I'm just going to pick up right where I left off last time (which was the Sunday stroll through the Botanical Gardens)

Monday

We started out early, the boys and I, to take Nala to the dog park for her birthday; which she loved! 

At home we made her treats and celebrated her birthday, as well as cooked dinner, cleaned, and then made it to our first/last Mets Game! We parked a ways away and Cory and Emily biked to us, then put the boys up on their bikes and rode them to the stadium while we all chatted; that was the BEST game ever. The crowd there is SOOoo electric! And the stadium is wAy cooler than Yankee Stadium.

7 Years Young

Tuesday & Wednesday

Clean, pack, clean, pack, add in a little Cory and Em coming to walk Nala. The missionaries helped move boxes. Kelly buck had the boys over to play with Jack, and then some more Cory and Em helping us clean until 1:00am before  I had to leave that morning at 5:00am :( And just like that it was all over. 

That would be dog food

Goodbye Metropolitan

Friday: 1st day of the drive

On the road by 6:00am, we were making good timing until a little boy in the back announced his tummy was hurting (Maddix gets motion sickness). I'm looking around for a place to pull off when all of a sudden, "I'm going to throw... uuuPPP." So I hit the emergencies and pull onto the shoulder of the freeway. Time for motion sickness medicine. Back on the road. 

We drove through New York, to New Jersey, through Pennsylvania, through Ohio, and into Southbend Indiana. Along the way we saw a Bald Eagle fly right over our car, and had to pull over to the shoulder of the freeway in each state so that Maddix could rush out of the car and "squirt" all over the side of the highway; poor kid was miserable!!! Eventually we made up for it by taking him to Notre Dame Campus (His favorite team aside from the Y). The boys enjoyed running around and

... We even scored a private tour of the football field. Then we spent the night in Illinois. 

proclaiming, "I declare this Maddix Campus!" after I told him
where we were:) 

Saturday, Day 2 of drive

We rolled into Mason City around 12:30pm and it was raining cats and dogs! While the men (including about 10 from the ward) unloaded the truck into our rental Unit, Lori, Nala, the boys, and I went to meet with a realtor. 

We looked at two houses, because that was all he could arrange on short notice. He apologized for this, and i mentioned how it was fine, that we actually didn't want to buy, it's just that we couldn't find any rentals... let alone any rentals within walking distance of the hospital and elementary school. 

*Blessing About to Happen*

He scrunched up his face and said, "well I hesitate to say this, but I actually own a house that my wife and I were intending to sell; however, it meets your criteria and there would be some benefit to us to rent it out. If you can look past all the construction I'll show it to you." 

It was perfect. The next day contracts were drawn up and we now have somewhere to move. It's brand newly remodeled and we even haggled the rental price down a bit, and they're cool with Nala. 

This is almost exactly how we ended up in our house in NY, so I know it's where we're meant to be. 

After some lunch we hit the road again, separating from Vaughn and Lori who were staying in Des Moine to catch a flight the rest of the way Sunday afternoon. 

Two hours later, Garett and I wished we'd had Travis book our hotel further on because at this point we'd decided to cut the trip down from four days to three. 

*Another Blessing*

We got to our hotel and they didn't have a reservation for us. It just didn't get booked. So we ended up driving another 4hours to Lincoln, Nebraska where we loved our hotel and didn't stay for very long! 

  

Sunday, 3rd and final driving day

Back in the car and on the road by 4:20am. We just drove and drove. Through the boring nothingness of Nebraska, into the black-ice covered and snowy freeways of Wyoming, all the way until the most beautiful sight I'd ever seen: Utah. 

No exaggeration, after the ugliest drive for hours on end, pulling into Utah and seeing lush green mountains, wrapped around sparkling lakes literally took my breath away. 

Coming down the Provo Canyon Nala began stiffing the air coming through the vent and began whining uncontrollably. She didn't have to pee. She remembered home. She was crying and happy to be back. You could actually see her relax and smile as the familiar air rushed across her nose. 

We dropped Garett off, let Nala up front to get a better smell out the window (the boys thought this was hilarious), and made it to my moms after a grand 14hours on the road that day. 

P.s. We beat Vaughn and Lori home, who were flying ;) 

And just like that, what started out last year as this Scary, mystical adventure ended. Still mystical, still an adventure, but no longer scary; now we just call it home, and will always miss the life we made there. The family we adopted. The experiences we had. We are all changed for the better thanks to our time in New York. We are so grateful to our Heavenly Father for throwing that chapter into our book of life! 

Now we'll see what the next chapter brings....