A minor

Packing It In

Thanks to Hollie's dad, we have most of our stuff packed. He started in the kitchen this morning, worked his way through Ethan's room, and just finished up the hall closets. I don't know what we would have done without him. He flew in Saturday night and leaves tomorrow, along with Ethan, the main reason for his trip. Ethan loves Granddaddy, so they should have a good day of flying tomorrow; plus, Grammie will be waiting for them when they arrive in Monroe. It will kill Hollie and me to be away from our little guy for the next four or five days, but he'll be better off skipping the cross-country drive this time around.

Yesterday, my parents had a going away party for us, which also turned into a birthday party for me. The Jameses, Leitharts, and Sumpters were all there to share the delicious coconut cake my sister made for me. Plus, I received some cool gifts: a bottle of Hog Heaven Red from the local winery, The Royal Tenenbaums soundtrack, and a set of Calvin's Commentaries. We're really going to miss our family and friends in Moscow. Thankfully, though, the Jameses are planning a trip to the Monroe area for Thanksgiving and my family is planning an extended Christmas vacation in Monroe, so we'll get to see them again soon.

Going from one going away party to another, last night the whole (small) crew from work got together for drinks and dinner at El Mercado, the Mexican restaurant next door to Kinko's, and we had a great time. I've been blessed with some really good coworkers in Moscow. I'm glad I'll be working with a good crew in Monroe, too - a crew that includes (Hollie's brother) Reuben and, most recently, Bart.

We pick up our rental truck on Wednesday and will pull out sometime Thursday. Hopefully we'll make it to Monroe by Saturday or Sunday. We'd be grateful for your prayers.