Loading Day/ 5 year Anniversary!!!

Some High School boys came over this afternoon to help us load the POD and my friend Julie took Alison for the afternoon so we didn't have to worry about her escaping. The floor of the POD was super slippery because of all the snow, making it hard to move stuff in. However, the boys didn't seemed phased by the challenge and had fun creating ways to get boxes to the POD. They used the lawn mower and stroller as dollies. I couldn't stop laughing at the sight of these boys pushing around the stroller.
They even put some stuff in the bike trailer and rode the bike up and down the driveway taking loads. I was really moved by these boys willingness to serve wholeheartedly and beyond what we expected. I had one box left to finish and by the time I took it to the POD all of the boxes were already moved in.
Our house is empty and the floors are a complete mess. When everything was said and done, we went to dinner as a family to Olive Garden (we've gone there for a lot of special occasions while in Michigan...finding out we were pregnant, last date before Alison's arrival, celebration of all baby weight off, accepting job at Hope) and enjoyed our usual Zupa Tuscana with warm breadsticks. The past five years have been so full and I hope the next five are just as great. Ben said sweetly in his note to me that he's fallen in love with me more each day these past five years and it really struck me. Not only because I was jealous he got the better line, but how true it really is for me. I've learned so much about Ben throughout our marriage and I love how it never ends and only brings us more in love. It took me until this year to learn that Ben is amazing at making stuff up at the drop of the hat. Most of the time he doesn't even fully know what he's talking about but is so conviencing that you believe him. I know this may sound like a bad thing...it's really not, but what amazes me is that it took me 5 years (well I guess more like 8) to figure that out. For all these years I've just taken his word. Simple things like this make me love Ben more because I know who he is better. I knew when we got married really young that I would have moments of "what was I thinking?!" but I underestimated how amazing it would be.
Tomorrow is our last day at Knox and will be full of tearful goodbyes. Then we're off to Tennessee Monday morning with a car loaded of kitties, presents and entertainment. I'm sure it will be an adventure I'll never forget.