T-minus 24 hours

It's hard to believe that we're in the final home stretch with less than 24 hours before we leave for California. I am still making lists of all the things I need to do, and sometime tomorrow will actually find the time to pack our bags. Nothing like putting off packing for 3.5 months until the very last minute, right?

We've been so busy this week that I haven't had an opportunity to post photos of Riley's Bon Voyage party at her school, write about getting my driver's license or our last play-date with our neighbors, tell about the TGIF party, Libby's vet appointment, or the girls last soccer practice of the year. And that's just what I can remember off the top of my head!

It's been a whirlwind with all of the last minute preparations... solidifying Sheridan's enrollment in the JCC starting next week (yippee!!!), gathering all of the paperwork for Riley's school, taking care of our household helper's salaries and miscellaneous expenses for the next 4 months while I'm gone, ensuring that everything is locked on with our flights, hotel, car rental, airport transportation, making more doctor's appointments, haircut appointments, and researching a new cell phone plan since T-Mobile just doesn't work for us.

We spent our last night together as a family doing a Turtle Walk on the beach. It's a night beach patrolling program that identifies Olive Ridley - Sea Turtle nests and relocates them safely to avoid the loss from predators and other natural destruction which may affect the eggs. There were about 40 Consulate people who caravaned in at least ten cars to the Tree Foundation. We watched a short documentary on the program, and then went out to the beach where the hatching turtles were starting to come out of the sand and needed to be led out to the ocean.

The girls had an absolute blast. Not only were there tons of baby turtles for the kids to hold and to let out to the sea, but there were lots of kids to share this experience. As always Riley was a little tentative to hold the turtle, but once she saw her sister do it, she quickly gained confidence and held one long enough for me to snap a few photos. Of course, she doesn't remember her first turtle trip down to Ras al Had in Muscat, Oman, when she was eight months old. Ahhh the memories!

(October, 2003)

I have so much to say, but I'm way too tired and scatterbrained to write any more. Wish me luck tomorrow that we get everything completed and that I leave here with some semblance of sanity... maybe.... just maybe.

Wow... look at all the hatchlings!

There's so many they keep them confined in the baskets...

... until they let them out to sea