Holidays and Moving Update

Well that was fast.  Christmas has come and gone, as have our holiday guests including E's Nana whom we said goodbye to today. 

Nana and E inspecting the planes.

We had a wonderful holiday complete with oodles of quality family time, an abundance of food (that included my mom's delicious gumbo), and lots of entertaining moments singing karaoke, opening presents and indulging in cheap good wine.  In other words, we couldn't have asked for a better Christmas before we leave.  I was a little sad my sister and her family couldn't make it, but seeing them in November almost made up for it. 

E and M-dog posing in front of the makeshift Christmas tree.

Checking the stocking loot.

Blowing bubbles.  The way to my kid's heart are 99 cent bubbles.  Just FYI

But now that the festivities are behind us, we have refocused on moving prep.  I am happy to report that we are almost ready.  S and I took a trip to Hagerstown yesterday to sort through our HHE and to let the movers know what items we want shipped to Turkey and what items will spend (at least) the next two years in the lovely warehouse. The storage facility was quite impressive, and the sorting went much faster than I anticipated.  They were super organized which meant we were in and out in about 30 minutes.  Barring any travel delays or customs trouble, our things should arrive on our doorstep roughly three months from now. 

We also took the pets for their final vet exam and will be receiving their travel certificates in the next couple days.  The car has also been tuned up and all the paperwork is in order for its exportation.  It too will likely arrive around the same time as our HHE, so we will be making do without the car for the first few months.  An excellent excuse to explore the city on our own two feet!

For now I am sorting through toys, books, clothes, you name it.  My three separate piles have begun to take shape (things we don't need/donating/trashing, things to be packed in our suitcases, and things to be shipped in our UAB).  Our air baggage was under weight when we left New York, but since we have picked up more than a few items in the last 6 months, we are hoping we aren't over weight this time.  One good thing I have to say about frequent moves is that it really forces you to do away with all the crap you don't need.  This is definitely not a hoarders lifestyle. 

One more holiday here in D.C. and then it's Merhaba Turkey!