Packing, Packing & More Packing

Well, 1 word pretty much sums up our week... Packing!!  Gary and my mom have worked very hard this week packing and then I've helped out at night when I could.

We got quite a hail storm here Friday night. We had hail bitter than golf balls and the winds were terrible. We got about 1.5 inches of rain in under an hour....it just poured. Our garage was full of boxes but we got everything moved out to get the pickup in, but my car got a bunch of hail dents. We thought too late that we are watching our neighbors house who moved and we could have put our car in their empty garage...oh well. It could always be worse.

We went to the farm on Sunday. We stopped and visited Grandpa Paul and Dobbie. Then we went out to the farm to pick up John's horse trailer. We got to visit with Gary's parents and had supper with them. Then we came home and packed up the girls and headed out to Hart Ranch because my parents were going to keep them and help out. Then we came back and packed some more.

Today we headed to church and then over to Aunt Bonnie's for brunch. Delbert & Kathy were in town so we were able to visit with them. Had a good time. Then we came home and started loading up more. Our friends Larry & Tera and their son Blane, as well as Blane's friend Tyler, helped us load up the horse trailer. Once we had most of the boxes cleared out of the garage, they helped us unload all the top stuff in the attic. I cannot believe all the stuff we have - it's just crazy.

So, Gary & I are headed to Grant tomorrow morning with a load of our stuff. We just pray we have a safe trip and nothing breaks down. We will unload and come back the same day so it will be a LONG day!! 

Grandpa Paul and the girls

Grandpa's Girls

Gary, Grandpa Paul & Girls

All our stuff from just the attic of the garage!!

Another Exciting Week in the Naescher Household...

Well, the week started off pretty uneventful and then on Wednesday Gary called me at work and said he got a job offer from Midwest Electric in Grant, NE. We were waiting to hear on a job from them on the construction side and this ended up being the original position he had interviewed for back in April. We were both disappointed when he didn't get that job. Gary said he really wants it, but couldn't accept it without me seeing the town first. I went and talked to my boss (who I had kept updated) and she said go. So, we took off Wednesday and drove down to Grant. It is 5 hours South of Rapid. We took the girls to the park Wednesday night and I found a mom to visit with at the park who grew up there so we talked for awhile.

We stayed in Ogallala (20 miles North of Grant) Wednesday night and then went to Midwest Electric on Thursday. The general manager came out and met us and shook Gary's hand. He then told Gary that out of 150 applicants they want him. It sure gave you goose bumps because we have been waiting for 6 months to hear that he had a job and we had our heart set on this one. We kept pinching ourselves to make sure we weren't dreaming. We need to rent and rentals are hard to come by so Gary's boss (Calvin) took us around to a couple. Then the general manager (Larry) and Calvin took us out to lunch at the local diner. They were having a Perkins County chamber meeting upstairs in the diner so Larry took us up there after lunch and introduced us and told everyone we were looking for a rental and to let him or Calvin know if they knew of anything. When we got ready to leave, Larry shook Gary's hand and said I'm excited you have accepted the position because I think you'll be a great asset to this company and then looked at all of us and said and your family will be a great addition to the community. Another goosebump moment!! 

I went to work on Friday to let them know what we had decided. My boss talked to the director and he said that they will start right away on finding my replacement and that they will allow me to stay as long as I need to. I was so thankful to hear that. We then met with our real estate agent and decided to sell our house. We had talked about renting it, but the more we thought about it, we think it'll be more hassle. Then also if someone would break our lease we'd be responsible for the mortgage payment and it's just too much of a headache. So, now we're hoping it sells quickly. Midwest would like Gary to start July 5th if all works out and the girls and I will stay behind until the house sells. So, Gary is going to spend the next 2 weeks packing!! :)

Then on Saturday we headed to Gillette. Brandy & Nick had a baby boy, Devon Michael, on Tuesday the 14th so we went to meet him. It was nice to see their family and the girls got to play with Logan and Alyssa. Then my cousin Holly's son, Landon, had his 5th birthday party at a park, so we went to that as well. It was nice to get all the cousin's together and we hadn't met her daughter, Jera, yet who is 10 months old. Then we went and saw Roger & Shirley's new house too. We got back to Rapid a little after 6 and decided to call our friends, Cassie & Joe, who also had a baby June 14th. It was their first, a little boy, named Lawrence David. So, that evening we went to meet him. We got to see 3 new babies in 1 day and now the girls REALLY want a baby. They asked if we could go get one and we said no, a baby takes 9 months to have. Malaya said - that's okay mom, we can wait 9 months. If only she knew... :)

For Father's day, Gary went golfing with his dad and Chris at 8. They finished up around 10:30 and it started pouring rain so they had good timing. Then we went to church and then out to lunch with my parents at the pizza place in Hermosa. It was really good. Then we all came home and everyone took a nap. We ended the day with a BBQ at Chris & Lucy's with her parents and John & Twila. It was a very fun day.

We have had quite the week and out of the past 4 days have spent 15 hours in the car. The girls did so good. Miranda is almost ALL potty trained. She did not have 1 accident through all the road trips. She is only wearing a diaper at night!!!  We are so proud of her.



Gary and his dad on Father's Day




Chris, John & Gary on Father's Day



Gary & the girls

Malaya made this gift for daddy at school

Miranda made this gift for daddy at school

Best friends

Miranda, Jera, and Malaya

Miranda holding baby Devon

Landon, Jera, Miranda, and Malaya

The girls took off their tights and decided to wear them as hats

Gary & I on Father's Day

Me, baby LD, Miranda, and Malaya

Gary and baby Devon

Malaya holding baby Devon

My dad and I on Father's Day

Grandpa Clark, Malaya, Eastyn, & Miranda

Gary has a JOB!!!!!

The best news of this week came on Friday when Gary received a phone call by an employer who offered him a job!!  It is with Electro-Test & Maintenance out of Black Hawk. He will be a substation technician. Everything just fell into place with this job so we are very fortunate. The ONLY bad thing is that he will be traveling. He will leave on Monday mornings and be back Thurs night or Friday and then home through Sunday. Or, he could leave on Monday and be back the following Wednesday (10 days) and then have Thurs - Sunday off.  It's been so nice having him home everyday, but I'm sure we will all get adjusted.

This week Malaya attended Vacation Bible Schooll at our church with my mom. Gary did go with her Tuesday though. She had a lot of fun and always seems to enjoy this week.

The weather cooperated some at the beginning of the week and we got out the girls' swimming pool. They had so much fun splashing and playing around.

Saturday morning we went out to Hart Ranch for their carnival. I won a cake on the cake walk and Malaya got her face painted. The girls enjoyed it. Then I got a massage that afternoon and got to go clothes shopping!!!  I have lost 15 pounds and didn't have hardly anything that fit anymore, so it's going to be really nice to have clothes to wear!!

Playing in the pool

They were having so much fun!!!

Neither girl is scared of the water so that's great

Malaya at VBS with a friend

More VBS pictures

She loved her princess crown she made

Miranda on a sugar high - notice 2 suckers!!

Our 1st Camping Trip....in a Tent!!

We decided to try and attempt our first camping trip without our camper. We did it all spontaneous and I was so proud of ourselves. Gary did all the work packing (well most of it) and we headed out Friday evening. We ended up at Bismarck Lake (near Stockade Lake). The actual Custer State Park campgrounds were full. We had the perfect spot. They had a great setup for our tent. We roasted hot dogs in the fire for supper that night and it got cold pretty early so we knew it was going to be a cold night. Sure enough, we FROZE!!!  It got down to 30 degrees!!  There was no way to keep warm enough.

Saturday morning my dad called and decided to come up and visit so we had him stop at our house and bring more blankets!  Gary made eggs, bacon & toast for breakfast. When my dad got there, we went for a walk around the lake. That afternoon we went for a drive so the kids could nap and then met our friend, Kevin, in Custer at Dairy Queen for some ice cream. Saturday night we slept so much warmer, but it also didn't get nearly as cold. Sunday we got up and packed everything up to head out. But, before we left, we had to do some more exploring. There were rocks all around our campsite and the girls loved climbing on them!!

It was so good to spend some time together as a family. We played frisbee, kicked the ball, and hide & go seek. The bathroom there was one of those drop toilets and it was fun to see the girls experience that :) 

Daddy & Malaya eating smores

Malaya with smores all over her mouth

Just waking up

Daddy cooked us a yummy breakfast!

The girls Exploring

Mommy & Miranda

Mommy & the girls

Daddy & the girls

More exploring

Our tent

Look at all the trees the pine beetle has killed

The needles

Looking for firewood

There were these little squirrels that were around our campsite and Shylow woud stand like this and just watch them. I think they enjoyed teasing her

The little squirrel

Bismarck Lake

Memorial Day Weekend

After all this rain, we finally got a nice day on Saturday...so, we took advatage of it by planting our garden and re-doing our front planter. On Saturday night we went and stayed in a motel in town that has a waterpark. The girls enjoyed that and are turning into such fish!!  It rained most of Sunday and Sunday evening my parents took us out to dinner at the Olive Garden to celebrate our anniversary. On Monday, Memorial Day, we drove up to the National Cemetery and saw Gary's Grandpa's grave and my Grandpa & Grandma Hulbert's grave. In the afternoon, we drove though the wildlife loop and saw some antelop, buffalo, donkeys and turkeys. That evening, Chris & Lucy invited us over for dinner and her parents and Gary's were there. It was a nice dinner. 

It looks like there is 80 degree weather in the forecast and we are going to try our tent camping this weekend. We are looking forward to it.

Before Picture

Before Picture

After Picture

After Picture

Gary found 2 garter snakes in the yard - these 2 big ones were fighting each other and then he found a baby one

My garden

Gary's Grandpa's grave

My Grandpa's grave

View from Mt. Coolidge

Gary says I made a new friend and he turned out to be a jackass - haha, he's such a smartass :)

Baby Donkey

My Grandma's grave

Grandpa Harold Mortensen

Grandpa Lyle Hulbert