Monday, September 26, 2011

Finding Some Joy

My busy week is over - what a week that was! But I got everything done that I needed to. The youth group came over and we had a nice time with them. We'll do this again next year, for Will's last season of football. After they left our house around 11pm, they all headed back to the church for an all-nighter. I don't know how those youth leaders do it. I could never stay up all night long!

I had quite the time of it towards the end of the week with some of my personal possessions. On Thursday I was leaning over the washer, pulling out some wet clothes when my cell phone slipped out of my pocket and into the 5 gallon bucket of homemade laundry detergent I keep on the floor. Not good! Fortunately, I had hung onto my previous phone and was able to get service transferred to that. Then, the next day I lost my keys. It's like a key fairy - demon is more like it - came into our house and whisked them away. We have looked absolutely everywhere for them and they are nowhere to be found. So today I went to town and got copies made. How utterly frustrating!

We went to Council Bluffs on Saturday. The whole weekend was kind of discouraging on a number of levels. The wedding reception was the most joy-less one I think I have ever attended. We were sitting there and I asked Paul, "What's wrong here?" He kind of shrugged but said he felt it too. Later that night we were talking and we finally pinned it down to the utter lack of joy on anyone's part. It was like the families involved were just playing a part. It was bizarre and sad. I guess that's what happens when you don't do things God's way.

My focus this week is getting together the papers we need to go forward with our adoption application. We have to have them all in by Oct. 15 - things like our marriage license, dog vaccine records, signed dr reports on all of us, etc. We also have to make a decision by then whether or not we're willing to take an HIV baby/child. I guess I don't have a problem with it. I think the only danger with HIV is in the case of mixing blood. Because of that we'd have to be a little more careful, but there's a big difference between HIV and AIDS. But maybe I should do a little more research on this first. I spent this morning trying to find our marriage license - to no avail. I know we got a copy after we first married because I had to have it to get my Nebraska driver's license. But I have no clue what happened to it. I called the Black Hawk county registrar's office and they said I could pick one up from them - in person - for a $15 fee. So I guess I'll have to do that. Fortunately, I am going up there anyway in a couple of weeks when my brother and family come to town. So that will work out.

Sam came to us last week and announced that he wanted to make a "lever." He went and got a couple of thin boards but was then having trouble figuring out how to attach them. Paul and I just looked at eachother - was this really OUR child? He's only 3! His vocabulary, which has always been good, has just exploded even more in the last couple of weeks. He's becoming quite the chatterer. Yesterday, I overheard someone at our old church ask him, "Does your mom call you 'Sam'?" Sam replied, "Yep - and I call my mom, 'mama' 'cuz she likes that when I do that!" He has been quite cheerfully wetting his pants lately. As he told me matter-of-factly the other day, "I just don't like to come in the house when I'm busy playing!"

Ben got a brand-new bowling ball last week from Special Olympics. We had figured out that the reason he was having trouble bowling was because his hand is so large - but his frame is so thin. For his weight, he can only handle a 10 lb ball. But the span on a 10 lb ball is smaller. So they ordered this ball for him - Ben got to pick it out - and then specially drilled the holes for him. I'm hoping he really can become a good bowler in time. I'm not in favor of the smoking ban in all Iowa businesses (except casinos - follow the money trail on THAT one!) but I do have to admit it is nice to be able to go into bowling alleys now without inhaling all the smoke that used to swirl around inside them. Ben's bowling event is on Oct. 20th.

Well, I had better get started on dinner. Pretty soon I'll have to go pick up Ben from practice. Will's game got cancelled tonight, which is nice. He said it probably had to do with lack of players from the other team. Some of these smaller schools have a hard time putting together JV teams. It's kind of raw out there this afternoon and I'd just as soon spend it indoors, anyway!

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