one week to go...

thursday, june 3
today is my father's birthday. he died in 1996 in belize while scuba diving. he would have been 73 today. i just want to recognize the fact that he is one of the main reasons that i feel the urge to go on a mission like this. he taught me compassion and acceptance. he was such a loving man and is hugely missed by all of us. i wish my girls had had the chance to have his influence in their life. we keep him alive by talking about him but the void of his personality and presence can't be denied.

friday, june 4
i tried to gather my thoughts and decompress today. caroline is at the lake with her basketball team... julianne is spending the night with friends... caitlin is in birmingham... abigail is babysitting. this freed me up for some time with emily at wal mart. woo hoo! we had to get a few more things before we start to pack. (remember, we are supposed to spray all of our clothes with the military repellent spray and allow to air dry before we pack. that will be a long process.) i have gotten great ideas from friends who have already done a trip like this. one of the better tips to me is to take flat sheets to put over our "bed". also, to pack a pillow case that you can put clothes in to use as a pillow. it will just feel good to have a little comfort that smells and feels like home. thanks to julie and jenni for that! they also told me to pack clothes in two separate bags in case one gets lost. great idea. i think we will put a little of each of our clothes in three different bags. surely all three won't get lost...? going to watch a movie now with emily if we can find one on demand. i hear mason snoring so i think it will be a girly movie.