I bought a one-way ticket to Florida.....

and drove almost 1000 miles back in in a 15 foot moving truck!!!

Woah Nellie. I kept thinking to myself "this is crazy! What am I doing!?"

Jason had agreed to stay with the kids at home for a few days so that I could focus on going through some things at my grandparents' house without distraction. I knew that I did not want to drive the truck back by myself, so we waited until my mom was done with school for the year so that she could drive back with me. It worked out great because then she was able to spend the week visiting here before flying back home. It gave her a chance to recover and spend some time with the grand kids, which we also appreciated since it gave us a chance to unload and unpack while they were entertained.

While I was in Florida, there wasn't a whole lot of time to just hang out, although we did get a few opportunities to visit and reminisce a little, and I did get to enjoy one nice breakfast/coffee right on the beach one morning. Most of the weekend was spent sorting, packing, moving, breaking down, picking up the truck, loading and labeling. Lots of work but worth it for sure. I came back with some very special things that meant a lot to my grandparents that now have found a new home to be appreciated in. Most were things that held lots of sentimental value for me as I remember them from the house I grew up in.

My grandparents traveled extensively and brought home many unique and interesting items from overseas. Some of the ones that I now have are from places such as Saudi Arabia, Italy, and England. My mom also passed on some items that she and my Dad bought when we lived overseas as well - when my Dad was serving active duty in the Air Force.

It definitely seemed odd to be moving things out of their house. Driving away in the truck, knowing that I may not see that house again, and knowing that from this point on, it won't be the same as it was anyway....it was really difficult. I try to remember that it's just a physical place and while it holds lots of memories, it's not what is important. The people in our family are what really matters and I pray that once this move is completed, that my grandparents will feel that a burden has been lifted from them.

As an added bonus to our two day road trip, my Mom and I were able to stop and spend some time with my brother and sister-in-law. A short visit, but great to see them nonetheless. Alan obliged my request for something (ahem) "stronger than tea" to drink once we got there since driving that big truck through downtown Atlanta had left me feeling a bit frazzled! After a good night's sleep, we were back on the road again for a full day of travel.

Overall it was not bad and other than an issue with the gas tank that was pretty minor, we did not run into any major snafus or roadblocks. We pulled up to the house and were greeted by three smiling faces - boy was I glad to be home and see them!!