The Great Move Part 1

     As you all know, I am moving...well it all started this weekend with a 4:45 AM wake up call on Saturday morning.  No, we usually don't get up at that hour on a Saturday but this weekend called for weaning calves and packing boxes....clearly our lives will always and forever more be dictated by the needs of bovines!  Who doesn't want to "mooooo" right now, just me?   

     Ok, well, our day started with Matt heading to Talpa to "play" with calves and angry Momma's and my day was all about wrapping, packing, and labeling.  You see, that girl that used to pout when having to go work cows with the family is now the girl that is downright upset when she doesn't get to go to the ranch.  A good visit with my Mother-in-law and watching my husband and Father-in-law do what most men dream of doing is the best way to spend a weekend, in my opinion.  As if moving isn't bad enough, I had to miss an always enjoyable time at the ranch.  Lucky for me, that will soon be my home and my everyday!   

So back to the move...apparently when you move to the middle of a ranch you have to acquire an address and apply for a PO box. (Certainly a change from moving into a new apartment and trying to remember your new door number.)  When I called for this address, I was informed it is called a 911 address.  Really?  Who cares if I have a need for an ambulance because my need for the UPS man and Amazon Prime finding me on Priddy Ranch outweighs any other life threatening ailment for sure! Am I right?   I believe the good Lord gave someone the great idea of on-line shopping knowing that someday I would fall for Matty and move more than 30 minutes from a Target!  

Well, now that my shopping is taken care of, the move may commence.....So around 10 AM my parents graced me with their presence and their HELP!!!!  Thank goodness because by this time I had already fallen asleep twice on my "red couch" (story to come).  The day was already strange because Duke (my sweet 10 year old puppy) went with Matt to the ranch, it's his favorite place to go, as well.  Either way, the house is lonely, even with 3 cats, without my sweet boy.  

My Mom came first, with Chick-fil-a in hand, as usual with any trip to my Mertzon home.  Maybe I can figure out a way for Chick-fil-a delivery at the ranch????  Hmm, I will think on that!  Then Dad arrives....in the 'ole box truck.  That thing moved me and ALL of my possessions to Lubbock in 2009, when my hardest, strongest, and best part of my life began until marrying Matty in 2012.  Wish I could find a picture of him in it then.....this is yesterday on 67 heading to Talpa! Our first load heading to the ranch!

 

This move didn't quite fit my entie collection of belongings....just my dishes, decorations, and some of Matt's stuff.....oopsy.  Either way, we made it, one box truck, Yukon, and enclosed trailer loaded down later with at least a third to half of our home to the new home, or sea containers for now, and our new beginning in Talpa, Texas!

After arriving in Talpa, I pulled up to our new entrance, got out in the freezing weather (first freezing week of the year and we had to move that weekend) and opened our gate....the first of a thousand times from now until forever.....or at least until I can get a new cattle guard or automatic gate installed :).  It was my parents first time to see where we are building, so the excitement was high!  Of, course they loved just the drive back to the spot......I was doing well, until I pulled up to a closed gate....one that is USUALLY open.  I panicked....attempted to call Matt and then realized I don't have cell service out here (something I already knew, but in my state of panic forgot).  So I proceeded through yet another cold, closed gait and said, "I have no clue if I need to close this or not, Matt always knows".  Then as I turned the corner.....there sat a Momma cow!!!!  I said "Oh golly no, I have to close the gate."  My mom may have died from laughter.  I think she realized then I was no longer that pouting teenager on a fence post, I was now that "transitional ranch wife" that has to open and close gates no matter the weather!  (Side note:  what happened to those days when Matt and I were dating and he jumped out and opened & closed gates when weather was icky?!?!  I guess marriage = forever having a gate opener!  I suppose there could be worse things.)  

So we pulled up to two empty (and matching, thank goodness) sea containers to unload half of our belongings, a feed truck and Mike and Debbie later, we had everything unloaded in just under an hour....in 34 degree weather!  How did it take a day and a half to load and just an hour to unload?  The mysteries of moving!  

After unloading, we all traveled about 3/4 of a mile up to Head Quarters....that's Mike and Debbie's house, for thawing out and Sid and Johnny!  My parents have heard about this wonderful casserole but now, they FINALLY got to try it!  Thank you Debbie for the addiction to tea, casseroles, and cakes.....I am forever ruined!  A good visit and a few pieces of easy cake later, we started our journey back to Angelo, the box van, Yukon, and Duke's Cadillac in sleet, mixed snow, and ice......

Matt and Dad traveled to Superior to drop off the truck and trailer, did I mention Dad didn't have a heater or a defroster and had to stop every 10 miles to clean off the windshield???  He is too good to me, I OWE HIM more than I could ever repay!!!  While Matt and Dad stopped and defrosted windshields....something they are good at due to a crazy trip to Austin, in route to Vegas last year...I need to fill you all in on that trip, as well.  Mom and I were in route to West Texas Rehab for more boxes.....Mom was a bit worried that I walked into Rehab on a Sunday night at 6:30 with a black beanie and coat on to "steal" boxes....boxes that have been saved for me, no doubt, but she has always been a worrier!   An hour and two chai lattes later our weekend of moving was finally at a stopping point and resting was all we could think about about next weekend.....when we will have another load packed up and ready for Talpa before a LONG trip to College Station to celebrate my younger brother Landon's Ring Dunk!  Some crazy thing those Aggies do....that is just too much fun to miss out on!  Until then....pray for patience, understanding, and continual laughs for this Priddy family's great move!