Well, who’d ever heard of a photographer who has a studio in California and one in Wisconsin and travels in between just cuz she and her family really like snow and ice? Well, not exactly the reasons, but hey, we do like snow…

In all seriousness we have arrived in Milwaukee and are settling in with just a few bumps and bruises. I thought I’d get you all up to speed on the journey by sharing my Twitter updates in a bit of a “digest”. So…without further ado (I looked it up, that is actually how you are supposed to spell it) . . .

June 7th-

Isaiah really hates change. Moving is change and so are his jeans. Brian- “Z, go put those jeans in the wash, it’s been 8 days.” Z- “I could just use Fabreeze?”

After watching Facebook videos of Jen & Mike’s kids Brian says, “I am glad we are going to be closer, we can be part of their lives again.” Amen to that!

We are gonna’ miss the “guys” hanging out at our house…(Isaiah’s friends)

Battling a lump of fear that keeps rising up.

Where to start . . . THAT is the question. It’s like eating an elephant!!

June 10th-

Thinking that my wonderful friend Crystal really is wonderful. She came over today while I was at work and painted my walls!! Thank you!!

Hey all. Don’t forget to stop by on Saturday so we can see you before we go! 3-10 at our house. Dinner at 6, worship jam at 8!

June 11th-

Okay, Miss Crystal and Thomas are at my house AGAIN today painting. LOVE YOU!! THANK YOU!! We need the help and appreciate it!

June 12th-

My blood is boiling…i am so ready to own and not rent.

Soooo tired.

Hey People who are coming over tomorrow to say goodbye, can y’all bring your own lawn chairs. We sold ours! We can make tables outta boxes.

Now is the perfect time to PANIC!!

June 13th-

Behind our dryer = eeew!!

Hanging out with my California peeps…saying goodbye. and

Jamming and singing old loved worship songs with dear old friends… And trying not to cry.

June 14th-

The tears have started…and may keep flowing until we hit Montana or so . . . but that is not for many days…

Wondering where the packing fairies have all gone!!?

June 15th-

A shovel and a rake and a strong back…

If any of my friends are available to help pack or to take Lydia today you would be a life-saver!!!

Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? Seriously!! Take Bug for an ice cream? Come over and pack some dishes?? We’ll feed you dinner!!

Overwhelmed.

Adorable 3 year old. Potty Trained, cute, reasonably well behaved…going once…going twice…

To take the odd socks or not to take. That is the question.

In packing hell.

Okay, would you call me crazy if I told you that the moving truck comes tomorrow at 8 am & I allowed my children to have a triple sleepover?

I just realized something…last week we had our last dinner together around our table as a family in this house. I didn’t even notice.

Wondering if it’s possible to accidentally seal the packing tape in a moving box?

Using the sleepover to my advantage: I put a four dollar bounty on the tape despenser. LoL

June 16th-

The girls are giggling like crazy…and they really need to go to sleep. But I can’t bring myself to end “the last sleepover”.

Despite all my planning…I think this is gonna be an all-nighter. Ugh!!

Movers on their way… Packing not all done…Kids…everywhere…Lydia…wrapping herself with scotch tape…me…ignoring it.

Movers have arrived.

Unattended 3 year old came to me with SIX open Popsicle in her hands. Later she came in and showed me how to paint her arms with them.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!!

Are we done yet???????

Seeing a glimmer of light…

I think we hired the slowest moving company in the universe; they are still at it!! (10pm)

Ok now the mover tells us that our stuff is WAY more than they estimated…$3800 turns into $10,000!! Pray for us.

June 17th-

I will trust that it is all in God’s hands; no matter how it ends.

Wow. I am TIRED!!

Heading to Starbucks with Brian to find food and regroup after a crazy day.

Somehow, the months have turned to weeks, the weeks into days, the days into hours. . .

Profoundly tired.

I need a drink.

Ahhh… That was yummy. And hanging out with the Frazee’s was even better.

June 18th-

My friends made me feel loved today; crystal, kevin, Jen- you rock!!

Sheesh!! Are we ever gonna leave??

Just pulled away from our life, our friends and nearly 10 years of “home”. Hard, sad day.

I think Bug is a bit confused; we stopped by my studio on the way outta town. Her: THIS is ’sconsin??? We can’t live HERE! LOL

Gonna catch you up: round about Stinson beach a sense of peace and relief washed over us. The amazing scenery of the CA coast helped.

Next, enjoyed shooting some photos with Tyler, who is having fun with my old 5D. Plenty to capture on this journey.

A few hours later Lydia announced that she “Didn’t feel much good.” then got carsick all over the van and herself.

After we got things reasonably mopped up and started down the road again we heard a kid yell “Dad,stop!!”

We looked back on the dark, narrow hwy 1 and saw our belongings strewn across it!! I’d left the hatch open!! We were like National Lampoons!

So tired after 4 grueling days of “moving” & adventure we didn’t go much further. Too tired to even get a hotel we just stopped & slept in the van.

June 19th-

Goodbye California! Hello Oregon!

Totally washed Bug’s hair in the bathroom sink at McDonalds. LOL She smelled.

Finally leaving the coast. Hwy 5 = fewer turns & less carsickness. But the coast was worth it all!

Ahhh… So very close to sleeping in a bed!! Oh, and a blessed shower!!!

June 20th-

On the last leg of part-one of our cross-country move. So far, kids have been fabulous. Fingers crossed.

June 21st-

Found the source of the super foul stench in our van; Bug’s lunch box with on piece of rotting broccoli. Seriously, the stench was nasty!!

Spending Father’s Day with my father for the first time in 12 years. My grandfather, too!

Just went to church with a huge group of family. Sat next to Grandpa Bill; I am starting to remember why we are moving back to the Midwest.

Chris Botti with the Boston Pops is the theme song of my family’s journey. That and Jack Johnson’s Better Together.

I have the best extended family in the world.

June 22nd-

Headed to the Sound with my big ‘ole family and then off to Seattle to a camera shop for some gear, then to Bennihana with some family.

Aaah…starfish, crabs, guey ducks, anemone, and tiny shrimp. Cool stuff to see at low-tide. Off to the ferry and Seattle.

Benihana was super fun with grandma & grandpa. Lydia was adorable & ate her scallops with chop sticks like a pro. All the kids were good.

Teen-hood-ugh.

June 23rd-

Ready to capture some lovely images of the beautiful Rachel and her groom.

Beautiful wedding. Now…to party!!

June 24th-

Day 9 of moving adventure; finished wedding shoot, time w/ our wonderful family, gonna’ spend a few more hours & then it’s back on the road!

On the road again, just couldn’t wait to get on the road again!!

Life is a highway and I wanna ride it all day long!! Kids getting down in the back seat to Rascal Flats; love it.

Almost east enough for Taco Johns… Yum yum!!

June 25th-

Definitely east enough for lightning and thunder storms. Love them!!

Watching Isaiah & Bug sit on the hotel bed in the quiet knee-to-knee whispering & giggling. Ah…the best of life.

Lake Coeur d’Alene in northern Idaho is spectacular. On to the Rockies.

I love my children…

It’s actually a real treat to spend all this time together…even with the smell.

Isaiah & Alayna are looking for animals in the clouds over Big Sky Montana.

This. Is. A. Very. Long. Drive.

Getting closer; our windshield is covered in bug guts.

June 26th-

Driving across North Dakota is like driving on a treadmill; forever.

Just counting up the hours we will have been in the car when we pull in the driveway of our new house on Sunday; 55 hours!! Hehehe…

Closer yet; in SJ if I want a cup of ice you pay for the cup. I took a cup of ice to pay and she said, “oh, just take that sweetie”

Just had the pleasure of viewing the world’s largest concrete buffalo- sa-weet, is all I can say…

The sweet smell of a Midwestern thunderstorm does this girl good.

Watching a lightning storm out the windows of the van with my children…aaah!

June 27th-

Everyone needs a cousin to play with.

Realized somewhere in North Dakota that Brian and I have not really talked this whole trip. At. All. Too worn out. I said, “We should talk or something.” We tried for a minute or two…and gave up. The quiet is a gift.

June 28th-

Started my day with Bug & my niece Natalie snuggling & giggling in bed with me; it’s gonna’ be great to be with family again.

Last 8-9 hours of our 55 hour journey…almost there!!! (well, in 8-9 hours, anyway)

Layna & Z and I have seen 36 different state & province plates so far on this trip. Our goal is 40.

Isaiah just called his best California friend, Jacob, to chat. Jacob asked to talk to Lydie-bug; I am gonna miss that kid.

Lydie has this down after crossing seven state lines; as we crossed the river she yelled “Goodbye Minnesota, hello ’sconsin!”

We are one hour to our new home!! Funny thing; everyone is almost in a panic. This is a crazy-big deal and more than a little scary.

10 days, 55 driving hours later we are about to pull in to our new city. Sun is setting with a beautiful orange light…to a new beginning!!

Our new house is cozy and beautiful and OURS!! What a feeling!

Last night, as I lay in our new room, all I could here was the sound of the wind and the chirp of birds. Fireflies danced by our window.

June 29th-

At our new Starbucks finding food for a weary family. Kids are emotional wrecks and delightfully touchy.

Met the first family of neighbors. Very nice. No young kids, though.

Lydia is toast.

I think that our long road trip was one of the best things we did. It was a break from the work & we were able to process as we moved along.

Just found out it will be days yet before our stuff arrives. More camping in an empty house; whee!!

Spent time today exploring the river bank across the road w/ the kids; watching them as they played by the water made me glad we are “home”.

June 30th-

This morning we were making the grocery list for our long “camp-out” when Bug piped up- “Get a TABLE Daddy!”-Ha! the floor IS getting old.

Painting a pretty pink girlie room. We’ve always been renters & could never really do-up a room all cute; It’s kinda’ exciting!

We have a pretty little nest with four eggs and a lovely mama bird. One hatched just now, and Lydia named him “Elijah”.

July 1st-

Our new house was empty for a year & really smells stuffy. But tonight when I tucked in the girls the room smelled like MY people. Progress.

It’s been years since the bigger kids have crawled in our bed. Since we got here there’s been a pile-up on our air mattress every morning!

Good news!! The movers finally called and are coming tomorrow, yay! Pots, pans, couches and chairs!! Oh, and my washer and dryer!!

July 2nd-

From the sound of it my Kitchen Aid Imperial wood grain dishwasher circa. 1979 is trying to “take off”. LOL Add dishwasher to appliance list.

Reminder #15 that we are not in CA anymore: I painted the window tonight with the screens off and it is now a moth & mosquito graveyard.

Grrrrr…movers here, but we don’t have a bank here to get enough out. We owe $5500 & we’re short $2000. No money; no stuff.

Hiding on the floor of my closet; I cannot remember the last time I was alone.

Movers have been sitting on my lawn for two hours. They don’t start until they have every dime of our 10 grand in cash. Rolling eyes.

They found me in the closet…what I need is, like, two piña coladas!! Okay, three…

Ok, finally started moving our stuff!! Brian tried every possible avenue to access the money we HAVE to no avail…

Then God sent John, our Realtor, to where Brian sat pulling on his goatee. John loaned us the last $1500 and we are finally moving in.

Looks like a fair amount of damage.

Well…a few things weren’t destroyed…sigh. It’s just stuff. It’s just stuff. It’s just stuff.

I just watched 6 sweaty men birth a baby grand down our basement stairs; just a few rips & tears. I tried not to but I totally LOL.

My first clue that we were in trouble was when the truck that pulled up was not the movers we hired.

Second clue; when I found important parts of beds left behind & brought them to the foreman’s attention & he says, “agh, you have plenty!”

Third, the bill changed from $4000 to $10,000.

Fourth, we had to pay CASH.

Fifth, dressers came off the truck looking like they were kicked in by an angry husband.

I have no idea if we have any recourse; this whole thing sure sucks. But in the end…we got our stuff…mostly…and it IS just stuff.

July 3rd-

Oh, wow. After 16 nights without it, this girl is sooo appreciating her OWN bed. Yes, yes, yes!!!!

Never did find those packing fairies…maybe I can find some UN- packing fairies????

To answer the ?? The movers we hired were brokers, kind of a scam. They were called Beckins, we didn’t realize it wasn’t Bekins.

They sold the “job” to Serenity Van Lines… Who sub contracted Best Price Movers, who hired local Labor Ready workers with no experience.

Beckins, the original company, took a credit card for the deposit & said nothing about selling the job or that we would need cash.

It was made worse by the fact that our stuff got unloaded and reloaded twice and stored. Thankfully, our furniture is all cheap stuff.

July 4th-

Another sign we’re now in the Midwest- the Fourth of July is a major event!! Yay!!

Being here, watching all the local clubs, bands, firemen, schools; it is actually making me tear up. This is our community.

Lamenting to Brian that the movers destroyed all our boxes, his reply-”That’s ok, as a declaration of home ownership, we’re NOT keeping them!”

July 5th-

Made pancakes this morning and ate them at the TABLE!! Yay!

Got our first invite for dinner with a neighbor. (far more customary in the “Heartland”) Yay!!

The movers broke a part off the washing machine & it’s now been 9 days since we’ve done laundry. Beware; we smell!!

Dinner made in my own kitchen. No more fast food. Totally sick of it!

July 6th-

Went on the loveliest bike ride with my kids this afternoon. Loving our new neighborhood sooo much; waterfalls, woods, parks, bridges…

Brian & I attempted to go out for drinks…we both almost fell asleep so we gave up and came home. LOL We’re lame but working hard…

July 7th-

No t.v. No computer = good old fashioned fun & sibling togetherness.

I think I am actually mourning the return of the Internet and cable.

Our new home and neighborhood are really just perfect. This feels so right. I had much fear and trepidation . . . but now I know; we are HOME.

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So, there you have it. My crazy thought life for the last busy month. This has been a wild ride and one I will never forget. I will treasure this time, these memories, really, forever. Even with the movers who were pretty much criminal, the car sick preschooler, sleeping in the car, camping in an empty, stinky house, broken appliances . . . it was really a wonderful experience. God has truly blessed us . . . here’s to our new life!

**And don’t worry, my clients, I will be back in California soon, and often!!