Wow! What a month! So sorry we haven't updated sooner but time has flown by and been jammed pack! Among the hours spent packing up our home and donating more stuff than one family should possibly own, we also spent a lot of time visiting friends, family and favorite places. We never did manage to check off each place on our list, but we made a pretty good dent!
The last couple of weeks in PA were both really amazing, but also extremely challenging. We quickly realized that preparing to move is quite similar to dying. Friends and family made special effort to share their affections with us. It was quite a privilege to be given the opportunity to hear how much you are loved (quite similar to being alive for an eulogy), but also very difficult. We were humbled on a daily basis with the out pouring of love, and it became quite clear how much we were giving up. It is an amazing blessing to have friends show up to help you pack or clean without you even asking for help. They always seemed to show up too, when I would have been tempted to stay in bed and pretend my world wasn't being flipped upside down.
But our favorite part of leaving, was all of the PARTIES!!!!!
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| My Farewell Zumba Class! Complete with Tutus!!! |
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| The Life Point Send Off Party |
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| WPP's Goodbye Ben Luncheon |
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| Troop 51930 Says Goodbye |
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| Our Open House |
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| Visiting with my brother and his family |
But then we headed home. Only home is now Benton, AR instead of Washington, PA. I keep forcing myself to say that so it will become more real to me. We arrived late Friday night; our family now camping on the floor in our new home. The trailer arrived Saturday morning with a new team of helpers: men and a lady (Pam!) to help us unload all of our possessions into our abode. They may have been strangers when they first arrived, but I have a feeling they will not be strangers for long! The truck was unloaded in about 45 minutes which left us with a full day to begin the long, arduous task of unpacking.
We decided to take a break at lunch to grab a few things from the store and to get lunch at Dan's I-30 Diner. (Yum!)
We finished out the day completely exhausted, but quite accomplished! We even received a surprise blessing in the mail from a very special couple from our days of youth ministry. We had run into them just days prior to moving and they felt led by God to bless us. It is astonishing to me to see the faith of God's people. It was quite the encouragement we needed and will greatly help us get Ben set up properly for school.
Sunday brought forth a day of worship with the great people of Oak Grove MBC. The outpouring of love from them all has been astonishing. Any possible need we could have, has been provided for by one member or another: appliances, furniture, food (lots of food!), housewares, etc. all given generously. Sunday night after church we had a time of fellowship and we were blessed with a pounding!!! This was a new concept for us, but the members each donated a "pound" of this and a "pound" of that to get our shelves stocked. I absolutely love this idea!!!!
Our house is mainly set up now. Ok, there are still several boxes untouched. However, I don't feel nearly as overwhelmed and can see the end in sight. The children love their new rooms. I love all of the storage!!! I have never had so many closets or cupboards! We cannot wait to have some visitors and look forward to sharing our home with others. We want to thank you all for your prayers and support. May God receive all of the glory!
Anticipating the Future, Anne
"Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? -2 Samuel 7:18b
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