The big moving truck showed up first thing yesterday morning.  They have been packing the last couple of days and yesterday they moved all of our belongings into this "big guy." 

I secretly love big trucks.  It must come from my childhood with a Dad who owned a "Tree Service".  He had large dump trucks, diggers, cherry pickers and the like.  I loved going up to his "yard" (as we called it) while he sharpened his chain saws.  I would run around and climb into the back of the dump trucks, into the cherry picker buckets and "the scoop" of the diggers.  If I was lucky, Dad would start the "cherry picker" and he would raise it as high as it could go.  

I also loved the cabs of the big dump trucks.  I loved the smell of oil and wood chips.  Dad always had a pack of rolaids wedged between the front window and dashboard, sometimes I would sneak one.  It tasted terrible and chaulky but if my Dad could eat them than so could I.   

As this "big guy" pulled away last night with the rest of our belongings, I was sad to see it leave but even more sad that I didn't have Max with me as an excuse to check out the cab of this beauty.

Is that what I think it is?

Lucky thing I checked this box before taping it up.........

I don't know that the storage facility is climate controlled............

I think I will be just fine staying in a hotel for the next couple of weeks.  The kids were bouncing off the walls waiting to go to the hotel yesterday.  We finally made it into our room around 4pm.  We had seven pieces of luggage and 5 cardboard boxes.  You would think we were moving to Paris or something.

Once we checked into our room and unpacked, I took a nice long soak in a huge whirlpool tub and as I lay my head back against a soft towel I whispered to God "Thank you for this gift".   I am absolutely spent with a few more full days ahead and I needed this small setback.  He knew.  (I am so glad I didn't pitch a fit, I would have felt really terrible). 

Today the movers will be coming and I need to open up the house for them and make a quick run through the house with a couple of large "hefty" bags and dump some old toys while the kids are busy with Daddy.   I also need to take care of "fish drop off" with my dear friend who volunteered to watch them for us.  Thanks Heidi!  I will miss you terribly.  I have enjoyed your beautiful face, witty personality, parenting example (you didn't know that I watched and have learned a lot from the way you Mother William and Ana, you are an amazing Mother) and friendship the last few years.  You will be missed!

You are "my kind of wonderful" Mom!  I count one of my biggest blessings in life as having you as my Mom.  You have made life so fun for all of us growing up.  Our days were spent playing outside in our little neighborhood or swimming in our pool.   Once a week you would pile as many kids as you could into our car and drive to the beach.  You loved the beach as much as we did and hated to go home.   So began my love affair with the ocean and it still continues to this day. 

You are sunshine and warmth wrapped in the most beautiful package!  I laugh when Sophie and Max "ooooh and ahhhhhh" about me when I dress up.  You would  think I was Miss America.  Funny thing is,  I DID have Miss America (or close enough) as my Mom and I didn't even notice it.  You were just my Mom.  You were that steady that kept the boat from rocking too hard, you always tried to shield me from the storms that blew at our home. 

You were and are such an amazing example of a Godly wife.  You and Dad always seemed so in love.  You two have this connection and an understanding of one another that is very unique.  You were such a good team and it always appeared that you were a united front.  It was a beautiful thing for a child to grow up with parents who love each other.   What a sense of security that brought  to my life.  Now that I am married and I know the work that goes into a marriage, I still am in awe of you.  You make it seem so effortless.    

I treasure our times together as adults.  I loved our trips to New York and Boston.  Our "girl get-away" trips to Mendocino and La Jolla.  There is nothing like having a close relationship with you as an adult.

Thank you for the love that spills out of you when you look at me.  You don't know you are doing it but I see it.  You are that soft spot for me and I know when I fall and need  dusting off, I can go  to you.  I will be given Godly advice, just enough love (I don't like to be too coddled), and just enough of a push to get me back on my feet again.  

You are the wife that I want to be, the Mother that I strive to be, the cook that I will never be,  and the creator I admire.   You are the quiet, elegant, graceful, feminine,
women that movies are made about.  You are goodness and grace tied up in a pretty package.  I wish you the happiest of Birthdays!

I don't know about you but when I think of Paris, I think of romance, lights, architecture, food and history. 

I wondered what the kids would think of Paris last summer.  We were all pleasantly surprised at the fun that awaited them.  Paris is a wonderful place for young kids.  The parks alone are worth the trip.  Every park has a large play area, innovative playground equipment, merry-go-rounds, pony rides, and cotton candy.  Some have mini trampolines, zip lines (my husbands personal favorite), and large swings where the kids can almost reach the sky.

I think we hit about 5 parks in 9 days.  It was so fun to hear the melody of languages while sitting on the park bench watching the kids play. 

I have some "interesting" news to share.  It looks like someone has "dropped the ball" within Dans company or the French embassy.  (No one seems to want to take the blame.)  We were informed recently that our visa's are not ready.  In fact, some of the paperwork was just submitted.  Hmm. 

My Dan was carrying this on his shoulders for over a week afraid to tell me the news. He kept on hoping that our visa's would somehow appear and our plans would remain the same.  Well, that did not happen and the latest news is that we will need to stay in Texas for a couple more weeks until our visa's come in.

Makes life interesting when our tenants are moving in at the end of the month.  We sold our cars.  We withdrew the kids from school.  You know, you have to laugh at all of this because this is completely out of our hands.  If I don't laugh, I will cry!   

A part of me is very frustrated but another part of me knows that God is in control and that we need to stay put for some reason.  I am completely exhausted and the idea of staying in a hotel where a maid cleans every day along with a laundry service at the hotel sounds quite nice.  Ha.

The kids were beyond excited when we told them that we are heading over to the Hilton in Town Square (a mere mile from our home).  They love a hotel.  Thank goodness!

"Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love!"
-Hamilton Wright Mabie

We sold both of our cars yesterday.  One more thing "crossed" off  the list. 

Sophie hopped into our rental car and said "It makes me so sad to sell our car, I  really loved it!".  Dan looked her in the eye and said "Sophie, never love anything that can't love you back".   Amen!

Dan informed me this morning that he accidently packed his Santa suit for the movers last week.  Oh no!  

Every Christmas Eve since the kids were one year old, Santa has come to our house.  He usually arrives while they are getting into their Christmas jammies and brushing their teeth.  Santa magically slides down the chimney ringing his bell.  The kids run to the landing and "spy" on Santa as he dusts soot off of his shoulders, tastes the cookies that were left for him, laughs and exclaims "ho, ho, ho", and delivers packages under the tree UNTIL he realizes that we are watching him from upstairs.  He runs off and by the time we get downstairs, poof, he is gone! 

We only have a couple years left of this so I began searching for a Santa costume.  After three stores, I found the last one at Walmart.  Whew..........that was close.

Did I ever show you the Santa we saw in Paris last month?  He was a real downer for me.  Much too thin, too young, and not very jolly.

I am blessed to have some wonderful friends in my life.  One of them in particular is like a sister to me.  She met Dan before I did.  She has always supported my relationship with Dan and my marriage.  We've gone on trips together,  I was in the hospital room when she gave birth to her first child, our kids play together like cousins.  It's a beautiful thing.  She is one of those woman that everyone loves.  She has a personality the size of Texas.  

I heard a song on the radio yesterday and immediately thought of her and decided to take a minute to call her and tell her how much I love her.  (Don't you just love being a woman).   She answered and immediately choked up.  I told her why I was calling and the floodgates of emotion opened up inside of her.  She revealed to me that she was terribly sad and upset that I was moving; moving to Texas from California was one thing but now to Paris, it was just too much for her.  She hates change and is not a fan of flying.

 I felt terrible listening to her heart bubble over with emotion, I didn't have the words to help her.  I am in a strange place with my emotions right now.  This move seems very surreal to me.  I have a list a mile long and my days consist of checking things off of it.  My focus is on the finish line (Paris) and my emotions have been put in a little box somewhere inside of me where I can't see them and I don't dare look for them or try and open them up until I am settled in Paris.   

So here I was with my dear friend in a puddle before me and all I could say was "Oh sweetie, I know, I know, you can call me, we can skype, you are coming out in six months, remember?"  I felt so useless. 

I feel the need to say to my sweet friend Claire and to all of  my family and friends that all of your kind words, thoughts, prayers, emails, phone calls and coffee dates mean the world to me.  They along with God's grace have sustained me during this exciting and often challenging adventure.  I know that for many of you, this decision to move leaves a bittersweet taste in your mouth.  Thank you for focusing on the sweetness of this decision. 

I also want to thank my new "blog friends" who found me and pour out their support, excitement and encouragement.  It's a whole new world that has opened up to me and I am tickled  to be a part of it.