So that news I mentioned? Epic three week journey to the States.  I wasn't expecting to be able to post until after the fact but things fell into place and here is the first post.  This travel journal is going to be brief daily notes vs lovely image art.  Truly just a journal with whatever device I can grab.  Today that was a daughter's point and shoot. 

Will start with the real life hard stuff.  It isn't easy closing up a life for this long.  So.much.to.do before you can walk out the door.  And typically Murphy's law prevails which meant that in the days that led up to the flight a vehicle died, appliances were replaced necessitating last minute emptying/cleaning, a cabinet fell off, some people got sick.  There were various and sundry last minute fires to put out related to the big event we are leading up to.  

And I don't fly well.  That may be the understatement of the century.  Just know its not pretty.  At all.  

But there were many, many blessings along the way.  There always are.  

An older British woman in line near us in check in heard us call Abbie.  She said to me, "We have an Abbie too.  "Her Father's joy."  Why yes, indeed.  We don't pass through places like airport security without drawing attention so it is especially nice when people take a moment to compliment the children for waiting patiently and following directions.  

The children were awesome.  All through the three hours of driving and nine straight hours in air.  It is going to be fascinating seeing America through their eyes.  The three little ones have little to no recall of this place. Abbie especially was only a year old when we left. Tess was three and has no recall.  Brendan was five.  He has hazy memories.   A good case in point is a conversation between them and Kieran when we went to a British store I'd found recently.  

"So what kind of store is it?" they asked.  

I said,"It's like a Target."

"What's a Target?" one asked.  

"I know that one!" said Brendan.  "It's that thing you shoot at with arrows!"  

"No," said Kieran, "She means it's like a Walmart."  

"What's a Walmart?" all three littles asked.  

So yeah.  It's going to be an adventure.  We're always up for adventure though. : )