Day 1 Travel Day

I can't believe it's finally here!. We leave in three hours. I feel like I did in the sixth grade as I waited for the school bus to take us to New Orleans for a field trip. You know the feeling. Nervous. Excited. A little scared.

The packing process proved to be as tricky as a thousand piece puzzle of Big Ben. I'm still grieving the lost of two sweaters and a pair of boots that didn't make the cut. It's not that I'm afraid I don't have enough to wear, it's just that they're so cute. 2 papa, on the other hand, had decided how many of each item of clothing he needed and proceeded very methodically to pack. So even when I tried to convince him to take the rust colored shirt, he said no, that he only needed six shirts. Oh, how easy it must be to be a man. But, not nearly as much fun. At one point he honestly debated about taking two pairs of shoes instead of one. Really, how could anyone survive with one pair of shoes? However, I tried to keep my mouth shut thinking my deleted sweaters and boots might have a chance. But, in the end, they didn't make it.

Since 2 papa's idea of packing is dumping it all in one big pile in a suitcase, my next job was to equally distribute the articles of clothing so the four suitcases we were allowed weighed under, or right at, 50 pounds each. That was the real challenge. Boots, coats, sweaters, vitamins, books, gifts for our English friends---everything had to be arranged and rearranged over and over again until I got each suitcase at exactly 50 pounds. I have a little hand-held weighing thing that allowed be to pick up the suitcase with it attached and weigh it. Needless to say, I didn't need a visit to the gym after that exercise. Did I mention 2 papa has a hernia and can't lift anything over twenty pounds. So, as I hoisted the four suitcases 1/2 inch off the ground, he read the weight. In case you're wondering, I did thank him for his help.

Well, as the song goes (if you're as old as we are, you'll remember), our bags are packed and we're ready to go. Our precious family gave us a going away dinner last night, complete with cookies decorated with the flag of England and handmade cards from the grand kids. Once again, we were reminded what is truly important in life--our family and friends. We've hugged them all and will miss seeing them.

I Peter 1:18 in The Message says, "Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ's sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought." Life is definitely a journey, isn't it? Our prayer for our life journey is the same as our prayer for the journey that starts today--that we are able to spread the love we have for God, our country, and our family and friends to all that we meet and, in the end, we arrive home safely.

Hugs, 2 mama