A Year Ago Today ….

 

One year ago today we took delivery of our 2012 Winnebago Journey 42E.  We dropped off Parsley at my folks place, and drove our 1999 Dodge 2500, pulling our 28’ Cardinal 28RKB fifth-wheel trailer, over to Camping World in Hillsboro and finalized the paperwork.  That’s when the real fun began...

Our fifth wheel was parked door-to-door with the motorhome.  The sun was shining.  The temperature reached 88 degrees that day in Hillsboro.  Steve was stationed inside the fifth wheel, unloading drawers and cupboards.  I was stationed in the motorhome, as the “receiver”, thinking I'd find places for everything in our new home.

The true hero-of-the-day in my eyes was my brother-in-law, Jim MacDonald, who stood sandwiched between those two RV doors – out in the sun – taking whatever Steve handed him and handing it to me in our new home.  Jim went up and down the stairs of both the fifth wheel and the motorhome, as needed, to receive and deliver. 

 

I've always known Jim to be a hard working guy.  I probably never thought too much about it though.  Also, Jim has always been willing and available to help others.  If my memory serves me right, I believe Jim just showed up that day, in case he could help us out.  That's what my family is like.  My brother, Paul, had wanted to help, but his work schedule just didn't allow it.  Jim gave up his Saturday, his day off, to be of assistance to us.

I remember many feelings of that day.  I felt overwhelmed, scared to death, and also so incredibly thankful to Jim for being there for us – in the hot summer sun.  As often happens, we’d underestimated our own stamina and ability to do all that had to be done.  My back was in bad shape from weeks of packing up our old life, cleaning refrigerators and freezers, bathrooms, and hauling no longer needed belongings to the Goodwill.  Steve had been doing all the heavy work of cleaning out the garage and shed of tools and other equipment.  We were both incredibly tired and under the impression that we would finally be getting some rest once we got moved into our new motorhome … Talk about naïve!  We are thankful in hindsight that God doesn't let us see the future in advance.

By the time the move was over that hot day, my brother-in-law was completely drenched in sweat.  I do not exaggerated when I say I cried every time I thought about what Jim had done for us!  I don’t know how we would’ve managed without him that day!

Even after that arduous task in the parking lot, Jim went to my folk’s place and helped us haul boxes from their garage (our temporary storage unit) into our new coach.  I don’t know where he got the energy to continue!  I don’t have any pictures from the actual “move” that day, but I have distinct memories of Jim’s huge gift to us.

 

Today we will celebrate the anniversary of that day by meeting Jim and my sister, KariJane, for dinner down in McMinnville.  They are themselves currently staying in their travel trailer at a Dayton RV park while they wait to move into their new home – not of the mobile variety.  It seems like the perfect time to feel thankful and appreciative for both what Jim did for us, and for what God has brought us through!