and, we're off!

scrub scrub scrub....

that's all I did for two days straight Monday and Tuesday.

I only got one more bruise.

On my forehead.

From the freezer door handle.

I cried.

Out of frustration.

It was a dumb moment.

I moved on.

It was worth every minute and tear and frustration.

The landlord was happy and the new tenants will be able to move into a very clean house.

I hate cleaning my own filth like that.

It's gross and depressing and gross.

Every time we move I 'swear' that I will never let _________ go again so that when we move, again, I won't have to spend hours scrubbing ________.

Last time it was bathroom doors and in/around fridge and the oven/stove and just keeping our 'stuff' level down in general

It worked.

Those few things were kept up and easy.

This time my list of things to keep up with:

Baseboards/walls in general and the outside of the windows.

We'll see....

I will also, from now on, always have an empty bag/piece of luggage and a medium sized empty rubbermaid for all the things the mover miss (because they always miss stuff...no matter how organized you are and I don't want to replace some of the stuff, I just don't)

Tuesday afternoon we closed out with the landlord and while we were doing that, Lydia walked around taking last minute pictures of our house.

It was adorable.

The girls enjoyed a day in our empty house just hangin'.

It was nice for closure for them.

I cleaned,

they helped some but mostly they just soaked up one more day.

During all that time we started the part of our trip that I am most excited about!

We are stopping and staying with some of our favorite people in this world.

Our first love stop was Johnathan and Liza.

As close to family as you can get.

We are connected, we always will be.

It was so so special to spend our last few days in Virginia with such amazing friends....

and yes, we are wearing matching necklaces ;-)

we are cool like that.

speaking of cool...the thing I love most about staying the night with people is you get to see the real 'them' and when the real 'them' is THIS adorable, I just want to stay longer...

I give you Liza...at 7 in the morning ;-)

I mean, seriously, SO CUTE!

Wednesday morning, Jan 16th, 2013, we loaded up and headed out on our next great adventure!

(in the rain...boo)

speaking of 'the real them':

Stop #2 were our dear dear friends/family the Groggs in Charlotte, NC....more 'like family' people to us!

this stop was completed with homemade strawberry donut holes, a homemade heating rice pack to go for my pinched/stressed shoulders, a muscle relaxer, some more yummy food and pure old friendship.

I was loving the feeling that even though I'd never visited her in her home I feel like I'd been there because it was just so 'her'!

the kids played and played....our kids love each other just as much as we do, I love it!

I wasn't kidding, she popped out her sewing machine and made me a heated rice pack for my shoulders so I wouldn't be without when I left.

My friends always blow my mind.

thank you Stacy, Eric and kids...it was an awesome time and a great 'filling station' for our hearts...

Our first day of travel someone had to use the bathroom 26 minutes after we got on the road.

1 hr later, someone else.

1 hr 30 min's later...someone else.

The next day (today), no joke, we drove 4 hrs 45 min's straight.

It was rainy hard, it was cold, no one asked to use the bathroom, so we just kept going.

and going and going.

We are stopped in Georgia for two nights.

Mamaw and Papaw are 'two night' worthy.

They held me as a baby when I was born...bam, two nights it is.

Actually, two nights won't seem like near enough time.

I can already see that!

So far so easy.

Not bad when your first three stops are people who fill you up to the brim.

We are overflowing right now.....

blessed.

truly blessed.