And So It Begins....

Packing for a 6-day trip, 3-week visit, and overnight stop is no small feat. Not to mention each country we visit will have a very different climate, so I'm pretty much packing a little of everything. Multiply that times 4 people and we have a lot of suitcases! Since we always come back with about twice as much stuff, I'm trying to get creative and pack the suitcases inside one another on the way home to conserve space. Good thing I've got lots of help...

These boys are getting really excited. Now if I could just keep them otherwise occupied long enough to get everything inside their bags, we'd be ready to go! We don't actually leave until tomorrow afternoon so I still have some time to get everything together.

I can't believe we've already spent 4 months in Perth. The time has really flown by, even though the days have been really long sometimes. It's the most beautiful place I've ever lived but definitely lonelier than Singapore and feels much more isolated from the rest of the world because we're so far from everything. The closest major city is Adelaide, which is still a good 1,200 miles away. It's been hard to meet people here and even harder to find activities for the kids since there's not a lot offered for preschoolers and as a result the classes I've looked into have been full with very long waiting lists. At least we'll get Ben back into preschool 2 days a week in February and Alex is on a list to start 2 mornings later in the year, so I can finally get a bit of free time for myself. I look forward to going to the grocery store without it being a huge production with my supporting cast.

Anyway, we are thrilled to go home and visit our families and catch up with old friends and new babies. Please keep us in your prayers for safe travels, healthy kids, and happy journeys. Now back to packing and let the fun begin!