Christmas in September (OUR STUFF IS HERE!!!)

We packed our shipment for India way back in July. We decided not to take too much - no furniture and very little household goods. Just the essentials, like 250lbs of scrapbook stuff!! and food, lots of food. This shows it all wrapped and labeled and ready to go.

We arrived in India to discover we were very unprepared, and very bored, and very hungry. And very anxious for our stuff to arrive. So we waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, after many delays, the call came - we could go to customs to clear our shipment. Of course, the relocation company would do it for us, but I didn't like the idea of them keeping Randy's passport for several days, so we went to do it ourselves. They made me leave my camera in the car, so I don't have photos, but it was an interesting place - shipping containers as far as you could see, from all over and filled with everything you can think of. We followed the guy here, then there, then sat for awhile, then followed him here to have someone else look at the packing list and his passport, then there, then sit for awhile, then someone else looks over the list (getting the picture?) etc etc. It was actually way faster than we had been led to believe - maybe because we were there personally. Anyway; we finally went out to a container in the blazing sun and opened it up to see.... it was not our stuff. Oh yes, our crates are behind that one. So back inside we go to wait. Then we go out to try again, and THERE THEY ARE!!!! so close, and yet so far. They open one huge box (it had all fit in 3 containers, one giant cardboard thing like a pumpkin box at home (fits on a pallet, you know?) and 2 wooden boxes with metal bands around) and asked where was the computer (how should we know, it looked nothing like this when it left our house!) then tried to open the other one but of course, this is India so no one had tinsnips and it was about 120° in the container so they gave up. haha. So we paid a few dollars duty on the computer and left. YAY!! so now it will be delivered, right? well..... it was not the 2 days they said it would be, but it was a day earlier than we expected. They called Sunday morning to say it was coming and we did not tell the kids. When they came to the gate we were coming out of our skin we were so excited, but of course, nothing is simple and the guys weren't here to unload it so they parked the truck outside the house and LEFT!!!

I nearly broke into the truck - so close and yet so far!

Finally I decided to shower, and of course, they arrived as soon as I was in the shower. Oh were we all excited!!

They unloaded it into the house and would have put it right into the cupboards if we had wanted them to. We were very excited to see the piano, the karaoke, Sam to get her stereo, etc etc. When I started to unload the kitchen boxes I thought I might cry when those batter bowls came out of the box :) I had forgotten what I packed!! and I was not as clueless as I thought. I coul d have spared myself some trouble if I had remembered I took photos of all the kitchen stuff I packed! Only had to look to see what was coming. But then, that would have taken some of the magic out of opening those boxes!

I asked the kids what they were most excited about - Sam said her stereo, karaoke and cereal, Alex said the piano and computer, and real food, for Isaac it was his nerf gun, computer and RC car, Miranda said her Polly Pocket stuff and her Cabbage Patch Kid Erika. For Randy, karaoke machine, and for me, batter bowls, bacon bits and FOOD!!

Being excited about the karaoke was short-lived - we checked the back and were thrilled to discover it would operate on 220 power, since our transformers weren't here yet, and plugged it in. Hmmmm, doesn't seem quite right. Oops, there is a power source switch. And there is not a karaoke machine anymore. Nooooooooo!!!!!
Look, 15 pounds of chocolate!

We just might live :)