Crystal Moves to Missouri!

Last week, Sam, Carrie, Crystal and I made Crystal's first trip across Kansas to her new home in Missouri--a little apartment in the second story of an old Bible School dorm. A few of the rooms at one end have been renovated just a bit into an apartment of sorts, but it still needs a lot of work.

Here we are taking a look at the kitchen. 

Not much counter or cabinet space.

However, thanks to Cheryl Dyer, new school administrator, sending us photos, we knew ahead of time about the lack of cabinets in the kitchen, and we went to Restore in town where, although they did not have kitchen cabinets that matched, there were a few hutches, most of them for anywhere from $119 to $249. And then I found this one--an oak hutch for just $56!

We packed the top part of the hutch into the van, and the bottom part went on Sam's truck bed, along with Crystal's dresser, desk, and stuffed chair, practically the sum total of her personal furniture except for a night stand and book shelves.

In Missouri, Sam and Carrie lugged the bottom and top cabinet in two pieces up the stairs. It simply transformed that empty kitchen into something inviting now, exactly covering up the huge wall painting that was not at all kitcheny!

I had a blast washing up some of the dishes and pots Crystal had purchased at a Goodwill, and arranging them for her in the hutch.

Sam helped Crystal with her furniture, helped get her bed put together.

Crystal is quite excited about her new circumstances! She enjoyed the first staff meeting this last Tuesday evening.

She won't be that far from her grandparents, my mom and dad, whom we spent time with over the weekend and Monday and Tuesday. Here she is saying goodbye to my mom before we leave to go back to Mt. Zion.

Crystal will also not be that far from other cousins, and may hopefully be able to spend some weekends with them through the school year. Here she and Candace are having their devotions outdoors on the front porch of my brother Fain's place. At least they were supposed to be having their devotions! :) :) It is possible that they were also talking! But I'm sure the dear Lord will forgive them!!! :) :) 

Fain and Regina were gone to Mexico for a while and we didn't get to see them.