FRIENDS HELP US OUT AND FRIENDS HELP US IN...

We woke up this morning raring to go. Our stuff was outside boxed and waiting and ready to be thrown into our 17 foot moving van. Up pulled several cars from Church and a bunch of really good guys got out and began working. We love our friends. They had come to move us. They loaded that truck as full as it would load. Rex, Scott, Loren, Kai, Kendall...we owe you more than the dozen doughnuts, water, Dr. Pepper and Sierra Mist we threw at you. You're all champs.

And then we took off to the new place, up the switch backs, through a mountain meadow, down a valley and straight to our place. It was grand. When we arrived, my son-in-law and his brudder were there to help, as well as FIVE people from our new ward (congregation) to help unload and schlep boxes and furniture and more boxes up stairs to our new digs. How wonderful. Two good friends (one is family) and five total strangers willing to suffer through heat to help a family of strangers feel welcomed and get settled. It just doesn't get much nicer than that.

Then my daughter Emmy showed up with a case of water and FOUR, count 'em FOUR huge pizzas! That put my measly little dozen doughnuts out of work right away. How generous. And how fun to see my girl walk through my door!!! It was a grand day.

We're back in the desert tonight. Working on packing up food, pots and pans, and other loose ends. We'll go to church here tomorrow and probably leave here for good on Monday...hopefully....

Anyway, we've got keys to the front door of our new place, keys to the mailbox, and a gate opener to get into the community so that means we're in, we belong. And I'm beginning to think there are no strangers anywhere, only friends we haven't abused yet. :)