Email from Katie

Oh, Katie! These emails are awesome! It is so nice to know that someone understands. In situations like this it is bitter sweet to have life experience. My experience tells me that the last move was horrible and I survived. By experiences reminds me that it is still a long journey. I think one hard thing for me is that I feel badly asking for help because i know i did this to ourselves. Most of the time people move because they have to. Anyway, that makes it hard to get much support. I feel like I have to spend a lot of energy making everyone else feel OK about my move. 

I feel so badly for my kids. I can tell how emotional this is for them. And yet, they do not really have the words. They are being great, but there are days when thy get confused or sad or angry. At least now in AZ, I will have more time to take care of them and really give them what they need -- more mom time.

It is so nice to be in Arizona. But it is kind of like the extended stay hotel --- at someone's house, tricky. 

But all is well. I like hard things. I believe they make us stronger and help build lasting love and families. So, onward! Someday I'll look back on this younger 31 year old and wonder why she was so stressed. I've been thinking about our move from our apartment to our house in 2004 -- 22 years old and no kids. I was so stressed, so tired, and so lonely. What?! LoL. Again, experience helps :) 

Thanks for thinking of me! I'm going to have to blog this message so I can remember these deep thoughts of mine haha :) 

On Feb 11, 2013, at 2:44 PM, Katie Ragland <katie_ragland@yahoo.com> wrote:

Hi Jill!

I have been following your journey to new home and new state. It feels SO familiar (the excitment of a new adventure, the melancholy of leaving beloved friends) and it made me realize it's been almost seven years since the Raglands hit the road to grow in a new state. I realize you are going to be with family soon in AZ (requiring, I realize, ANOTHER drive), but when your journey feels less than fresh or fun, I thought I'd send my emails to family when our band of weary travelors were on the road...insanely traveling across country with a four year old, almost two year old and a five month old. Sound a wee bit familiar? I think Charles Dickens said it best, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." But hey, it was worth it. Love to all on your adventure! I'll be praying it goes as smoothly as it can.

Love, Katie and the gang from the frozen tundra

 

Road Warriors, Aug. 14, 2006

 

Hi everyone,

Greetings from North Platte, Nebraska, which pretty much looks exactly like what you would expect Nebraska to look like. We have completed 3 of 5 days on the road and so far it's going well. Today was our longest day and the next two days will be a lot easier.

 

But so far we have been so surprised by what we've seen on our drive. The landscapes have been unbelievable, from the desert of California and Nevada, the canyons of Utah (think Grand Canyon on a smaller scale) to the Rockies which we drove through today and the prairies of North Colorado and now Nebraska. After four hours of winding roads and steep grades and spectacular mountain vistas, it was kind of nice to get to the rolling and very straight roads of the Great Plains. But talk to us tomorrow since I don't think the scenery will change much between here and Minneapolis! 

 

The kids are doing great as is Dexter. We've found that new toys, car trays, DVDs and milk shakes make everything better. As do suites at night. By the way, minivans ROCK for trips like this.

 

Well I better run. I'm tired and we've got another six hours on the road tomorrow. So keep pulling for us. Hope all is well.

 

Love, Katie

 

 

Driving and Crying, August 15, 2006

 

Hi to all!

More updates from the Ragland traveling show (clearly it must mean we have Wi Fi at our hotel). Day 4 of 5 has been completed and none too soon. We had some car trouble today and by that I mean trouble in the car. Clearly we have been traveling too long for one mommy and one oldest son who clashed throughout the day. But the day ended well with swimming in Ames, Iowa (home to the University of Iowa) and a solemn promise for park time tomorrow morning before our last phase of driving.

 

For anyone keeping count, that is now over 1,700 miles traveled over seven states (California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska and now Iowa). Tomorrow is our shortest day, just a quickie (ha, ha) four-hour drive to Minneapolis to add our eighth state traveled. The terrain today was rolling hills and lots of corn. Nebraska has a lot of nothing until you get to Omaha (which borders Iowa) and to be honest, Iowa has some strange looking people but the state landscape is lovely.

 

I am really looking forward to getting to Minneapolis but then the shock of our move will probably set in. Yesterday we were listening to a Laurie Berkner CD that I remember listening to at Michelle's home as her kids and mine "Just want to dance" and it hit me so hard that that was a memory and not something we could repeat next week.

 

We'll update you once we're in Minneapolis. But pray for mercy and thanks for keeping up with us on the road less traveled with three young kids.

 

 

 

Ding Dong the Drive is Done, August 16, 2006

We made it! We are finally in Minneapolis tucked away in our extended stay hotel. (Hmmm, that seems a little familiar...) With a much shorter drive ahead of us, we spent the morning sleeping in and going to a park to play. It made a difference. So did getting to our destination. I could feel the kids decompress this evening and when we asked them, "Where are we driving tomorrow?" they gleefully screamed, "NOWHERE!" (But I beg to differ, I have to have my morning coffee...)

 

Gregory and I had quite a laugh this afternoon. When we crossed the border from Iowa to Minnesota, we announced to the kids, "Welcome to Minnesota!" The kids said, "Yah!" and then Ben really looked around, scrunched up his face and declared (in a bit of huff), "Hey, where's the snow!" I didn't have the heart to clue him in to what he would be up against in just a few short months.

 

So unbelievable to Gregory and me, we are at the end of the road. It was an amazing journey and it went so much better then we could have ever have hoped. Thanks for following our travels. We'll keep you updated as we close on our house (Friday) and move our furniture in (Monday). Until then, hope you are enjoying your own journey...

 

Love, the Raglands