Here is a picture of our 20ft truck we had to get to move all our stuff and pull a trailer with our car on it.
Some pics for Andrew having fun loading our stuff
We were given 4 travel days just move up there so we decided to take all 4 of them. Our next stop was staying with my brother and sister-in-law in Rexburg. We even chose to stay an extra day just because we could! It was pretty fun just being with family, and we got to see the Bodies exhibit in Idaho Falls. After we left Rexburg we traveled the 8 hour trip to Miles City, Montana. It was a place we had never been too but since it was a pretty good stopping point with a choice of 4 hotels to stay in, it seemed like our best bet. It ended up being really great! The guy at the front desk was really accommodating and helped fixed the mistake I made in booking the wrong day online. Athena was even well-behaved. Our final day was the final 5 hours to Minot. The whole trip up there was just crazy. We encountered heavy winds, snows, and increasing gas prices. We were a little nervous when we hit the really ugly part in Montana heading toward North Dakota. Luckily for us, we arrived to the Air Force Base, completely bypassing the city ( it is about 15 minutes drive from the base).
When we got there it was around 5pm with the hour time change. As soon as we got there, our sponsor met us and showed us around his flight. So we met his fellow airmen and his Msgt. We weren't sure where we were staying but we told we got one night on base at lodging-they even bought us pizza that night!
After that first day things kind of went down hill. We stayed at a different place for the first 5 nights since there were no accommodations anywhere! Even all the hotels in the city were booked. Coming here was so crazy- aside from all the flooding, this city has no housing. At all. We went to the housing office the next morning (since we got 10 days of paid lodging to find a place to live). we were told that we were # 162 on the waiting list with an estimated 6-8 months of waiting time. Crazy!
We want to live on base in a house but at that point we just wanted a place to live. But, since we have a dog there was nothing. Even without the dog the earliest opening in new apartments was July or August. This place, with the boom of the added wing to the base and all of the oil miners there is a big shortage of housing. Camping seemed to be our only option. Luckily, we realized Andrew's parents had a trailer they might be willing to bring up to us. Literally, it was our only option. So they came and went-but now we at least have a place to live! Better than nothing, right? And with our the flooding and even more rain sleeping in a tent was not an option.
Here are just some examples of the flooding:
Here are just some examples of the flooding:
A little hard to see but out there looks like a lake, we don't have any natural lakes in Minot:)
This is the road to get from the AFB to the actual city. Yes, it is flooded
This poor car obviously went off the road into the middle between the going side and coming back side of the road.
Things obviously were a little crazy...In fact, as an update, more flooding has caused problems in the area. Many people were evacuated from the city and most others had trouble with water coming into their basement. It was a scary time with the river at its peak. We were blessed to be up at the base which is on higher ground than the city.
At first we didn't even have a water hookup for the trailer. Even now we don't turn it on since the trailer leaks, but it works out since the fitness center has shower facilities:)
There are so many other adventures I can't even go into! We were sent to a place with no where to live, but i think we will still like it here. Right now, it is getting warmer and despite the a ton of mosquitoes (more than any place I have ever lived), it isn't so bad. We LOVE our ward here! It really does just feel right being here. Andrew can update his "dream sheet" as of August but we don't want to move again till I finish school. But right now we are just going to try to enjoy the best of an interesting situation.
Update as of now: We are now #100 on the waiting list for housing, Andrew went under a big IG inspection and I have finally started school (it was delayed a week due to the school becoming a shelter for the evacuees).
So we will keep trying to stay strong to what life is throwing our way and keep smiling! And I will try to take more pictures of Minot soon!
Love,
The Andersons
Holy craziness, I didn't realize things were that crazy! It's a good thing that you both feel like it is right, or it would probably be a lot harder! You two are champs!
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