Déjà vu all over again

Countdown to Haiti 2010. Here we go again.

5 years ago right now we were doing exactly what we're doing now, in the same month, with almost the exact same crazy roller-coaster emotions. We moved out of our MN house on December 19th 2005. The high drama of that frigid winter night won't soon be forgotten. (It turns out you cannot die from sadness over leaving a house. So noted.)

the 2005 version of us

There was also an election scheduled in Haiti and flights being canceled by American Airlines due to the political climate and relative uncertainty.

It truly feels like dejavu all up in here right now.

The only difference is that we were in MN with five kids that time around. This time around we're in TX with more kids, decaying patience, diminishing stamina, and we know less than ever.

Staying put in one country is much less complicated. This moving kids across international borders stuff is crazy-making.  God should recognize that childless couples and empty nesters are way better choices for ... Telling God what He should recognize seems risky. Scratch that.

We seem to have a history of ridiculous behaviors, nagging doubts, and arduous adjustments in the months of Dec. and Jan.  One would think this would get easier each time. One would be so wrong.

We're inside the three week mark. Something switched about three days ago in all of us and suddenly we're nervous pacing, nervous eating, nervous acting, freaks.  

The intake of junk food and the size of some of our butts is directly related and mostly proportional to the amount of stress and nervousness in our lives. Canker sores the size of this great state of Texas are popping up all over the place. This response to stress is quite fortunate for Lay's Potato Chip Company and Anbesol, but terribly bad for us.

Death by BBQ chips is imminent.

Lydia seems very tuned into the increased tension in the house and refused to go to her weekly pre-school thing Tuesday. She pitched a fit and her weary mother couldn't muster up the mental strength to fight her. We've yet to meet anyone more persistent than Lydia. We're not sure if she doesn't want to be separated from us, or the chips. 

Isaac was lamenting on the ride home from school that all his friends are really going to miss him and that he only has three more days of school with these kids. I listened intently and finally said, "Wherever we leave people seem to miss you Isaac."  He was quiet as he thought for a moment and said, "Yes, well, I guess I am popular and have many friends all over the world. They are just going to miss me."  Friends, yes. Humility, not as much.

Troy and I had our first stress-related fight Sunday night. It was about the dishes and the dishwasher but really it was not about that at all. When does the day come where you are so refined that stress does not cause you to let it out on people you love? What if this is all a big test to see if we ever get it right?  What if passing the test means moving this tribe without ever fighting or eating ginormous quantities of potato chips or experiencing fear?

We're doomed. We'll surely be repeating this drill again in 2014.

We found old posts to prove what we already know ... We're not getting any better at this.(January 2006 (first move to Haiti) and January 2008 (going home after being in the USA for three months to move Britt to college and give birth to Lydia) and then getting re-settled.)

We'll be frequently absent on-line in the coming weeks as we pack and celebrate this joyous season with visiting family while making an attempt to love each other in the middle of the vortex of chaos and stress.

In the meantime, maybe you could entertain us with your smart quips and best stress-relief advice or de-lurk to acknowledge your deep and abiding friendship with Isaac while also distracting us from the potato chips.