Day 181

Seems so appropriate on the last day of 2008 to be doing something that has become such a big part of our lives, especially this year: packing and preparing for another transition. Taking a quick break from the mounds of "stuff" that have accumulated since moving to Louisiana in July. We arrived with a three suitcases, some books, a few favorite kitchen items, and our pillows...now we have birthday gifts (why did I think a huge dollhouse would be a good gift for Camille? she loves it, but even when it is disassembled it is in a big box!) and holiday gifts (big garbage trucks are not so easy to disassemble!).

It doesn't matter how many times we've done this packing/moving business, it is still a lot of work and stress. The kids react in their own ways. Noah gets even more hyped up and energetic than usual. Camille gets whiny and clingy. And I get tired, frazzled and snappy. And this time is no different. And just as with other moves I always swear I will get started earlier and be more organized, but I don't and the end is always frantic. I don't like it and perhaps one day my mode of operation will change but right now it is actually a little layer of emotional protection. Because if I stop to think about what/who we are leaving behind in Louisiana I start to get very sad.

But I am not sad to be saying good-bye to 2008. This has been a big bad and very sad year for us. So I am going back to the boxes with the mantra that 2009 will be a better year and by the time we unpack all of this stuff we will already have entered that new year. 2009 will bring us back to Florida and back to being a family of four (can't wait for February!). 2009 will be the end of this deployment. 2009 will be our big move to Sicily. 2009 will be filled with all sorts of new adventures and we will hold on tight for the ride.