THE MESS

When we put in our papers, we knew this day would come...the day we would actually pack up and move somewhere to serve a mission.  That is, afterall, part of the point of serving a full-time mission--to sacrifice home and conveniences to serve the Lord.

Then the pandemic hit........and missionaries were sent home by the planeloads including virtually all senior missionaries due to their age risks.

...and then we got our call to Salt Lake City---only 35-60 minutes away depending on traffic....

but they assured us that they wanted us to come...

..if and when it opened up....

and so we served from home sleeping in our own bed, enjoying our separate office spaces, and walking and shopping in all of the familiar places.....

and then we got word that the mission housing was opening up and we were invited to move down.

AND IT REALLY HAPPENED!  We spend the last month packing up our lives in a house that we have lived for 23 years by putting things in a storage unit, in our basement storage room, in our basement extra bedroom, or packing it for our apartment.  Jessica and family are moving in for the year to take care of the house and dogs for us.

We moved about 13 times in the first 20 years of our marriage, but I don't remember it being such work!! Not only the physical part of packing and carrying boxes from one place to another, but it is also emotional and intellectually demanding--what to keep? what to throw away?  And all of the memories that are connected to the "things" in your house!  For me, I am very attached to photos, books and art work.  It was really hard to pack some of those things away.

Piles everywhere---

Stuff for the new apartment in the dining room---

Boxes for storage in the living room---

We got smart and hired two movers to actually load up our UHaul and then go around the block to the storage unit and unload everything for us.  We are too old for this type of moving!  Both Gary and I were worn out even without doing the heavy lifting.  Best $300 spent!

Gary's Cub Scout Crossing Sign---no longer needed since the ward doesn't have a pack anymore, but so beautiful that we don't want to get rid of it.  We are thinking of something that we can use it for with our grandchildren--so it sits in one of the storage units for our return.

And empty rooms......waiting for Jessica and family to make it a home for themselves for the next while.

But the memories that items have are so powerful---it slowed packing--both because it created a decision-making moment--to pack to store or whatever, but also because of the history or events connect to the item(s0.

This photo is of a shelf in our master bedroom--on the far left are two books from Gary's childhood, next to that are four books from the "Snip, Snap, and Snurr" collection which I bought and shared with my siblings because of childhood memories of checking the actual books from the library and the next set of books were my mothers which she passed to me as a fellow-lover of mysteries.  At the very end is a pretend book which holds a book stamp--a gift from Jessica.  The pine cone from a trip to Thanksgiving Point and playing in the leaves with grandchildren, the stuffed whale--a Christmas gift from Gary for a whale watching trip when we went to Washington, and the sign you see--the motto of BYU "Enter to Learn Go Forth to Serve"--something that I apply to so many part of my life not just my college education! I looked looking at this each day as I wandered in and out of my bedroom.  Life will seem different while they are sitting in boxes.  (I do think I tossed the pinecone-maybe.)

This BOOK---it is an institute Book of Mormon manual from back in the late 1980s.  It might seem ordinary to you, but I loved this and have kept it for many years, because just looking at it brings so many sweeet memories.  I have many others--perhaps even better ones now, but this one will forever be connected with the chance I had to study the Book of Mormon with friends in Hong Kong and then again in Plano, Texas.  We met once a week and took turns teaching the lessons to each other.  

And then there were things like this--a parting gift from LDS Family Services when I left working there in 2012 as an birthparent/adoption worker.  It has been hanging on my wall since then.  On the back were notes from those co-workers I worked with.  Sitting in my room rereading those notes from years ago also brought so many memories!  What a gift is the ability to remember!

And then there were quick moments now and then when I would head outdoors and enjoy my spring flowers.  No time to actually work in the garden, but flowers bring a joy all of their own and in the middle of chaos, they are a perfect piece of calmness.

And in the middle of spring after a year of planning and delays, we packed up our lives and made the move to our mission home away from home.  See next post for more details1!!