Last Picture

You know, I was doing well yesterday until I went into Gabriel's room to put away a shirt and a sock that I found in the laundry room. He had the room totally clean and the bed stripped, then the sadness just hit me. He sent this picture tonight before he stepped off the plane to the beginning of his new life. I know every parent has to feel this, but it just seems so strange that he is a suddenly grown. We will be praying for him everyday and awaiting any news from him while he is at boot camp. (I'm thinking Alayna may hear from him first, but she'll be nice enough to let us know :)

Tomorrow is our last full day in the country - there is much to be done. TOO much!

Gabriel's Departure

 As our family gets larger, more and more special events over-lap. Last night was Gabriel's last night at home and it was also Moriah's 15th birthday. Since Moriah had a party a few weeks ago, Gabriel had his girl-friend, Alayna, and his friend, Ham, for dinner. Gabriel's request was strombolis and cheese-cake and Moriah's was chicken pot pie and frosted sugar cookies, so we had both dinners and desserts. The benefit of all that cooking is that tonight can just be left-overs. 

Here's the teen pack at dinner - note how I didn't even have time to remove the mail from the table! (I'm packing for Ethiopia, you know...)

We gathered in the living room for presents - 

Moriah, now 15, with her little buddy - 

Alayna and Julia - 

Group shot...what cracked me up was what I noticed as I loaded this picture.

Look at Elijah kissing Alayna's cheek. He loves Alayna - (so does his brother!)

Gabriel and his phone, man, is he going to miss that when the Navy throws it into the "to be sent home" bin.

Ham taught the kids a bit of ball-room dancing. 

He decided Ben needed some culture; Ben was pretty horrified and Elijah said, "Ham is making Ben be a girl!"

Gabriel was supposed to leave this afternoon, but was informed last night that he had to report early this morning for a personality test that is given to all home-schoolers. I found it interesting that they don't phase that in a more politically correct way, but Gabriel has way more personality than any public-school graduate that I know, so we aren't worried. 

I insisted that he take this picture with the girls straight out of bed before they left for school.

Then we had another before I took Alyssa to school. Moriah was already gone and none of us thought to wake Alei until afterwards, (she would have refused to be photographed straight out of bed anyway.)

Hard to believe that he is really out on his own. It's just kind of sinking in...(JD took me out to lunch).

My Life is Messy (but Tickets are Booked!)

 You know, my surroundings are generally pretty messy. I don't like it that way; I overall really enjoy organization...but I seem to be about the only one that does. Take for instance the coat closet (if you want to really feel good about yourself). Here is the sight that greeted me today -

Granted, it had not been "cleaned" all summer, but should it really have to be in the summer when no one is wearing coats? There is a crazy number of coats in there, but we do have a crazy number of people living here!

I was amused at my laundry piles for the day - check out the volume of shoes. Some were just given to us and some I'm washing to pass on, but it was still at least a dozen pairs of shoes to be washed. (Shoes, overall, are a constant messy problem at my front door!)

I decided we absolutely must start packing the piles that are waiting to go to Ethiopia. None of this is our personal packing, just all the orphanage donations that we are taking. I found out today that we can take three suitcases each, so that means I have several more bags that I can fill with back-packs to hand out to the orphans at West Sands School if anyone wants to donate them. I need a total of 220!

I actually spent all morning on the phone and computer booking FOUR round-trip tickets to Ethiopia, via Istanbul, Turkey, and TWO one-way child tickets for the trip back. We are leaving on Friday, October 26th!

On the Home Front

We are waiting to hear that Isabella passed the Embassy requirements; it has all taken longer than we hoped. In reality, it is slim hope that we could travel and be back for Gabriel's departure on October 29th for Boot Camp; we will probably not make travel plans until the next week - which happens to be November. Although we hoped to have Selah and Bella home as early as August, I decided in the beginning to not complain if they were home for Christmas. Not only are they going to be home for Christmas, they should be home in plenty of time for Thanksgiving as well. It is kind of bittersweet, since Gabriel will be home for neither this year.

While we wait, there is much to be done. I planned on deep-cleaning James and Ben's room while they were at home-school P.E. today, but I couldn't even walk in the room. So, I will deep-clean tomorrow, after they regular clean today. Elijah has been busy helping his Dad put in a chimney for the wood burning stove down-stairs. The chimney has to be built through the screened in porch before the ceiling and floor can be finished.

I am off to the chiropractor shortly; I desperately need it.