We're all winners!

M left 7 hours ago. He is traveling with a small carry on for his personal items and my large travel backpack as his checked luggage filled with dried fruit, tea, chocolate chips, baking cocoa, corn tortillas, jello, stickers, hot wheels, parachute men, and HANDKNITS! I just have to say thank you again to those who helped out. I pray that God will bless you for your generous hearts. I needed to use 2 models for this photoshoot. I just had to have a pic with 2 of my kiddos in matching hats.

I did draw a winner, but I've decided to send something small to all the kind knitters who sent M something. Just one problem...in the packing frenzy, I seem to have lost the return address labels I'd saved so I could mail a prize. Could you all (you know who you are) email me your mailing address? Terrie, 5 drew your name out of the glass and you'll get the prize I picked up in Northern CA while on vacation. We ended up with 10 hats, 10 cloths, 3 purses, and 2 scarf/cowls. It will be at least 2 weeks before I have a report about the new home for these items, but I can tell you now they're on a plane over the Atlantic.

*****

So the evening I typed this M had just left and he was en route to Paris. They changed planes there for the rest of the flight to Africa. I thought I could finish this post, but I ended up falling asleep and the post was stuck in draft. Those 10 days M was in Africa taught me how hard being a single parent really is! The 2nd day started with taking 5 to the Urgent Care for an ear infection. She had been up all night the previous night. The routine with the kids and doing the house clean-up at night meant that I didn't even check my email until 10pm each day. (I usually check in the am, after lunch, and after the kids bedtime.) 8 walks in his sleep, although usually only when stressed. He was up 4 times while M was gone. He's 4'8" and 85#! It's hard for me to get him back to bed when he's not awake. We did make it through the week, but I thought I'd make it to the post office too and that just didn't happen.

Mike arrived home with a bug. Stuff like that is bound to happen when you visit countries where the water isn't safe. The jet lag combined with the bug had him falling asleep at 3pm and when he was awake he was only 50% here. He is better now, but it took a week and a half. I'm finally finding my out of the piles of things around here. I have my packages ready and I'll get to the P.O. as soon as they're addressed.