8th - Nancy makes apple pie muffins - yum!  We get in the car for the final leg home.  Our GPS is old and can't figure out where we are and we end up in East St. Louis - scary, scary place.  Finally "home."  Ed learns he still hasn't been gained by the unit.

August 11th - 12th - School registration, orientations, and open houses.  We go school shopping at Walmart with all the other procrastinators.  It's a complete madhouse - never, ever again.  I get overwhelmed (there's that word again) at Kimberlee's Jr. High orientation and briefly consider pulling them all out and homeschooling to avoid it all.

August 13th - First day of school!

Kimberlee in 7th

Keira in 5th

Krista in 2nd

And lucky Kassie and Karoline get to stay home with me.

And just like that our summer was over.  Phew!  A couple more days of stress, and Ed and was finally gained by his unit August 19th.  Bring on structure and schedules and productivity again.  Bring on the "normal!"