Packing Up...Again!

We left the MTC after lunch with an appointment to pick up our car at the repair shop where it had been for over two weeks...waiting for a part to come in!  The day before they told us the part was still delayed for another 3 or 4 days so we told them to put the car back together and we will get it fixed in Ft. Smith.  Later in the afternoon, they called and told Gary that they would get a part from another dealership and have the car ready by 1:00 pm.  Great news......until we got a call at 1:15 as we were approaching the dealership that the repair had NOT fixed the problem so the car was still being analyzed.  Yuck!!!

I was not a happy camper, but Gary was calm about the whole thing. He told them that we needed the car in working order and we would wait for them to put it together.  We had to wait about an hour in their small waiting room but we all survived and were able to head up to Syracuse around 3:30...in time for another round of packing and unpacking--this time loading our stuff for Arkansas along with our suitcases with our clothes....Basically, warning lights still are on, but no beeping and no driver assistance such as cruise control, but the car is safe to drive.

and just enough room for Jena to sit in the back!

We went over and visited Elessia and the kids.  However, they just got a set of three kittens that they are fostering for a rescue organization so the kids' attention was much more focused on the kittens than us.  Again, it was hard for them to understand that we were going away for 18 months and I didn't want to make them feel sad.  No pictures either.  We missed seeing Jessica one more time.  She had a work dinner with a client in Syracuse..but we didn't think it was appropriate to show up at the restaurant just to say goodbye.

We did stop and see Ben.  I got a longer visit while Gary ran to the eye doctor's office to repair his frame.  All the "fun" details of trying to leave for a mission....

We then headed up to Nordic Valley to Vonette and Gary's house for game playing and birthday donuts for Vonette whose birthday was the next Sunday.  This is the first time we have been together for several months so it was nice to be together before we left for Arkansas.

Us, Charon and Mike, Gary and Vonette (sitting)

The problem with Nordic Valley was that they had LOTS of snow like the rest of Utah this year.  Below is Jena standing in their driveway.

Even packing down their driveway was an adventure.

Snow is piled so high that the only way to their house is through the garage.

We "fell" into bed at their house.  It has been a long few weeks...or was that months....and another long drive ahead.  But how blessed we have been to see so many people and have so many adventures.