Getting all Caught Up!

Wow, it has been a while since our blog has been updated and Anne has decided since I have never actually posted anything to the blog that it is my turn, so here goes nothing...On Wednesday October 29th I (Reed) started our family move east in a Budget moving van towing our car. I left the Bylund home at 6 am MST a little nervous about whether or not the moving van would be able to make it up the canon without blowing up. It was very slow going at first (only about 45mph) trying to get up to Park City, but the truck made it and it was still pulling the car. After I got just past Park City and had already used over a quarter of a tank of gas I thought "well at least it is all downhill from here." It should be noted that the night before I departed I topped off the moving truck with gas that cost $2.67 per/gallon; I thought that was a great price considering that when I planned the move 6 weeks earlier I had planned on gas prices being on average $3.35 per/gallon.) That first day I drove 654 miles to Lincoln, NE and stayed at a very classy Supper 8 hotel. (Anne here: This a picture of us saying goodbye to Reed that morning. You can tell he got an early start because of how dark it was).

On Thursday 30 October I departed Lincoln, NE at 6 am CST (Lincoln is the first town in NE that is in the central time zone) Gas in Lincoln was $2.29 and I was pumped to be getting such a great price but then hours later when I filled up in Omaha and paid a meager $2.12 I felt Utahans where really getting ripped off at the pump and it made me all the more happy to be heading east to greener pastures and lower gas prices. Anyway, that day was very boring. There is not much to see in Nebraska or Iowa and the first half of Missouri is not much better, but I did strike gold just outside of Independence, MO having to pay only $1.99 for gas - I almost cried (tears of joy and regret for all of the months I paid for gas in Utah). I thought no wonder Zion will be built here it will cost so much less with low energy costs. However, I did not stay in Zion long because I had to make it to the east side St. Louis, check into a hotel and eat before The Office came on at 8. My goal was accomplished. However, my Supper 8 hotel was full and as tempted as I was to drive across the street and stay at the Holiday Inn Express knowing that I would wake up well rested and smarter I resisted and saved some money by staying at the Ramada Inn which was a step up from the Supper 8 I will admit. (FYI-- I paid $2.19 for gas in Fairview Hights, IL that night.)

Friday 31 October was a great day. I slept in that day because, I only had about 4.5 hours of driving to do to get to Jeff, Tammy and Eli's house that afternoon and spend Halloween with them. After two days of being in a truck for about 12 hours each day it felt great and every short to only have to drive about 300 miles. I was great to see Jeff and Tammy again and as always I love being with Eli. The only bad part about Friday was that gas in TN cost $2.31 just outside of Nashville and I find that if you just spent $1.99 the day before $2.31 is not as exciting as it was just outside of Cheyenne, WY two days earlier. (Anne here: I think he meant to add that the other "bad thing" about that night was being away from Kason and I on Halloween. This a picture of our little turtle. We missed Reed, but enjoyed dressing Kason up and taking him trick-or-treating. We also enjoyed the annual Boo buffet that my mom does and a tradition which Tammy has carried on in TN.)

Saturday 1 November - the last leg of the journey east. I awoke early and was on the road by 5:45 CST with 667 miles to my parents front door ahead of me. At times during the day I thought the state of North Carolina would never end but after listening to almost the entire sixth Harry Potter book on my iPod, I finally reached Virginia. Once I crossed state lines I did still had about 2 hours to go, but it was encouraging at the time. It turned out to be a very long 2 hours with my book finished and nothing but country music and evangelical radio stations to keep me company. I finally arrived at 6:50 pm EST and was very happy to know that I would not have to wake up and drive the next morning. (Anne here: this is kind of a random picture of Kason and his first time eating rice cereal. We think most of it ended up down his chin an don the bib, but we all had fun!)

Monday morning when I went to return the Budget truck I filled it up for $1.89 it was beautiful.

On Tuesday 4 November (election day) Anne and Kason boarded there Southwest flight toVA. Anne say's that Kason is a great flier and highly recommends flying on election day, because both of her flights where practically empty. Upon arrival in Norfolk Anne and Kason where greeted at the airport by myself and my mom who could not wait another minute to get her hands on her first grandson. Later that night we found it very difficult to get Kason out of the hands of his Grampy Sloat so we could put him to bed. (Anne here: this was a great day. I had a lot of fun hanging out with my mom and staying with my family in Utah for a week, but Kason and I missed Reed. It was a happy and tearful reunion).

Job Search Update:

(Anne here: This is a very big part of our goings on the last month or so. We realize that we took a big chance coming out here with no job lined up, but now that we're here I have no doubt that this is a good place for us to be and something wonderful will work out! In the mean time we are very blessed to have a generous family who is taking care of us. Kason and his Grammy and Gramppy Sloat have some great bonding time. Gramppy couldn't resist buying this cute rain deer outfit for his little "pookin" (poukin is - according to Gramppy the masculine form of "pookie") We are also very grateful to Stuart who has sacrificed his room to us. He is also bonding with Kason and it is fun to watch him laugh and smile at his uncle Stu.)

Over the course of the last month we have been busy adjusting to Virginia living, looking for a job and finding a place to live. The adjustment and finding a place to live has gone very well, but the job search has been very slow although things are looking up and hopefully we will be reporting my new job by next week! In the meantime Anne has been busy being a mom and helping my mom and grandma around the house and is having fun looking for a house for us to live in once I am employed. I have been doing work around the house: trimming trees, washing the fence, scrapping the fence, and painting the fence have been the main projects and I am trying to convince my Dad to let me close in the loft upstairs but he is not completely sold on the idea - yet. Well, blogging has been fun, but I think I will let Anne continue to do the updates for the most part she is better at this sort of thing (Anne here: or in other words I have the patients and the time). Feel free to critique my work - I am open to feedback.