A New Chapter in Kentucky for the Albertsons!

On September 9, we got a U-Pack It ABF trailer delivered.  We "thought" it was plenty big enough to move to Kentucky in.  After all, we had been getting rid of stuff for three months...

 Janet's cousin, LaDeana was there for the last kitchen packing

 and for the first large things to go in the trailer.

 We filled the freezer and extra refrigerator with boxes so no space was empty.

 The next day, we had a crew of 21 friends who came to unload our house stuff into the yard, and then into the trailer.  We started at 8:00 in the morning and finished around 4:30 p.m.

 We had good workers; even if some of them were small, they worked hard!

 About now, we realized it wasn't going to all fit in.  Rowen took the pick-up truck and obtained a U-Haul trailer.

 We almost had to bring Dr. Matt with us to Kentucky!

 We filled it completely and tied it in place.

 Closing the door...

 We had a sweet prayer time with our doctors, friends, and almost family-the Browns.

 The pick-up with trailer

 The ABF trailer left on 9-12.  It was such a relief to not have to do the driving for the big truck!  We did our part of the Johnstown house closing on 9-13, and the buyers did their part on 9-14 after we were gone.

 We started on our journey early September 14.

Emily and Rowen took turns driving the pick-up and U-Haul.

 We were so blessed to have LaDeana travel with us to Kentucky and help us get settled in.  She and I took turns driving the loaded van.

We stopped in Columbia, Missouri and got to see Lyndell and Sharen, Scott and Marlene for a little while

Then went on to Fulton, Missouri to spend the night at LaDeana's parents' house. 

 We got to God's Bible School Thursday evening, (Sept. 17) and had supper with Elizabeth and Jason.  Jason had already gone back to studying when we took this picture.

 We were welcomed to Kentucky by our friend, Retha Elger, who hosted LaDeana and Emily, and the Burlington Bible Methodist Church, who let Rowen and Janet stay in their guest room until we got possession of our house in Taylor Mill on 9-19.

 We had a walk-through inspection of our house Friday morning...

 went to Cracker Barrel for lunch...

 tried out the rockers at Cracker Barrel...

 and closed on our Stone Hill Drive house that afternoon.

Knowing we wouldn't get in the house until Monday, we decided to take LaDeana to the Ark Encounter on Saturday.  Retha also went with us.  She has done some volunteer work for the Ark and also the Creation Museum.

On the Ark Encounter bus to get from the parking lot to the Ark

A selfie as we approached the Ark

 Inside the Ark by the door

 Retha made the curtains and pillows in this dining room in Noah's family's living quarters.

 LaDeana outside the Ark 

 Emily

 Rowen and Janet by the Ark.  This thing is massive!  It is made to Biblical dimensions.  There are so many interesting and amazing animals and displays in the Ark.  Our favorite was getting to ask questions of "Noah"!

When you come to visit us in Kentucky, plan on going to the Ark for most of a day!

 On Monday, September 19, we took possession of the house and unloaded the van and pick-up and U-Haul trailer.  We, along with Retha and Regina Stetler (Pastor's wife) cleaned the house and got it ready to move into.  We slept here for the first time that night on airbeds.  We ate breakfast on the deck the next morning.

 There were 14 dear people who helped us unload the ABF trailer when it arrived at 10 a.m. September 20.  These are all church folk from BBMC.

 A total stranger to us, Steve Craig, Volunteer Coordinator for the Ark Encounter, had heard that we needed help unloading because of an email Retha sent Answers in Genesis volunteers.  Steve was the first to show up and worked hard for us!  Retha and Regina were wonderful help too.  And what would we have done without LaDeana?!

 The truck was unloaded by 2:30 in the afternoon, and Pastor Stetler got back in town from Pennsylvania and brought cold treats for all the workers.

 The ABF trailer was taken away before evening.  We thank the Lord for the great help we had to unload, the safety of all who helped us, the answers to prayer about the trailer being able to be parked on our sloping driveway and that it didn't have to stay overnight in the neighborhood (which is against town ordinance), and that we had very few broken or damaged things.

 Emily, LaDeana, and Janet put together an island for the kitchen.  Since our new house doesn't have a "George" cabinet like the Johnstown house did, we named the island, St. George Island.

 It adds some much needed working and storage space to our kitchen.  LaDeana gifted us with the candle arrangement to add a touch of home before we got started decorating.

 She also gave us the Thankful pillow at our entrance bench.  We are Thankful for so much God has given us and is helping us with.

 Rowen installed our family name sign on the garage right away.  Everyone in the neighborhood knows who we are, and we are meeting them a few at a time.  It is a friendly neighborhood!

 On September 21, we had our first guests!  Jeffrey and Lesa were driving to North Carolina for a friend's wedding and stayed the night and part of the next day with us! 

 We went on a walk around the neighborhood the next day.  We found out there is no grid street pattern in Taylor Mill!  We ended up a long way from home and went to the city building to get a map to find our way back home.

 We enjoyed having Jeffrey and Lesa with us for a little while.

 We found a creek on our way back home.

 After the walk, we took our guests to Skyline Chili for lunch.  Skyline Chili is special because it is served on spaghetti, and has cocoa and cinnamon as extra ingredients in it.

 We had ice cream at Graeter's after the chili.

 Jeffrey and Lesa left from there, and we had to take LaDeana to the airport in the afternoon. We went to Burger King before the airport, thinking LaDeana would be flying about supper time. 

It didn't happen just like that, though.  Her plane was delayed until after 1 a.m. the next day!!  We were thankful she arrived home in Colorado safely, and that she was a blessing to other passengers who were delayed with her.  She got to pray for several hurting people.  We are so thankful for all that LaDeana helped us to accomplish by giving us nine days of busy life!

This is our courthouse in Kenton County where we have managed to get all of our vehicles licensed in Kentucky.  Elizabeth bought a Toyota Camry last week and it is already legally licensed here! All of our license tags say "In God we trust" on them!

 Karen has come over and had meals and games with us several times since Elizabeth and Jason moved home from the dorms.

 We went to a book release event about the history of God's Bible School on Elizabeth's birthday, 9-26.  Jason played prelude music.

 Jeffrey and Lesa happened to be back with us again on their way home from NC, so they got to enjoy the evening with us.

 Karen was dressed to portray a lady from GBS history.  Here she is pictured with a friend who has triplet 2 year olds and a 4 year old.

 We celebrated Elizabeth's 23rd birthday with cheesecake!

 It was special to have Jeffrey and Lesa here for the evening.

 A couple days later, Rowen, Janet, and Emily put together our new pantry cabinet.  We are naming this the Lutey Pantry after our friends, Jim and Pam Lutey in Johnstown who gave us a going away gift which we put towards this purchase.  Notice the microwave on the refrigerator.  It was installed above the range this week.  (No picture yet)

 Because of the Lutey pantry, we were able to rearrange and open more boxes of kitchen stuff that we didn't have room for before.

 Elizabeth's study space in her and Emily's bedroom.

 This is a strange looking moth that we found on our garage.  It looks exactly like an autumn leaf!

 We purchased this deck table and chairs and are enjoying using it.

 Tim, Brenda, Charissa, and Felix came for a few days' visit.  Brenda's sister, Audrey, got married on October 1.  This was after the rehearsal evening.

 Emily did a lot of work unpacking all these books and CDs.

 We enjoyed visiting with Tim!

 Jason played his cello for prelude at Audrey's wedding.

 Tim and Felix at the wedding.

 Brenda and Charissa in the center of the picture during the wedding.

 Audrey Stevenson marrying Chad Bladen.

 Jason and Karen at the wedding reception.

Earlier on the same day, we attended the wedding of new friends of ours at the Burlington Bible Methodist Church, Sam Kinnaman and Hannah Dickerson.

 It was an outdoor wedding.  The weather was iffy, but God answered a lot of prayers and it did not rain at all during or after the wedding!

 It was a sweet and special wedding.  Sam sang to his bride and they had written their own vows.

 All the guests were seated on hay bales.

 Our pastor and his wife, praying for the couple.  We love Daryl and Regina Stetler.  They are precious people who have already shown us so much love and given us much help in our transition to Kentucky!

 Sweet Karen looking over our deck banister.

 Tim's family in our back yard by our "woods."

October 2nd Sunday dinner with Tim's family and Karen as guests

 Rowen and Janet went to the Cincinnati Zoo on October 4 with Tim's family.

 Tim and Charissa watching the elephants.

 The flowers at the zoo were so amazing, even in October!

 Charissa didn't really care for sitting on the hippo.

 That same evening, Tim's family and Janet met Aaron and Lisa Profitt and their boys for a picnic at Smale Riverfront Park in Cincinnati.

 Tim, Brenda, Charissa, and Felix

 Grandma Janet loved getting to carry Felix!

While we were at the park, Rowen and Emily went to a Chick-Fil-A dedication banquet in the Reds Stadium!  They got a tour of the stadium before the banquet.  Emily has been hired for a brand new Chick-Fil-A restaurant in Ft. Wright, Kentucky, about 10 minutes from here.  The grand opening is October 6.

Here is a selfie of Emily in her Chick-Fil-A uniform.  We are so thankful she was able to get a job right away, working for a company that honors God and isn't open on Sundays.

 Felix is such a sweetie!  It was a very special visit.

 Emily took this picture in the entry way mirror of Janet reading to Charissa.

 Grandpa Rowen saying goodbye to Felix on October 5.

 We have most of our decorations up and our new house is looking more like "our home" now. We still have lots of projects to do, and more boxes to unpack, and we intend to paint every room inside as we get time. We are loving being a part of Burlington Bible Methodist Church and only driving 20 minutes to get there!  

As we get time, we will update this blog with our activities and photos.