T minus 14 days...

Where has all the time gone? We leave for CA two weeks from this morning!?!?! 

Hard to believe it is really here.

I have been very busy sorting through our stuff, dejunking anything I can, and starting to pack it all up. We had a wonderful yard sale and had many donations from our kind friends and neighbors.  It was THE FIRST yard sale I have ever done and probably the last.  Normally, the minute I decide I want to get rid of something, I want it out of my house...but since we knew we had many expenses coming up, it seemed wise to let it collect for the first time ever. 

Speaking of expenses...  As of Friday, all of our Visas are back and approved. What a crazy process! If any of you ever go to India, give me a call and I will give you all the tips.  I am pretty much an expert now that I have been through submitting SEVEN Indian Visas. Crazy!

The minute the kids' Visas arrived at my door on Friday, I called the travel agent and got our flights booked.  Unfortunately, the prices have steadily risen in the last few months and it was quite a chunk!  

Let's face it....it was always going to be a chunk, but it was a bigger chunk than 

we had previously hoped for.

(The organization pays for our airfare, but I still felt bad that is was going to cost SO much! 

But on the bright side...Hello, Disney Reward Dollars on my Disney Visa :)

A few days ago, I called my oldest sister (mother of six and MASTER of efficiency and all things time management) to have her help me write out a plan.  She packed up her family years ago and moved to the D.C. area for a 2-year stint, so she knows of what she speaks.  She convinced me that it was time to live like squatters. : )

 I got off the phone with her and started taking down pictures and  moving furniture into our storage room.  (We are locking our stuff in one bedroom. 

 It is very convenient and allows me to "move out" slowly over these last weeks.) 

So now, this is what our loft looks like. The red ones are ours--all others were donated to us. (Thanks!)

Tomorrow, I am clearing out all the furniture from the loft, laying all these suitcases out and starting to pack up our entire family. I already have TONS of things to go in them...Clorox wipes, hand sanitizer, a year's worth

 (we hope) of soap, deodorant, toothpaste, and other hygiene necessities. : )

Six large jars of peanut butter, tuna fish, granola, spices, ranch packets, sugar, etc.

Over the next 2 days, I am taking apart all the beds and putting us down on mattresses.  This next weekend we will pack up all of our clothes and next Monday I will empty out the kitchen, having a very simple menu already planned out for those final 5 nights in our house.

I still have so many errands to run and so much shopping to do. I am at that point when you have no idea how everything is going to get done in the remaining time.  But, I am sure it will all work out, and READY OR NOT, we will drive off to CA to get on that plane.

Many more adventures to come....hopefully not too many involving snakes, scorpions, or (eek!) Lice.