A year later

We can't believe it's already been a year since a fire destroyed the office where Chris had his business. We can still remember that night watching the office burn; the smells, sounds,  and sights are still vivid in our minds.

A week after the fire, we got to go into the building to see what could be retrieved. Besides a few small items, everything was destroyed. It was a somber day as we walked through the building with boots and hardhats, stepping on water-soaked carpets, feeling water drip on our backs from the water-logged ceiling, and seeing how the drywall was turned to mush. We were all overwhelmed and saddened by the loss, but thankful that no one was hurt.

For the past year, the owner of the building had been busy rebuilding it. Today was the first time that I've been back in the building for a year. What an amazing change! It was a happy moment to see the building back and even better than before! New walls, floors, doors, ceilings, carpet, and paint, and it is beautiful!

Now, we are heading to the furniture store now to pick out new furniture for Chris' office. We are so excited about this new phase of his business. Thanks to everyone for the prayers and thanks to the members of the community, who jumped in and helped us get setup in a new temporary office.

We celebrated the life of Gramps yesterday

On July 5th, we lost a great man. Edward Anderson aka "Gramps." He was Chris' grandfather; his mom's dad. Gramps was an amazing man who touched so many people's lives in a positive way. He was a talented artist and musician. Though I only knew him a short time, he warmly welcomed me into the family and always had a smile fo me.

The funeral was amazing and emotional. So many people showed up to show their love and we had a huge choir of his students, family, and friends who all sang to celebrate Gramps' life. We are so thankful to have had him in touch our life.

The one wish we had about Gramps that didn't come true is that we hoped we would have had a new family member before his passing.  However, we know that he and Nana are watching from above and praying for us.  We love and miss you both.

Please pray for Gramps

Please say a prayer for Chris' grandfather, who we all loving refer to as "Gramps." He lives in assisted living and is 98 years old. The staff found him passed out on the floor of his room last night, and he was transported to the hospital. The doctors diagnosed him with pneumonia. I understand that it was touch and go during the night. He is currently stable, but unresponsive. We are getting ready to head to the hospital to see him. Pneumonia is such a hard condition to recover from for someone his age. Please pray for healing for him. Thank you!

Why yes, we do spoil our dogs

We allow the dogs on the furniture, and they take full advantage of it.

The play is coming along nicely!

Yes, I'm in another play. This time it's Cinderella, and I'm the evil stepmother! I'm so loving it! Though I'm the oldest actor, the rest of the cast, who are young college students and many of them have worked together on other plays) have made me feel a part of the team.

The long days are a challenge sometimes as I started my new job on the same day play rehearsals started. Getting to work at 7:30 a.m., working all day followed by rehearsal until 8:00 p.m. makes for some long days. But it's worth it, and it is only for a few more weeks.

As for my new job, I'm enjoying it and starting to settle it. I still have a lot to learn about the project I'm working on, but the team immediately made me feel welcomed and solicited my input on different things. It's also unique in that for the last 10 years, I've been an editor and writer for environmental engineer; now I'm in the technology field.  It's nice to have a challenge again.

And for the adoption front, we finished our re-certification last month, so things have quieted down again. We keep praying and reaching out to people and groups who know about adoption and can give us ideas, encouragement, and suggestions. Chris and I still feel strongly that we will have a young one placed with us, so we haven't lost faith.