Monday, June 22

Again, just the bare events:

Breakfast in hotel dining room went better as we were better prepared. 

Boys and I went to Jessi's house to play and visit. We visited and prayed together and I cried. The boys ended up staying and lunching there so I could drive van back to hotel for Ian to load it. He had stayed at hotel to organize and pack all the stuff in peace and quiet. 

Loaded van and car. 

Back to house to pick up lock box & key and had a big cry. Tough. It was tough. 

Ian and boys went...I'm not sure where...while I went downtown to the North Shore to Milk & Honey to lunch with Hannah. I cried. 

Meanwhile, the tension level was amped up by:

*waiting to find out total needed for cashier's check at closing

*waiting on tenterhooks to find out time of closing...or if we would even have it Monday. (We had found out Friday that it needed to be delayed. commence nail-biting tension and phone-book-tearing frustration.)

That's what Ian and boys did! Go to bank to make a deposit. We didn't have secure wifi anymore, so no banking-by-app till we're back secured. 

Hannah and I moved our party to the other Milk & Honey location, dusntown next to Miller Plaza. Gelato. A Cosmo,  a buttery nipple, and iced mocha were all consumed. We laughed. We cried. We emoted. 

I ran late and RaCeD to Ian's former employer to trade cars. Drove boys to St. Elmo to drop off at play date and back downtown to closing at 4. Ian raced to bank to get cashier's check and to closing. We made it. 

Signed all the papers. Left the title company. Cried. 

I drove back to boys at Susan's house and she and I visited, laughed, cried. Kids played. 

I loaded up the boys and drove to church. Ian had been at former employer doing one last walk-the-halls and dropping off his keys. We met back at church, hitched up the tie dolly, loaded up the car, pottied the boys, and finally were ready for dinner. 

What is the saddest possible dinner place to eat your last meal in your home city? McD? The Subway inside the Walmart? Nope. We did worse than that. 

We ate at the Sam's Club snack bar. Hahahaaaaaha. But here's the defense:

*we had both cried several times that day. Sam's has two choices for dinner; making it simple for tired people such as us. 

*inexpensive

*familiar

*easy access to interstate for the Penske + car

Finally finally loaded up to get on the road. It was late. We drove together as far as the beautiful Moccasin Bend in our dear river. The water! sky! ripples and currents on the water! More crying. 

Drove to LaVergne, TN (south of Nashville) with only 2 or 3 stops. One was for bottled water. 

J4 notable quote, upon realizing WE ARE LEAVING AND WILL NO LONGER LIVE HERE:

"I will miss <friend J> and <friend T>!" Cried. "Oh Mommy, my heart is breaking inside me."

(I am crying just writing that.)

We finally arrived in motel in LaVergne. So tired. Sleeping boys woke upon my parking/checking in, and fussed and cried at the indignity while Ian worked to park Penske + car. 

Finally, finally, finally all 4 asleep.