Winding down the move to Shanghai was as one might imagine a busy, hectic, at times tear filled, departure from our home, very, very good friends, and of course family & loved ones. Our neighbors and Sabrina's co-workers at her school threw a send off / good-bye party for us. It was bittersweet as it was a time to relax and enjoy each others company but also we knew that we would miss everyone for an extended period of time. Tony also had some of his best friends - Adam Lupien fly in from Phoenix, AZ, Mike Tagliapietra drive in from Wisconsin, Russ Hanson fly in from North Dakota, and Kelly Flynn drive in from Iowa. They had some good times and drank more than a few beers along the way. 
As for family, the Wixo parents spent extended weekends helping get things packed and moved and took a number of things to North Dakota that we just did not want to go into storage for 3 years. Sabrina's mom, Sandi, also came to Minnesota to give us a much needed hand. It's not easy trying to pack and make sure three kids are happy and being looked after. We thank all of you for your sacrifice of time for us. Having our house sell unexpectedly at the last minute added a lot of stress in the near term, we could not have completed everything without your help. Again, we are truly grateful and blessed to have a family like all of you. Thanks.
We spent our final days in the US at our good friends, Ben & Michelle Feldman's home in Buffalo, and at Grand Lodge in Bloomington, MN. Grand Lodge is home to WaterPark of America and is near the Mall of America. Brandon joined us and we reserved the family suite which allowed us to comfortably kick back and take a few deep breathes for some quality R&R before the big flight "over the pond". Chad & Amy (Sabrina's brother & wife & mother to be) also visited us on Sunday for some relaxation time around the pool, and our "last supper". Brandon, one of his friends, Chad & Tony swam in the waterpark and spent numerous quarters in the game area, while Amy & Sabrina brought the twins down to the pool area. Fun for all, however we don't think Caden & Ava liked the waterpark as much as they do their bath routine . Note to file...
Our departure day came too soon on Monday, February 12th. Tony took Brandon to his mom's home for a tearful goodbye and hug. We then picked Chad up from his work and he took us to the airport to start the adventure.
Stay tuned for more blogs...much more to come.
