Preparing

There's been a lot to do this week. And while nothing is officially in a suitcase yet, everything we need in order to pack is now here in this house (including my new laptop battery, the paperwork packet from Lifeline and Ian's new shoes ~ ones that don't have holes, do you detect a trend with my hubby? ~ which arrived via UPS, FedEx and USPS just this afternoon). I've run countless errands either while the kids were in preschool or playing at a friend's house (if you have a friend about to travel on an adoption trip, offer to watch the kids for a few hours ~ she'll appreciate it, I PROMISE!) to purchase gifts for officials, orphanage staff, and guides; make sure our "traveling pharmacy" is restocked; and buy favorite snacks and bribery foods. Yes, I said "bribery foods." No, I'm not ashamed to admit that we're bringing an arsenal of fruit snacks, gum, M&Ms, and Starbursts to "encourage" good behavior. Did I mention that we'll be in a foreign country for 12 days with three children under age four?

When that list was mostly complete, I turned my focus on getting ready for actually arriving home, something that I TOTALLY overlooked when we traveled to meet Caleb. Thanks to all who answered my cries for freezer friendly recipes (I had difficulty limiting myself on which recipes to make), and a nearby friend who offered her kitchen Tuesday morning for us to "catch up and create," my freezer is now stocked with nine entrees that we cranked (with the help of a really cute "junior chef") out in a mere three hours.
Add to that three more meals that the "girls" from my Life Group made (all three of which will likely feed my family two nights each), PLUS a frozen pizza or two, and we are in much better shape than when we ate out for two solid weeks after returning back in November of '08. I also received a fabulous freezer cookbook and another offer to cook for a day that didn't work out due to distance. (Maybe after we get home and then you can meet Darcy too?)

Today Mama and I (yes, my mommy came to my rescue to help out in the very end ~ nothing more comforting that having Mama around ~ plus she gave us a much needed date night last night!) tackled finding a quilt and sheet set for my girl (somehow that had escaped me until just yesterday...), got the picture sized down for her foster mother's locket, picked up the Augmentin prescriptions for the kids, and finally remembered to buy some dog food for our dog sitter to feed our sweet Maya while we're gone.

Somewhere in there I've managed to find a bit of sleep and have even been keeping up with my Bible readings. I suppose my daily quiet time has been the one thing that has kept me sane during this process. Sadly though, in order to accomplish all the above (plus the other 257 things that need/needed to be done) before we leave AFTER FIVE MORE SLEEPS, I've been skipping out on any form of exercise.

Unless you consider weighted walking exercise.

For the record they now weigh 30.1 and 37.4 pounds...

Then I've been meeting my daily quota.