let the packing begin

Slowly, surely.... details are falling into place.  Although we have not yet signed a contract, we continue to move forward on renting a first floor 3 bedroom apartment with a (small) yard!  Ideally, the contract would be signed and the details finalized by the end of the week.   

We settled on a relocation company that will pack our stuff, truck it to our new city (a two day drive) and store it until our new apartment is ready.  The packers will probably come on June 25th, but that date is still a little uncertain. 

Although I am really grateful that a lot of the packing is not my responsibility, I still have plenty of organizing and cleaning out to do before the movers arrive.  And, of course, I am packing for our six month furlough.  Lots of seasons, lots of destinations, lots of growing children to pack for....and we hope and pray we'll add another child along the way.  It's pretty insane. 

We have this great 'extra' bedroom in our house.  It's really had about a hundred different identities in the three years we've lived here.  When we first arrived it was an office for Matt, and a bedroom for teeny tiny Lydia.  When Lydia was a few months old she moved in with her big sis, and the extra room was solely Matt's office.  Unless we had company, in which case Matt's office moved to the master bedroom and the extra room became a guest room.  

Then Isaac arrived, and the office permanently moved to the master and the extra room became a bedroom for the little guy.  We moved in a dresser and rocking chair and Isaac had his own space for about six months.  Then he moved in with the big sisters.

But I kept a pack n play in the extra room for Isaac's daytime naps.  The girls called it "Isaac's day bed".  For the past year when we host visitors we move the dresser out of the extra room and into the hallway and pullout the futon.  Voila.  Guest room. 

Until now.  I returned the extra pack n play to the friends who kindly loaned it to us.  I scooted the futon right up close to the door and used it as a barrier to block off the back part of the room and now the extra room is packing central.  

Exhibit A:

If all goes as planned, 95% of our belongings will be on a truck headed north in three weeks.  The remaining 5% will be in suitcases ready for our July 1st flight to Hong Kong.  

And when we arrive in America if Isaac is missing a winter jacket or I can't find a 3T bathing suit for Lydia or you see me in Target buying socks for our new baby, you'll know why :)