Warning: Very Boring Post

Not to say my posts are that enthralling, but I expect this one to be even more dull than usual.  However, while I haven't been using this to document our daily lives step by step, now that we have a child living a life apart from us, the urge to record all I can is even stronger.  Even the dull (to others) part.

So...Friday Oak and I went out to dinner (Mexican since a friend put the idea in my head) and shopping while the kids stayed with Aunt J.

Saturday, Huckleberry had AWANA Quizzing.  I took him while the others stayed home.  It was fun and our teams did fairly well though they had trouble with the buzzers.  It was great to see all these children so grounded in knowledge of scripture.

Saturday afternoon we went to visit my dad (and for Oak to work on his bills.)  I took the kids outside for pictures...almost all of which I deleted...while Oak and Dad talked bills, then we went shopping because my dad wanted to go buy a new shirt.  We don't do all his shopping with him, but it was something to do.  Then out to dinner at one of the best Teriyaki places anywhere that happens to be near my dad.  It is closed on Sundays, so if we happen to visit on a Saturday we like to go there.  The kids were having a cranky day, so we were glad to finally land at home.

Saturday night I got no sleep as I kept thinking about the steps to travel.  I am still trying to comprehend them because while there are a few sites that list the steps in detail reading the detail at 5:00 a.m. doesn't help with comprehension.  My husband does seem to grasp the steps.  Mostly I was just trying to figure out if we get our I800 approval in nine days like my friend how much sooner can we travel.  I'm hoping for April but the Trade Fair is the last two weeks in April, so if we don't travel before I don't know if our agency will push us into May.  Questions, questions, questions.

Sunday I was oh, so tired, but it was a good, if emotional, day.  Check-in counter at church, talking with a friend, attending second service (oops, I just realized we forgot to take SnapDragon out so he could attend service with us since he was in kids church first hour; it is one of the reasons we stayed for second service though we were so tired.)  I am very glad we didn't skip service.  It was the last service by our current pastor and one of the best.  Grace!  I was crying during the various versions of Amazing Grace and the spontaneous baptisms that occurred.  So happy that God gives me grace.  Still learning and growing in offering it to others.

Then the going away luncheon.  Great food and fellowship, some with people I haven't seen in awhile since they have left the church/area but came to say good-bye to our pastor.  Then two hours of memories, stories, and prayer...like a funeral for a living person.  Okay, that's morbid, but it really was very touching and a wonderful tribute to all our pastor and his wife have done for our church.  We will miss them but are excited to see what God will do next.  Amazingly the kids did really, really well sitting through it all and I am very proud of them.

Then a quiet evening at home while I played with my kindle, the kids played, and my husband crossed checked everyone in the world's packing lists to create a comprehensive list for ourselves and  filled out the last form we need to send to our agency so the packet can go off to the consulate as soon as we have a copy of our I800 approval and NVC letter.  At least that is what he said.  Now it is in the mail and we are back to waiting, waiting, waiting.  Okay, it may sound like my husband is doing all the work, but someone has to figure out how to use the kindle before we leave for China.  Plus I have been doing some house purging to get ready for another child, really, I have.

Oh, and to me the most exciting thing, we sent a list of questions to our agency that they said they would have their contact in China ask the orphanage.  We plan to send a care package, too, but they want us to get updates through them.  I am optimistic that we will get something as others have gotten updates from this orphanage.