Preparations

There is so much more to preparing to move half way around the world than you can imagine! Of course, you have to weed through all of your "stuff", decide what to sell, what to chunk, what to pass on, and what to take. Since we aren't shipping, that leaves us with only 2 suitcases a piece and maybe a tote each. Little hard to condense your life to that! Especially when you consider the things you have to take, like home school material and computer things and then you have to decide which clothes to take (since the seasons are different, that's harder!), and then see if there is any room left to bring things that you might need right away or things that are just hard to get in a different country! Whoo, makes you tired just thinking about it!

Of course, there are things that you just have to take, haha! Like my good Caphalon iron skillet! Can't leave home without that. And wondering how many books and movies we can take since we won't have TV. Got to have pictures too so you can cry over everyone you are leaving behind! Wow, it's getting harder and harder to decide!

Really though, this is the easy part. Last week, I had what I call my week of mourning. Sure I will have more, but this was the hardest and longest so far. I am looking for a home for my male dog and I would just look at him and start crying. Didn't help that he was being even moreloving last week. Think he may be realizong something is going on, since I am cleaning out the house and everything is out of whack. Or he was just being very sensitive to my mood. Any ways, it is heart breaking to know I have to find him a home and praying somebody will love him and appreciate him as much as I do.

And then there is the whole grandkid thing. My grandson starts kindergarten Monday, which thankfully I will be here for that. But my granddaughter has just gotten to the point where she recognizes me and when she sees me, gets all excited and comes right to me. Thinking about missing her first birthday and Christmas is gut-wrenching. Praying she will start walking before I leave so I don't miss that.

Then comes the thoughts of family and friends. Yeah, it's hard stuff. I know God is faithful and He will bless us, but right now, it really hurts. The blessings are coming and I keep saying "Yes, Lord. But I really need to cryright now."

I am so thankful that God gave us emotions and that He made us in His image. I know He feels my hurt and is comforting me. I am realizing that this is a process and that I need to go through this instead of stuffing it down or not dealing with it.

So, that's where I'm at for now!