Kitty, Suits, and My Favorite Valentines

We said goodbye to our kitty yesterday and in the morning rush of trying to make it to the bus on time I didn't get to say much other than an I love you and a quick pet. I miss her already. She is moving East...back where she came from. She will be living with my mom and we are so happy she will be with someone who will love her as big as possible in the last years of her old kitty life. *update* I got to talk to kitty on the phone last night and she says she is very happy to be back and that she is keeping tabs on the other neighborhood cats from the safety of her window perch.

Everything else seems to be falling into place for our big road trip and move cross-country. Granted, multiple phone calls to multiple people in multiple departments have made that happen. I have been experiencing waves of excitement and waves of utter anxiety as I count down the days and determine that two weeks is not long enough...two weeks is an eternity... Keep in mind that there is a very small amount of moodiness that accompanies my roller coaster so try to be understanding if I talk at you 100mph or if I just burst into tears. I think these next two weeks will continue to get more emotional as we begin to say our goodbyes. Of course we would love to come back for Thanksgiving and Christmas, weddings and babies, but the only time we are guaranteed to be back in this state is two years from the day we start in whatever country to which we are assigned. Between posts Foreign Service Officers are authorized 30 days of home leave and they are flown back to their state of residence. I will accrue regular vacation time but who knows when/if we will be able to use it. Thirty days in 2+ years is all we can count on for sure so our goodbyes carry the added weight of time. Grandma has already committed to teaching Thumper how to Skype so he can call her whenever he likes! If you don't have Skype you best get on the bandwagon or Thumper will leave you in the dust! Okay that's not true, he will still be happy to squawk at you over the phone but he sure likes a good video chat.

In other news, we have to go shopping! Well Legs has to go shopping. I've been told that they make us wear suits for this job...every day! The only suit I own is the one I bought for the Foreign Service Oral Assessment a year and a half ago. Unfortunately, my Pacific Northwest fashion probably won't cut it in DC so I am bringing along my fashion advisor, George. I might just buy a pair of Tevas and socks for social times so I can really show off where I'm from. We will see what George thinks...and if Pancho will let me.

Lastly, happy Valentines Day! Pancho continues to romance me and made my day with beautiful loving words. Maybe he will write me a song and play it tonight on his guitar? We are having a stay-home date tonight and will pause the moving, packing, sorting, and panicking for the evening. Since Thumper can't eat chocolate yet, Legs will have to eat enough today to fortify his milk with a Valentines Day surprise...it's a big job but I'm up for the challenge. Pancho and I have been reflecting recently and are so utterly happy. We are honored to be parents to the most amazing little boy in the world and we are so thankful for the love and support of each other that grows by the day. Pancho and Thumper are my life and my biggest loves around. Everything is starting to sink in a bit more and we are feeling so fortunate to have the opportunities we have right now...to both be able to fulfill our dreams and raise our son to be a world citizen is more than we could ever ask for. And it's happening in just two weeks! *end wave of excitement* *start wave of anxiety*