One week from today we will be at the airport, checking in. There is still much to be done, but my list is slowly dwindling. Just a few moments ago, I finished sewing the binding on Sprout’s quilt–a project I started when we spent the fall in Saskatchewan almost a year and a half ago. We have fond memories of that place, our new friends there, and the beautiful scenery. It holds a very special place in our hearts.

 

So today, I’m reminded to be thankful of all the little things we love about life in Canada–things we won’t be able to experience for perhaps another two years or so, if things go as we plan. I’m thankful for:

140.  apple cider
141.  fireplaces
142.  the crunch of fall leaves or winter snow
143.  fall colours
144.  deep snow
145.  grass between my toes
146.  friendship
147.  being able to understand (mostly) everything I hear and read
148.  libraries
149.  organic produce
150.  Thai food
151.  family just a drive away
152.  fast, unblocked internet
153.  lakes
154.  the right of way for pedestrians
155.  Christmastime
156.  Smartfood
157.  real nature, close by
158.  berries
159. eBay (I know, how shallow of me)

When we left China in the summer of 2010, we never dreamt we would have such a long stay here, but through all the the months of wondering when we would go “home” again, these are blessings I’ve drawn around me and comforted myself with. They are nothing I can’t live without, but they were a reminder of how blessed I have been, even when it feels as though everything is not as it should be.

Today was an incredible day. Its incredibleness is most of the reason I haven’t blogged until now–much past my bedtime. Being blessed is a position–something we already possess whether we know it or not–but on certain days, it’s obvious. Today was one of those days.

It started with an email.

My husband wrote to say we have an apartment. He’s been searching for the last week, and his success was mixed. Although the very first apartment he sent pictures of made us all want to move right in, having walked through it, he felt it was just too small. He held out, and in the end the apartment he found exceeded all our expectations, and met every qualification the kids and I had for it on our dream list of features, which included the following:

• Western toilets
• a bathtub
• two bathrooms
• balconies (Sprout’s request)
• a nice-sized kitchen
• storage, if possible

The apartment he found has it all! I’m overwhelmed! We all are.

This is the stack of money he paid for the apartment. Chinese culture lesson #1: you pay your rent advance, usually every six months.

And the day just kept getting better. Here are the blessings I’m counting today

120. We have an apartment!!!
121. Our apartment is everything we could have wanted and more.
122.  The landlord is providing us a refrigerator. The refrigerator has double doors! (Our previous refrigerator in China was relatively small. This one won’t be.)
123.  It’s strawberry season in China, and my wonderful husband is going to buy some and freeze them for me. You’d have to understand that there are very few berries sold in China. You can’t buy them frozen, so you have to buy them fresh when they’re available. We get strawberries in February-March, mulberries (yum!) in June, I think. (I can’t quite remember). And blueberries for a very short while at the end of the summer (they’re expensive). I usually try to freeze batches so we can enjoy them longer. This goes very well with the fact that the refrigerator is larger. I’ll have more capacity for berries! I was concerned we’d miss the season, but JavaMan was already thinking of me. Isn’t he wonderful?

124. I am making headway on the bins. Still trying to focus on the positive and believe I’ll make it all fit.
125. I found out we may have the chance to visit with friends while we’re on our 12-hour layover in Hong Kong.
126. We had a bit of a financial mix-up last week that meant I was short some money. But we were blessed unexpectedly today–very well-timed for some of those last-minute purchases.
127. I had a chance to teach my daughters this week about needs and wants and how to make wise purchases. 128. I have wonderful children.
129. I have a wonderful husband.
130. I am so blessed to have such trust in my husband that he can be half a world away and I know all is well and he is thinking of me and his children.
131. There was a bit of a snafu with JavaMan’s visa. However, it looks as though the situation will be quickly resolved, and without too much extra hassle or financial repercussions.
132.  There are only [fergcorp_cdt_single date=”March 12, 2012″] more days until we get on a plane and go!
133. I seem to be recalling lots of Mandarin, and I think I won’t have too much trouble getting my stride back in the language when we get there
134. JavaMan is feeling better about his language abilities since we had the chance to invest in Rosetta Stone last year. It’s wonderful to hear his confidence in the language improving. (When we lived there previously, I had more opportunities for practice than he did, since in his interactions with his colleagues, he mostly used English.)
135. It’s wonderful to be in a small town for this bit of our waiting period. I received some wonderful help on my last-minute-quilt-finishing-up as well as some help with knitting this week. Neighbors and small-town business owners are wonderful.
136. I’m grateful for several opportunities to reconnect with friends before we leave. I had a lovely chat with a friend this week.
137. Made another little schedule change and have been really enjoying homeschool since I decided to relax about what we achieved before we left. Packed away the Math books today.
138. Sprout has been making great strides in reading lately.
139. She’s also doing better with her lisp. More on that later this week!

See what I mean? Overwhelmed.

 

JavaMan is in our new city, looking for an apartment. We already miss him. And we all wish we were there with him, our feet on the ground of the city we love, seeing the familiar sights that have no doubt changed since we were there last.

There are [sct date=”3/13/2012 20:30″ align=”none” size=”1″] until we leave. Sometimes it seems like an eternity, and sometimes it seems like hardly enough time to do all the last-minute things.

Our flights are booked, as of today. Tomorrow, after homeschool, the kids and I will go to apply for our visas.

There is so much to be thankful for.

100. Medical and dental appointments are all behind us, and with the exception of a couple of cavities that are now taken care of, everyone was just fine.
101. My shoulder continues to heal, and should be in great shape by the time we leave.
102. I am making progress on my giant list of things to do, and feeling much less pressured.
103. We saw JavaMan off and he has safely arrived back in China.
104. JavaMan has a place to stay while he searches for apartments.
105. He already has a number of good leads to great-looking places.
106. The last time, someone searched for our apartment for us. This time we get to look for ourselves. It’s exciting and promising!
107. We were (finally) able to connect with friends in China who helped us with our move the last time.
108. The same friends picked JavaMan up at the airport.
109. The kids and I have had some time to relax and reconnect since JavaMan’s departure. We all feel refreshed.
110. We have some fun things to do before we leave to help us keep our minds off Daddy’s absence.
111. I was able to get some much-needed perspective on homeschool last week, and feel much better about how we’re spending our time until we leave.
112. I’m organized! My plans for upcoming weeks of homeschool are organized and in the CM Organizer. We had our first chance to really see it in action today. I’m really happy with it, and think I’ll plan into our time back in China so we can get back into things as soon as jet lag wears off and we’re settled in.
113. Because of the aforementioned shift in focus this week, we’ve slowed down and spent some much-needed time out of doors together–a walk to the library on the weekend, and a nature study time last week.
114. I’m so grateful for my children. They are such a blessing to me.
115. I’m grateful that I have a wonderful husband, whom I can implicitly trust to find us the best place to live.
116. I’m grateful that this season is drawing to a close, and I’m grateful for the shift in focus it will bring.
117. I’m looking forward to speaking Mandarin again on a daily basis.
118. ’m grateful for all the things we’ve been able to do while we were back in Canada–for visits with family and friends and wonderful experiences.
119. I’m grateful for snow (you won’t hear me say this much) My kids have been hoping and praying for a good dose of winter before we leave Canada, and the weather hasn’t cooperated. They got a good dose of it in the last week–enough to have fun building a snow fort with Daddy before he left.