Geesh, with the lack of posting around here you'd think I was moving half way across the globe

Oh wait, we are!

When you have four kids (heck, any number of kids really) life is busy. Factor in school, the holidays and an international move...things are beyond busy. They are down right hectic. We have all our paperwork done and ready for Italy. They came and packed our unaccompanied baggage (household stuff that will get there shortly after us, before our big shipment of all our stuff arrives), we sent the van off back in November (it's in route, somewhere in the Atlantic now) and our movers come MONDAY. This week is all about de-cluttering, trashing what is trash, donating what we don't need and grouping like items so the movers don't pack one shoe in one box because it was in the bedroom and the other in a different box because it was in the hall. It sounds simple enough but grouping everything, going through every junk drawer, the linen closets, tossing out 1/2 full bottles of old lotion/shampoo, using up the rest of the freezer food and snacks (last night we had grilled chicken {used up the marinade}, roasted potatoes {used up the potatoes left in the 5lb bag}, glazed sweet potatoes {in freezer} and corn {in pantry}. Random and starch heavy but it worked.

We had a garage sale last Saturday. It was EXHAUSTING. I opened the garage at 6:30am, thirty full minutes before our start time of 7am that was on every sign, and as I was waiting for the door to open 3 cars were waiting. It was busy and rainy and dreary but we sold almost everything (whats left fit in 2 totes) and we made almost $500! That was just our family, two neighbors also each made $100. It was an awesome success! Definitely worth the years it took me to get the courage to have the dang sale.

So garage sale done. Donations are in the van, waiting to be delivered. More suitcases have been purchased (we now have 4 carry ons, 5 full size suitcases, 1 oversize duffel, a dog carrier, a diaper bag) and are waiting to be packed. I've finished my Christmas shopping for the kids, Nanaw, Papa, Nanaw Phew Phew have all shipped their gifts here (which will go in a suitcase), Papa Barry sent money (bless him, we'll need it while living in the hotel & in the airports) and all that's left is to opening it all from it's childproof packaging, add the necessary batteries, toss in a few rolls of wrapping paper and lock that bag up so the kids can't open it in the hotel. The boys haven't decided what to ask Santa for yet, hopefully they narrow that down before the flight!

This weekend we will start moving some of the luggage and such to the hotel, the movers come Monday, Bubba has school that week but B is off to stay at the house with the movers. By next Friday, we'll have done our walk through and be counting down the hours til Italy!