A weekend of extremes

As I type this, I am sitting in the Montreal airport, heading home after an overnight trip to PEI. E's sister's mother-in-law passed away, and since E couldn't get off work so quickly I went in his stead. It was a lovely funeral service- one of the kinds where if you had never heard the salvation message before, you sure heard it there. But still funerals are always hard, no matter the circumstances. I had only met this woman once, but I liked her instantly, and although I do not personally grieve her passing very much, I grieve for my family. It is so hard to watch ones you love in pain and know there is nothing much you can do except be there. This lady had been married to her husband for 51 years- they were best friends, and although he knew their parting is only temporary, he misses her terribly. And their one son was so very close to her. Hard.

And through it all, I am supressing tremendous joy. The last time I sat in the Montreal airport- yesterday- I checked my e-mail to find pictures of our new daughter from South Africa! The referral came through in record time- three days after ministry approval. We travel in June! I am already in love with her - her pictures show a happy little girl with a glint of mischief in her eyes- something I am very familiar with in the boys. I think she'll make out very fine with two older brothers. She will be 3 on June 12, so we may be able to celebrate her birthday with her- what a way to start our life together!

Now that the funeral is over, I feel free to revel in the happiness that the Lord has led us to- and in a shorter time period than we ever could have imagined. Glad he didn't decide to test my patience here! There is SO much to do before June- paint and furnish a bedroom, get everything we need for a new child, finish school, figure out what to do with the pets while we're gone, the list goes on. But how can I worry? God has worked everything out so far, I think he'll look after these last minute details.

Friends are Friends Forever and other tacky songs

I am so blessed. Found out last night that a friend of mine is going to have a shower for me when we know the age of our little girl and any other details so that people can help me get what we need for this little one (which is pretty much everything...) It never occurred to me that I would ever have another shower (aside from the kind I have in the morning while I hope the boys aren't destoying the house...) I was kind of blown away, that someone would think of that.

I am also wondering at this moment what goes through a cat's mind. As I type this, Max is sitting on my lap with his two front paws up on the computer desk looking intently at the screen. I wonder if he thinks the cursor is a bug that he needs to hunt. Hopefully he won't pounce any time soon. He has taken to sitting on my lap whenever it interferes with something I'm doing- writing in my journal, doing crossed-stitch or knitting (and if he's not sitting on my work, he's sitting on the pattern). Oh, and then there's the moths on the outside of the window at night. Hear that Max? They're on the OUTSIDE. It doesn't matter how many times you jump at the window to try to get them, they WILL thwart you every time. Besides, I don't know how many more times my table lamp can get knocked over and survive.

The latest adoption news is that we will probably be travelling in July. Our agent is expecting ministry approval within 1 1/2 weeks or so, and very shortly after that we should get our referral. The orphange from which we will be adopting is a Christian orphanage who only places children with Christian families. How nice is that? And because these kids are just waiting there, the mission has asked the ministry to put a rush on our home study. A process that we thought would take 2 + years has taken only 6-7 months. Gotta be a God thing. I have started to get Kaylah's (Kayla's, Keilah's, Keila's- any other suggestions, anyone?) room ready. The boys are moved into one room and today I started taping the lines to paint pink stripes on top of the red paint. Man, I hope this doesn't look horrible. I probably won't have time to paint it twice. I'm not touching paint to walls until I know without a doubt that it's a girl, so it will be a quick job when the time comes. So much for my relaxing summer before the trip in the fall. I've even had to find adoptive parents for my veggie seedlings I started. No sense planting them only to be gone for 3 weeks of the growing season and coming back to find them all dead. So I have found a good home for them, and I have been promised that I can share in the harvest when the fall. Hopefully my friend has a greener thumb than I do.