Today was a go-go-go day.
From sun up to sun down, it was non-stop.
The living room has turned into a makeshift storage room
with clothes and suitcases everywhere.
We've been organizing, loading, and unloading bins,
discarding, donating, and we deep-cleaned
Claire's car.
We even packed in a dentist visit for all of us!
(NO CAVITIES!).
At dusk, while loading bins into our car to take to our storage unit,
I noticed Kitty peacefully sleeping on my couch, unaware that life was
changing so quickly around us. I longed to be her, to just sit on the
couch with all five of my Nies and watch the world go by,
like we once did, a long time ago:
I am grateful for the chance I had to be present and available for my Nies
while they were young and growing up.
I loved sitting on the couch and listening to them or reading to them
(which was my favorite activity). 
I am grateful I still have Gigs and Lottie at home.
Yes, they are older, and no, they might not want
to read Halloween books on the couch (actually, I still think they will),
but I still have influence in their growing-up years.
For that, I am soooo grateful!
As a family, we ended the night at Culver's for one last Harvest burger
and stacks of onion rings.
It was a bittersweet dinner.
I have to admit, mostly bitter.
We'll be together again for Christmas, but we'll ALL BE TOGETHER
when Oliver comes home from his mission in February.
It will almost be FOUR years since that has happened!
