LIFTOFF!

That word holds so much excitement for us! After knowing we were moving for 15 months and waiting for the big move, we finally left DFW airport and headed east to D.C., had a brief stopover in Senegal and then landed in Johannesburg. Y'all know I wasn't overly thrilled about the nearly 24 hours of travel with three kids. I am happy to report God graciously answered your prayers! I KNOW people prayed us off because there is no way the trip could've been any better. Three kiddos, three airports, ten checked bags, five carry-ons, five personal bags and over 24 hours later...we made it to Camp Eden, our home for at least the next two years, God willing.

The trip really couldn't have gone more smoothly and I am so grateful for God's provision in that. All our luggage made it, the weather was perfect, there were no delays, the Cronins were soooo very awesome for making time to drive us to the airport just three days before their own nearly 30 hours of travel to East London (South Africa), there were no meltdowns on the plane and, BEST of all, none of the kids pooped the entire trip.

Let us all pause and give thanks for that.

...

Amen. 

Seriously. They are all very “regular” and, yet, not one of them made the long walk of Mommy's dread to the lavatory. The odds of all three of them...holding it in...if you don't believe miracles happen anymore... There aren't many instances where I'd be celebrating the kids holding it in but that right there is one of those justifiable moments.

And, believe me, with the stomach bug that hit over half the camp the very next week, I made up for all that irregularity.

Times 27.

And that is that about “regularity.” Onward, Christian soldiers.

Leaving you with some pics of travel day. See all the happy faces? Even despite the irregularity, I might add. Thank you, Lord Jesus.

Preparing to leave DFW.  And preparing to fall asleep on the way to D.C. if not in the middle of an Egg McMuffin bite.

This is Anniston, sitting on top of two carry-ons, in front of another carry-on, on top of a stroller as I hauled her across Dulles.  This is also me testing my theory that, if you wear all your clothing, you can pack more in your carry-on.  Thus, the brown t-shirt over mango long-sleeve shirt with a gray vest and green scarf look.  Hello, Michelin tire twin.  Apologies, America.

The secret to pleasant travel with kids?  Personal video monitors.  Anniston even tuned in to the Chipmunks.

Still smiling after crossing the Atlantic.

The boys check out South Africa for the first time.

First family pic in South Africa!

Proof that, while we may have lost our minds, we didn't lose any of our luggage. 

Where My Mary Poppins At?

We got our visas!!!!

What I meant to say was,

"WE GOT OUR VISAAAAAAAAAAS!!!!"

They only took three times longer to get here than we expected but they are HERE.

Now that we have those, it's pack mania over here. Packing a family of five into ten checked bags and five carry on bags is proving to be quite a task. Summer and winter clothes are going, as are a handful of toys per child, books, board games, my favorite garlic dicing gizmo...these...

I feel like Melatonin ought to come with a little halo above it.

Then there are items to help with my germaphobia.

I know, I know. I realize I'm going to live on a FARM with CATTLE right outside my window so I need to ease up on the germaphobia. But, between here and there, there are these things called airplane lavatories. Also known as The Birthplace of Germs.

Which is why this sight of this in the Walmart aisle almost made me clap my hands and cry tears of joy.

It is seriously so special to me, it deserves its own portrait sitting.

And a halo.

Now, if I can just find lysol in a TSA regulation size 3.4 oz aerosol can so I can prep the seat for the seat covers, I'll really feel complete.

As far as packing goes, I find myself wishing for one of those Mary Poppins carpetbags. Or ten. And the snapping thing to clean house would also be nice. But since I don't have the spiritual gift of snapping things into place, I'll just be stuffing things into every nook and cranny of our suitcases and praying for less than the 50 lb. mark.

Considering, in the last week, two friends in SA have thought it wise to mention some things in their Facebook statuses (THAT I READ), namely, two snakes and the abundance of bugs in Africa, I can tell you some toys that will NOT be making the trip with us...

Those spiders have nearly done me in a few times as Tyler left them out after playing. They are just a little too real looking. As for the black snake, there may or may not have been a time Brian and I stared into a tree for a full five minutes, trying to figure out if it was a real snake. Once Brian worked up the nerve to flick it onto the ground, I still wasn't convinced until I read "Made in China" on its belly.

Thank you, China, for the near heart failure.

So, there's the update. We'll let you know when we fly! For now, it's time to get back to packing and channeling my inner Mary Poppins as I repeatedly chant,

“In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun and ‘snap’, the job’s a game.”

The Eve of Nothing, It Turns Out

Great day today. Sold our minivan to a very sweet family. Got to spend the afternoon with Brian's parents at the Grapevine Mall Aquarium and then his middle brother and family joined us for dinner. Was so precious to see the five cousins playing together. They wrestled and giggled so much in Nana and Paco's hotel bed. We were lucky to not get in trouble with the rowdiness!

Now I'm listening to my mom read to the kids. Bittersweet day and night. I'm so thankful for so much...which makes tomorrow's goodbyes so hard to think about. Brian's parents head back home in the morning and my mom decided to go with my dad on a work related trip and they scheduled their departure for the same day we were supposed to leave. So, it turns out, we're just sending off our loved ones on the day they were planning to send us off. It may be easier this way.

If all had gone as we planned, we'd be on a plane in less than 12 hours. If visas truly were issued within five business days as the South Africa Home Affairs website would like you to believe, we'd be on a plane in less than 12 hours. Instead, the SA embassy has given me a nice little cold sore and high blood pressure this week. After trying to get through to them for three days last week (phone lines were not working), I finally got someone to give me a working email address and we found out last Friday that I made a mistake in my interpretation of the website from Hades. So, we over nighted the missing info and it got there early Monday morning. But, as of late Tuesday, it was still sitting, unsorted in the mail room of the embassy. The fax I sent Monday afternoon also did not go through...even though I had a confirmation it did. The emails and phone messages I left went unreturned. I was told Tuesday morning that our five visas were being worked on so I got all hopeful and such. And then those hopes were dashed at 1:00 when we were told they did not have the fax or the over night mail in hand. By late afternoon, the embassy dude told me it was impossible to get these to us in time for our Thursday flight. It seems the accounting office goes home at noon. So...

Here we are, on the eve of what we thought would be our flight to SA. Things have turned out differently than we planned but I have so much peace now. We will get there in God's timing. This is no surprise to Him.

4 a.m.

Sometimes...

I am this ball of nerves.

And I catch myself desperately gripping my pillow with cold, stiff fingers, breaths coming in short pants.

And I pray to remember that God will help me with each minute, each breath...that I can do this.

Because He will go with us.

When I was young and the military moved us across state lines and oceans, into new cultures and countries, I always felt safe because I trusted my parents to take care of me.

Now I am the parent.

And, Lord, I pray my kids feel that same security. Please give me the courage and wisdom to protect them and make them feel safe.

Sometimes...

The soon to be single digit countdown overwhelms me.

Is this really happening? Can we get everything done in time? Is life as we know it really about to end?

This ability to jump in the car and drive a short distance to grab lunch with my mom? Going to a doctor for simple things where I can go anytime? Dropping kids off in the carpool lane? Not falling asleep thinking of how to teach the kids to evade black mambas?

Oh, Lord, when I have these moments when my airway constricts and tears flow, give me courage.

Give me vision to see past the hard part of saying goodbye to people and places we love and are comforted by.

Give me faith to see that there will be times when this can and only will be doable minute to minute and even breath to breath.

Sometimes,

I need to remember that child inside me is not too far gone. I still long for comfort, to know I have a parent in control who is taking care of me, taking care of the details.

Lord, in those moments, let me remember that

When I am weak, You are strong,

That You will go with us,

All times.

Amen.