So...just to preface this post...it has been forever since I have put a post up. Reason for this...my computer with all my pictures and all that fun stuff decided it hated me and died...well kinda...the screen died. Since that tragic event, Joseph has recovered most of my stuff off of it and now I can begin to blog once again...muahahahahaha!!!!!
So here we go...
Back in October-ish of last year I had been accepted into BYU-Idaho, and I was super excited to be going back to school. I found out that I would begin classes during January of 2011, and that was when Joseph needed to be back to school as well for his classes. So, shortly after Christmas, and right before New Year's, Joseph and packed up all of our earthly belongings that were in our little apartment and packed what we could into a U-Haul trailer and the back of our car, and what we couldn't fit we sent over to our parents' homes for safe storage.
After saying all of our good-byes...and with one last look at the weather channel...we headed out west. Sadly, we didn't get very far that day. About an hour-ish from the Minnesota-North Dakota border we got caught in a nasty winter storm of ice and snow. After a lot of tears and frayed nerves, we pulled (or rather was kind of towed) off the highway in a little place called Fergus Falls, MN and checked into a hotel, hoping the storm would blow over during the night and that the highways would be clean come morning. Well, we had high hopes, but we were disappointed.
We woke up the next morning and looked out the window to see snow drifts that came to the middle of our hotel window. The wind was nasty, and in watching the news we found that all the roads around us had been closed...so there was no way we were going to be getting out that day. We ended up staying in that hotel for three whole days...with nothing to do but watch TV and wonder when the weather was going to clear up.
Finally, we got to say good-bye to Fergus Falls and were able to continue our journey to Idaho. We made progress that day. We made it all the way through North Dakota. We had to travel slowly becuase of the trailer that we were pulling with our car, so the trip was very slow going.
We were planning to drive straight through that day and pull into Rexburg early the next day, but just as we got to the other side of North Dakota we ran into another snow storm. It was blinding and we couldn't see very clearly, so again we pulled off in a little town called Beach, ND. We stayed at this interesting little motel that seemed to me, very out dated. It was the only place to stay so that is where we stopped for the night.
Needless to say, my nerves were all but gone by now, but that next morning we got up early and hit the road again. We took our time and drove carefully with our car and trailer. That day we passes through all the mountain passes and had quite a few scares with almost running out of gas several times. I can honestly say that I don't know of any other time that I prayed more than that day...I'm pretty sure the whole day was one big, long prayer. Joseph was pretty wonderful, I have to admit. After that first day I refused to drive the car because I had had a panic attack while driving during that first storm. So, Joseph drove the rest of the way...what a trooper!!
By some miracle, Joseph and I pulled into Rexburg late that night. I was so happy that I just about cried. We were at the end of our journey. We had made it to Rexburg, alive, and with all of our stuff. I was so grateful for the safety that we had had during our journey.
Upon arrival at our new apartment, we paid the landlord the first month of rent and then set to unpacking our stuff. Our downstairs neighbor and several other friends that we had in Rexburg showed up to help us get all of our things into our new apartment. It was so nice to be able to crawl into our own bed that night and really, truly sleep. Our epic adventure was done...we had made it!!!
Over the next couple of days we balanced classes, homework, and the great task of setting up our new place. We finally got that all done, and now we are so happy with our new home!!!
It was so funny to watch him come home everyday after he ordered the sword. He would run up to the door to see if we had a package sitting outside our apartment. I tell ya, it was just like watching a little kid at Christmas time. When Glamdring finally arrived, he opened it and then just stared at it...it was so funny to watch him. Joseph then promptly got the wall piece mounted on the wall, and now we have about a 5ish foot sword hanging on our wall in our living room.
When the sword first came Joseph carried it all over the apartment with him, I think he felt tough with it...I don't know. He would sit at the table and do his homework with Glamdring resting on his lap. When we would watch the Lord of the Rings movies he would take it down off the wall and just hold it. Sigh...I did have to draw the line with bringing it into the bedroom at night. I told him I would take my chances with any orcs and goblins that might break into the house :) 
My favorite thing is when we have people over to our house that have never been before. We get one of two reactions, they either just stare at it and don't say anything but continue to stare at it, or they ask, "Is that a sword on your wall?" Joseph is always more than happy to get it down from the wall and talk all about it, and he even lets some people hold it.
