Packing up

O.k., I have officially learned that I cannot live life simply. Packing to come home has taught me this. After a week of putting books in boxes and clothes/curios/scrapbook supplies and other misc. items in suitcases, I see that raising a family for 6 months takes more that what we brought with us last August.

A lot more...

When John's brother came last December, he brought with him a new little carry-on suitcase that was John's Merry Christmas present. It was mostly full of gifts we purchased to give our kids for Christmas, and when Dean left we kept the little suitcase here, and packed a much larger one with curious and Christmas gifts to send back to the States with him.

When my parents came in December they each brought a large suitcase with them for just our family's things. One was also full of Christmas-that one went back home almost exactly the way it had come. The other we filled, like Dean's, with stuff we didn't need anymore. Another full suitcase of things we'd bought here (or brought here and were finished with) that we sent back.

Then John's mom came. She brought an empty suitcase, just so we could fill it again with our stuff and send it with her. Sadly, as I've written before, that empty suitcase along with her full one were lost in transit. Luckily they were recovered before she went back to the states. One more full suitcase of African stuff sent back with mom...

And then my friend Linda came to visit. Upon seeing that she had room to check one more item, we met her and her husband Jeff out at the airport on their return flight and sent them with a box-mostly full of books our kids have accumulated here-and asked that she mail it to Dallas when she reaches her home in Boise, Idaho.

And now it is time for us to pack up. Upon inventory, we have packed to the gills 4 boxes of books and school materials, 3 huge duffle bags, 3 black rolling carry on bags, 3 large rectangular suitcases, one hanging bag stuffed to the gills and a smaller duffle bag full of medicines and toiletries. We also have a back pack for each kid but Lucy-stuffed completely. In addition, we will carry on the plane 5 other bags; some full of the kids blankets and teddies, some full of vital documents, one full of jackets to hold back the winter weather we are going to. John will carry on his briefcase, and I will carry on a back pack full of diapers and sundries for the flight.

How we will get all of this luggage from here to the airport remains to be seen. In theory we will haul it in a little trailor pulled by the Bassets car, and fill up the back of Trust's blue van with the misc. items. Getting this stuff from customs in San Fransisco to our flight to Utah is actually my greater worry. And getting it all (including the stuff we sent on before us) from Utah to Dallas is still a trick that remains to be performed.

While living here in Africa I have seen people go without many things. They live with little and get by with a smile. They have less but seem to live more. I wanted to take that home with me. Too bad it took so many suitcases to do it.