Rockville, Virginia for 8 weeks!!

We made it here. We spent one week in Pa with my family. Then we took the scenic route to Virginia. We drove down route 15. The GPS would have taken us around Baltimore, DC and Richmond. We didn't want to go there, too much traffic.

We have settled in to our little quad. It is a nice little place to live. We have three bedrooms, 1 bath, our own laundry closet, and a very little kitchen. We share the middle great room with two other family's. One quad apartment is empty. There are 230 of us here, 80 of them being children running around. We get three squares a day and don't have to do dishes. That part is nice. They keep us very busy with classes and homework, but all very worth it.

The children are loving the school. Lane thinks it is way too long though. He is a homebody and already has adjusted to the new place. As long as he has a bed and his toys, he is pretty happy. Spending 6 hours in school he could do without.

I just wanted to let you know we are alive and well. I now know why family's in FPO (field personnel orientation) only blog one to three times while here. We have too much to do to be blogging. Plus there is no wire less in the quads. We have to take time to go another building and do it.

Please keep us in your prayers. Pray for our health. There are a lot of people in close quarters here. Pray that we will adjust to this very busy schedule. Thanks in advance for the prayers.

The above picture is of our quad.

God bless,

Rita

Easter

My sister always has a big Easter dinner at her house every year. This year we were able to again celebrate with her. Now that my parents live in Lancaster Co. PA it was only a 1 hour and 10 minute drive. It was a much easier drive than when they lived in Gettysburg.

We drove to her house in North Wales (north of Philly) Saturday afternoon. We stayed with her Saturday and Sunday night in her very old three story house. We went to church with them at Ambler Mennonite Church. Dinner was a smaller affair than usual as several were sick. My parents of course couldn't make it. It will be a few months before mom has more energy to be going out.


This morning we just enjoyed being lazy, no rush to go anywhere. My sister and her husband of course had to leave early and go to work. So we have been doing some cleaning and trying to get her house back in order. Thanks Greta, Marc and Isaiah for a lovely weekend.

God bless,
Rita for the Schwarzes in PA

Moving: Round Three

The first picture is of our master bedroom and twelve suitcases lined up to pack. The second is the van loaded with boxes from the shed. Steve was bringing them over to load them in the trailer.

A wonderful man from our home Church, Bethlehem Baptist, let us load all of the stuff that was left onto his 22 foot trailer. We spend Wednesday and Thursday loading it up. Friday morning we loaded the van and drove to my parents house in Pennsylvania. This wonderful man and his wife also drove to PA with his trailer and we unloaded it Saturday.

So, we are now all moved and ready for the next part of our life!

God bless,

Rita for the Schwarzes temporally in Pennsylvania

Moving: Round Two Pictures

The first picture is a picture of one of our four crates. The second is a look inside. I for one am a curious person. The more info the better. So for you curious ones out there: here is what a 200 cubic foot crate looks like.

Moving: Round Two

Round two of our move is almost done. This has been the hardest move we have every done. Going through the house deciding what is going to Africa and what is staying was not easy. Then wondering will it all fit. We are a family of six!

Steve and I stayed up until 3AM Sunday, make that Monday morning packing. By then I was so tired that I really didn't even care if we didn't get something packed. We were back up at 6 AM to finish. We did mounds of laundry all night too. We would just set the timer so we wouldn't forget to keep switching the loads around. We have been packing stuff all along, but nothing like a dead line to get it finished.


The truck pulled in around 8:30 I think. Another guy came to get the water out of the washer and put the moving pins back in. The guys packed and were a little worried it wasn't going to all fit. The left by 10:30.

Steve went over to the warehouse to help pack which was a good thing. IMB tells you to watch/help pack your moving crates. They put the fridge in and then the up-right freezer right in front of it. They were not going to put boxes on top of them. Steve managed to slide in beside the freezer with boxes over his head. He put 6 boxes on top of the fridge!! They were going to wrap up the bookcases with nothing in them!!!! Steve was like: whoa, whoa, whoa. They need boxes in them. The guys soon got the idea that ever little inch, as much as possible, has to be filled with something. In the end Steve called to say go looking through the house we have room for more.


Well, there was lots that was forgotten, like a cutting board, cookie sheets, and all my big plastic containers. He went back with more things. He came home to say that there is still more room. So we packed up more stuff last night and this morning. My school desk that I teach school at is going. That alone will make my days so much easier. He is went over this morning with more. We might be headed to Sam's is there is more room.

Moving: Part Three has gotten easier. A guy from church has a trailer and is willing to drive our stuff to PA. I (Rita) will not have to do the 10 hour drive myself in the van!!!!!!!

Moving: Round One

The first round of moving is done. Thanks to a good friend of Steve's. He showed up this morning at 9 AM with a U Haul. He is storing our bedroom suite. Two very tall bookcases. He is also storing our entertainment center. Thanks Steve C. for all of the help and the storage space.

Finding Our Children's Blood Types

It is best to know what ones blood type is before leaving the country. The easiest way to do that for an adult if to go give blood at the Red Cross. For a child it is a different story. The Doctor's office didn't do it with their physicals. We would have to pay the $20 co-pay for each child and then they didn't think insurance would cover that. We would need to call the insurance company first and check it out.


Our answer to the problem? Steve is a scientist!! He also worked in a vet hospital for years. When others were having a hard time getting an IV started on a kitten, he could do it. He did volunteer to start my IV for me when I was having surgery. It took them 8 times sticking me before they got it in. Maybe I should have let Steve do it after all.


So Steve bought 4 blood type kits on line for $31. That included the shipping. He sat down at the dinning room table and proceeded to find the blood types of our children. They make it really fool proof these days. All the chemicals are dried on the little card. You just at one drop of water to each circle and one drop of blood. Only one child cried, but I expected that. Not sure what he is going to do on the three shot days during orientation.


What is really interesting is the results. Tobias and Lane are kind of similar in personalities and mannerisms. Their blood type is the same. Heather and Seth are kind of similar in personalities and mannerisms too. Their blood types are the same also. I think that is pretty interesting. I'm curious how many other families out there with multiple children are seeing the same kind of results.


I can't give blood to any of my children and Steve can give blood to two of them. Tobias is over 100 lbs, so I guess he can give blood to Lane, not sure what Tobias will do.

God bless,
Rita for the Schwarzes
Still in South Carolina