The Adventure begins...

I have no pictures of our huge move...wish I did, but I don't.  Two 20 foot U-Hauls and boxes everywhere...oh well, I started a little log of our first few days here...don't feel obligated to read it all, it's for my own "journal" that I did it. But be sure to read about our first Sunday here...

Our Lindon Adventure – we left Clovis, CA on July 4^th.  Many good friends came and helped us clean our house and load our truck.  We are forever in their debt!  Dave pulled out in the U-Haul about 11:30 or 12.  Joel and I stayed behind to finish cleaning the house (with our good friends!) and then we left in Dave’s car about 3 p.m.  We met up in Las Vegas about 10 p.m.  It was dark as we were driving into Vegas and we could see fireworks all over the valley!  As well as some lightning too.  Traffic was very light the whole day for which I was very grateful.  I do not enjoy driving so having the road practically to myself was a welcome relief!  I let cruise control do most of the driving. 

Lindon, Utah Day 1 – July 5^th, 2013

We arrived at our new home (rental) about 3 p.m.  Joel and I were in Dave’s car and Dave was behind us in the U-Haul.  Dave and Joel had seen the house previously, but I had not, so I had to tour the whole place and check out the huge yard.  Everything was as beautiful as the pictures I had seen!  Bethany, the property manager, met us here and went over  a few things with us, collected our money and gave us the keys.  This is it!  We are home!

The owners had left a nice little letter with information for us and a ward list.  They seem like very nice people and we are grateful they entrust us with their beautiful home.  They will be going on a mission to Ventura, CA to work in the mission office.  They report to the MTC September 9th, two days before Joel reports!  

Now the fun begins, unloading the truck!  Dave, Joel and I began working on it.  Pretty soon a nice neighbor man came across the street to meet us (an older gentleman named Gary).  He met us, then went home to make a few phone calls and came back with gloves on ready to work!  An older lady across the driveway was outside with her little dachshund so I went over to meet her and say hi.  Her name was Rita and her dog is Maggie who is anxious to play with anyone.  David and Jacob will love her! 

The truck unloading continued.  Another brother showed up named Ryan.  He was younger and stronger and he was a big help.  And our friend Mark Nielson (from Clovis who lives in Orem) came over to help too.  He was a big help as well.  So thankful for good friends and neighbors!  We got the truck all unloaded except the piano in a pretty good amount of time.  But before we were done, the wind had picked up, the clouds had come in and it started raining!  It cooled things down, but made it hard to finish the job!  Ryan called another “strong” young man to come over and help get the piano in.  Rolling it off the truck was not hard but getting it up three stairs and through a skinny door into the house was quite another ordeal!  But those strong folks did it and we are extremely grateful!  We hope they will still talk to us and be our friends.    Another neighbor came over with gloves on, but we were all done loading.  His name was Jack and he was very nice too.  He is across the street and has horses.  David and Jacob will love that too!

Whew!  Done!  Now there was boxes and furniture everywhere!  We sat out on the back porch step and watched the remainder of the storm while we caught our breath and could find some energy to start unpacking and making this a home.  How nice it was to enjoy the cooler weather and take in our beautiful surroundings!  And I of course love to listen to the rain, as long as I’m not unloading a truck!  We could see the Mt. Timp temple in the distance all lit up and fireworks going on around it and in a few other areas.  That was a fun sight!  In Utah they do fireworks for three days before and three days after the holiday!  They will do it again for Pioneer day on the 24^th! 

We assembled our bed, but could only find the flat sheet for it and the comforter.  I did find our pillows.  So that was our bed for the night.  We found some bathroom supplies and some paper cups (the fridge has a water dispenser in the door!  We are so excited about that!) and were pretty much done for.  We went for a short drive to see where Wal Mart is (not too far away) and found a Denny’s to get some much needed dinner. 

Day 2 – July 6^th

Up and at it.  Time to start unloading a few boxes and start some wash.  The washer is a fancy thing but I think I figured out how to make it work.  Dave and Joel took the U-Haul  and went to the storage unit in Provo (where they had brought a huge truckload a few weeks before).  Randa’s brother Jeremy met them there and they got it all in one truck load!  We again appreciate the help of people who don’t even know us!  (well, he knows who we are). 

When they got back with the truck around 9:30 Neighbor Gary was back over ready to help.  He is older and a little feeble so I was worried about him working so hard and lifting heavy things!  But there was no stopping him!  He had arranged for 10:00 for some others to come and help.  Ryan came again and brought his two young sons.  They were troopers!  They carried all kinds of boxes and bins into the basement and the garage for us!  I think he is the only one who came.  (I already miss Clovis 2^nd ward!) We had not been able to fit the couches through the door, so when the truck was all unloaded, our neighbor Jack was back from his daughter’s baptism and he came over with 3 other men and they got those couches in!  We had to remove the front door, but it worked!  Why don’t they make houses with wider doorways!!??  Again we appreciated the help from perfect strangers and could not have done it without them.  Dave and Joel have worked so hard and I felt bad for how hard it was on them. 

After cooling down for a bit, we went to get some lunch and return the U-Haul.  We also stopped at Lowes and bought a few needed things to help set up housekeeping.  I worked at unpacking in the kitchen.  It’s a small kitchen so it’s going to take some figuring out!  I did some more wash and in the late afternoon we sat on the back porch again as it was raining again!  It was so fun to sit and enjoy that! 

We had some surprise visitors today.  The doorbell rang and there stood Jeff and Suzanna Nielson with their cute little family!  They had brought us cookies to welcome us to the "neighborhood."  They live in Draper.  Not too far away, but still a little bit of a drive.  We so appreciated their visit and their goodies!  Made us feel welcome and at home.  They also left their number in case we needed anything, or a babysitter when Amanda gets here or just anything...they are so sweet and it was fun to see them!

The evening was spent mostly the same.  Trying to empty some boxes and make a little progress in the piles.  Dave worked in the office setting up the computers but we don’t have the internet yet so not much we can do.  I still haven’t found our fitted sheet.  It will turn up eventually I’m sure.  We went to bed awfully tired again.  I’m sure Dave and Joel will be a little sore but hopefully they will rest well.

Day 3 – July 7^th

We were excited to get up and go to church and meet our new ward members.  Church is at 9 and it is just down on the next block from us.  We got there a few minutes before it started and the chapel was pretty empty!  The overflow only had a few rows of chairs.  I’m not sure how big the ward really is.  There were programs on the chairs and on the benches.  Kind of nice to have them all passed out already.  The bishop did come over and meet us and his counselor met us too.  Church started and more pews did eventually fill in, but still not a full chapel.  After the sacrament, the counselor who was conducting bore his testimony then was turning the remainder of the time over to the congregation for testimony bearing  when the lights started flickering like crazy and then they went out!  What?!  They obviously weren't coming back on.  They opened the doors to let some light in and continued the meeting asking that whoever comes up to bear their testimony speak loudly.  It was an interesting meeting to be sure!  So we really couldn't see the people very well but we heard some interesting testimonies and will eventually figure out who people are.  At the end of the meeting, they had decided that it would be best if we all just went home and spent time with our families!  The couple who own this house did come up to us afterward and meet us, told us to call if we needed anything and it was just fun to meet them and put faces with their name.  As we were leaving we saw Ryan (who had helped us move) and he said, you guys come back anytime!  I guess us being there was what made the lights go out.  Ha ha.  I told him that when we had taken Joel to the temple the lights had gone out then too.  So he said to be sure and come back next week!  It was funny.  What a strange morning.  So we still don’t know anyone, don’t know where Sunday School and Relief Society/Priesthood meet.  I guess we will find out next week!

Eric and Randa and family will be coming over for our break the fast of French toast.  I think I found all the dishes and pans that we will need.  We had a sudden downpour of big heavy rain drops...fun to sit out on the porch and listen to it and watch it.  Then suddenly it was a  hailstorm!  Crazy!  Then sunny and nice again after that.  We are liking the weather here!  Happy Sunday in Lindon!

Day 4 – July 8^th

Today is my brother Ron’s birthday.  Happy birthday bro!  Just another day of unpacking and trying to figure out where to put things!  A few trips to Wal-mart and I think we are set for a few days.  We went this evening to Great Aunt Edna’s and Jeanine’s house to visit for a few minutes and pick up my Ellett Family Cookbooks.  They are beautiful!  I can’t wait to share them!  It was nice to see them and we promised them that now since we live “in town” we will come to visit more often.  Aunt Edna is looking very feeble…but then again, she is in her late 90s!  I am excited that I will be able to attend the Ellett family reunion next year!

Day 5 – July 9^th

It still doesn't seem quite real yet.  But Dave left for work today for the first time in many days!  It took him about 45 minutes to get there and almost an hour to get home!  We will have to get him some books on CD to listen to during the drive!  Joel and I made good headway in the garage and also in the basement.  Things are taking shape.  Somewhat.  We will have to leave a lot of things in boxes, as there just isn't room for it all (and we don’t really need it all out at once anyway) and we ARE trying to leave some room for Amanda. 

Had a fun visit from Yolanda Wilcox and Allison Holmes.  Yolanda is up here taking her daughter to Utah State for orientation and registration.  She is staying with Allison so they both came to visit!  It was fun to see them!  Yolanda is my visiting teacher in Clovis so I told her to make sure and report that her teaching was done for July!  What a dedicated visiting teacher to come all this way to check on me.  Ha ha.

Then we had a big surprise later in the evening.  The doorbell rang and as I went to answer it, I could see the face of Elder Devin Ashcroft!  It was the cardboard cutout!  Anna and Marvin Ashcroft were “in the neighborhood” and had to stop and say hi!  That was such a fun surprise!  They are here for some family reunions and the Devin cardboard was at their son’s house, so they brought him over to say hi.  It was the perfect ending to our “real” first day here.  Heartwarming hugs and smiles from home were very welcome indeed!  There is still more unpacking to do, but the end is in sight.  And before we know it, time to go to Georgia and get Amanda and the boys.  I can’t wait!!  The adventure will really continue then…

ps - still haven't found my sheet.  I wonder if there is a box or two that didn't make it on the truck and it's sitting in our garage back in Clovis. ??