August 16, 2024-Ouachita Move in for Reagan!

(click for today's pictures)

• This day really could not have gone better-I was a bit apprehensive about the moving in situation, but it all just worked out perfectly. Robby and I woke up about 6:30 this morning. We could hear that Reagan was up above us pretty soon afterwards.
• Our goal was to leave at 7:30, and we were walking out the door soon afterwards. Reagan did have to give Bentley some quality time before she left-she will really miss Bentley. Robby drove the white van and Reagan and I were in the mini van. 
• We pulled into McDonalds around 8:35 in Caddo Valley. Robby had to send a work email, and we weren't really sure if we could get in line for the dorms before 9. Before 9 though, we were pulling into the Ouachita campus. 
• There were people everywhere directing us to where we needed to go. The first stopping point was for them to check if we had registered a car (Reagan didn't want to bring the suburban which we registered just in case, but it looks like there will be a new car here next week for her.)
• Then the line of cars pretty much stopped-it was then stop and go traffic for a good bit until we made it to the people directing us to what dorm to go to. They put a colored sticky note in our window, and then we drove right on to Francis Crawford West. 
• Robby and I both pulled in to a parking spot, and people immediately surrounded the car. Within one minute everything was out of my car except one big and kind of heavy box-the girls waited on a boy to carry that. Within 5 minutes, our cars were unloaded, and Robby and I went to park. We had to park behind Jones so we were a good ways away.
• Meanwhile, Reagan went to the lobby and picked up her key and checked in. Then she went up to the room-she took a video of the room and text me. It was a little overwhelming when you walked into the room-2 desks (probably 5 feet across with 3 drawers on each side), 1 nightstand, 1 chest of drawers probably 4 feet high and 2 1/2 feet wide, and the two beds. The only way that all of the furniture initially fit in the room was with the drawers and nightstand both in the closets. 
• When Robby and I came upstairs, we found the room. The hallways were pretty wild-everyone's stuff was set outside their room so imagine boxes on both sides plus more people walking through with boxes. It was chaotic. 
• We started moving furniture around-Reagan thought how to do one side, and Robby thought how to do the other side. When you walk in, Reagan's desk is up against the outside wall to your left. A third of her desk is under the bed which is up against the next wall. Also under her bed is 3 plastic drawers, her rolling cart with food on it, a case of cokes and a case of water. 
• At the foot of Reagan's bed is the large set of drawers and then Karli's bed is next. Her bed touches the window, and her desk is sticking out kind of in the middle of the room with its back towards Reaagan's bed. Next to Karli's desk is the fridge, microwave, and ice maker. Then you have the sink and on the next wall is the bathroom door. 
• Karli brought a really nice mirror that is between the bathroom door and their closets. Reagan kept the night stand in her closet, but she has so many drawers that neither one of the girls needed to put anything in the nightstand-plus Reagan has 4 other drawers that are empty. 
• Once the beds were moved, and we all got over the initial shock of "this is a small space; there is a lot of stuff." We all went to work. Robby started working on the fridge and then move to the desk. Reagan made her desk hutch pretty, and soon we were taking a box and unloading it.
• The boxes were packed strategically which made for easy unloading. The last box for us to get to was the bedding. It didn't take long, and we were done! I think that we finished with the room around 11:30.
• We then walked around campus-we picked up some gatorade and talked to the president. We then went to the mailbox so Reagan could try to open it-she got it once so I'd bet she won't be opening it much. Hopefully, she will get to practice in the next few days. Then we picked up one of her books that we had to order from the bookstore. 
• By now it was crazy hot, and even hotter in the car when we loaded up to go and eat. We ate at our Italian/Mexican restaurant. Reagan had ravioli, and Robby and I split fajitas. There was a Dollar General or something similar that Robby ran into to get one extension cord, and then we went back to the room.
• It wasn't too long until we headed to Jones for the ceremony-there were a few speakers and they ended up with a prayer. The lady praying started reading the kids names in Reagan's class, and then other people around the room began calling names. It was so neat-every child's name was called out during this prayer. 
• Finally, we went to the lawn of Cone Bottoms-there were popsicles and lemonade. We visited with some people, and then we said bye to Reagan. She joined her Wow family group (the group that she spend the next few days of orientation with), and we headed to the car. 
• And yes, there were people balling their eyes out near us. We are just so excited for Reagan that we can't be sad that she is not here. Plus there are a few more Dennie kids around as well. 
• Robby did have a mystery shop in Arkadelphia so we ran to do that before we headed back home. I listened to my book on the way home, and once at home we unloaded the car. We really used just about everything we brought. There were some plus that we didn't use, a few hangers, two drawers that we had brought just in case, and a bin. 
• The kids at home had had a pretty slow day. Campbell and Keaton were bored out of their minds-so bored that they even cleaned the desk in their bedroom. The power was even out a little bit here this afternoon so I'm sure that added to their boredom. 
• We are all home now, and I was just talking to Whitman about church tomorrow-he kept staring at me with a questioning look. I guess he realized that it is not Saturday, but I now feel like I have a bonus day since I have felt like today was Saturday.