Gratitude

I have not posted in awhile because of our move to France. As I told others, we could have just as easily been moving into an assisted living facility. But, instead we decided to move to France. What an adventure it has been! And what an outpouring of concern, love and help from so many people on both sides of the ocean. As we were waiting to board our plane in Phoenix, I was filled with gratitude. There were so many pieces that had to come together in order for us to be where we were on April 27. We still had to fly to Detroit, wait for 5 hours and then board our plane for CDG Paris, with our dog Garcon who had never flown, and would have to be in a soft cage, under the seat, for 4 hours to Detroit and for another 8 hours to Paris, and then another 2 ½  hours to Verdun. But let’s go back several months because there are so many people who, without their help, we would not have made it to the airport. 

Let me say something about Gratitude. Gratitude is an emotion that cannot be taught. It can be suppressed, however, as many emotions can. So I was also grateful that I could feel the gratitude for all the people who helped us in so many ways. When you feel gratitude or are grateful, you want to shout your thanks to all, especially to God. It is not a matter of who gets the credit, but what you feel. Too often we teach emotions as behaviors. For example reverence is taught as a behavior and not as an emotion. Fold your arms and be quiet. But reverence is felt, or a better way of saying it, we are reverent. It is the same for gratitude. We are grateful. And I am grateful and I want to shout it out to the many who helped us.

I have to begin with Annie. This was a difficult move for her for a number of reasons, but like the trooper she is, she took the steps necessary to prepare for the move. We were sitting at dinner one night when she got a message about a house being available in Verdun. We had looked the previous several months, but knew that we could not decide if we were not there, so we had decided to just move to the apartment and then look for a house when we got there. But then she received this message, and it had a telephone number, so she called. The owner answered and he was just finishing up work on a house. This was in February of 2023. There were others interested in the house, but because of a thoughtful gesture by Annie in 2019, the landlord knew who Annie was. We took the family bowling when we left France in 2019 and the owner agreed to cook pizza for us because the restaurant at the bowling alley was closed that night. Because of her generosity, Annie sent her a thank you card. That kindness by Annie, I believe, is the reason we got the house.

So what did Annie do next? She told the landlord we wanted it, and she went to France to move us out of the apartment to the new house. And there were so many there who helped her. Her daughter Karine and son-in-law Renaud spent many hours helping, as did our granddaughters, Alize and Maeva. Our grandson Hugo came from Metz to help as well. Annie’s good and very generous friend Celine came from Hoeville (more than 1 ½ hours one way), with her husband Luc, sons Baptiste and Stanislas and Baptiste’s friend, to help with the move. They brought a truck and helped carry all the furniture down two flights of stairs, and move it into the new house. So much gratitude for their help and for Annie arranging it.

She then had to come home and help to move us from Arizona, first to get us ready for the Container which was then scheduled on March 23 (my 80th birthday). 

There were so many who helped and encouraged us. Foremost among them was Frank Uhrhan who was always there to help, bring food, take us out to dinner, sell things and help in so many ways. He was there for the garage sale, helped set it up and stayed until we were finished. He then coordinated the items being put into the container, and then took us to the airport at 3 in the morning! 

In addition to Annie and Frank Uhrhan, there were many more who helped, such as Linda Ray. She was always reaching out to Annie asking how she could help. She came to our garage sale and helped for over four hours, and then she and Jim had us for dinner as well. Linda also arranged 2 farewell luncheons for Annie. Those who attended included Corey Hart, Anne Snodgrass, Trudy Mulcock, Linda Randall, Susan Williams, Karin Cheatham and Sandy Decker.

Before the container came, our family in Utah asked if we would come up to visit them before we left. They decided that a good way for us to see as many as we could before we left, was to plan an 80th birthday party for me, which they did! It was moving that we had the chance to see all the kids and 13 grandchildren and all 6 great greatchildren before we left. They were all excited for us, for this new adventure and they understood why we needed to make this move. It was difficult to move away from them to Arizona, and I knew that this move would be harder because it is not that easy to come visit. I am grateful they understood and supported us. How can I not be thankful that we can communicate easier with technology and apps, but still not the same. Thanks Jason, Bruce, Marci, Erin, Jami, Jen, Mindy, Chris, Jeff, Doug, all the grandkids and great grandkids who were able to come.

While in Utah we were welcomed at Alan and Ghislaine Rockwood's house for a week. They fed us, entertained us and taught us. We are so grateful for their friendship.

Also Annie's friends from the Salt Lake community college, Mojdeh, DeAnna and Carolee, who call themselves The Slick Chicks, invited her to lunch to say bon voyage.

Another was Jennifer Hakes who came many times, gathered up donations and took them to the Deseret Industries or Goodwill. She even recruited Kara Hatcher who came and helped and even cut Annie’s hair without charging her. Jennifer was so much help when the container came, helping to direct and get the most out of the others who showed up to help. She even brought her husband Jason, and his help getting the items on the container stacked properly was invaluable.

Once Annie had notified the Relief Society President Alissa Chamberlain, that the container was coming, she gave Annie the contact information and on the day the container arrived there were several people including four full-time missionaries, Ron Watkins, and several others that I did not know. What a relief it was to have the container packed and on its way. A shout out to all those who came and helped!

But while it was a relief to get the container loaded and on its way, there was still so much to do. Frank continued to help in so many ways, as did Jennifer Hakes. Each time they lightened the load.

Kathy D'Ambrosio, our friend in Queen Creek helped us sell several items of furniture. But guess who bought them? She and her boyfriend, and she would have bought more if she had room. Such a delight each time she came over, and they even let us use the items they purchased until we were ready.

And our dear friends Mark and Mary came to visit us from Oracle several times and brought packing material and took us to dinner.

How can we not be grateful to Carl and Colleen Benson. They gave us a car to use for over nine months, and Colleen was always finding buyers (her kids) for some of our stuff. And when Annie went to France to move our French things, Carl and Colleen had me for dinner. The car was a blessing, because when I was working Annie had a car, and after we sold our car a month before we moved, we had a car. Can't express enough how grateful we are!

Our dear neighbors Joe and Merle had several farewell lunches and dinners for us and even invited their family and others to say farewell. They even let us stay with them for several days after we vacated our house. In fact, they put us together with friends of theirs to watch their dog for a week, which allowed us to stay in their house. We had to delay our flight to France for two weeks because of Garcon's rabies shot, and because we were vacating the house, needed places to stay. So Burt and Cheri Dubow let us stay at their house and tend their dog while they were gone for a week. It proved to be a time when we could relax and say goodbye to others. Thanks Merle, Joe, Burt and Cherri.

Then there was Mitch and Chandra Cady. I met Mitch at Home Depot and we became good friends with both of them. They invited us to stay with them for the whole two weeks, but we just stayed for the last three days. Wonderful food. Great company and love. They are the best. They both got up at 3 in the morning to say goodbye to us the day of our flight. Love you guys.

Also we want to express our gratitude to our neighbors, Tom Pizza and Beverly Lesley. They took us out to dinner and we had a chance to express our love to them and say farewell. They will be missed. Also our neighbors Barb and Chuck had us for a farewell lunch. Thanks guys.

Others who came to say goodbye were Linda Smith and her dog Harlo. Another neighbor Jan Tobin came by. They made us feel like we would be missed.

Our dear friend Doreen Regnell was there to help and offer encouragement. She tended Garcon several times when we needed her. She would stop by with her dog Emily and check up on us and sit with us (before all the furniture was gone) and have a Dr Pepper. She came and helped get rid of some of the food as well.

Tim Merrill's prayers from Utah helped us get through some of the more difficult times. They were unsolicited. He just felt prompted to ask for help on our behalf. 

Then there was our landlords Dave and Nancy Osborne who just kept the security deposit in Lieu of the last month's rent. So grateful to them. Even their new tenant Ruby helped us by purchasing three large items of furniture which we did not have to move. It is amazing how much each contribution meant and how each made a difficult move a little easier and less complicated.

We are grateful to Brent Williams for letting us borrow his truck twice to deliver and pick up our dining table that Mitch Cady refinished for us at no cost.

And to Cory Hart for driving us from Annie’s luncheon with her, to Cady's for our last night in Gilbert after we gave the car back to Carl and Colleen.

A shout out to our vet and particularly to his assistant Marianne for making sure we got the paperwork necessary for Garcon to travel and enter France. It was touch-and-go there for awhile and even Chandra Cady spoke to the vet's clinic to help us.

I am also grateful to Annie’s friends Ava and Corrine. They were able to get Annie away from the house on several occasions so she could relax some and visit with them. They also were constantly checking up on her as was Merle to see how she was doing. Even Ava's daughter Abby helped Annie sell some items.

And to all those at Delta Airlines who made our trip easier with Garcon and 6 bags to check. 

When we got to France Arthur was there with a rented car and drove us from the airport to Verdun. After such a long trip it was so nice not to have to catch a train and move all the bags. Thanks Rook!

After we moved to France, we needed to arrange for the container to be unloaded here. I was worried, because I didn't know who we were going to get to help. But it turns out all we needed to do was tell others it was coming. I was overwhelmed by the help. Arthur and Celine came from Paris. Hugo came from Metz. Maeva and Renaud helped so much. Adrien and Lisa came from about 40 kilometers away. We even had Thomas whom we met him at Conforama volunteer to help, and he recruited his friend also named Thomas to help. 

I need a special mention to Karine for all her help, for going to look at several houses, for being so excited for her mother coming back, for helping with the move in countless ways, for bringing flowers to welcome us, buying some food, and for coming to visit often.

And finally for Garcon. He was with us all the way. I wondered what he thought as all the furniture disappeared so that at the end, he only had the hard tile floor to lay on. Then he moved with us to three houses before our plane left. Then he traveled in his carrier under the seat on the plane for over 12 hours. And then came to his new house in France. The first thing he did was lay down in his new bed that Karine bought for him. He seemed to know he was home.

Yes, we are so grateful.