We started the packing process months before 29 June 2012, the day we picked up the UHaul and auto transport from the Woodbridge UHaul (note: they are some of the nicest people around). By February we pretty much "knew" we would be moving, though it didn't become official until around May. The time allowed us to continue to review what we needed, what we wanted, what we could donate, etc. Afterall, the way we met and merged lives happened quickly, very quickly which meant a lot of "stuff" was in our place.
Fast forwarding.
We started the morning off at Dunkin' Donuts by Lowe's and Taste of Tandoor on Minnieville Road before heading to UHaul. The plan was to be there, waiting, at 0630. We arrived shortly before 0700 and there was a line already, which wasn't too surprising, as it was the end of the month and a Friday.
By 0750 we were home and the UHaul was ready to be loaded. We were scheduled to pick up the Mormonaires (Mormon missionaries) near 1000, which left us 2 hours to make a dent in the loading process.
We had prayed for cool, temperate weather, but were blessed with extreme heat and humidity. As a result, we loaded furniture smoothly and smartly. We took frequent breaks. We made time to communicate with each other, as to avoid heat-induced personality flare ups. Perhaps the best moment was when Scott said to me, "I understand that 'please and thank you' are a part of everything you say or request. If you don't say them, I know they are there. Just be you." Aw..
With that mentality and focus, we accomplished a lot in 2 (plus) hours (we were a bit late getting to the Mormonaries). We had all of the major furniture in and stacked as we had thought best, and were working on some minor stuff. Success.
Scott went to pick up the 2 Elders and I decided I needed to rest (afterall, if Scott wasn't lifting stuff, neither was I, I thought). Let me note here that the only pieces of advice and caution I was given about moving when 20-ish weeks pregnant were: don't walk on ladders, be smart, and listen to your body. They were shared by our favorite NP at our OB who had moved late in both of her pregnancies thanks to the Army and her husband.
Scott and the Mormonaries were back by 1045. Thankfully we had a team assembled of 3 Navy Brats and 1 Airforce Brat, and all understood what moving and loading day meant. The AF brat was a tall kid, and the first day we'd met him. Basically, he was looking for a good work out, and in between hauling boxes, he'd do crunches and ab work if he was left to sit around. Perfect!
Fast forwarding again.
Our goal was to everything loaded and everyone home by 1400. Fail. We had the truck loaded by 1330 and had everyone home by 1445. There were times when we had to make decisions on "keep" or "no keep" and it was a challenge a few times. We had a 14 foot truck, and I knew it would not all fit.
Scott reassured me it would. I trusted him. He believed in his ability to "tetris" it, and to his credit, he did an amazing job. Still, some tough decisions were made on the keep-not keep list. He did all he could, and I (to my credit) avoided control freak mode and stayed in the apartment once the Mormonaries were there. I kept myself as cool as possible, and sent the men out a few times when I needed supplies (and for them to get Gatorade- why didn't we think of that before?).
While the weather was not what we prayed for, we received exactly what we needed. We had brilliant teamwork, understanding by all, laughter, stories, and good pizza at the end. More than anything, we trusted each other and that lead a long ways.
Scott and I felt pretty solid by the time we delivered the Mormonaries home. We had a bit more "little" packing to do the next day and some Jeep stuff, but we were okay.
We enjoyed a Friday night dinner with Daniel and some amazing conversation before returning home to that "little bit" of packing that remained, and more air conditioning of course.
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