First... We said our goodbyes at Crossfire, the church that has been home for 16 years.
I arrived to this ...
Lunch was as Ukrainian as it could be, which was an awfully nice touch.
And there were all kinds of tearful and joyful moments and gifts and hugs and prayers. It was a fantastic, truly meaningful day, one which we will never forget.
The next day ... Spike packed ...
I headed to Montreal, not to begin at our new church (that wouldn't happen for another couple of weeks), but for some meetings that had been scheduled months before. As it turned out, the meetings were just a block away from our new church, so I snuck in to see the place. Which was rather fun, since they had just moved back in after a year of renovations.
The next day ... Back to Hamilton, late evening.
The next day, early morning ... Moving truck came to take our stuff to Montreal, but since it apparently takes a moving truck six days to travel six hours, we stayed in town a little bit longer. At my parents' home. Here's a little throwback from the pics on THEIR shelves.
During that time we put our house on the market, because all of our well-laid plans to rent it had fallen apart just a few days before, due to unexpected insurance complications. Trust me, you don't want to hear THAT story. Dad helped us finish emptying and cleaning the place.
The house sold Saturday night ... we left Sunday morning for Montreal.
Truck was to arrive Monday, which meant Tuesday, and although we had determined we would be fine in an empty apartment with our coffee maker and air mattress, we bailed out to a hotel the second night after we had to refill the air mattress at 4 AM the first night.
Stuff arrived ... Unpacked, stored, organized and threw out all the "stuff" that had been mashed into boxes. Worked soooooo hard to fit it all into compact space.
Then discovered I had completely forgotten to put anything in this cupboard. It was like early Christmas when I discovered that space, let me tell you.
But the blinds were back ordered (still are, for the most part). We improvised.
Saturday we got cable and Internet installed - oh happy day. Sunday I went for a walk while Spike watched football.
Saw all this on my walk. Whoa! Cette ville est très belle!!!!
Monday, moved into my new office, met staff, and spent the next several days absorbing boatloads of information.
Off Friday, off Saturday (What is this thing called two days off in a row? Is this how the rest of you live? It's LOVELY!) Sunday - spoke at three services in a row, lunch, board meeting, social event for all the leaders, their spouses, and us. They did a pantry shower! Boatloads of food to fill our cupboards! How great is that?!
Monday... worked all day, then Spike picked me up, and we drove to Toronto where I had several days of meetings. Meanwhile he went on to Hamilton to do the LAST final cleanups at the house. Thursday night I joined him and Friday morning – I graduated!
Yaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!
My parents and their Resident Princess came too. :)
Saturday, we took the car FULL of things from what we had been so sure was an empty house when we left the first time, and drove back to Montreal. Pulled up in front of our apartment building, where the doorman – we have a doorman now – came out and said with a smile...
"welcome home."
We are home.
