Well, after months of anticipation and a little anxiety, we are finally here in beautiful Vancouver. I must apologize upfront for the lack of blogging, but its been a little crazy in the Wells household the last few months preparing for this move, getting here, and unpacking everything.
I never realized how dependent we've become on the internet until I had to go without it for the first week we were here. I kept wanting to "google" things to find the best place to shop, set up utilities, pay bills, email, etc., but was quickly reminded we had no way to do many of those things without an internet connection. Its hard to imagine how our parents ever managed to get anything done without it. Hehe.
Anyhoo...
So getting here was a bit tricky in the beginning. On Tuesday the 12th we had plenty of help from our ward and neighbors (THANK YOU!!) and emptied our apartment of 4 years in just one day. It is amazing how much stuff/junk we've accumulated over 5 years of marriage. Even more amazing is how Scott managed to pack it all in a 17' UHAUL. Halfway through the day the truck looked plum full but we still had alot of stuff waiting to be loaded. I was worried we'd have to take everything out and go exchange our truck for a larger one but somehow (by a miracle or pure genius) Scott was able to rearrange things and make every last thing fit.
The next morning Scott, with all our belongings in tow, headed for Ontario, Oregon to stay with his Aunt Paulette. After Oregon, he was only 11 hours from our new home here in Vancouver (Thanks again Aunt Paulette for letting Scott stay with you--what a lifesaver!) Shelby and I stayed behind to spend our last days in Utah with my sister, and say our last goodbyes to other friends. The plan was to have Scott pick us up from the airport in Vancouver on Friday evening. When planning the move back in May, I figured Shelby would do better on a 2 hour flight than 20+ hours in a truck. She was a great traveler in the car at 5 months, but not knowing how she'd be at 8 months, I wanted to be safe rather than sorry.
Unforunately, the last days I spent in Utah were not quite as relaxing and fun as I'd originally imagined. Shelby seemed to have an allergic reaction to my sister's new cat and hardly slept, resulting in a fever which didn't go away fully until the night before we left. I'm not sure if it was the cat, teething, the stress of the move or what, but Shelby was not her normal self for the remainder of our time in Utah. Her daddy says it's because she missed him so much. Thank goodness for my wonderful sisters Sarah and Melissa, and my awesome friends from Provo for feeding us, babysitting, giving rides, cleaning, etc! If it weren't for them I never would've made it through that last week. (Seriously--THANK YOU SOOO MUCH! I really can't thank everyone enough for all the love and support! THANKS AGAIN!!! LOVE YOU!!)
On Friday, Shelby and I said our last goodbye's to my sister and her kids, and headed towards our gate. I didn't know how to feel at that moment. I was too exhausted from the previous days' events to feel or think about anything really. The only thing I could think was to pray "please Heavenly Father just let me get through this 2hr flight with Shelby, peacefully" I was shouting hallelujiah by the end of the flight because she did actually sleep and didn't cry like last time. Just a few whines on take-off, but after she had her bottle she passed out for most of the flight--phew!
Nothing really hit me until we landed and I was getting off the plane. I had said goodbye to my life in Utah, the place I'd spent the last 7 years since highschool, and I was now in a completely foreign place. Plus, Vancouver airport is HUGE! I mean GIANORMOUS! I felt a bit overwhelmed at first, but felt good at the same time. As I walked to baggage claim and through customs, the signs were in at least 4 different languages and then I heard several different languages being spoken as I passed different groups of people. The anxiety I had felt about moving and coming to this new place melted away, and was quickly replaced with excitement. It was clear we weren't in Provo anymore, and yet it was strangely refreshing. Don't get me wrong, I am very greatful for all the experiences I had living in Provo. I loved it there, and miss alot about it, especially our friends and family. But I must say here in Vancouver the diversity and the change is really refreshing. I can't think of a better word to describe it. It's definately the beginning of a new adventure--a new chapter in our life.
And now, what you've all really been waiting for...some pictures of our place and Shelby since moving. Enjoy :) (Don't forget to click to see them closer mom!)
