THE WORST MOVE EVER!!!

I'm happy to report that we made it to Albuquerque and are now living in our new apartment. We are grateful to finally be here, especially after the horrible move! Things just did not go as planned with this move, at all!

Budget messed up our moving truck reservations. We originally scheduled to pick up our truck two Saturday's ago. But were informed that they weren't opened on Saturday's. So when Sean went to pick up the truck on Friday, he was not excited to find out the the 16 foot truck that we reserved was no longer available. All that was left was a 24 foot truck. I really don't understand what's the point of scheduling if none of it matters.

Sean started loading up the truck Friday night and then we spent ALL Saturday loading up the truck cleaning. It was such a horrible, long day!!! Luckily we did get a little bit of help but not much because it was pretty much the worst weekend to move. It seemed like everyone was out of town celebrating Memorial Day.

Sunday morning we drove out of Rexburg. We both got emotional leaving town. I had tears in my eyes on the highway as I saw the Rexburg temple fade away in the distance. We LOVE Rexburg. We have so many wonderful memories there. That's where we've lived the majority of our marriage, that's where both of our girls were born and that's where we met so many wonderful friends.

So Sunday we went as far as West Jordan, just outside of Salt Lake and stayed with Sean's sister Michelle and her family. It was just a quick stop because Monday afernoon we were on the road again. Our plan was to drive 4 1/2 hours to Monticello Utah. We went 2 1/2 hours to Price and stopped to eat. Then we got back on the road. Halfway in between Price and Green River (which is basically saying in the middle of no where) I noticed that our car was making a funny sound. I turned off the music so I could listen. I noticed that it made the sound every time I hit the gas. I tried to maintain 65 MPH but couldn't without having the car making that funny sound. Suddenly, I started panicking and bawling. It didn't take long before I couldn't maintain a speed of 50 then 40 MPH and that's when I knew something was seriously wrong. Sean was driving the moving truck a head of me. He realized that I was falling behind and pulled off to the side of the road and I eventually made it up to where he was and pulled over too.

But the time Sean made it to me I was hysterical. I was crying so hard and I couldn't even talk. Sean looked under the hood and realized that our car overheated and saw liquids all over. We knew we needed help but unfortunately we were in the worst possible place, we were in the middle of the countryside with no cell phone reception. After waiting awhile to see if someone would stop and hopefully have reception (no one stopped), Sean drove off in the moving truck to go find reception. He said he got emotional driving off leaving us there. Eventually he was able to stop and call his dad who called the police. To make a long story short, we waited on the side of the road for just over FOUR hours before we were able to get a tow truck to come. And then we had to make the journey to Green River. We luckily found an open hotel room (not the one that we had already booked for the night over two hours away in Monticello). Needless to say, it was a nightmare of an evening. Just imagine being left alone in your car with no connection to the outside world with a hungry, energetic nearly two year old and a newborn. Yeah, I felt hopeless.

Tuesday morning Sean walked to the shop where our car was and was told the awful news that our engine needs to be replaced!!! Just to get the part there will be so expensive and then there is the cost of labor! (Let me just add that before this trip we got two new tires, our brakes inspected, oil changed and the whole car looked over just to be safe). I sat on the bed in our cheap hotel room that morning and bawled again. We didn't know what to do. Sean almost started crying too. We talked about all our options including leaving me and the girls there until Sean could came back for us. The idea of being left there made me feel depressed and scared. Green River has about 800 people living there I was told but from what we saw the whole town looked abandoned and run down. Finally after talking to our parents we decided that the best option was just to leave our car there and figure out what to do with it later. So we emptied our car and squished into the cab of the moving truck. (This is when we became grateful for the goof up with the moving truck because the original truck we reserved only had two seat and the truck we actually got had three). Sean drove, Lexi sat in the middle and I held Avery in my arms. I had a prayer in my heart the entire drive that Avery would especially be protected. It terrified me that she wasn't in a car seat.

So Tuesday we made the rest of the drive. It was horrible. Lexi was bored and tired and Sean and I were stressed and overwhelmed. We made it to our new apartment complex around 10:30 pm. Luckily our managers agreed to leave the door unlocked so that we could move in that night. When we pulled into the parking lot we were greeted by five people from our new ward. I cannot explain how amazing it felt to have them there waiting for us so late at night. Pat, my new RS president hugged me and held Avery for me. She was exactly what I needed. They stayed until a 12:30 am and helped unload about 5/6 of our stuff!!!

Last Wednesday, Sean finished unloading our truck. An old retired man from our new ward drove Sean to the airport to pick up our rental car (We are so grateful that Sean just turned 25 and is able to rent a car). And then we dropped off our moving truck. It felt so good to get rid of that thing! Since then I have been unpacking and Sean has been getting to know the car dealerships in Albuquerque. We our trying to work with our warranty company to get the Elantra fixed but in the meantime we are going to have to buy another car (something we have been planning on doing but just not so soon). Oh and did I mention that since we've been here Lexi and I have both been sick (the throwing up kind of sick). Yeah, I was so sick on this past Sunday that I couldn't go to church. I was so upset. I had been looking forward to finally getting out of the apartment and meeting new people. I haven't really gone out much (lack of a car doesn't help and the fact that ABQ is in the middle of a huge heat wave doesn't help either).

Holy cow this is turning into a novel. I suppose I should end with something positive. Sean started his new job yesterday and loved it! And I survived my first day as stay-at-home mother of two!