Cross-world Countdown Day 13-12

Good Friday
We put a halt to leaving
Slept in
Joined celebrations at church
Read Imma's long ago Easter story
Thought about planning an easter story egg hunt
Welcomed a dear friend who brought us a few days' worth of heat-and-eat meals
Feeling so loved!
Took afternoon naps
While the kids played wild on the street with neighbourhood kids
Thankful for Spring time holidays
When the streets are alive with people again

Today
We had to go back to work...
Saturday laundry and household jobs
But the kids still got to the park
And got in their computer hour
And a little bit of packing happened as winter gear finally went through the wash for the last time

Tomorrow?
A full day of Easter celebrations!
The morning at church
(3 full services for Grace and Mom in the choir)
Then NiNi and YeaYea's for one last overnight
And hopefully that thought about easter story egg hunt!

Cross-world Countdown Day 15-14

I'm tired
The days are full
If not in outward busyness good and bad
Then inward clean up rough but good

Yesterday was both ways busy:

2nd to last Woman 2 Woman morning
Our Easter celebration made special
With testimonies of how God has resurrected lives
With Grace and Mom singing a duet
With hot cross buns and tea

The afternoon an intense inner clean up
That left me feeling wrung out
But no time to sleep or process afterwards -
A hurried supper and back to church
Dress rehearsal for Easter choir
With a slipping out to redo our duet at the Woman's Evening Edition
With an unexpected formal goodbye from the choir with cards and words of blessing

Today a much too early start
Fraught with inner angst that God healed
Then an unexpected window of normalcy -
I took the kids to the library
Grace shopping for an Easter dress
(Glad we discovered the too-small dress before the shops closed for the weekend!)
A Tim Horton's visit on a gift card
A bit of school done
(Yes, even now as we've still got books we hope to finish and not have to take with us)

Maybe we get to go to bed early tonight?
Sleep in in the morning?
Have an Easter weekend thinking of the bubbling joy of victory in the cross and resurrection
And not of moving and leaving and packing?

Cross-world Countdown Day 17-16

Might be scrambling to keep up on writing down what's happening
but actually, while the days are full, we're feeling more or less on top of things

The car sold quickly and easily for the asking price
An old, old car ('91) with known problems (we were thinking we would have to junk it)
We even had three people who all really wanted it scrambling to be first!

So all the big things are taken care of:
The house rented
The car sold
The furniture either sold or donated

And the packing has reached the stage of
If-i-pack-any-more-how-are-we-going-to-live-for-the-next-two-weeks?
And that is with a closet for of storage boxes packed
Three and a half suitcases ready to go
And three donation boxes by the front door

Now, if only we could finish the few school things we'd hoped to finished before we go
And the cooking supplies could last conveniently until we leave
(Unlike the oil that had the audacity to run out today)
And the last bits and pieces of painting touch ups could get fit in
And all the admin that has been languishing on Daddy's desk could be worked through
Then, we really would be sitting pretty!

There's still time for an all afternoon goodbye play date today
The house got reasonably tidy in the kids' absence
A Skype call to England yesterday
Confirming and arranging travel details
A song practice for Easter celebrations (that seem as yet so unreal) also
But the thankful hearts continue to brim
So the situation seems a wonderful thing

Cross-world Countdown Day 18

Yesterday was a day of goodbyes
Goodbyes are bittersweet
Sometimes more bitter than sweet
Sometimes more sweet than bitter

Sometimes the bitter is
The unwanted leaving
Sometimes it's
The tearing apart of intertwined hearts

Sometimes the sweet is
Extra precious times sharing heart to heart
Sometime it's
The excitement of what is coming next

Yesterday's goodbyes were bittersweet
Definitely more sweet than bitter though
Not because we're happy to leave
Not because now the leaving is real

Rather, our hearts are full of deep thankfulness
For all the way God has lead us in the last three years
For the great number of people God has woven into our lives
For the joy of the family of God

Sweet-bitter, bittersweet
I'm glad this time it's sweeter
And (I hope) when we come back
The hellos are even bettered.

(Mom, with addendum from Grace)

Cross-world Countdown Day 19

    Wow! What a day!
         A house-full of kids at play (5 today)
            Rather useful - while they were happily occupied
               Mom got all the week's laundry done
                    Packed a box
                       Tidied the house
                           Sorted another room
                               Organized the overflowing recyclables
                                    Made a meal
                                        Memorized a script for tomorrow's church commissioning
                                              Scanned needed documents so we don't have to pack the paper
                                                 Touched up the kitchen and stair well ceiling paint job
                                                     Vacuumed
                                                          Very nearly sold the car twice
                                                             (Why didn't one of them come with a deposit?)
                                                                   Handled a higher than usual volume of calls
                                                                      Sold the coffee table
                                                                    And Dad?
                                                                He's been meeting and praying with people all day
                                                           And still is!
                                                       At least he's at home now

                                                    How thankful we are

                                                 For all the stamina     

                                              For all the help

                                          That God has given

                                       So we can get all this done

                                   On this very busy weekend

                               With joy and enthusiasm

                          Despite a growing sleep debt

                      A seemingly ever-growing
                   List of things to do

               And the barely organized chaos
            Of a half-packed house   

       Wow! What a day!

Cross-world Countdown Day 20

Today we had some help to use up some of our craft supplies...

It was....loud....messy....fun.....and successful

And that's all we got done
Unless you count the nap for mommy afterwards!

Cross-world Countdown Day 22-21

Monday was our rest day
A very good thing
Tuesday and Wednesday
So full we can hardly remember it
And already we needed a sleep in today

Tuesday morning

Aiden and a friend

destroyed a city

And defended Antartica and Asia

In the basement

It's now a lego mine-field

Tuesday afternoon

A long-awaited 

Yet dreaded

Goodbye play and talk

With dear friends

Tuesday evening

The mop up aftermath

Of sore hearts

Grappling with sadness

Stormy emotions in all of us

Yet so thankful too

For God's blessings on us

To have such strong ties

All the way He has led

To this Ottawa home

For Skype and email

To keep us still connected

And feeling not quite so far away

Glad to not have to rely

On snail mail

Wednesday morning

Jasmin still over the moon

To be a full day with her friend

For far away co-op work and play

The rest of us at church

Basking with the goodness of belonging

Wednesday afternoon

Outwardly focused

Helping others

Hearts singing with fierce joy

Being the right people at the right time in the right place

Wednesday evening rewarded

With quiet husband help tidying the house disaster

With growing up girl supper on the table

With big boy aspirations to hold the inner storm

With God-given prizes of our own inner healing

What will the next days hold? Who knows but God! A very good thing He does so we can not worry of all that is not getting done - yet!

Cross-world Countdown Day 24-23

A rest day today
Because yesterday was too busy
To be called a Sabbath
Early start for choir warmup
Sing for church twice
Rest at church waiting for choir practice
Sing for practice
Be picked up for small group
Home for supper and bed

But still today

One suitcase packed

Carefully weighed

Just under the max!

Some thoughts from Grace on moving

Before we go....

• Let's eat shawarma!
• Go to the river, maybe there'll be mud flats again!
• Say goodbye and give presents
• Playdates galore!
• Stay at NiNi's house again
• Pack

When we get there...

• Climb the mountain!
• Have s'mores on the beach
• Climb the tree - hopefully the branch we can bounce on has grown back
• Swim
• Eat roti, chicken rice, and drink ice lime tea again
• Adjust

I wonder what will be different? 

What will be the same? 

Let's go/not yet! 

Only a few weeks more! 

Oh no!/Only a few weeks more? 

I'll miss them/s'mores on the beach again! 

Cross-world Countdown Day 25

Whew, I'm tired!

Another long morning of painting

Mixed with laundry

Going out for more paint

And, after a long, leisurely lunch break

Out again on more errands

While painting projects got finished

Later we did take advantage of the sun

Went for a chilling refreshing walk in the woods

It's really great to have a friend here

 So I didn't face this busy weekend alone

Michael is busy on a whole different track

A long evening of cleanup 

And put the house to rights

And now we're about to sit down to

A delicious late supper!

The most enthusiastic morning painter who kept us moving

Cross-word Countdown Day 26

Ok, now for yesterday

Another whirlwind full day

After which I had crazy busy urgent dreams....

In the morning we again attempted some school

Our friend to the rescue again!

Jasmin said good bye to her fish

Anxiously nursing them through the trauma

Of moving to her best friend's house

The afternoon

The girls again spent at friends' houses

Aiden went for a tramp in the woods

With Mom and her friend

Enjoying the woods, the cold, the snow, the sun

Then some more hurried painting prep

That "accidentally" got another box packed for storage too

A pizza supper

And the painting begun!

We got done the main bedroom

The main floor touch ups and baseboards

And the first coat of the basement

Not bad for a 4 hour stint

With kids in the mix

Late to bed quite exhausted

But the house looking normal again

Minus the wall decorations

Thinking, we should have done our room

A long time ago - I really like it this color!

Cross-world Countdown Day 27

Running Behind

Let's see...

Day 27 was Thursday....

We got in a scattered morning of school

Since there was none planned

It was a little chaotic

So thankful the girls are old enough

To carry on the next thing without much direction

And thankful for a visiting friend

Willing and eager to help

Field an even more eager willing learner - Aiden!

In the afternoon

We got some precious alone time with this friend

Having sent off the kids on an adventure

Find their friends' house by map

It took them a little longer than necessary

But we did get the call that they made it there!

And they spent the afternoon there

The first of many "goodbye play dates"

In the evening 

A frenzied push to prep the house for painting

Getting ready for a weekend

A more friends' help in painting it all

The house in disarray

furniture pushed into the middle

Empty walls and all

I took pity on the girls' and left their rooms mostly alone

For now

Cross-world Countdown Day 28

Filled holes in some basement walls
Spot washed basement walls
(You can tell it's a kids' play area!)
Sanded filling flat, vacuumed up the dust
Getting ready for Friday's painting party
Finished packing two more boxes for storing
Did some more sorting for selling/taking/storing
Shovelled the driveway - for the last time, right?

Today Mom had the morning to herself!

AND...
Special song practice and full choir practice
Welcoming a friend at the airport
A little bit of ordinary housework
Girls to a trampoline birthday party
Aiden transferred from grandparents
Grocery shopping done
Slow cooker supper

A productive day, yay!

(Mom's not completely wonder woman - Dad did get Aiden and do the shopping)

Cross-world Countdown Day 29

We weren't at home today

But we got two very important things

Crossed off our moving list:

One last all day play with cousins

One last (?) time of snow play

Happily at NiNi's (much more yard there!)

The kids made good use of it - 

Two times outside for nearly 2 hours

Coming in hungry-hungry and sopping wet

And when we got home in time for bed

Mom emptied a sold bookshelf - into box and suitcase

And that'll have to do for today

Cross-world Countdown Days 31-30

Yesterday was Sunday

A great excuse not to do anything

Toward moving

A nice rest day

Morning church

A nap

Choir practice

Small group

Supper

A game of Catan

Resisting the urge to top up that open box

Bed on time even

Today we've fit in:

That last Dr appointment

To say goodbye

To the best pediatrician we've ever had

A little bit of school

Edging closer to finishing

A car load packed and ready to store

At NiNi's - and we'll stay

For an unexpected last day with the Tennessee cousins

Cross-world Countdown Day 33-32

Knew it would happen

Acknowledged the inevitability

Of missing a day

Marking our move

Here it has come already

And also as expected

Remembering backwards

Even one day...

Not so easy

Yesterday?

There was school work accomplished

Oh, yes - Aiden finished a workbook

One less to take! Yes!

There was the hand over 

Of one more thing sold

Hmm... anything more?

A receiving of packing boxes, yes

Yet more days in the month  booked

A feeble attempt made 

to keep the daily mess under control

Today we just lived today

Attended a seminar as a couple

Grace and Jasmin debut

Home alone days

We did get a few more boxes

Dropped off a bag of donations

Spent precious time with a dear friend

Can that count as a day's work of moving prep?

Cross-world Countdown Day 34

A box - maybe two - ready for storage
Another two open and half full

A bedroom with all holes filled and sanded
(Who used this room before us?
Must be at least a hundred pin holes!)
Ready for painting

A new list begun
And a few things checked off it
Daddy wrestled with the bank
And won - glad we were in Canada still!
A driveway snowball fight
Last snow play - maybe?

An evening with new friends
A walkable distance away
Why did we only discover them now
Weeks before we leave?!

And the clean/tidy state of the house?
I'd rather not say

Cross-World Countdown Day 35

We tackled Grace's room today

She sprang surprises over and over

What she was willing to pack away already

What she wanted to take with us

What she was uninterested in keeping at all

The expected frustration of

Change resistant protests

Just never came

Rather she enjoyed 

The rediscovery and sorting process

Her once precious flying dragons 

casually handed to Aiden 

For play (and inevitable destruction)

Her usually cluttered dresser top

Very nearly swept clean

A big box very nearly fully packed

A usually empty garbage can

Now stuffed to over flowing

And other treasured items set aside

I had gone slowly, carefully asking

Do you still need these things out?

Will this change stress you?

She was confident and carefree

Until bedtime

Then the changes in her room

Loomed evident

But bravely she declined

To unpack even a little

After all, we had left a lot untouched

Perhaps she is feeling 

The sombreness of reality

 First settling in your heart,

"This is the beginning of the end

This leaving is real"

Cross-world Countdown Day 36

Forward thinking Conversation 

Things We're Looking Forward To

Fruit truck fresh fruit

Market shopping

Train rides

Beach

Sun

Pool

Monkeys

Ice Lime Drink

Cheap cell phone plans

Chicken Rice & Roti

Less complicated flip-flop weather

Hearing more than one language every day

Things We're Going to Miss

Snow

Friends and family

Tim Hortons

Lots of blue sky

Our church

Quiet

Apple picking

Blueberries

Winterlude

Sane traffic

Big house with my own room

Things We're Not Looking Forward to

Pollution making the sky grey

Jellyfish in the sea

Motorbikes

Spicy food

Sweating

Living in an apartment

Starting again with friends

I'm happy to see that the looking forward to list is the longest!

Cross-World Countdown Day 37

Today my mind is full of lists

Tangling themselves with every day threads of thought

Mundane weekly grocery shopping list 

Mixing with lists of food

To clear out before we're leaving

That we need for the guests this evening

Lists

Of things to sell

To store

To keep

Snarling with the list of items-to-deal-with-but-we-are-sill-using-them

Jumbling with the list of things sold but not picked up yet

Lists of needed items

Of things needing to be done

Half written in my head

Started in this notebook

Continued on that paper

Begun again online

Needing to be corralled and tamed

Today's accomplishments:

A lease signed with renters who are now friends

The list of sold items solidified

The list of to sell items considerably and satisfyingly shorter

The next steps for the week clarified

Cross-World Countdown Day 38

Sunday Rest

Sort of:

A busy day at church

Choir warm up

2 Services to sing

Easter Choir rehearsal

Small group

Skype call home...

AND:

Small group leadership succession discussions were had

Moving boxes procured by spur of the moment donation

More of March's days blocked off for this or that thing - 

A workable schedule taking shape

Testimonies given in delight

 of God's goodness to us in the week

Cross-World Countdown Day 39

Today's work

House preparations? 0

Logical arrangements? 0

Packing or planning? 0

Usual Saturday housework? 0

Weekend rest? 0

Planning for March weeks? 2 meetings confirmed

(How quickly they're filling up!)

So something's been accomplished

But best of all

We don't care about all that didn't get done

So what we put kids to bed after 10pm

In a messy house

With dirty laundry at the end of Saturday wash day

So what we will wake up unprepared 

to a full busy Sunday

Because

Time spent with best friends? 5 hours

Irreplaceable

Heart preparations

Cross-World Countdown Day 40

Total sum of house moving preparations today: 3 packed storage containers moved NiNi's. Still, it feels like forward movement, as now I have more space to store the next ones I pack - hopefully this week.

The rest of the time?
We got in a morning of school
Worked out the busy weekend schedule
Waited out a long overdue oil change for the car
   on the way to NiNi's for the evening
Tried to get caught up with email and computer jobs
Planned a few special goodbye visits with friends
Added a few more things to the to-do list

Inch by inch...

Cross-world Move Countdown

Today it is 40 days until we depart for Asia.

It has been a long time coming this time - just over 3 years, which is a record for us. Before this, we've never stayed one place - one country - longer than 2 years!

It has come super quickly. Just "the other day" I was counting from a comfortable 100 days... Suddenly all those things you put off to the last month are crowding around demanding attention. And all the things we thought we'd have done months ago? They're still crowding around too.

But, we do start this countdown with one huge thing crossed off the huge to-do list - our house is rented out!
And with many blessings to count in the process:
-posted an ad Tuesday evening and received a deposit Wednesday evening, less than 12 hours later
-sold a fair bit of our furniture to the renters so we don't have to move it out - including the piano
-start date is immediately after we leave, so the house doesn't sit empty at all

And/but now, to work:

Preparing

Goodbying

Managing

Sorting

Pricing

Selling

Cleaning

Storing

Choosing

Packing

Using Up

We're aiming to post daily with a tidbit/snapshot of our last 40 days. Enjoy!