Reason 873 I love Washington: The best hiking around!

One of the things I most wanted to do before I started work was to go hiking! The original plan was to go to Olympic National Forest. It was cool and threatening rain and mom decided that it might be too far to drive for just a couple hours in the forest. Well by now I am becoming an expert in Plans B-F. So-o, we decided to go local...Denny Creek is just about 45 minutes from us.

We opted for the Franklin Falls route. It's just a mile each way to and from the waterfall, but it was enough to be rich with the smells of firs, balsam, cedar, and the occasional pine. The air was cool, crisp even, and we were glad for our jackets! We realized early on that we could actually see our breath on the last day of August!!! It was quite the switch for me coming from such a humid land!

 Noah had to test the water. Decision: too cold for wading! 

Check out that old growth! SO BIG! 

Chaco love! 

Franklin Falls!

lunch on a rock! Nothing tastes better than a good ol' PB&J when you've been hiking!

With suckers for a special treat!

Hot cocoa for the hikers!

And for a great finish to a great day:

Roasted hot dogs and marshmallows over an open fire!

Welcome home, Auntie!

I was greeted by two very sweet little people and two wonderfully beautiful ladies! I couldn't have asked for a better reception at the airport!

The next morning I was still operating on East coast time and I was wide awake at 5am. At about 6:30 I rolled over to see my very sweet sleepover hostess grinning up at me with her very blue eyes very wide awake, too. So up we got and went downstairs to have some "guuuhl" (girl) time.

We started the morning with smarties:

Then took things outside to enjoy the beautiful Washington sunshine! I had coffee, she had tea, we had a blast waiting for the household to wake up!

Moving saga - part 2: movex

The same day I found out my car was not being picked up was the day I found out that movex wasn't coming, either. {Enter workplace freak out} It wasn't pretty, folks, but my co-workers were pretty awesome and I managed to pull it together, though it wasn't my most productive day on the books. 

So continues the saga of the move that will not end. Each day I receive two calls from movex: one in the morning, one in the afternoon all to say that there's no truck to re-route to my location. 

So I'm supposed to get on a plane on Friday, August 26th. The day approaches and movex continues to call saying there's no space available. I might have lost my temper just a smidge. The only thing Movex will do at this point is return my deposit and let me find another way to get my stuff home. 

"Oh, hello barrel, think I'll just shimmy up and high-center myself on your roundness for a while". 

Moving Saga - part 1:the car

What began as a pretty clear decision that seemed to roll into an easily formulated plan. It was moving along flawlessly! I should have known. What I didn't know was that before it was all over it would become a saga of epic proportions. Yes, I have the best (WORST) moving story.

The car. I researched and decided to go with a big, well-known company, who also happened to give me a great rate. $1,025 to move my car across country? Yes. Yes, please.  

I received a moving date of Thursday, August 18th. Oookay, a bit early, but I guess I can work with that. (Mind you, my flight wasn't leaving until August 26th). Stress, stress, no transport on Thursday...or Friday...or Saturday as they'd PROMISED! 

I make even MORE phone calls and find out they're coming between 4-6pm. grr! Oookay. Nevermind that I have a farewell party starting at SEVEN. 

Finally, they come at 6:45. Speak NO English, and offer to drive me home in my car...uh, no. I really want to see my car ON the TRUCK. Finally a battle I won! 

So there goes my little car!! Whew! Saga over, right? Oh no, we're just getting started!! 

Thursday night I met my sweet friend Heather for one last night out and start getting calls from the driver (via the Russian translator who looks roughly 15). So they're dropping my car off THAT NIGHT.  At 11:00 PM. WHAT?! Yes, 11pm. Um, no. Arguing via a translator I finally get them to agree to 8am Friday morning. As in a day before they said they'd even be able to make it to Washington. Oh and they want cash. More arguing. No, the contract says money order. You. will. get. a money order. The end. 

Greeeeaaaaat.  I call my mom, frantic, and freak her out. Super fun. I love being that daughter. I feel terrible for her, but have to get her off the phone. After all, I have a very dear, rather pregnant friend waiting on me. 

We finally get it worked out that my dad will go pick up a money order made out to Mobile Transport, Inc. 

I get yet another TWO calls from the car transport. I answer the second one in the middle of dinner. Okay, NO, you may NOT drop off my car for delivery at 11pm. That's just not reasonable. My mom will be there at 8am. Okay. 

We rearrange EVERYONE back home (Sarah and Mom and Brian had all made plans for the day). Brian calls me at 8:30. "Uh, they coming?" I call them. No answer. I KEEP calling them and wake up a very disgruntled Russian driver. "Hi, where's my car? You said you'd drop it off at 8am. It's now 8:45. Where's my car?" "I don't have it. I'm at home sleeping. Don't have your car." WHAT! WHERE. IS. MY. CAR? and on and on and round and round we go. WHY don't you know where my car is? (I'm frantic at this point). I call the translator kid and he tells me to call the office. They aren't answering. I call Mayflower. They tell me to call the company.

WHERE IS MY CAR? I call mayflower again. WHERE IS MY CAR? Oh, and to add to the stress, it's going to be another $185. To say I hit the roof is an understatement. Long story short, they had to detour and apparently decided to charge me for the inconvenience. Awesome. I was shaking I was so mad. I just don't get that angry. But WOW. They've been yanking me around. Wow. 

Sooo, I call my mom and send her through the roof! They scramble around, get another money order, and arrange to be at the house at 1pm for the car to be dropped off. whew! Poor Sarah was supposed to be having a birthday date with my mom. I'm feeling TERRIBLE and trying to get ready to leave for the airport. Oi vey!

I pretty much chugged a ridiculously expensive and yet so worth it Long Island Iced Tea when I get to the airport bar then ran to the gate to get on my plane. As I'm in line to board the plane I get this photo texted to me: 

HALLELUJAH!!!! I didn't even care that up close it looked like this: 

Thankfully, I was able to wash my car at my mom's house aaaand... voila! Much better! 

Thanks to Andy at Classic City Detail in Athens, GA for the AWESOME wax job before I left! It seriously would not have been possible to get my car clean without it!!! 

The Closing of a Chapter

Well, it's here. My last day of living in Georgia... at least for now! The Lord only knows where He will lead me in the future.

It's been a wonderful, sometimes difficult, sometimes amazing, and often unexpected journey.  I never thought I'd end up in Georgia. I should have known when I prayed so specifically not to end up in Georgia that God would, of course, send me here. There have been too many moments to mention them here, but I've seen God work in my life in big and small ways, orchestrating my growth and refinement.

The journey hasn't ended yet; in large part because my stuff is stuck here indefinitely. I'm sure it will eventually show up in Washington and I will be glad for that day! For now I'm choosing to see it as the Lord continuing to show me that stuff is just stuff, even if it holds memories. It's temporal.

Well, I need to finish gathering the few belongings that are Washington-bound with me today. Hooray for airplanes that save me 44 hours of long, hard driving back to family!!!

Athens Farewell Party

I have wonderful friends! I just need everyone (including them) to know that!

A special thanks to Linda White and Dell Walker for organizing, hosting, and going all out on the food for a farewell to be remembered for the rest of my life!

To those who couldn't make it, thank you for being such an integral part of my life these 4 years and I know you will continue to be a big part of my life, even across the distance! (Gosh, I love modern technology!)

Without further ado (or should I say "adieu"!) here are a few pictures of the bash (more to come when I get the shots Dell took):