Nothing Strengthens a Family Like Helping Them Move…
Whether You Want To or Not
Todd Swank's Diary Entry for May 3, 2026
It wasn’t all fun and games this week… two members of our immediate family decided it was a great time to move. And when family asks for help, my first instinct is to run and hide, but that feeling of obligation always wins. So there I was, watching Luke sign for his first house in Apple Valley like a proud dad… while also thinking about how many trips it’s going to take to move everything. God didn’t exactly build me for boxes and furniture, but Miss Sheri is a pro and Avery helped with the heavy lifting. I showed up, did what I could, and tried not to hurt myself.
I’m so proud of Luke. More than a year ago he was about to sign another year’s lease with his friends when he said he was done renting and ready to become a homeowner. He committed to one more lease, start looking in December, and buy when it ended in April… and then he actually executed. He worked with a family friend, toured a bunch of places, landed on one in Apple Valley, negotiated a solid deal, and handled every closing curveball like a pro. He even timed it so the closing hit right when the lease ended, skipping the classic “move back home” phase. Now he’s in, figuring out decorating and all the surprises of homeownership… and I’m just standing there thinking, he did good.
Our other big move this week was Grandma Linda, finally getting out after nearly three months of hospitals and rehab. New hip, new pacemaker… basically the full upgrade package. Now she’s slow-walking her way back home and back to normal, one careful step at a time… and doing it with a lot more toughness than most people I know.
I was pretty worried about Mom before her hip was replaced… she was really struggling to get around and we were all wondering what things were going to look like. But then we stopped by today and she already had the place back in order, moving around, doing laundry like nothing ever happened. I don’t know how she does it, but she’s figuring it out one step at a time… and yeah, we’re pretty proud of her too.
