Thank you ladies! I don't know why I didn't step back so I could get a pic of all three posts! LOL that was dumb. the biggest hoop has the biggest star.. it barely fits in the hoop. The other two hoops are of slightly different sizes but the stars are the same size. still works, I think! I was thinking of attaching them all together somehow and afixing it to the siding above the garage, permanently! (or hanging from the eaves of garage above the double garage door)

What plants did you receive? Yes, they are in shipping shock and they should be kept a little more moist and a little less lit for a few days. You Can Repot them now, but of you do, it would best to remove the entire contents from the pot as one unit, so as to minimize root disturbance. But it's really not necessary to re-pot right now, since overcrowding isn't likely to ba an issue and they could really use stability of conditions. The reason why spring recommended is because it assumes that the plants you have are ones that require a dormancy period and they are already asleep (VFT's, Sarracenias, cobra lily). You CAN re-pot at any time, but care ought be taken to avoid disturbing roots.

The trip itself shouldn't be too bad. How does your cat react when you take him to the vet? Try to figure out if he enjoys looking out the window or if seeing everything going by freaks him out. Some animals get more car sick if they can't see out, others if they can. For a long trip I use a crate large enough for the cat and a small litterbox. About an hour before you get ready to leave, feed the cat and give him time to use the litterbox before placing him in the crate. You can offer food/water during the trip but most animals are too nervous to eat or drink. You'll have to figure out what works best for your pet but I've found elevating the crate and then covering half of it gives my pets the security they need. My DM's cat meowed a lot when we had to travel with her but when we put the small, soft carrier up in the rear window and opened one end she was happy as could be. She never left the carrier and never meowed again. (We opened one end because she'd been in the carrier for 8+hrs after air travel) Since you'll be dealing with moving during this time, I would suggest you board the cat during the whole moving process if you don't have a secure room to keep him in. Many animals disappear on moving day. I usually give my animals free reign in the motel room and if I have to leave I put a 'Do not disturb' sign on the door. I also don't allow maid service unless I leave the room and take the pet with me. Before the move, one thing you may want to try is to get your cat used to wearing a harness.....then later attach a leash and let him drag it around to get used to it. That will give you control of him if you ever need to let him out within the car or elsewhere. Depending on your pet, you may be able to give him the whole back seat if you can secure him with harness and leash.

Thank you for your response. Glad to hear your DH is supportive. I am going to sit mine down and have long talk before ss returns. Not sure how its going to go yet but I am hoping for best. I'll keep you posted :)