our last weeks

[I plan to finish my stories from our trip last week, but in the meantime I'm getting behind on other big happenings.... or maybe little happenings?  But I don't want them to get lost, so here they are!]

We only have two weeks until we fly, two weeks to say a half-year goodbye to the life and people we love so much.  As our children grow I can see that the physical demands of preparing to move across the ocean are definitely decreasing (the travel just gets easier, my carryon doesn't weigh 15 pounds, our suitcases are mostly just clothing, not the 1001 things that babies and toddlers "need").  But the emotional demands of taking 5 little hearts across the ocean are increasing... difficult goodbyes here, and lots of relational unknowns ahead make for some rough sailing waters.  Oh that I could use these days well.

Added challenge: Matt has two big trips before we leave (one for work, one for fun), so it's a lot of solo parenting around here.

Right before we left on our trip we said our first hard goodbyes.

Julianna, Hailey, Madison

Sydney and Lydia

These Todd girls are big blessings to our whole family!  so grateful for good friends

Over the weekend was plenty hot and perfect pool weather.  Me and my little friends "twinning" at the pool :)

With no homeschool and relaxed days we are finding lots of fun (and I'm finding lots of ways to avoid the packing challenge looming on the horizon!)

Watching how-to art videos...

and sewing projects (that even Isaac will try)

Julianna cutting out pieces for a quilt and Lydia becoming a pro at making draw string bags.

So, that's that.  Last night we went bowling, today we are off to a friend's for dinner.  Matt leaves tomorrow for trip #1 and I'm going to start making some to-do lists - ha!