Good Friday Moving Day

      Even though it was pouring down rain, it was a good day because we were finally moving out to the farm and we had plenty of family and friends to help us.  Britney took all these photos to help us document the big day.

       It was a bit hectic moving things from the house to the van.  It took some time getting everything into the moving van so we could do it in one load.  But we did it !!!, thanks to Dan Hanson who has experience as a mover. 
      Notice the rain....with the van right up to the garage, stuff didn’t get wet going in.  But unloading was a different story, because we had to go into the front door of the farm house, and couldn’t get the van very close.  Plus, it was much windier and the rain was blowing sideways from the north.

      Abbey was more intrigued than scared by this whole moving process.
                                                     Kaysha was just plain worried.  She

knows that when we start packing up, she sometimes gets left behind (like for the week we are in Florida or Michigan).  I hooked her to the couch which was not going to the new house but would be sold in our moving sale.  







       We took a snack break while Dan and Joe were working the puzzle of furniture into the van.  At this point, we started throwing everything into any box available, just to get it packed. Our friend Lana was great help with this.  Explains why I still can’t find some things a week later.

      At the farm house we unloaded everything as fast as possible because it was so windy and rainy.  So there was quite a mess to begin with.

     Kaysha gets set up on the back porch.... now designated as the dog room.  Not sure where all the plants will go.  Do people buy plants at a garage sale?










      Our first dinner at the new house.  The kids were put in the kitchen due to lack of space at the dining table.  They are as good at eating pizza as they are at helping us move.

      Carol, Patti, and Lana were great help with unpacking the kitchen and China Hutch. Lana even got all our shower curtains put up so we could shower our first night. 
     Over the course of the weekend, Chris, Travis, and Daniel helped get the audio/visual stuff connected.  Brother Dave did lots of fix it, repair and install jobs for us.  Carol+Patti were great help at moving furniture and getting things put away.

       Friday after pizza, we went for a walk. All of Joe’s coats were back at the old house, so he used a blanket. These abandoned tracks are at the South edge (boarder) of our farm.  The “road” gravel drive we are walking on runs along the West border of our farm and belongs to the seed company just west of us ¼ mile down the road.

      Saturday was a much nicer day in terms of weather....it was still cold but sunny and no rain.  This gave us the opportunity to go for a longer walk and to see and explore our “neighborhood” which is farm fields in every direction.  Tie and Ike (Carol’s 2 border collies) had fun exploring, as did  Kaysha.  I even think she was working with Tie to find all the varmints they could definitely smell. We have
a big ground hog
in the barn.....and mice galore. We need to get us a good barn cat or two, ones that are wild and will stay away from the house and dog, and do their job out in the barn.    

Kaysha really seems to enjoy farm life, and always comes when we call her.  She tends to stay around the barn yard because that’s where all the critters and good exploring are.  Plus that is where we are.

      Carol and I went shopping while Patti took the kids to the Children's Museum. We twins had a great time at Lowe's buying a ton of different needed supplies, including a new rug for the living room.  Unfortunately we lost track of time and left poor Patti abandoned at the museum. She found some other things to do and was very forgiving...but I owe her big time.  Many horsey rides for her kids. 

     Once home we continued to work on setting up beds and dressers.  Britney was quick to get her new room organized and everything in place.  Getting the washer and drier hooked up was big help. Thank God Carol was not hurt my a near electrical shock with that.  It didn’t take long to start feeling at home and settled in.

Here the "boys" and Nicole are enjoying the results of their newly hooked up electronics.

     Picking up sticks out in the yard and burning them in the fire pit. 

     Lots of old trees with lots of dead branches = lots of bond fires.
      
     Roasting peeps over the bonfire was our Easter celebration Saturday night.  The chocolate ones were favored by the older ladies.  The kids seemed to enjoy roasting anything.
The men just drank beer and feed more wood into the fire.

         As the sun sets to the west, we enjoyed relaxing after 2 days of hard work.  There is still lots of unpacking to do, and we need to clean and do some repairs at the old house.  We are also going to have a garage sale next weekend to get rid of a lot of the left over stuff we have accumulated and no longer need or have room for.

       Our new home is a great blessing and in spite of the challenges and hard work it is going to involve,  we are very excited and happy to be undertaking this new adventure.  We look forward to having all friends and family out for some fun on the farm.   But beware, we may put you to work some of the time.