The End is Near

Well here's a quick picture-less post to update you on what's going on. We thoroughly enjoyed the rest of our time in AZ with our immediate family. Christa came in town to celebrate Christmas and we enjoyed our traditional Christmas Eve dinner of appetizers after a wonderful service at church. We exchanged some presents - including some we opened on Skype so my sisters could be there virtually. Over the week we also made Christmas cookies, hiked, saw Narnia, and much more. Christmas day Joesph came home and we later went out to dinner at a fun Italian restaurant, which we've never done for Christmas before, but it was fun and easy.

Sunday we drove up to CA and stopped by to visit with one of our supporters on the way and in the evening arrived and Johnny and Krista's house. We had a fun day with them yesterday and in a few hours we're headed to the airport to catch our flight to NJ. We'll arrive there around noon and probably be exhausted from the red-eye! Good thing we don't have plans for tomorrow except enjoying our three year anniversary! We're so excited to be celebrating three married years together. It feels like a big accomplishment considering how many changes and new challenges we've faced together. I also feel like three years is a good landmark where we cross over from being newlyweds to being semi experienced and established as a married couple. Do you know what I mean? We're excited and so happy and blessed to spend this life together.

Anyway, we'll have time in NJ through Monday, and on Tuesday we'll leave for Brazil! We have a lot of last minute things to accomplish while we're in NJ - picking up last minute things from people and from stores, saying goodbye to relatives, packing and more. We have a lot to accomplish which will be extra challenging over the holiday weekend and only a part-time car (my Grandma plans to lend us hers when she doesn't need it which will be good) but one way or the other I know it will all get done and we'll be on our way before we know it.

So are we feeling ready? Absolutely! I feel like we've done, visited, purchased, and eaten everything we wanted to and more. We feel relaxed, revved up, encouraged, and ready to hit the ground running. Of course we'll miss things, places, and people, but we feel called to Brazil so we can't wait to get back. I also can't wait to have the most blissful sleep in 4 1/2 months....in our own bed at last!! I also can't wait to get back to a bit of a routine and some healthy eating again. It's been absolutely stellar here....I mean completely awesomely terrific...but it is SO time to go home. But in the meantime, we have one more week of fun and tasks ahead.