We're in Austin!

Everyone said we'd go crazy, but we haven't seen the straight-jackets yet. The past 10 days have been a whirldwind to say the least. Here's it all in a nut-shell...

Sunday, May 18th...Realtor hosts our first open house and SELLS the house! We close on June 12th and everything seems to going smoothly (knock on wood!).

Monday, May 19th...Start packing up the house. Greg's mom comes over and is a huge help with that process!

Tuesday, May 20th...My mom comes over and helps finish up the packing. Our friends from our life group come over in the evening to pack the U-haul. We quickly realize that the 17 ft. truck ain't gonna do it. But, thanks to the packing skills of Keven K., we cram as much stuff as we can into every space (even the space behind the cab seats). We had to leave some stuff in the house, but it sounds like it will be a blessing to the new owner who doesn't have anything. We left all the unused baby stuff with friends and plan on picking that up when we come back to visit at the end of the summer.

Wednesday, May21st...take off mid-morning heading south.We stop in Springfield, IL for a last quick good-bye to the Tyler Cormeny's. Our dog, Tyrus, is somewhat comfortable in the car, which is being pulled by the U-haul. We can not get the door all the way open because of the wheel well in the car tow. So, to get the dog out at each stop I have to squeeze through the 6 inch gap, put the keys in, roll the windows down, then get the dog out, etc. When we dropped the U-haul off at the end of the week, the guys in Austin flipped the wheel well down and opened the car door. Greg and I just stood there with open mouths! We had been squeezing into that car for 2 days! Everyone who saw us do that was probably laughing at us! We stopped in Springfield, Mo for a good night's sleep.

Thursday, May 22nd...Arrive at Scott and Lana Presuhn's (good friends who moved there from Peoria last summer) at about 6pm. Have a much needed rest and breathe a sigh of relief the trip in the U-haul was uneventful.

Friday, May 23rd...Leave at 7:30 am to move into the apartment. The Preshuhn's watch Aaron all day and overnight to we can get moved in. Thank you Lord for the Preshuhns!! And for moving them down here just for us! The apartment is a little smaller than our previous home, but we're planning on buying a home by the end of the year (actually our lease is up on December 23rd!) It's right next to the pool and laundry and has a large patio in the back for Aaron to play on (first floor too!). The cable guys came in the afternoon to set-up phone, internet and TV.

Saturday, May 24th...We spend 3 1/2 hours at the car dealorship, but drive away with an 08 Dodge Grand Caravan. We hope this will make the trips back to IL a little more comfortable. Lana and Heather bring Aaron over in the evening to the house mostly put together.
Sunday and Monday, May 25-26th...spent on finishing touches and getting acquainted with the highway system around here. We're very close to lots of grocery stores and shopping.
Tuesday, May 27th...Greg starts his new job at Zilliant. The commute is 18 miles away and took 37 minutes in the morning, and over an hour in the evening! Uck! Zilliant has pretty flexible hours, so hopefully Greg can find a time that will work better with the traffic, but it is just something you have to deal with in Austin.

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We haven't had much time to explore, but are looking forward to the many parks, lakes, live music and all the Austin has to offer. Aaron and I joined an on-line mom's meet-up group (similar to the one I was in in Peoria) yesterday and have our first playdate on Friday. We'll start church shopping this weekend and hope to get "plugged in" soon. The Lord has blessed this newest adventure and we continue to trust in His purpose for our lives. God bless and keep in touch!
Love,