Moving: Part 3

Right around 1400 miles is the distance between our old and new homes. Caelyn was my sleepy-time driving relief, but the guys got no such luxury.

Jon has been a blessing to our family in many ways, and in this case, he agreed to drive one of the 26-foot U-Haul trucks ALL the way to Houston, help to unload both, and fly back to the 'burgh just in time to be in his friend's wedding... in Ohio. That's some kind o' tough.

This was one of our frequent stops for food/fuel/potty. Many thanks to Kaitlyn for assembling our sandwiches while I finished packing.
(We miss you, Kait!)

Morgan's even adorable while eating a sandwich at the side of an interstate highway!

We received the tremendous hospitality of friends in Tennessee. Truly, their homes were an oasis to us. At the first home, where we actually slept, the chocolate lab had a litter of puppies.
AH-dorable!
At the second home, where we enjoyed a delicious dinner and wise counsel, a calf had been born the day before.
I. Love. Tennessee.
If we weren't so thrilled to be in Texas, I'd be bugging Craig to take us to the Volunteer State.

This family really ministered to ours, and our children had a wonderful time talking, playing with the dogs and seeing the farm.
After a refreshing breakfast & lots of stimulating conversation, we were off...

... Sadly, after 20 miles or so, Craig's U-Haul had a blow-out.
But!
Praise be to God for His marvelous works!
As we approached the interstate, a torrential downpour ensued, then stopped & made way for glorious sunshine, just minutes before the tire blew.

We stood on the roadside of I-40, about halfway between Nashville & Memphis, for close to three hours. It was a perfect opportunity for family bonding & more stimulating conversation.

The dogs traveled very well. I'm sure they were relieved by our own frequent stops for potty breaks.

Rhodes wasn't the only one in need of exercise after so many miles.

I'm so thankful for Caelyn, who served as my relief when I got sleepy behind the wheel. Unfortunately, our three hours on the roadside created an imbalance in my schedule. This, in turn, made it necessary for me to stop and sleep twice when Caelyn was also too tired to drive. In the end, we arrived in Houston about eleven hours later than we had hoped.

BONUS:
*Having family in Houston*
We were pleasantly surprised to find that they had already been to our new home.

I love the sign they made. Notice Chloe's clarification of where "Home" is located.

And so it begins...