An Unexpected Blessing

Our May Plans

In Our New Plan, we shared that we’d sold our home and planned to move out before the end of May.

The two weeks after that post were hectic. We packed items for storage, sold a few more, gave as much to our kids as they could take, and donated the rest.

While clearing out the house, Andy was also looking for his next nursing assignment. We needed a location near enough to drive home the weekend before closing. He accepted a job in central Iowa, starting May 6, two weeks before we needed to sign the final papers.

When we left, there were a couple of piles on the sun porch for the storage unit and donation. The garages and the laundry area in the basement were not quite ready, but we planned to be back in two weeks to finish over a weekend.

By the first of May, our house was almost empty and ready for the new owners.

On Friday morning, May 3^rd, after attending the talent show at our granddaughters’ school to say our goodbyes, we pulled out of our RV port for the last time. We were heading to Ledges State Park in Iowa for a weekend of camping before Andy’s assignment started the following Monday.

A Muddy Beginning

It had rained almost every day that week, and the ground was saturated. We got stuck in the mud trying to pull out of our driveway. It took some maneuvering to get down our hill to the street. When we pulled into the street, the truck and RV were splattered in mud.

Ledges State Park also received several inches of rain that week. Backing into our spot was worse than pulling out of our driveway.  If we went off the pad, we would be in the mud. Unfortunately, there was no option for backing in other than to go off the narrow pad a bit.

Ledges State Park is located about 15 miles east of Ames, Iowa and we enjoyed our quick weekend there. We drove the Canyon Trail, did a little hiking and relaxed at the campfire in the evening. We talked about taking a day trip there after Andy started at the hospital.

A Different Kind of Campground

On Sunday morning, we pulled out and drove to nearby Boone, Iowa. Our reservations were at the Boone County Fairgrounds. There are not many RV parks with full-hooks in the Boone/Ames area, and this was the only one we located within a decent drive to the hospital. We had never stayed at a fairground campground and had no idea what to expect.

Our site was at the end of the campground – the very last spot. The manager had put us there due to the size of our RV and length of stay. There were only three other RVs in the park, and they were all towards the front. There was no camp host or manager on site.

The Week Begins

Andy went to work Monday morning, and I started organizing the RV. A tub under the dining table was the first item I wanted to move. When we emptied our dresser at the house, several drawers’ contents were dumped into this tub. I dragged it across the floor into the bedroom, bent my legs, used my arms and legs to lift, and dumped it out on the bed.

On Tuesday, I went grocery shopping. Andy needed cold medicine, and we needed food. My right hip started hurting as I pushed the cart through the store. I blamed it on all the driving we had done.

Wednesday morning, my right leg hurt, and I was dreading walking the dogs. The grass nearest our site was very muddy and crossed with deep tire tracks filled with water. It was a slow, painful process walking the dogs across the gravel to patches of dry grass.

A Tree Falls

While I was struggling to walk the dogs, our neighbor in Kansas City was sending Andy pictures of the tree that had fallen on our shed.

Remember that muddy yard that tried to trap our truck? Up the hill from that spot, one of our leaning locust trees fell over, landing on our shed.

Add that to the list of things to get done before closing.

Since there was nothing I could do about the tree, I spent Wednesday researching and calling the various mail services in Sioux Falls South Dakota. We had decided to change our residency to South Dakota after our house sold. We picked Your Best Address (YBA) and began the process to open our mailbox.

By Wednesday evening, I was using a cane to walk around the RV.

Thursday I spent a good portion of my morning with a heating pad and ice packs. In the afternoon, I drove to the library to use the internet. The fairground campground did not have WiFi, and I didn’t want to use all our data working on the blog. I parked as close as I could to the entrance and walked slowly and carefully, with my laptop bag over my shoulder.

Andy joined me at the library after work. He wasn’t there long before his phone rang. Seeing it was his recruiter, he walked outside to talk. When Andy returned a few minutes later, I knew something was wrong by the look on his face.

Unexpected News

The hospital had ended his contract. Andy has been working as a travel nurse since October 2017, and this was the only time a contract ended early. We knew that could happen, but had never thought about it.

We were in shock. Back at the RV, we discussed our possibilities. Rather than immediately looking for another assignment, we decided to go back to Kansas City to take care of the fallen tree and finish moving. After stopping by the fairground office to let them know we were leaving Sunday morning, we took the donations I had been piling in the RV to the Goodwill and ate at a local restaurant.

Getting Stuff Done

Friday we got our paperwork ready for YBA and drove into town to get it notarized and mailed. After another quick stop at a Fairway Grocery Store for Iowa chops and steaks, we headed back to the fairgrounds.

Previously, we contacted our closing agent to ask about signing our papers Saturday, May 18, explaining that we would only be in town that weekend. Because they did not do Saturday closings, we would need to arrange to sign the papers remotely. On Friday, I called our agent and set the closing for Tuesday, May 14, taking that task off the list. We spent the rest of the afternoon researching South Dakota residency requirements.

I also rested with a heating pad and ice packs, researching what could be causing the pain in my leg. It was like nothing I had ever experienced.

Saturday Hay Auction

Saturday morning, trucks pulling trailers loaded with bales of hay drove to our end of the campground. They unloaded the hay on the gravel, taking up several of the campsites and the nearby field. The manager had told us hay auctions would be held in the area behind the campground on Saturdays. Due to all the mud, they decided to hold the sale in the campground.

Out our side window, we watched as the auctioneer and the crowd walked from stack to stack, selling, and buying hay. Sadie stood on the arm of the recliner, watching the buyer’s dogs through the window.

We were blocked in and glad we hadn’t planned to leave that morning. When the auction was over, the buyers started loading their hay. About that time, we noticed horses in the corral near the restrooms. Sadie was VERY excited by these large animals and started barking at them through the window. Max was not interested.

After walking the dogs, and trying to contain Sadie’s excitement by the corral, we drove to the library to use the WiFi for some of our research and downloads.

A Quick Sightseeing Stop

Before heading back to the campground, we drove to the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad & James H. Andrew Railroad Museum to walk around and take a couple of pictures.

The next morning, we left Iowa and drove to Smith’s Fork Campground on Smithville Lake, north of our home in Kansas City. After setting up, we just relaxed.

A Very Busy Week

Over the next five days, our feelings about the contract ending changed.

Monday – The Tree

After looking at the tree, Andy decided to hire a tree service. He got two estimates and hired a local service for the job. I stayed in Smithville on Monday, doing laundry and resting my leg.

Tuesday – Closing

Tuesday we went to the title company for our scheduled appointment. Signing the seller’s papers felt good. However, while we were discussing the proceeds, we learned we would need to work with our bank to get the payment deposited into a trust account.

Wednesday – Coming and Going

On Wednesday, in addition to cleaning the house and making a donation run, we spent time at our bank working out the details for our deposit. It took two trips to get all the paperwork they needed and the accounts open.

Primo’s Lawn & Tree Service arrived Wednesday morning and worked most of the day removing the tree. We were happy with the results.

Thursday – Getting closer

Thursday, we were back at the house, once again working on the garages and basement. The next morning was trash day. This was our last chance to remove what we didn’t want. By this time, we were done with donations. We would be using several of the “extra bag” trash stickers.

Friday – The Chapter Ends

We were at the house early, loading our truck for the last delivery to our oldest son. Some of the items in the load were things they didn’t pick up before we took off for Iowa, and had planned to get when we were back. Some of the items were things they didn’t know they were getting. Ian told me to bring what I wanted, and he would get rid of what they didn’t want.

After dropping off the items and making plans to meet Sunday for dinner, we drove back to the house to load the truck with the last storage unit delivery.

Splitting up, I went to the post office to pick up our held mail and change our address to the mail service in Sioux Falls. My next stop was the Google Fiber Space store to return our box and cancel our service.

Andy snapped the final pictures of the house and took the last load to our storage unit. We were officially moved out of our home. The keys were left behind.

As the week went on, we became more and more convinced that the contract ending was a blessing in disguise. We could not have pulled this off if we have only been in town less than two days.

The Next Chapter Begins

While all of the work was going on, Andy was looking for his next contract. We were also making plans for a quick trip to Sioux Falls. On Wednesday, while the tree was being cut down, Andy was interviewing for his next job. Hired on the spot, his next assignment in Bryan, Texas, would start May 28^th.

On Monday morning, May 20^th, we left our RV at Smith’s Fork and drove to Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

After arriving, we got our driver’s licenses and the tags for the Subaru and F350. Andy applied for his South Dakota Nursing License, completing all the necessary tasks. Max and Sadie didn’t seem to mind all the stops. They received plenty of treats. We stayed overnight in a pet-friendly motel.

On Tuesday morning, after a quick stop at the local Grand Design dealer for the unloaded vehicle weight on our Solitude, we were back at the Minnehaha Court House to get the tags for the RV. There were no lines, and we were back in the car and headed to Missouri within 20 minutes.

A little after 3 PM, we were at our site in Smithville, unloading the car and getting ready to travel the next morning.

We are now residents of South Dakota. Our home is our RV. This journey would not have been possible without the love we have for our Lord and each other. We don’t know how we would have taken care of everything at our house if Andy’s contract had not ended, and for that, we are grateful.

We took our time driving to Texas, spending one night in Guthrie, Oklahoma and two in Sangeen, Texas.

Since we have been in Bryan, we have been working on enhancements/changes to our home. Our next post will include some of those changes. Subscribe to our blog to receive a notification when we post it.

An update on my leg pain – after struggling to walk in early May, I was still healing when we set up in Bryan. I am happy to say that within a week of living here, my pain was almost gone. I diagnosed myself with sciatica.