Wednesday, August 17, 2011

MY bags are packed...

At the end of every school year we would receive a dreadfully formatted End of the Year Checklist reminding each teacher to do their part to help prepare our school for a summer shutdown.  After reformatting the checklist the way Microsoft Word intended, I would roll my eyes chuckle at some of the reminders: remove and throw away food in refrigerators, turn off lights, shut down computer.  Seriously?  Shouldn't college graduates be able to figure this out without a list to remind them?

You know where this is going.  This college graduate just finished writing a last minute to do list that, yes, includes such subtleties as throwing out food, packing passports and locking doors. I'm hoping that including these menial tasks in my list will help save my sanity as I wait for my plane to depart and wonder if I remembered to lock the front door and pack pajamas and empty the ice from the freezer.


In addition to crafting yet another list, I have also been busy packing our suitcases and organizing carry-on bags. Gracie's bag was packed first, the easiest one to pack since she has all new clothes for the trip.  Next, my ever-faithful Jansport. (Twice repaired and once fully replaced, I fully believe that Jansport stands behind their lifetime warranty.) Now packed with toys, books, games, dolls, snacks, and no less than three kinds of sanitizing wipes, I estimate I'll be lugging at least 15 pounds of distractions through the airport on my back. 

More difficult to arrange were my carry-on suitcase and our checked bag. I had hoped to fit most of my clothes in my carry-on, but the large stuffed beagle I'm taking took up a lot of room.  That, combined with the irritating bulk of warm clothes means most of it ended up in our checked bag. Also in our cumbersome green suitcase: 2 boxes of macaroni and cheese, arts and crafts supplies, a car seat protector bag (for the car seat that has already shipped), and a tiny cornucopia courtesy of my mom.  Not yet packed: Anything for Matthew.  Traditionally, he shouldn't need much, he is a man after all, but he seems to be under the impression that he'll need to bring FOUR pairs of shoes.  Perhaps I can craft some kind of extra suitcase out of his footwear...

We're just about ready to go, and this is probably my last update before we arrive in Sweden.  The most important thing you can do for us is PRAY.  Please add some (or all!) of these requests to your conversations with the Lord:
  • For good health before our flight, during the trip, and when we arrive
  • For our flight, that we would be safe and that Gracie would be well behaved
  • That we would complete all the preparations for the house without feeling overly stressed
  • For peace during this transition, that I (we) won't be too homesick or lonely and that we will stay well rested and adjust well to our new home.
Thank you for your prayers!  My next update will come from Sweden!!

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