There’s work to be done, but it’s here.

After a three day whirlwind trip to South Dakota, we are back home with a full horse trailer and moving truck and our storage units there are empty and keys returned. All of those things, along with anything that has been left at my parents, is all here. Littles has been unloaded, but it’s here and I’ve been told I’ll sleep in my bed tonight. I set up the frame but mattresses have yet to appear. I put up the bunk bed frames for the girls and most of the kids are out in the dark with Blaine working to bring in beds.

The typically 10-12 hour trip took 20. An hour in, a driver’s side trailer tire separated, wrapped itself around the axle, and drug the bare rim to a stop on the interstate. Sparks flew – I know this because I was driving behind it in the moving truck. The tire and the rim are ruined, a brace for the fender needs to be welded, and Blaine had to change the tire and fix the broken trailer brake wires on the side of the road.  We drove home on the spare tire, and it held up well.

We stopped twice to sleep. The moving truck bounced violently for much of SD and IA and I was exhausted by midnight. I missed one interchange and went on a nice detour in Independence, Missouri in the 26’ box truck. I think I only hit one curb with it. A second wrong turn not long after the first had me driving between two parked cars too close for comfort. Could have done without that. My confidence in driving that big truck took a hit after that. I was really glad to get home.

The phone signal is suddenly better at the house. All we can figure is lost leaves from the trees have left a better path to the towers. It’s not enough to work on the laptops as a hotspot, but it’s nice to not be completely cut off.

After a year and a half of having most of our belongings in storage, the work of unpacking is a welcome task. It feels a bit like Christmas. Creed and Lach have no memories of any of it, but the rest of the kids were remembering things they’d forgotten as we packed up the truck. The next few days… possibly weeks… will be busy and full but I’m so thankful that we’re here, now, and past that time of limbo and unknowns.