Eastman Family: Grandma's fourth week in Georgia/Iowa City

Finally I am updating the week of our big move from Georgia to Iowa City! Busy, crazy, stressful week and I am glad we are almost at the end of another crazy, busy, stressful fifth week of unpacking - Next week is Mom's last week (six weeks total) and it will be a lot of fun! We are going to have a fun upcoming weekend - Friday visit Kalona: Donut Bakery, Jazz Concert/Ice Cream and treating mom to Red Lobster, Fourth of July weekend in Booneville with the Barber's a Fourth of July Parade, Fireworks and good food. Drew has Monday off so we are going to go wake boarding at Coralville Lake! Nauvoo Pageant and Lots of Site Seeing before mom leaves!

Monday
Packed
Ran Errands
Got a Pumpkin Spice and Peanut Butter organic cookies and a mango, kiwi, strawberry, papya smoothie from Smoothie King
Came home and had a wonderful visit from a good friend, Becky Hairr.
Went Wakeboarding with our Home Teachers Brother and Sister Holley (Clifford and Rolayne) and their 18 yr old son Tyson.
Drew got Ashton up on the wakeboard with him for the first time. Ashton loved it.
Mom and I went shopping afterwards
Had a visit from Bishop Ence and Kim! Thanks for the 7 day photo CD of our baby girl! We love your family and will miss you.
Ate a late dinner (Taco Salad, Lemon Cake with Strawberries and Cool Whip)
Jaida was super cute at one point in the late evening no one else could console her but mommy. She just needed her mom! I love that she needed and wanted me. She just layed on my chest and slept.
Paid for our portion of the House Boat for Lake Powell this Summer
Submitted the Change of Address
Drew finished Clearing the hospital

Tuesday
Packed all day
Drew finished Clearing post
Setting up to rent our home, in San Antonio again
Mom and I went shopping

Disconnected our bills from the Lullwater Estate

Updated my blog and my mom's blog (officially caught up - I love that feeling)

Drew went wakeboarding with Ashton: His last time going in Georgia with all his friends.
Mom and I went to a movie Karate Kid, popcorn and a drink for a $1.00 and of course Milk Duds - - good movie!

Came home to nurse Jaida to sleep. She ate so well with my milk. I love this bonding time, but knowing I can also supplement formula and feed her on a bottle so I don't feel so much like a cow everyday. She is precious. She only woke up once at 2:30 pm. Drew got up to feed her.
Made a last minute list of all the things to do for tomorrow to be ready to move at 6:00 pm tomorrow night.

Sleep . . . Oh how I love bed time and sleep. I am so glad Jaida and Ashton like to sleep! I thought Jaida would be quite the handful, but it turns out she is just like her Big brother - - easy going, sleeps well and never cries only when she has a messy diaper and when she is tired and hungry . . . I cry too when I experience those things - - not a messy diaper of course.

Big Brother helped me feed Jaida today with the bottle. He also loved kissing her tons today and wanted to hold her lots. He is so patient with all the mess in our house, he has not enjoyed us packing his things, but as long as he has his wakeboard rope, helmet and board he can be occupied for quite awhile.

Wednesday

I woke at 7:00 wondering why Jaida didn't wake up, she was still sound a sleep. She didn't wake up for her 5:30 feeding. Two nights in a row - only one time waking up in the night LOVE IT. She is still asleep it is now 8:17 am. I am going to wait until 8:30 am to wake her up. She will have to get one extra feeding in during the day. Why wake a sleeping baby?
Packed and Cleaned

Weighed our toyota truck and moving truck

Picked up the 24 ft. truck

6:00 the Elder's Quorum in our Church came and helped us move

Loaded the truck, our boat, tundra, and car - things got stressful

Little Ceasar's Pizza and Cold Water

Thursday

Drew had an 8:00 am appt on post

Mom and I got everything ready

Final Walk Through of the Lullwater Apartment

We didn't get on the road until about 5:00 and had to stop in Lagrange GA to pick up the Car trailer by 6:00 that took awhile to hook up, and by that time we were all exhausted!

We headed North To Atlanta - East to Iowa City (14 hours) and decided to stop in Stone Mountain, GA at the Hampton INN for a good nights rest. We ate at Applebee's.

Friday

We woke and had Waffles for Breakfast and stopped to see Stone Mountain. It was a super hot day. We each got a Watermelon Icy Drink and got on the road after only a few minutes because of the heat. We oppted no more site seeing and wanted to stay in the nice AC.

The Goal to be in Iowa City by Saturday Evening 6pm

We stopped at Dairy Queen, a must on Road Trips

We had a good travel day

Stopped at the Holiday Inn and Daddy and Ashton went swimming. I had a huge headache, fed Jaida and went to bed. I was so happy to get an early sleep. I also love that Jaida has only

No dinner after all the snacking we did on our trip

Saturday

Felt very rested and ready to travel 9 hours

Had an interesting traveling experience driving through St. Louis, Missouri.

Saw a huge semi gas truck on Fire and barely missed being stopped for hours and hours because of it

Stopped for ice cream

We made our Goal. I pulled up to 1104 Emily Ct. Iowa City, Iowa at 6:00 pm. I was right behind one of the members of the Elders Quorum from the Iowa City 2nd Ward. They were there to greet and help us move in. We had 6-7 men helping us and our wonderful Aunt and Uncle and cousins (Don, Robin, Tasha, Eddy and all her kids) drive up from Des Moines (2 hours) to help us move in and visit.

Everyone was sweaty and super hot. Thanks Don and Robin for all the Cold Water!

Thank you all for the wonderful help! We finally went to dinner at Applebee's and went shopping at Walmart and got groceries, TP, and paper towels, and trash bags - a few must when you move in and don't want to look through all the boxes. We all took showers, got the kids dressed, fed and ready for bed - 11:00pm. Ashton only got about one hour of sleep this entire day. He was exhausted. We all were. And it was another good night of sleeping.

Sunday

We all slept in until 9:30 even Jaida and Ashton! It was wonderful.

First Sunday in our new ward 11:30 am! Yay for the new time!

We can see the stake building from our deck

Everyone was so nice and friendly at church - greeting us, welcoming us and saying hi!

I received a welcome folder in Relief Society - with the Presidency's information, a ward leadership information sheet with contact numbers, the Relief Society Roster and two packets of fun things to do and see in Iowa City! I loved it!

We came home and did a quick walk through of our house before our landlord dropped by. She also did a Retina Fellowship. She was able to give Drew some great information concerning what to expect for the next two years. She gave a basic run down of what his schedule would be like (Monday's are the busiest days 8am-9pm - and looked at me and said "this is good for you to know" she told him to pack and lunch and dinner for that day - Tuesday 8am-7:30pm, Wed, Thursday and Friday 8am-4:00-4:30pm and on Friday's she went in at 8:30am) Loved the schedule, not what I was expecting. Also for the first six months and last six months of his fellowship Drew has all his weekends - he will not be on call. He will be on call every other weekend starting Dec 31 - Jan 1st 2011.

We went for a walk on the walking trail behind our neighborhood, the high school football, track and baseball fields are also directly behind our neighborhood, it will be fun taking Ashton to the games. The trail is perfect - a walking, biking and running trail. It leads right to the Fairview Grocery store and Danes Ice Cream (Iowa City, local Dairy Queen - PERFECT). We have geese, ducks and cotton tail bunnies!

We love our location! Couldn't be more perfect. Super cute neighborhood with lots of Residents and Fellows and young families. 2 miles from the hospital for Drew, about 2 miles to our church, close to all major shopping and yes there is a SUPER TARGET just 10 minutes away in Cedar Rapids!! All the restaurants and shopping we could ask for just minutes away.

We love our new home. A yard and a garage and lots of storage! And . . . .

So much to do and see. All the local and surrounding county fairs, the Nauvoo Pageant begins July 6th, Jazz concerts and movies in the park, Coralville lake . . . it will be a good Summer! I am also excited Chicago is only 4 hours away another great city with lots of things to do and see. I am also going to look into getting my Master's in Art History.

We also had our first Thunderstorm, rainstorm last night! The wind was blowing hard and the thunder was loud. I loved it. The weather was beautiful today - breezy, no humidity, 80's and beautiful storm clouds in the sky. I love the Midwest, big blue skies, and the greenest green, so fresh and beautiful countrysides!