Beyond Blessed

We are leaving Kansas in less than 48 hours now. I have to tell you that the past week has been a roller coaster, but through it all God and his people have been there helping us get through some days that have been very hard.

Downtown

On Saturday it became apparent that there was no way that all of our belongings were going to fit in the space we had left. We went through several permutations of things to leave behind, but we weren't coming up with any good ones, as most of them included leaving out several things we weren't ready to part with. We checked into getting a hitch installed, but it would be around $400 plus the rental fee. I called my parents and my father packed up and he drove all day Sunday to get here (with everything he needs including a towel because all but our most essential things are packed), loaded up this morning and is thankfully home safe and sound with such sundries as my washer and dryer.

I went to church promising myself that I wouldn't cry. I didn't even get to Sunday School before I teared up. Kate's Sunday School teacher had a party for the girls. We said good-bye to many people. People who saw us through the birth of two children, the diagnosis of Diabetes (and even gave us our first lessons in handling his diet before we could get any help from the nutritionists), and who have been there to care for and teach our children about Jesus. I think that part of the reason this is so difficult is knowing that we likely won't be back to Kansas. Then we got home and opened the cards we were given. In addition to the lovely toys that the girls got to keep them occupied on the trip we were given money that was enough to cover the cost of the U-haul rental and more.

Then Kate's card...it was exactly what she had asked me for that morning--pictures of her friends. I had snuck in and grabbed a couple of snapshots, but these were pictures of each of the students in her class. God must have led her teacher to fulfill that desire of her little heart before she ever spoke it to me. We caught her sitting and talking to them apologizing for leaving them. It has to be difficult for her too. Hopefully she'll be happy in her new home soon, but I never moved as a child. I was 16 at my first move and it was across town (even in the same school district). So while I've moved many times as an adult, I've not had the pain she must be feeling.

We are so grateful to all those who have touched our lives here and to my poor Daddy who drove all day on his Father's Day to rescue his daughter.

Our Last Family Photo in Kansas