a MAY zing work!

 BEFORE:

I took this picture to remember how to assemble the fort kit, but I love how it shows what our house really looked like for months as we've been packing/organizing/cleaning!! (and hooray for me, thinking I could play forts amid all that chaos!!)--SUCH a process!
 AFTER:

As we've lined up next to Mom preparing and awaiting her mission call (Hooray for Hawaii!!), I have felt like we're in our own mission prep of sorts, getting paperwork for financing, slimming down possessions, buying needed supplies (staging supplies?), waiting to list, then waiting to sell, waiting to find our new assignment/home! A lot of missionaries recently have shared that just the application/waiting to leave process is nearly a mission in itself, and I can sure relate!! Settling into a new are almost seems like no big deal compared to the process of getting there, and maybe that in itself is a tender mercy since leaving once seemed impossible. :)

I don't know how many times the last 3 months, I've thought,"We're nearly done!" Dear Mom, who planned a visit of Women's Conference Weekend months ago, had little idea how much work she'd be walking into.  Here I thought we'd have the house listed before she came, and instead we were filling up 3 of these storage units, painting the nursery, continuing to pack and clean, etc., etc., etc., etc. (there is not enough meaning in any "etc." to convey just how much more)! It felt like triple the work got done with her here--I would never have been able to anticipate the best time for her to come, but what a lifesaver trip it turned out to be!!

Women's Conference was SUCH a fun reprieve to be w/ Mom, aunts, cousins, and surrounded by women for a day.

Mom also got to be here for Spencer's school play, where he starred as the Court Jester, even learning to juggle!! Good thing she was here, as Brian was tied up w/ City Council until the last minute, and I was leading a Beehive Class Activity to support the ones of our class also in the play! We actually did end up getting to sit together in the back row for the last half, despite so many charges in our care :).

We photographed a lot of projects (so that we could throw them away):
Emily's mummy mask

Forgetmenot oil paintings we did for a combined activity--thanks to artist friend Sarah Porter!

Emily's bridge from woodshop (held 100 lbs before cracking!)

(notice that Emily likes to keep more projects than average?--the mummy mask was from last year;) )

Anne's Turtle "Great Brain" project

Otherwise, we've gotten all 3 AP tests out of the way (Psychology & USHistory for Maddie; Geography for Brent), done more driving practice, enjoyed Teen Mindfulness (M&E), piano, jazz band festivals, yardwork, cleaning out the garage, moving 40 buckets of wheat, many boxes, and keeping this house clean, clean, clean (pretty good exercise for this family!).  Brian made some wonderful Balsamic Beef and Mushrooms for Mother's Day, and the kids put together a fabulous breakfast and cards a-plenty :). As my gift, I just replaced my sheepskin slippers--since one managed to be kicked out the door, and then inhabited by a mouse!--(ICKK!!!!), then washed by me, and turned into curly elf shoes.  Hopefully the house will be listed Monday--we thought it might be the end of April, then the beginning of May, then that it had to be by last Friday, then that it would be yesterday--maybe if I stop thinking about it, it will happen! We are finally ready with all of our preparations, so it is nice to have a moment just to breathe while we wait for everything else to come together as our agent gets back in town.  And, just for the record (that our house was clean once), here are some more final house photos: