COUNTDOWN - WE ARE BACK!!!!

So it's Tuesday, and we left last Friday for the US.  People had asked if we felt sad leaving our Paris home and the life we'd created there.  Over the last few weeks, I felt the most sad leaving the good friends we've made these past months.  We've made many wonderful memories during our stay in Paris and, to quote a blog I follow, I've bundled all my memories up and they go with me wherever I go.

Friday was a typical Paris November day, cold and rainy.  I thought of the many days like it when we'd had to get out to go to the market, see friends, walk to church.  Believe me, especially in the beginning, I was a Grumpy Grace having to get out, holding on to my umbrella for dear life, avoiding puddles and knowing my hair was going to be destroyed!!  But, after a while, even I got used to all the rain and walking in it was a minor nuisance, nothing more.

I love this picture of a Paris street - this was from our hotel

Our flight was uneventful and we arrived in Dallas Friday evening tired and glad to be back.  We spent Friday night with Catherine and the boys (Andy was out of town) and went to Cheesecake for a little food then to Barnes and Noble to browse (Brady got some books and I got two magazines!!!).  It was nice to go to two of our favorite spots but I started to fade fast so went to bed as soon as we got home.

Saturday was really busy.  Nathan and Courtney met us at our storage unit and together they, along with Catherine, Ben, and Jacob and Jonah packed the van we'd rented with all our belongings.  We laughed and said our whole life was in that van!!  Well, except for the things being shipped from Paris (which, by the way, we found out later have not left France yet and we are not happy!!!  They came and picked them up mid September and we knew it would take a while but this is unbelievable).

Here's our life in the back of a van!!

And here's our motley crew..but they're cute!!

We spent Saturday night with Courtney and got take-out Tex Mex, our favorite.  We were still struggling with jet lag (and, actually, still are today!!) but managed to enjoy our evening before turning in to get ready for the long drive on Sunday.

We couldn't have asked for a better day to make the trip to Kansas City.  The skies were clear, it was a little cool and there was little traffic.  We made it to KC in 71/2 hours or so, got to the apartment and David's cousin's daughter and friends helped unpack the van and we all went to dinner.  It was a fun evening, and we couldn't have done it without them.

Our painters are still working on the apartment..really just finishing up the sunroom.  They had some questions and so waited til we arrived to complete the work.  They really have done a great job and we're very happy with the way it all looks.  Of course, right now it all looks a mess!!!!!!  The last two days we've shopped for miscellaneous items, sometimes successfully and sometimes not.  Last night we did buy a mattress (we still need a headboard) and a living room chair (although I'm not sure I'll put it in the living room) then today we went to Target and bought all the "life" stuff...toilet paper, Kleenex, cleaning supplies, pillows, sheets, mops, sponges, appliances (like a blender, slow cooker, hand mixer etc) and all the small utensils cooking requires.  Yesterday we'd gone to Sur La Table and gotten some cookware, so I think we're pretty set.  We walked out of Target with this...

And we realize we forgot some things.......!!

...four carts with a few boxes on the side!!!!  We applied when we entered the store for a Target card so we could get 5% off our order and after all the paperwork they told David it couldn't be used for 7-10 days!!  Are you kidding me??????  But, the young women in charge said she would bypass that and would give the discount today.  Yeah!!!!!!  There are still some nice people out there.  You can imagine the looks we were getting as we were checking out...one lady said she didn't envy us unpacking it all and I said "yeah, and carrying it up three floors with no elevator!!"

But we did it, unpacked it all and found places for it and tomorrow we tackle the boxes to find homes for the rest of the pieces of our life.......