A journey to Sakhalin: 2 weeks and counting!

We have just a little over 2 weeks before the BIG move!  I can't believe it, it seems like we have been working on this move forever.  We have known about it since February, so I guess it was just so far away for the longest time, but now it is almost here!  We have our plane tickets, which are now changed from our previous route (via Moscow) to our new route (via Tokyo).  We are flying Qatar Airways from Doha to Frankfurt, All Nippon Airways from Frankfurt to Tokyo, and then the company charter from Tokyo to Yuzhno.  All in all about 22 hours of flying time, not including layovers.  The pups are both booked the whole way through, but we will have to collect them and our bags at each stop.  In a way, that will ease my mind to see that they made it to each stop.  

Our LOI's (letters of invitation) should be granted on Monday.  Once we receive them here, we will go to the Russian embassy to purchase our visas.   The packers will be here on the 19th, and we will move into a hotel for the rest of our stay in Doha.  Once we get our visas, things will really start to come together.  I am hoping to get all of our suitcases packed by next weekend, so no essential items get put in our sea shipment.  It should be a busy couple of weeks!